USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 6
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William Bradford, the first printer in the colony, was brought before the Council, together with Samuel Atkyns, for issuing an almanac in which were the words "Lord Penn." Atkyns was ordered to " blot out ye words," and Bradford "not to print any- thing but what shall have lycence from ye Council." As this was the first pamphlet printed in this city, we give some notice of the first printer :
William Bradford came to this country with a recommendation from George Fox, as one " convinced of the truth " as known to Friends. He brought with him type, a press, printing paper, and ink, intending, as Fox wrote, " to set up the trade of print- ing Friends' books," or, as he himself states in the Almanac, " to print blank Bills, Bonds, Letters of Attorney, Indentures, War- rants, etc., and what else presents itself." He was accompanied by a young wife, the daughter of Andrew Sowle, printer, of Shoreditch. The pamphlet of twenty pages was intended to sup- ply "the people generally, complaining that they scarcely knew how the time passed, nor that they hardly knew the Day of Rest." The printer apologizes for the "irregularities," "for, being lately come hither, my materials were misplaced and out of order, whereupon I was forced to use Figures and Letters of various sizes."
The sheriff was empowered to act as prosecuting attorney, but in April the authority was revoked, and also declared that no clerk of a court should plead in that court.
In February the caves were ordered to be removed from before William Frampton's door, in order that he might build a wharf. And in November it was ordered that the surveyers should meet and lay out a road from "ye broad street in Philadelphia " to the Falls of Delaware. This important road, which was the king's
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The Government under Thomas Lloyd.
road to New York by way of " the falls " at Trenton, was made by piecemeal at various times, and as late as 1700 was ordered to be cut and cleared of trees and stumps, and be made commo- dious and easy ; it went out Front street by way of Frankford, Bristol, etc. and not from Broad street.
In 1687 other roads were made-one to Plymouth, and two from Schuylkill ferry to Darby and to Radnor-and " that ne- cessary public roads be everywhere set forth and duly main- tained." Buoys were to be erected ; pirates were to be arrested and detained until the royal pleasure was known as to the dis- position of them; the king's moiety of all riches and treasure taken from the sea was to be secured to him. Penn issued a proclamation against trespassers on his lands for timber, he hav- ing before his departure appointed a woodsman to collect 6d. for each tree cut. A prison, larger than "the cage " built in 1683, was found necessary, and a log house was built by Lacy Cock in Second street above Market, but not being suitable a house was hired of Patrick Robinson, probably in Second street below Chestnut. The caves and houses on the banks were ordered to be destroyed.
Penn, being dissatisfied with the actions of the Council and Assembly, gave authority to five commissioners to act for him as if he were present, any three of whom were empowered to act. He named Thomas Lloyd, Nicholas More, James Claypoole, Robert Turner, and John Eckley ; but as the commission did not arrive until a year after (in February, 1688), More and Clay- poole were dead, and John Symcock and Arthur Cook were sub- stituted. They were to execute the laws, enacting, disannulling, or varying them, and declaring his abrogation of all that had been done since his absence and of all laws but the fundamentals, and to call another Assembly to repass, alter, and modify the laws; and do other acts as if he himself were present, Penn re- serving to himself the power of confirming what was done. This was but a poor substitute for his yearning to be at the head of affairs personally, but his controversy with Lord Baltimore, and his presence abroad, necessary during the change from the dy- nasty of Charles II. to that of King James II., with the business relating to his colony, prevented his returning to "poor Penn- sylvania." He felt too, keenly, the lack of provision made for his support on this side of the water, and the returns he had thus far received left him five to six thousand pounds the poorer for his speculation.
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Annals of Philadelphia.
CHAPTER X.
THE GOVERNMENT UNDER THE FIVE COMMISSIONERS, 1688.
THE government under the five commissioners was not destined to be long lived ; with a Council and Assembly in existence to be overawed by five men with the authority of one governor, it would require careful management not to excite factious feelings. The new order of things lasted only from February to December, 1688. The new commission was read before the Provincial Council, and the priority was quietly settled by naming Thomas Lloyd always first at the meetings.
