USA > Delaware > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 15
USA > New Jersey > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 15
USA > Pennsylvania > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 15
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Several hundred more immigrants followed those who came on the Kent, and gradually extended the bounds of the two original settlements of Salem and Burlington.
The author of The Present State is unknown, but obviously the pamphlet was sent out by the trustees and proprietors. It seems to be a fair and truthful statement of the existing conditions. The original, a single sheet printed on both sides (11} x 62 inches), is in the collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. It was published in 1681, probably in Lon- don, and was reprinted in 1894, in the Pennsylvania Magazine, XVIII. 158-162. The text which follows is from the original. A. C. M.
THE PRESENT STATE OF THE COLONY OF WEST-JERSEY, 1681
The Present State of the Colony of West-Jersey, in America. September, Anno Dom. 1681.
1. Some few Years since, there were several Printed Papers published, giving Account of this Colony, which gave Encour- agement to many Persons to Purchase Lands, and Transport Themselves, Servants, and Families thither, who have settled Themselves in that Colony, upon the Great River of Delaware, and the Creeks and Harbors thereof; and have Built some Towns apt for Trade, with Convenient Ports, where large Ships of Considerable Burthen have already unloaded, especially at Burlington, Scituate about a Hundred and Fifty Miles1 from the Sea up the said River.
2. And there are also many Families, who have settled Themselves in that Country; some about Husbandry, others have Erected Mills for Grinding Corn, and several other neces- sary Tradesmen have There settled Themselves in Towns, and in the Country, fit for their Respective Undertakings.
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3. The Husband-Men have good Increase, as well in large Cattle and Hoggs; as also, in all such sorts of Grain which grow in England; and the same are Sold at Easie and Reason- able Rates: The Increase of their Corn being considerably Greater than in England; of which they Make good Bread, and Brew good Beer and Ale for their Use. And as for other Provisions, they are Plentiful; as Fish, Fowls, Deer, Pork, Beef, and many Sorts of Fruits; as Grapes, Peaches, Apri- cocks, Cherryes, and Apples, of which Good Syder is made.
4. The Country also produces Flax and Hemp, which they already Spin and Manufacture into Linnen: They make sev- eral Stuffs and Cloath of Wool for Apparrel: They Tan Leather, Make Shooes and Hats.
" Only about a hundred miles.
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5. They have also Coopers, Smiths, Carpenters, Brick- layers, Wheel-Wrights, Plow-Wrights, and Mill-Wrights, Ship- Carpenters, and other Trades, which work upon what the Country produces for Manufacturies.
6. For the Soyl it is Good, and capable to produce any thing that England doth: [and] the Yearly Increase is far Greater. The Air Temperate and Healthy; Winter not so long as is in England: Few Natives in the Country; but those that are, are very Peaceable, Useful, and Serviceable to the English Inhabitants.
7. There are many Creeks and Bayes adjoining, and be- longing to Delaware-River, beside other Rivers and Creeks along the Sea-shore, which are Navigable.
8. For Minerals within the Earth, they have not had Time to search; only, there are Iron-Mines,-and a Furnace, and Forging Mill already set up in East-Jersey, where they Make Iron.
9. Their Houses are some Built of Brick, some of Timber, Plaister'd and Ceil'd, as in England: So that they have Mat- terials within the Country, to set Themselves at work, and to make all manner of Conveniency for Humane Life: And what they do not Spend, or have to Spare, they sell to their Neigh- bours, and Transport the Rest to the other American-Planta- tions.
10. There is variety of Trees in the Country, and many of them; as Oak, Cedar, Chesnut, Wallnut, Mulberry, etc. and several sorts that are not in England.
11. For the Title of the said Colony, it stands thus: Some Years since, the King granted under the Great Seal of England, unto the Duke of York, His Heirs and Assigns, several Tracts of Land in America, (in which Jersey is included) with full Power of Government, making Laws, Peace, War, and all other Things whatsoever, for Settling and Governing the same. The Duke of York, (in Affirmation of former Grants and Conveyances thereof) by Conveyance Inrolled in the High-Court of Chancery, Grants and Conveys the Whole Colony of West-Jersey, with all Lands, Rivers, Bayes, Creeks, Royalties, and Priviledges thereunto belonging, unto William Pen, Gawen Lawry, and Nicholas Lucas, In Trust for Edward Billinge, His Heirs and Assigns for ever: And by like Convey-
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ance, the said Duke Granted the Power of Government of the said West-Jersey unto the said Edward Billinge, His Deputy or Deputyes, Commissioner or Commissioners, for Governing and Settling the said West-Jersey; And that in as full and ample Manner, to all Intents and Purposes, as the same was Granted to Him by the King.1 All which Laws and Settle- ments are, and are to be Made and Done with the Consent and Approbation of the Proprietors and Free-holders thereof. So that, neither Customs, Charge, Imposition, nor any other Services or Taxes whatsoever, are to be Imposed upon the Inhabitants, but by their own Consent in a Free and General- Assembly of the Proprietors and Free-Holders of the said Colony; which Assembly is to meet once every Year.
