USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > History of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the territory included within its limits to the present time > Part 19
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Radnor contributed
6 0 0 - - Merion - £1 78. 6d. Haverford
6 5 0
From the south-western corner of the County the settlements had extended up into the country as far as Birmingham, at the commencement of this year. At the close of last year (1685) James Browne conveyed two acres of land to trustees for the use " of the people of God called Quakers in the township of Chichester." On this land, without much delay, it was agreed to build a meeting-house, and some time afterwards, to fence in a grave-yard. This is the site of the present Chichester meeting- house and burial-ground. The first subscription amounted to £36 4s., and was contributed by twenty-six persons. Up to this time the monthly meetings appear to have been held at Marcus Hook, (Chichester,) but in October, 1686, a monthly meeting, for the first time, was held at Concord, and for some years after- wards, the place of holding it was varied, but it was generally at private houses-at Edward Bezer's, in Bethel; at William Brainton's, (Brinton's,) in Birmingham ; at John Kinsman's, in Chichester; at Robert Piles', in Bethel; at John Harding's, in Chichester, &c. t
John Symcock was re-elected a member of Council from Chester County for three years, and Francis Harrison to serve
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
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in the place of William Wood, now deceased. David Lloyd, who appears to have just arrived in the country, presented to the Council his Commission from the Governor, as Attorney- General of the Province, dated the 24th of the 2d month (April,) 1686, and was duly qualified into office.
Our staid settlers were rarely much affected by events that were transpiring in England, but the affair of the Duke of Mon- mouth was too serious a matter to pass entirely unnoticed. The following order of the Court is evidence that the Justices were willing, at least, to make a show of their loyalty after the unfor- tunate result of the Duke's foray into England was known.
" Ordered that the Sheriff take into custody the body of David Lewis upon suspition of Treason, as also the body of Robert Cloud for concealing the same, for that he the said Robert Cloud being attested before this Court, declared that upon the 3rd day of the weeke before Christmas last att the house of George Fore- man, the said David Lewis did declare in his hearing that he was aceused for being concerned with the Duke of Monmouth in the West Country." They were both bound over to appear at the next Provincial Court.
A spirit of improvement now begins to show itself. Orders are issued by the Court for the erection of two bridges-one " to Albertus Hendrickson, Supervisor of the Highways belonging to Chester, to forthwith erect a horse bridge in such a place as the grand jury have already laid it out"-the other "to Bartholo- mew Coppeck Supervisor of the Highways for Croome Creek, to forthwith erect a bridge in the Kings road over said Croome Creek."
Besides determining upon the sites of the aforesaid two bridges, the Grand Jury laid out and made "return of a Highway from Bethel to Chichester (Marcus Hook) sixty foote broad." The return is given as a specimen of the manner in which roads were laid out in these very early times.
" Beginning at the side of Concord toward the river, on the street or Highway of Concord, first through the land of John Gibbons, his house on the right side-then through the land of Robert Southry late deceased, his house on the left side; thence through Robert Pile's land, his house on the right hand-then through Joseph Bushell's land, his house on the left hand-Then through Francis Smith's land-Then through Thomas Garrett's land, his house on the right hand-Thence through Francis Harrison's and Jacob Chandler's land down the point to a small branch of Naaman's Creek-Thence up the hill to the first in- closed field of Francis Harrison, the field on the left hand ; then through James Brown's land, thence down to another branch of of Naaman's Creek, through Walter Marten's land up to the
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
[1686.
point, his house on the right hand-Thence through Jeremy Collets land bearing toward the left hand, his house standing on the left hand-from thence to the lands of Chichester, be- ginning att the head of a small swamp, on the left hand -- thence downe Crosse the King's road or Highway towards the foot of the Hill, to a lyne tree marked with 5 notches, -- thence downe to the river's side, the lyne between James Brown & William Clayton Jr."
At the following Court, the inhabitants of Bethel and Con- cord presented a paper signifying "their good-liking of the road lately laid out by the jury to Chichester." Up to the present time a road has been continued over nearly the same ground.