The Assembly adopted a resolution of secrecy as to their ac- tions and speeches, which was probably aimed against the Council. The latter in return expressed also new sentiments of their supe- riority and the deference that should be shown them by the Assem- bly. Such proceedings at the commencement were not likely to produce very harmonious action between the three bodies repre- senting the Proprietary and the people. Finally, Thomas Lloyd declined to serve as president of the Executive Board, and upon proper representations being made to the Proprietary he appointed John Blackwell, son-in-law of General Lambert, and formerly an officer under Cromwell, to serve as governor. He was at the time in New England, and he arrived in the city in December, and his commission was read at the first meeting, December 18th.
But little worthy of note occurred this year. It had been cus- tomary to hold an annual fair, and this year the place of holding it having been changed to the Centre, some dissatisfied residents, more distant from this than before, made strong objections. It was ordered that the fair should be held in May, and another one at the Centre in August.
An alarm, which created great uneasiness, was widespread con- cerning an attack by the Indians. As they outnumbered the whites and resided very near the settlements, people were very timid about them. The rumors were finally put at rest by Caleb Pusey of Chester county and five other Friends visiting unarmed the Indians at their town on the Brandywine, and finding them most peaceably disposed.
The Friends were also foremost in another good work, the abolition of slavery. The first testimony against slavery on record is a paper emanating from the Monthly Meeting of Ger- man Friends at Germantown in April of this year. It was signed by Garret Henderich, Derick op de Graeff, Francis Daniel Pastorius, Abram op de Graeff. The arguments were weighty and unanswerable, and the remonstrance was passed from one Meeting to the other, and the Yearly Meeting postponed its con- sideration for the present.
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John Blackwell, Governor.
CHAPTER XI.
JOHN BLACKWELL, GOVERNOR, 1688-1690.
THE new governor had a troublous time during his career as such. The first month Thomas Lloyd, keeper of the Great Seal under Penn's commission, refused to affix it to commissions issued by the governor. The constant succession of quarrels between the governor, the Council, and the Assembly, and they again amongst themselves, kept the Province in a turmoil, and it is un- necessary for us at this day to repeat them. The controversies led to the printing of the "Frame of Government," with a view of the better understanding of the rights of governed and gov- erning. Of course, as there was but one printer, William Bradford was brought up for examination. He made a shrewd defence of himself and the liberty of the press, and demanded his accusers.
The governor laid before the Council some rumors of an in- tended attack by the French, Papists, and Indians to cut off the Protestants. The design of these representations was to induce the Council to authorize the raising of a defensive force. The Friends were true to their principles and refused, and there the matter ended.
Though the news of the flight of James II. and the accession of William and Mary reached the Province in February, 1689, the prudence of the people led them to be thoroughly certain of the permanence of the new monarchy before declaring it; conse- quently, the proclamation of their accession was not formally made till November. The announcement that England was about to wage war upon the French, and the demand of the governor for militia and arms to place the Province in a state of defence, again created a warm discussion, and a refusal on the part of many to have anything to do with such matters. Finally, the subject was left to the governor's discretion. Shortly after, in January, 1690, the governor announced to the Council that he had been relieved of his authority, and expressed his thanks at his release from such troubles.
Penn sent at this same time a letter full of advice and entreaty for peace to the Council; also two commissions-one authorizing them to select three persons, of whom he would choose one, to act as deputy or lieutenant-governor, and the other authorizing the one of the three having the highest number of votes to act until his pleasure and choice should be known.
This year Robert Turner, John Tissick, Thomas Budd, Robert Ewer, Samuel Carpenter, and John Fuller proposed to establish a " Bank ffor money," etc., probably on the plan formerly pro-
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Annals of Philadelphia.
posed by Thomas Budd in his book, but it does not seem to have been carried out. Also was originated the first public school, of which an account is given under the head of "Education " (see p. 160).
CHAPTER XII.
THOMAS LLOYD, PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL, 1690-1693.
ON January 2d, 1690, Council met and took into consideration Penn's letter, and elected Thomas Lloyd president. Governor Blackwell gave the members new instructions of Penn as to the manner of conducting the government.
