USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XIV > Part 38
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
Lancaster.
William Kelly and William Smith having been commis- sionated Justices of the Peace for the townships of Rapho and Montjoy, upon returns irregularly made, and having after re- peated notice given, neglected to resign their commissions to this Board,
Ordered, That supersedeases issue agreeably to an order of Coun- cil bearing date the fourth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four.
Upon the petition of Benjamin Gregory, convicted of larceny at the October Sessions of the City Court,
Ordered, That the fine adjudged to be paid by him to the use of the State, be remitted.
Council taking into consideration the resignation of Doctor John Ewing, the absence of Thomas Hutchins, Esquire, and the impro- bability of the northern boundary being ascertained this year ; thereupon,
Resolved, That David Rittenhouse and Andrew Porter, Es- quires, be appointed Commissioners to run and mark the boundary of this Commonwealth, from the south-western corner thereof to the north-western corner of the same ; and that Andrew Elliott, Esquire, be appointed a Commissioner, in conjunction with David Rittenhouse and Andrew Porter, Esquires, or either of them, or such other Commissioner or Commissioners as may be appointed by Council, to run and mark the boundary of this Commonwealth, from the river Ohio, where it crosses the same, to the north-west corner of the State.
Ordered, That Monday next be appointed for a hearing upon the claim of Captain Thomas Mason to city lots, under old rights.
The following report from the Surveyor General was read, and the persons named approved by Council :
SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, May 5th, 1785.
In pursuance of an act of the General Assembly, passed at Phila- delphia the twenty-fourth day of February, 1785, intituled " An Act for directing the mode of distributing the donation lands pro- mised to the troops of this Commonwealth," I have nominated the following persons to Council for their approbation, to be appointed Deputy Surveyors of the donation lands on the west of the Alle- gheny river, vizt : Major William Alexander, Benjamin Lodge, Captain James Christie, Ephraim Douglass, Griffith Evans, James ¿ Dickinson, John Henderson, William Power, junior, Peter Light, Andrew Henderson, James Dickinson, James Hoge, David Watt, of Shearman's valley, Alexander McDowell.
JOHN LUKENS, S. Gen'l. To his Excellency the President and Council.
455
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Captain Thomas Stokely, for the sum of twenty-seven pounds State money, for horse hire, agreeably to the Comptroller General's report.
A letter from Mr. David Lennox, stating a complaint against Plunket Fleeson, Esquire, was read.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, May 6th, 1785. PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Isaac Meason,
John Boyd, Stephen Balliet,
Daniel Hiester, and
Charles Biddle, Esquires.
A petition from Charles Champaign, entreating Council to relieve him from the office of Collector of militia fines, was read and re- ferred to the Lieutenant of the city.
Frederick Watt and Robert Craig, Esquires, were offered as the securities of David Watt, a Deputy Surveyor, under the appoint- ment of yesterday.
Jacob Auld, of Montgomery, Jacob Barnitz, of York, and Ger- ardus Wynkoop, of Bucks county, were appointed Collectors of Excise for their respective counties.
Doctor Barnabas Binney, and Matthew Irvine, Esquires, were of- fered as the securities of John Nicholson, Esquire, Comptroller General of Accounts, and accepted.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honor- able James Irvine, Esquire, for the sum of eighty-three pounds six shillings and eight pence specie, for his salary to the fifth instant, as Vice President of the State.
A letter was written to the Receiver General of the Land Office, stating the great precaution which, from the number of counterfeit certificates, it is become necessary to observe, in receiving these securities.
1
456
MINUTES OF THE
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, May the seventh, 1785.
PRESENT :
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Charles Biddle, Daniel Hiester, and
John Boyd, Isaac Meason,
Stephen Balliet,
Esquires.
Griffith Evans, a Deputy Surveyor, offered as his securities Mr. Matthew McConnel and David Kennedy, Esquire ; and they were accepted.