12. There is likewise Certain Provision made for the Lib- erty of Conscience, in Matters of Religion, that all Persons living Peaceably, may injoy the Benefit of the Religious Exercise thereof, without any Molestation whatsoever.
13. The Method laid down for Sale and Division of the Country of West-Jersey, is by Proprieties, (that is to say) One Propriety contains the Hundredth Part of the Whole Country: Of which Proprieties, many are already Sold, and disposed of to Purchasers; and several of the same remains yet to be Sold. In each of these Hundred Parts or Proprieties, the Quantity of Acres, cannot be absolutely Ascertain'd; but its generally judged to be Twenty Thousand Acres, and up- wards; but some have accounted each Propriety to contain much more. And if any Person be not minded to deal for a Whole Propriety; Two, Four, Six, Eight, or more, may joyn in the Purchase thereof; There being Land enough in one of these Proprieties for many Families.
14. The Dividing, and Laying out the Land, is done by Commissioners appointed upon the Place. And there is a large Traet of Land, containing above Sixty English Miles, lying along the River of Delaware, taken up, and Bought of
" The validity of the grant of Charles II. to his brother the Duke of York having been questioned because of the Dutch reconquest of 1673, Charles II. issued a new patent to the Duke for the region including New Jersey, June 29, 1674. The Duke, then, August 6, 1680, confirmed West New Jersey to Penn, Lawrie, and Lucas, also specifically empowering Byllynge with its government, a prerogative which, it was held, had not accompanied the grant of Berkeley to Fenwick, March 18, 1673/4.
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the Natives: The Commissioners lay out (at present) about Five or Six Thousand Acres of Land for a Propriety out of this Tract, as People come over that have Bought: By which Means, the People settle near together, for their Conveniency of Trade and Commerce. And when this Tract of Land is all Settled, then it's intended to take up another Tract of Land, and proceed in the same Method; and so in like manner to continue, until the Whole Country is Divided. And the said Commissioners, for dividing the same, are to be Chosen by the General-Assembly of the Colony, with Approbation of the Gov- ernor, or His Deputy, upon the Place.
15. As for the Deeds or Conveyances, signed, or to be signed by Edward [Billinge] and His Trustees, they were at first drawn up by able Counsellors at Law, and are [all] after one manner: So that, every Purchaser hath alike Priviledge.
16. For Transportation of Passengers to West-Jersey, Ships set Sail from London generally Once in Three Months, some- times in Two Months: The Master gives Notice Six Weeks (or more) of his Going before-hand.
17. The Price for every Passenger, (that is to say) for Men and Women, Meat, Drink, and Passage, with a Chest, is Five Pounds sterling per Head: For Children of Twelve Years of Age, and under, Fifty Shillings per Head; Sucking Children, Nothing: For Goods, Forty Shillings a Tun Freight, to be Landed at Burlington, or elsewhere upon Delaware-River.
18. Sometimes, ships go from Dublin, sometimes from Hull: But if any Persons, to the Number of Thirty, or more, in Scotland or Ireland, desiring to be taken in There, the Ship- Master will take them in at Leith, Dundee, or Aberdeen on the East, and at Aire on the West of Scotland, and at Dublin or Waterford in Ireland; so as they order some Person in Lon- don, to agree, and give Security for so many Passengers to be ready at the Time and Place agreed upon, to be taken Aboard, with Account how many Tun of Goods they intend to Ship. And the Commodities fit to be carryed to New-Jersey, are such as are usually carryed to Virginia, New-York, or Mary-land.