In February, William Markham presented to the Council a request from Penn that they should build him a house on his lot after a model he sent William Markham, in lieu of six hundred pounds due him, and which yet remained unpaid; or in lieu of that to stock the three plantations of his three children, each two hundred pounds.
In April of this year Benjamin Chambers and Francis Rawle presented a plan for constructing an arched bridge over Mulberry street at Front street. "Mulberry street being not less than sixty foot in breadth, in ye midst of the same, and about twenty perches back from ye river, we intend to cutt out a cart-road of twenty foot in breadth, from thence to extend with a graduall dessent to low-water mark, and to have ye said passage paved and walled up with stones on both sides, and to have a bridge over ye said pas- sage in ye middle of ye ffront street, and that part w'ch remains uncovered to be ffenced with railes, and ye river end of the s'd passage to make a ffree and publick wharf of twenty ffoot in breadth on each side thereoff."
Council consenting to this, the cut was made and a bridge arched over it, and thus did the name of "Arch" street gradually sup- plant "Mulberry" street, though the writer well remembers the direction-boards at the corners bearing the name of Mulberry street, the official designation long remaining after " Arch" was the popu- lar one.
At the same meeting the counties were authorized to divide their boundaries into hundreds or such other divisions as they should think most convenient for collecting taxes. They laid them out in townships.
At the same meeting it was requested a bill might be prepared to prevent hogs running at large in Philadelphia and New Castle. But such a bill was inoperative even within my recollection, as hogs were allowed to run at large in the best streets.
In September a county seal was ordered for Philadelphia ; also, that the watch should be strengthened.
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Thomas Lloyd, President of Council.
In this year a number of the inhabitants formed a company and erected the first American paper-mill, on the Wissahickon near Germantown. Among them were William Bradford and William Rittenhouse. The latter, with his son Nicholas, became owner of the mill in 1704; it remained in the family from son to son till 1811; Nicholas was succeeded by his son William, and he by his son Jacob, who died in 1811. It was afterward a cot- ton-factory. At this Rittenhouse paper-mill was made the paper used by William Bradford even after he settled in New York, and also that for the Weekly Mercury, the first paper in Pennsylvania, and published by Andrew Bradford.
While the colony was progressing in peace and prospering, notwithstanding the war between the mother-country and France, only a little of which was felt by them-viz., in the fears of the French families on the Schuylkill, and of the Indians joining them-the Proprietary was having much trouble from the persecutions of the adherents of the new dynasty. His having been a favorite with James II. constantly laid him open to suspicion, and he was several times arrested and examined, once before King William in person. His defence, always plain and candid, enabled him each time to clear himself. He now in- tended a second visit to America, and issued his "Second Pro- posals" to settlers, chiefly inviting settling on the Susquehanna, in which he said that " a thousand houses had been erected and finished in the city of Philadelphia, and that ten sail of ships were freighted with the growth of the Province for Barbadoes, Jamaica, etc. last year." If the Province had built him a house and guaranteed a certain sum for the support of his family, and granted other privileges which he claimed, his exertions to leave England would have perhaps been more stimulated and success- ful. But the dissensions among his people seemed to become greater and more widespread. The inhabitants of the Lower Counties, called territories, were different in manners and feelings from those of the newer settlements, or Province, and became jealous of the greater prosperity and maritime importance of the city of Philadelphia. This culminated in an open rupture and secession of the members of Council of the lower section, who appointed judges, thus creating two Councils. Penn un- willingly sanctioned the new order of things in 1691, and ap- pointed Thomas Lloyd deputy governor of the Province, and William Markham of the territories.
In 1692, William Bradford, who with one McComb had pub- lished " A Plea for the Innocent," a virulent tract of George Keith's, was tried for issuing a malicious and seditious publica- tion reflecting upon the magistrates. The press, tools, and type of Bradford were seized, and were not returned to him until 1693, when Governor Fletcher was in power. Bradford ably conducted his own defence, and the verdict was against the de
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Annals of Philadelphia.
fendants, but it is uncertain as to any punishment or fine having been inflicted.