And James Dickinson, under a similar appointment, offered Colonel Thomas Procter and Matthew Hand; and they were accepted.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer, in favor of Dorcey Pen- tecost, Esquire, for three pounds specie, being money advanced by him to Mr. William Croghen, for the transportation of two hundred and fifty pounds from this city to the county of Washington, and its deposit in the hands of the Lieutenant of the s'd county.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Jonathan Roberts, one of the Commissioners for erecting public buildings in the county of Montgomery, for the sum of two hundred pounds specie, to be paid out of the monies arising from the sale of the old prison and workhouse materials, agreeably to an act of Assem- bly, intituled "An Act for erecting part of the County of Philadelphia into a separate County ;" for which sum he is to be accountable.
A deed was examined and signed by the President, to Richard Wister, for lot number sixty-two, of the Barrack ground, sold for one hundred and seven pounds specie : deed dated this day.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, May 9th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President. Stephen Balliet, Issac Meason and r John Boyd,
Richard McAlister, Daniel Hiester, Esquires.
John Nicholson, Esquire, attended in Council, and took the oaths prescribed by the constitution and the laws of the state, to qualify him for his office of Comptroller General.
A
457
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
William Montgomery, jun'r, Deputy Surveyor, offered William Montgomery, Esquire, and Daniel Montgomery, as his securities ; and they were accepted.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Mr. Conrad Kreider, for nine pounds nine shillings and eleven pence specie, in full of his account for rations furnished to the troops lately sent to Wioming.
Benjamin Lodge, a Deputy Surveyor, offered Colonel John Car- nahan and Major Michael Huffnagle, as his securities ; and they were accepted.
A letter from Governor Clinton, advising that Commissioners for ascertaining the Jurisdiction Line between this Commonwealth and the State of New York, are now appointed on the part of the latter, and requesting that the time and manner of executing the business be committed to the Commissioners of the two States, respectively, was read ; and an order taken that David Rittenhouse, Esquire, and Colonel Andrew Porter, be desired to enter upon an immediate correspondence with the New York Commissioners, for this purpose.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, May 10th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Richard McAlister, Daniel Hiester, Esquires.
Stephen Balliet, Isaac Meason, and r John Boyd,
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of John Nicholson, Esquire, Comptroller General, for the sum of five hun- dred pounds State money, for the purpose of paying one-third part of depreciation due to the officers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania line, according to act of the General Assembly passed the thir- teenth day of April, 1782.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Thomas Smith, Esquire, Loan Officer, for twenty thousand pounds in bills of credit of the new emission, according to an act of the General Assembly intituled " An Act for furnishing the quota of this State towards paying the annual interest of the debts of the United States, and for funding and paying the interest of the public debts of this State," passed the sixteenth day of March, 1785, for which sum he is to account.
·
458
MINUTES OF THE
Agreeably to a former order, Council proceeded to hear the claims of Thomas Mason to a city lot; and upon consideration,
Ordered, That a determination upon them be postponed.
Ordered, That Tuesday next be set apart for hearing the similar claims of Messieurs Moore, Wells and Hill, and Nicholas Young.
Council taking into consideration that for the settlement of the claims of individuals within this State against the United States, it would be proper for Mr. Story, the additional Commissioner, to have recourse to the books and papers of the offices, who have given their notes or certificates for the balances,
Ordered, That Mr. Story be desired to make application to the Commissioners of the Treasury, requesting them to direct that the several Quarter Masters, Commissaries, and other persons who have issued certificates or given their notes as aforesaid, do make him a return of the same, or that he be authorized to call upon them for such return, to enable him to proceed upon the business of his ap- pointment.
Jacob Arndt and Robert Traill, Esquires, were accepted as secu- rities for George Palmer, Deputy Surveyor for Northampton county.
The Council met. 1
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, May 11th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
George Wall, John Boyd, r Esquires.
Stephen Balliet, Isaac Meason, and
Richard McAlister, Daniel Hiester,
Walter Finney and Thomas Henderson were offered as securities for Andrew Henderson, a Deputy Surveyor of the donation lands, and accepted.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Mr. Wil- liam Rees, for the sum of fifty pounds specie, to be applied to the improvement of the State House lott, for which sum he is to ac- count.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Board of Wardens of the Port of Philadelphia, for the sum of four thousand one hundred pounds specie, for the purpose of enabling Thomas Davis to erect piers in the river Delaware for sheltering shipping, agreeably to contract with Council of this day, and according to resolution of the General Assembly dated the twenty-fourth of September, 1783.