19. Thus far it is thought meet (in short) to inform all Persons, to whose Hands the several former Printed Papers and Testimonies concerning New-Jersey may not come: But if any Desire to have further Information, there are several
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Letters from Persons settled in West Jersey to their Friends in England, lately Printed, and are to be had at Benjamine Clarks, in George-Yard in Lumbord-Street, London; and Rob- ert Turners, at Dublin in Ireland; David Falkner, at Edin- burgh; Hugh Woods, at Hamilton; John Cowey's, at Aber- deen in Scotland. And for such who desire to be Purchasers of Land in West-Jersey, or to be satisfyed concerning any thing relating thereto, they may Repair or Write to Thomas Rudyard,' in the afore said George-Yard in Lumbard-Street; where they may be further Treated with therein; where, it's doubted not, but they will have Full Satisfaction both as to the Holding, Division, Concessions, and Settlements of the said New Jersey.
1 An Abstract or Abbreviation of some Few of the Many (Later and Former) Testimonys from the Inhabitants of New-Jersey and other Eminent Persons who have Wrote particularly concerning that Place. London, Printed by Thomas Milbourn, in the Year 1681. Pp. 32, quarto (John Carter Brown Library).
' Thomas Rudyard (d. about 1692), a lawyer. of George Yard, Lombard Street, London, originally from the town of Rudyard, in Staffordshire, had been concerned in the famous trial of the Quakers, William Penn and William Mead, in London in 1670. It was in his office that William Penn's first deeds granting Pennsylvania lands were drawn up and signed. He became one of the New Jersey proprietors, and in 1682 went over as Deputy Governor of East Jersey serving until the close of 1685, when he set out for Barbados.
SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PROVINCE OF PENNSILVANIA, BY WILLIAM PENN, 1681
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INTRODUCTION
THE founding of the province of Pennsylvania by William Penn was the direct result of his active participation-begin- ning, as we have seen, in 1675-in the management of the affairs of the New Jersey settlements. He had thus become fully acquainted with the conditions and possibilities not only of the latter region but of the whole domain of the English America of that day, and particularly of that portion of it contiguous to West New Jersey on the west side of the Delaware. A keen desire (evolved under the influence of his Quaker viewpoint and experiences from a germinating idea, as he tells us, of his youthful days at Oxford University), had grown up in him to plant in the New World a colony all his own, where he might exemplify his altruistic ideals of the government and development of such a settlement and estab- lish a democracy, under his paternal care, which while essen- tially Quaker in character, would nevertheless attract other desirable European immigrants seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity. Along with these great purposes, but subordinate to them, William Penn as an Englishman of rank and influence in the realm, with the traditions of his class, had also a concern for his material interests and for the perpetuity of an estate for his family.
The realization of his dream of a Quaker commonwealth was made practically possible through a claim of £16,000, which as his father's heir he held against the crown. He could rely also upon the sincere friendship of the royal brothers. Having vainly sought the direct recovery of the debt, he now made this loss to his estate, as he phrases it, the basis of a
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petition to King Charles, in June, 1680, requesting the grant of the Pennsylvania tract. The King's favor brought the de- sired result, and on March 4, 1681, the charter, after going through the usual stages of preparation, received the royal signature and Penn was duly vested with a great domain nearly as large as England itself.
Early the next month Penn appointed his cousin William Markham to serve as Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania and sent him over with instructions to call a council, to receive the allegiance of the people, to settle boundaries, to survey and distribute lands, and to keep the peace. Markham ar- rived there about the latter part of June, 1681, and assumed control of the government, which he administered until Penn himself came over.
Penn in the meantime began energetically the exploitation of his new province, giving chief attention to the preparation of Some Account of the Province of Pennsilvania (a folio of [2] +10 pages). This was the first of his series of immigration pamphlets in the interest of his project. He did not seek to entice intending settlers by misleading accounts, as did some promoters of early-not to speak of later-American emigra- tion, but with that scrupulous regard for true statement that characterized Quaker writings, he was careful in this as in other similar publications to present the simple facts without exag- geration. Having as yet no personal knowledge of America, his data for the parts of his work relating to it were acquired at second hand, yet before issuing the pamphlet he first took the precaution to read it, as he states in a letter of April 12, 1681, "to Traders, Planters, and Shipmasters, that know those parts, and finally to the most eminent Friends, hereway [London], and so [it] comes forth. I have foreborne pains and allurement, and writt truth." Published in London, early in April, as it would seem from the above letter, Some Account was immediately issued on the Continent, under the direction
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of Penn's Pennsylvania agent there, the learned and well-to-do merchant, Benjamin Furley, an English Quaker, resident in Rotterdam. Two such editions appeared, one in Dutch at Rotterdam (a quarto of 24 pages), and the other in German at Amsterdam (a quarto of 31 pages). To these translations was added Penn's letter to the burgomaster and council of the city of Emden, dated London, December 14, 1674, and originally printed in Dutch in 1675. The German edition contains an additional short explanation or glossary, cover- ing three pages, of some of the English words retained in the translation. The pamphlet in its respective forms was widely circulated among those most likely to respond to it, especially in those communities and countries where Penn had travelled or was known, notably in England, Ireland and Wales, and in Holland and Germany, and it had considerable influence in inducing the emigration that followed.