Keith and Thomas Budd were also tried for defaming Judge Jennings, convicted, and fined five pounds each, but the fine does not seem to have been paid. Keith some time after went to England.
Penn's troubles culminated in 1692 by having his Province taken from him, and Governor Fletcher of New York was commissioned in October to act as " captain-general and gov- ernor-in-chief of the Province of New York, Province of Pennsylvania, and country of New Castle."
CHAPTER XIII.
BENJAMIN FLETCHER, ROYAL GOVERNOR; WILLIAM MARKHAM, LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR, 1693-1695.
THE commission to Fletcher did not reach this country till 1693; he arrived in Philadelphia April 26th, and had the commission read in the market-place in his presence. He ten- dered the first place in Council to Thomas Lloyd, who declined to serve, when William Markham was appointed lieutenant-gov- ernor, and presided when the governor was absent in New York. Others who held commissions as justices also declined, and new ones were appointed.
Penn did not quietly submit to the usurpation, but wrote to Fletcher "to tread softly and with caution in the affair," as that the country and the government were his, and there was no quo warranto brought or judgment passed against his charter. To another he wrote: " You are to hear and obey the crown of Eng- land speaking in the voice of the law, which this is not, but sic volo sic jubeo."
Governor Fletcher had the same trouble with the people as had his predecessors ; he had disputes with the Assembly about the election of representatives, he having united the Province and the territories in one as formerly ; also about furnishing aid in men and money to the colony of New York for carrying on the war with the French and Indians on the Canadian frontier ; a bill for this failed. The old laws were re-established ; a tax of one penny on the pound was laid for the support of the govern- ment, which yielded £760 16s. 2d., of which Philadelphia paid £314 11s. 11d .; a bill was passed for the education of children, and one for the establishment of a post-office, which was part of a general colonial law.
Many curious minor matters were regulated. The owner of a ferry across the Schuylkill at High street complained of a rival establishment, and of persons ferrying themselves across
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William Markham, Governor, 1695-99.
in their own boats. It was settled that no ferry should be al- lowed within four miles, and that it was the sole right of the Proprietary to establish ferries. A channel was ordered in the middle of Front street between Wall-nut and Chess-nut streets. Negroes found gadding abroad on First Day were to be impris- oned without meat or drink, and publicly whipt next morning with thirty-nine lashes. The place for the markets to be held was put to vote August 8th, 1693-whether the market should continue on the "west side of Front street within the High street " or " where the Second street crosses the High street." The latter was settled upon as soon as it could be staked out for the purpose.
In 1694 the first execution took place, that of Dick Johnson for murder.
In the summer of 1694 the peaceable tribe of Delawares showed Governor Fletcher a belt of wampum sent them by the Onondagoes and Senecas, with a request the Delawares should join them in fighting the French. The governor dismissed them with praise for their desire for always remaining in peace with all Christians; but at the meeting of the Assembly he again asked for means for defence, for money to "feed the hungry and clothe the naked," meaning the Senecas and Onandagoes who were fight- ing the French. But the Quakers, true to their principles, de- clined to vote the money, but offered to vote two hundred pounds each to William Markham and Thomas Lloyd for past services. Governor Fletcher, bitterly disappointed, dissolved the Assembly.
At the close of 1693, Penn was acquitted of the charges of treason, and discharged in November, several of his friends, in- fluential courtiers, having convinced King William that the charges of disaffection were malicious and groundless, though he was not restored to his rights as Proprietary until August, 1694. His wife Gulielma died February 23, 1694, but his pecuniary embarrassments still prevented his desires to revisit the Province from being realized. He therefore commissioned William Mark- ham as deputy governor of the Province and territories, with John Goodson and Samuel Carpenter as assistants.
CHAPTER XIV.
WILLIAM MARKHAM, GOVERNOR, 1695-99.
WILLIAM MARKHAM convened the members of the old Coun- cil March 26, 1695, and laid before them the patent of William and Mary restoring to Penn his Province, and the commission to him under it.