459
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Comptroller General's reports upon the accounts of Wil- liam Mitchell, Esquire, and William Chesney, were read and dis- approved.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, May 12th, 1785. PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Stephen Balliet, George Wall, Junior, Richard McCallister,
John Boyd,
Isaac Meason, Esquires.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant, Esquire, for the sum of thirty pounds specie, as a fee for his services in the cause now depending between the Commonwealth and the children of Andrew Allen.
Upon reconsidering the order of Council of the eighth day of April last, directing the building a public arsenal on the lot bound- ed by the eighth street from Delaware Spruce and Locust streets, &ca.,
Ordered, That the said arsenal be constructed upon the corner of the public square between Thirteenth street and Juniper alley.
The fine adjudged to be paid to the use of the State by Matthias Lukens, upon conviction of manslaughter at a Court of Oyer and Terminer held at Philadelphia in September, 1783, was remitted.
John Craig, Esquire, and Daniel Houston, of Lancaster county, were accepted as securities for John Houston, a Deputy Surveyor.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of James Snod- grass, for the sum of forty pounds specie, being that proportion of the reward of one hundred pounds specie, due for apprehending Solomon Vickars, which, by the determination of Council, falls to his share.
The fines adjudged to be paid to the use of the State by George Donivan, on conviction of larceny at the July Sessions of the city Court, 1783 ; by Francis Rose, convicted of the same offence at the July Sessions of the same Court, 1784 ; by Roger McClena- ghan, convicted of the same offence at the same Court, in June. Sessions of 1784; by Philip Cooke, convicted of larceny upon two indictments, at the October Sessions of the City Court, 1784 ; and by John Moore, convicted of horse stealing in June, 1784, were remitted.
Two deeds were examined and signed by his Excellency the President to David Dietrich, for lot number 71, and to John Graul
460
MINUTES OF THE
for lot number 7 of the Barrack's grounds, in the Northern Liber- ties. Consideration of the former, one hundred and eight pounds ; and the latter one hundred and fifty pounds. Deeds dated the tenth of May instant.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, May 13th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Stephen Balliet, John Boyd, and
George Wall, junior, Richard McCallister,
Isaac Meason, Esquires.
A memorial from the Wardens of the Port of this day, being read, .
Ordered, That they be desired to enter into contract with the proprietors of land at Marcushook, for preventing an improper ex- tension of wharves into the river.
A resolution of the General Assembly of the thirty-first day of March, 1785, respecting the navigation of the river Delaware and its branches, as far up as the Cushicton Mountain, was read, and an order taken that a copy of it be transmitted to the Governor of New Jersey, and that a duplicate copy be made out for the Com- missioners for ascertaining the islands, &ca., of the river Delaware.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honora- ble George Wall, jun'r, Esquire, for the sum of thirty-seven pounds ten shillings specie, for defraying the expences of the Commission- ers appointed under resolutions of Assembly for ascertaining the islands in the river Delaware and its navigable branches.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Mr. Stephen Porter, Commissioner to the Commissioners for running and marking the western boundary of this State, for the sum of three hundred pounds, for which he is to account.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Jacob Shively, for the sum of fifty-seven pounds twelve shillings, State money, upon his certificate of having furnished a horse for public service, to be paid according to resolution of the General Assembly dated the eighth of April, 1782.
461
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, May 14th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Stephen Balliet, John Boyd, and r
George Wall, jun'r, Richard McCallister,
Isaac Meason, Esquires.
The Comptroller General's report upon the accounts of Dewall Kuhn, late a soldier in Captain John Vannetten's Ranging company, and a prisoner with the enemy, was read and approved, and an or- der drawn in his favor for the sum of seven pounds ten shillings, being a part of the sum reported to be due to him, to be paid out of the arrears of the eighteen penny tax in the counties of North- ampton, Cumberland, Bedford, Westmoreland and Washington, and appropriated to the defence of the Frontier, by resolution of the General Assembly of the first of April, 1782.