Some Account was reprinted in Samuel Hazard's Register of Pennsylvania, I. 305-308, (May 17, 1828), with the omis- sion of the abstract of the charter, and also, but with less full- ness, in his Annals of Pennsylvania (1850), pp. 505-513. It was again reprinted, without the abstract, in Thompson Westcott's History of Philadelphia (Sunday Dispatch, Philadelphia, 1867), chapter XVII. The complete text is here reprinted for the first time, it is believed, in English, from an original copy of the book in the collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
A. C. M.
SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PROVINCE OF PENNSILVANIA, BY WILLIAM PENN, 1681
Some account of the province of Pennsilvania in America; Lately Granted under the Great Seal of England to William Penn, etc. Together with Priviledges and Powers necessary to the well-governing thereof. Made publick for the Infor- mation of such as are or may be disposed to Transport themselves or Servants into those Parts.
London: Printed, and Sold by Benjamin Clark Bookseller in George-Yard, Lombard-street, 1681.
SINCE (by the good providence of God) a Country in Amer- ica is fallen to my lot, I thought it not less my Duty than my honest Interest to give some publick notice of it to the World, that those of our own, or other Nations, that are in- clin'd to Transport themselves or Families beyond the Seas, may find another Country added to their choice, that if they shall happen to like the Place, Conditions and Constitutions, (so far as the present Infancy of things will allow us any pros- pect) they may, if they please, fix with me in the Province hereafter describ'd. But before I come to treat of my par- ticular Concernment, I shall take leave to say something of the benefit of Plantations or Colonies in general, to obviate a common Objection.
Colonies then are the Seeds of Nations begun and nour- ished by the care of wise and populous Countries; as conceiv- ing them best for the increase of Humane Stock, and beneficial for Commerce.
Some of the wisest men in History have justly taken their Fame from this Design and Service: We read of the Reputa- tion given on this account to Moses, Joshua and Caleb in . Scripture-Records; and what Renown the Greek story yields to Lycurgus, Theseus, and those Greeks that Planted many parts of Asia: Nor is the Roman account wanting of instances
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to the Credit of that People; They had a Romulus, a Numa Pompilius; and not only reduc'd, but moraliz'd the Manners of the Nations they subjected; so that they may have been rather said to conquer their Barbarity than Them.
Nor did any of these ever dream it was the way of decreas- ing their People or Wealth: For the cause of the decay of any of those States or Empires was not their Plantations, but their Luxury and corruption of Manners: For when they grew to neglect their ancient Discipline, that maintained and rewarded Virtue and Industry, and addicted themselves to Pleasure and Effeminacy, they debas'd their Spirits and debauch'd their Morals, from whence Ruine did never fail to follow to any People: With Justice therefore I deny the vulgar Opinion against Plantations, That They weaken England; they have manifestly inrich'd, and so strengthened her; Which I briefly evidence thus.
1st. Those that go into a Foreign Plantation, their Indus- try there is worth more than if they stay'd at home, the Prod- uct of their Labour being in Commodities of a superiour Nature to those of this Country. For Instance; What is an improved Acre in Jamaica or Barbadoes worth to an improved Acre in England? We know 'tis threetimes the value, and the product of it comes for England, and is usually paid for in English Growth and Manufacture. Nay, Virginia shews that an ordinary Industry in one man produces Three thousand pound weight of Tobacco and Twenty Barrels of Corn yearly: He feeds himself, and brings as much of Commodity into England besides as being return'd in the Growth and Work- manship of this Countrey, is much more than he could have spent here: Let it also be remembred, that the Three thou- sand weight of Tobacco brings in Three thousand Two-pences by way of Custom to the King, which makes Twenty five Pounds; An extraordinary Profit.