On the 29th of June, Markham notified the Council of the demand repeated by Governor Fletcher at New York for a quota
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Annals of Philadelphia.
of eighty men and their proper officers-in all ninety-one men- or the equivalent cost of maintaining them. Council parried the matter by saying it could not be done without the consent of the Assembly, which would not meet until September 9th. The Assembly met at the appointed time, but was still unwilling to vote the supplies without certain restrictions. They passed a bill for raising a penny per pound and six shillings per head, the amount to be expended in giving three hundred pounds to Wil- liam Markham, two hundred and fifty pounds to the support of the government, and the balance toward defraying the debts of the government. At the same time they passed another, an act of settlement, claiming new privileges for the Assembly and the people. Markham, viewing the amount voted to him as being intended to influence his decision in a matter he was opposed to, declined to sign them both, and as the Assembly would not sepa- rate the two, he rejected both and dissolved the Assembly.
Markham seems to have governed without a Council for a year. He called a new Council September 25th, 1696, to whom he pre- sented various documents received from England-parliamentary acts, addresses and letters from the ministers and other officers, some of them complaining of violations of the laws regulating trade and plantations. But little had been heard from Penn, communication being difficult on account of the war with France. By the advice of Council the governor convened the Assembly on the 26th of October. He again asked for appropriations for troops and money, and to ratify Penn's promise that on the restoration of his government the interests of England should be attended to. The Assembly finally agreed to pass an act for raising money for the king's service, provided the act to settle them in former constitutions, enjoyed before the government was committed to Governor Fletcher's trust, was framed and passed, and that the governor would convene a new Assembly with a full number of representatives, according to the old charter, to serve until the Proprietary's pleasure should be known. Mark- · ham complied with these demands, pressed as he was by the letters of the queen and Fletcher. He called a new Council and Assembly to meet March 10th, 1697, and had prepared "A Frame of Government of ye Province of Pennsylvania and terri- tories y unto belonging ;" also a bill for granting a tax of a penny on the pound for the support of government; both of which were passed by the Assembly.
During this session numerous roads were ordered to be laid out to accommodate the growing settlements; among these were-a road from William's Landing on the Delaware in Bucks county into the king's great road, to shorten the post-road from New York; the Gray's Ferry road ; a road by the way of the Darby road to Hertford; and others.
The governor dissolved the Assembly on the 7th of November.
P
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William Markham, Governor.
Shortly before this his assistants, Samuel Carpenter and John Goodson, declined, and Samuel Jennings and Arthur Cook ac- cepted the office.
In this same year (1696), in January, William Penn took to himself a second wife, Hannah Callowhill of Bristol. In April his eldest son, Springett Penn, died, leaving him but two chil- dren-Letitia, who afterward married William Aubrey, and William Penn, Jr.
The events of 1697 that transpired were only of local interest. In May several pirates were arrested, but two of them escaped, and the others were not brought to trial. Complaints were for- warded to the Commissioners of Trade in England that Mark- ham was lenient to them or protected the pirates. The commis- sioners representing the matter to Penn, he wrote a severe letter, complaining that the Province winked at "Scotch trade, and a Dutch one too," and " embrace pirates, ships, and men ;" " there is no place more overrun with wickedness;" "so foul that I am forbid by common modesty to relate them." The Council re- plied : they knew of no contraband trade, but if such, it was with the connivance of the officers of the Crown, and the magistrates and courts had been diligent to suppress illegal trade; that no pirates had been harbored, unless the temporary stay of Avery's crew could be so construed, and as soon as these were known they were apprehended, but afterward broke jail and fled to New York. They admitted looseness and vice had increased with the population, owing to too many public-houses existing, but that the magistrates were careful to punish offenders.
A watch was ordered to be kept by the justices of Sussex county on Cape Henlopen, to give notice of the approach of any enemy. Markham, who was not restrained by any feeling against warlike principles, commissioned Captain John Day to attack the French privateers, who had taken several sloops on the coast. Governor Nicholson of Maryland complained that Markham enticed men from the vessels of that Province.
In this year the home government established courts of ad- miralty in America, appointing as judge for Pennsylvania Robert Quarry, a man inimical to the Quakers and their principles. The first public case of lunacy occurred. A clerk of the market and wood-corder was appointed.
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