The fines of William Matthews and William Flaugherty, con- victed of larceny on two indictments, before the City Court, at their last April Sessions, were remitted, upon the recommendation of the Court.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer for the sum of forty pounds, in favor of John Rice, agreeably to the minute of this Board of the thirtieth of March, 1785.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, May 16th, 1785.
PRESENT :
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Stephen Balliet, John Boyd,
George Wall, jun'r, Isaac Meason, Esquires. Richard McCallister,
William Hall and Andrew Tybout were accepted as securities for Edward Bartholomew, Esquire, Collector of Excise for the city and county of Philadelphia.
462
MINUTES OF THE
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, May 17th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Charles Biddle, Isaac Meason,
John Boyd,
John Whitehill, and
Richard McAllister,
Daniel Hiester,
Esquires.
Stephen Balliot,
The consideration of claims to city lots directed by order of Council to be taken up this day, was postponed 'till Thursday next.
Council agreed to reconsider the report of the Comptroller Gen- eral upon the accounts of William Mitchell and William Chesney, Esquires, late Agents for the sale of Confiscated Estates in the county of York, disapproved on the eleventh instant ; upon which it was
Resolved, That the aforesaid report be approved.
The Comptroller General's report upon the account of the estate of William Chriswell, for a horse, (his property,) killed in the public service, was read and approved.
Walter Finney and Mark Wilcox, were accepted as the securities for Andrew Henderson, Esquire, a Deputy Surveyor of the dona- tion lands.
A return of an election of Burgesses, &ca., for the borough of Reading, was read.
A petition of Colonel James Moore, and others, was read and postponed.
The following deeds were examined and signed by the President in Council :
To Francis Gurney, for the eastermost moiety of city lots num- bered 1615, 1616 and 1617; and to George Westcoat, for the westermost moiety of the said lots, which lots were sold to William Crispin and Alexander Power, whose rights respectively became vested in the said Francis Gurney and George Westcoat. Consid- eration £111 0 0. Deeds dated the 17th of May instant.
To Peter Paris, for a lot of ground and stables, late of John Parrock, containing in breadth on Sassafras street twenty-five feet, and in depth fifty-one feet. Consideration money thirteen thousand two hundred pounds ; three-fourths of which sum has been paid to the Treasury, the remaining one-fourth reduced to a ground rent, payable to the University.
To Samuel Wilson, for 210 acres and 130 perches of land situ- ate on Manackesy, in Allen township, in the county of Northamp-
463
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
ton, late the estate of Andrew Allen, and forfeited by his attainder of high treason. Consideration money £1,691 2 3. Deed dated May the 17th, 1785.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, May 18th, 1785. PRESENT :
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Charles Biddle, Isaac Meason, 7 Esquires.
John Boyd, John Whitehill, and
Richard McAllister,
Daniel Hiester,
Stephen Balliet,
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honor- able Daniel Hiester, for the sum of twenty-five pounds seven shil- lings and six pence specie, due to him for his attendance at this Board untill this day inclusively.
John Bayard, Persifer Frazier and George Smith, Esquires, a committee of the General Assembly attending in Council, pre- sented a written report of their late proceedings at Wioming, un- der the resolution of Assembly of the eighth of April, 1785.
Upon application of William Lewis, Esquire,
Ordered, That the deposition of Benjamin Chew, Esquire, in the case of a claim preferred by Sarah Allen and her children, to a tract of land called the Big Springs, and presented to Council, with the petition of the said Sarah Allen, on the fifth day of June, 1781, be restored to Mrs. Allen, or her attorney.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honor- able John Bayard, Esquire, Persifer Frazier and George Smith, Esquires, for the sum of fifty-seven pounds specie, being the bal- lance due by the Comptroller General's report upon their account as Commissioners to Wioming, under the resolution of the General Assembly of the eighth of April last.
-4
1
.5
5
464
MINUTES OF THE
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, May 19th, 1785. PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Charles Biddle,
Isaac Meason,
John Boyd, John Whitehill, and
Richard McAlister,
Daniel Hiester,
Esquires.