2dly. More being produc'd and imported than we can spend here, we Export it to other Countries in Europe, which brings in Money, or the Growth of those Countries, which is the same thing; And this is the Advantage of the English- Merchants and Seamen.
3dly. Such as could not only not marry here, but hardly live and allow themselves Cloaths, do marry there, and bestow
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thrice more in all Necessaries and Conveniencies (and not a little in Ornamental things too) for themselves, their Wives and Children, both as to Apparel and Household-stuff; which coming out of England, I say 'tis impossible that England should not be a considerable Gainer.
4thly. But let it be consider'd, That the Plantations imploy many hundreds of Shipping, and many thousands of Seamen; which must be in divers respects an Advantage to England, being an Island, and by Nature fitted for Navigation above any Countrey in Europe. This is followed by other depending Trades, as Shipwrights, Carpenters, Sawyers, Hewers, Trunnel- makers, Joyners, Slopsellers, Dry-salters, Iron-workers, the Eastland-Merchants,1 Timber-sellers, and Victuallers, with many more Trades which hang upon Navigation: So that we may easily see the Objection (That Colonies or Plantations hurt England) is at least of no strength, especially if we con- sider how many thousand Blacks and Indians are also accom- modated with Cloaths and many sorts of Tools and Utensils from England, and that their Labour is mostly brought hither, which adds Wealth and People to the English Domin- ions. But 'tis further said, They injure England, in that they draw away too many of the people; for we are not so popu- lous in the Countries as formerly: I say there are other rea- sons for that.
1st. Country-People are so extremely addicted to put their Children into Gentlemens Service, or send them to Towns to learn Trades, that Husbandry is neglected; and after a soft and delicate Usage there, they are for ever unfitted for the Labour of a Farming Life.
2dly. The Pride of the Age in its Attendance and Retinue is so gross and universal, that where a man of 1000l. a year formerly kept but four or five Servants, he now keeps more than twice the number; He must have a Gentleman to wait upon him in his Chambers, a Coach-man, a Groom or two, a Butler, a Man-Cook, a Gardner, two or three Lacques, it may be an Huntsman, and a Faulkner," the Wife a Gentlewoman, and Maids accordingly: This was not known by our Ancestors of like Quality. This hinders the Plough and the Dairy, from
1 Merchants engaged in the Baltic trade.
' Falconer.
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whence they are taken, and instead of keeping People to Manly-labour, they are effeminated by a lazy and luxurious Living; But which is worse, these people rarely marry, tho' many of them do worse; but if they do, 'tis when they are in Age; And the reason is clear, because their usual Keeping at their Masters is too great and costly for them with a Family at their own Charge, and they scarcely know how to live lower; so that too many of them chuse rather to vend their Lusts at an evil Ordinary than honestly Marry and Work: The excess and sloth of the Age not allowing of Marriage and the Charge that follows; all which hinders the increase of our People. If Men, they often turn either Souldiers, or Gamesters, or Highway-men. If Women, They too frequently dress themselves for a bad market, rather than know the Dairy again, or honestly return to Labour, whereby it happens that both the Stock of the Nation decays and the Issue is corrupted.
3dly. Of old time the Nobility and Gentry spent their Estates in the Country, and that kept the people in it; and their Servants married and sate at easie Rents under their Masters favour, which peopled the place: Now the Great men (too much loving the Town and resorting to London) draw many people thither to attend them, who either don't marry; or if they do, they pine away their small gains in some petty Shop; for there are so many, they prey upon one another.
4thly. The Country being thus neglected, and no due Bal- lance kept between Trade and Husbandry, City and Country, the poor Country man takes double Teil, and cannot (for want of hands) dress and manure his Land to the Advantage it formerly yielded him, yet must he pay the old Rents, which occasions Servants, and such Children as go not to Trades, to continue single, at least all their youthful time, which also obstructs the increase of our people,
5thly. The decay of some Country-manufactures (where no Provision is made to supply the people with a new way of living) causes the more Industrious to go abroad to seek their Bread in other Countries, and gives the lazy an occasion to loiter and beg or do worse, by which means the Land swarms with Beggars: Formerly 'twas rare to find any asking Alms but the Maimed, or Blind, or very Aged; now thousands of
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both Sexes run up and down, both City and Country, that are sound and youthful, and able to work, with false Pretences and Certificates; nor is there any care taken to imploy or deter such Vagrants, which weakens the Country, as to People and Labour.
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