Stephen Balliet,
Agreeably to the order of Council of the seventeenth, Messieurs Samuel Preston Moore and Richard Wells, two of the devisees of Richard Hill, deceased, attended in Council, and a consideration of their claims to a number of city lots was resumed ; on which it was determined that a right to the city lots on the Schuylkill side of Philadelphia, appurtenant to the original purchase of ten thousand acres of land by Nicholas Moore, is in the devisees of the said Richard Hill, according to the shares conveyed to him by Nicholas Moore, son, and William Sluby and Sarah his wife, daughter of Nicholas Moore, the original purchaser.
The plan of the piers to be erected in the river Delaware at Marcus Hook, was delivered to the Wardens of the Port of Phila- delphia by the Vice President, to be returned to Council when called for.
The Comptroller General's account upon the account of Thomas Hewitt, Esquire, and John Kelly, Esquire, Agents of Forfeited Estates in Northumberland county, was read and approved.
A letter from Andrew Elliot, Esquire, dated the fourth of May, 1785, accepting the appointment of Commissioner for running and ascertaining the western boundary of this State, was read, and ordered to be filed.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, May 20th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Charles Biddle, Isaac Meason,
John Boyd, John Whitehill, and
Richard McAlister, Daniel Hiester,
Esquires. Stephen Balliet,
The Comptroller's report upon the account of Robert Morris, Esquire, as Agent for the State of Pennsylvania, was read.
465
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The fines imposed upon Sarah Shaw and Mary Steel, of West- moreland county; and of Anne Essicks, of Washington county, upon being severally convicted of fornication, were remitted.
The resignation of Alexander Murray, Esquire, a Justice of the Peace for the township of Teboyne, and county of Cumberland, was read and accepted.
The Comptroller General's report upon the account of Edward McKeggan for mason work done at Billingsport in the year 1779, was read and approved.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, May 21st, 1785.
PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Charles Biddle, Isaac Meason,
Stephen Balliet, John Whitehill, and
John Boyd,
Daniel Hiester,
Esquires.
Richard McAlister,
1
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Hon- orable Isaac Meason, Esquire, for the sum of thirty-six pounds, due to him for his services at this Board untill this day inclu- sively, and his mileage.
The Comptroller General's report upon the accounts of Captain John Nelson and Major Robert Smith, and the said Nelson's mili- tia company, for their services on the frontier in the year 1780 and 1781, and of spies employed by them, was read and approved.
The farther report of the Comptroller General upon the pay rolls of Captain Robert Reynolds, Captain James Murray, Captain Thomas Gaskens, (2 accounts,) Captain James Mc Mahan's, Cap- tain James Bovard's, Captain John Foster's, (3 accounts,) Captain William Clark's, (3 accounts,) Captain Joseph Green's, (3 accounts,) Captain Mathew Wilson, (2 accounts,) Captain John Obermire's, Cap- tain James Thomson's, (3 accounts,) Captain John Beatty's (3 ac- counts,) Captain John Black's, Lieutenant Cornelius Atkinson's, and Captain Patrick Watson's companies, all of the Northumberland county militia, were read and approved.
A letter from the Secretary at War, requesting to be informed of the measures taken by this State to raise and equip her propor- tion of the Federal corps to be formed agreeably to a late ordi- nance of Congress, was read, and a draft of a letter in reply adopted.
VOL. XIV .- 30.
466
MINUTES OF THE
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Thomas Smith, Esquire, for the sum of twenty thousand pounds, State mo- ney of the new emission, according to act of the General Assem- bly passed the sixteenth day of March last, intituled " An Act for furnishing the quota of this State towards paying the annual inte- rest of the debts of the United States, and for funding and paying the interest of the public debts of this State."
Upon the application of Robert Morris, Esquire,
Ordered, That a copy of Mr. Nicholson's report upon the ac- counts of Mr. Morris, as Agent for the State of Pennsylvania, be made out for Mr. Morris.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Mr. James Trimble, for the sum of seven pounds ten shillings, for the pur- pose of discharging his expences in making a journey to Reading, on the business of the State.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Peter Mat- thews, for one pound ten shillings and nine pence, State money, upon a certificate of his having furnished a number of public cattle.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.