Fence viewers, two for each township or district, are for the first time appointed this year. Also a lawyer, for the first time, appears in a criminal case, and "pleads as attorney to the King." This officer was Charles Pickering, who no doubt held his ap- pointment under David Lloyd, who had been recently commis- sioned Attorney General. This first legal effort on behalf of the Crown, though not successful in establishing the guilt of the prisoner, did not fail to mystify the case sufficiently to induce the jury to couple with their verdict of acquittal, that he was "guilty of suspicious circumstances in relation to the indictment;" upon which he was bound over to appear at the next Court.
The very recently erected Court-house and prison, it may be judged, from the following minute in respect to the sale of them, did not give satisfaction :
" The Court, in behalf of the county, have bargained and sold unto Robert Wade, his heirs and assigns, the court house and prison att Chester; upon consideration whereof the said Wade doe oblige himself, his heirs Executors & assigns to defray all charges which are already due from the first erecting said houses ; provided, that from the day of the date hereof to the full end and term of two years and a half, the said Robert Wade shall have liberty to reimburst what moneys he have alread received of the levie raised in this county towards the purchase and building of said houses. Upon all which this Court engage to make the said Wade a firm and sure title to said houses and to give him lawful & quiet possession." At the same time, "James Saunderlaine for himself his heirs and assigns doe promise this Court a Con- venient peese of Land in the town of Chester, where they may erect a Court house and Prison, and to make a firm title to the same, to the proper use and behoof of this County."
The first Court, under the name of a Court of Equity for Chester County, was held this year. It was held by the Justices of the Common Pleas, under the title of Commissioners, as will be seen by the following extract from the Record :-
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
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" ATT A COURT OF EQUITY held att Chester the 5th day in the 1st week of the 10th month 1686.
" Commissioners present :- John Blunstone, John Simcocke, George Maris, Bartholomew Coppock, Samuel Levis, Robert Wade, Robert Pile .- Robert Eyre Clerk."
Only two causes were tried.
The municipal divisions of the settled parts of the County had not as yet been definitely fixed, and some appear to have been recognized by the Court that never had any established boun- dary, and only a very temporary existence. Up to the close of 1686, officers had been appointed for the following places: Ches- ter, Chichester, Providence, Amosland, Darby, Bethel, Concord, Springfield, Marple, Newtown, Birmingham, Northby, and Gilead.
Chichester included both townships of that name, and so of Providence and Darby-Calcon Hook having been added to the latter township this year. Northby included the whole or part of Aston, and Gilead was probably in Edgmont. During the following year, 1687, Ridley, Middletown, Aston, Thornbury,1 and Edgmont are recognized by the Court as townships, and supplied by appointment with one or more officers.
Grand Juries, which, for two or three years after the establish- ment of Penn's government, were hardly regarded as a necessity in the administration of justice, had now assumed an importance scarcely equaled by the Court itself. Both public wants and the neglect of official duties were promptly brought to the notice of the Court, while evil doers could scarcely hope to escape their scrutinizing vigilance. But holding office during the whole year, this vigilance, after a time, degenerated, in each Grand Juror, into a kind of Quaker Puritanical surveillance, and subjected to the exposure of judicial investigation every slight departure from strict moral rectitude. Many matters were presented that had better been rectified by the kind offices of the friends of the party ; or from the evils that resulted from their exposure, been allowed to pass into oblivion unnoticed. If there was anything to make the practice tolerable, it was the impartiality with which it was exercised ; the Justices of the Court and even Grand Jurors themselves were sometimes the subjects of these present- ments.
At the first Court in this year the township of Chester was presented "for not finding and making a foot Bridge over the mill creek (Chester Creek), in the Kings Highway hard by William Woodmancies."
At the same Court, Caleb Pusey " Petitioned against Thomas Coborne for setting a water mill above him upon Upland Creek."
1 The whole of the townships of Thornbury and Birmingham, as at first laid out, will be included in our narrative up to the division of the County in 1789.
11
1
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1687.
But the Court "considering the premises, and finding it to be for the common good, dispenseth therewith." The propriety of erecting this mill was not wholly left to the decision of our County Court. The petition of "about three score people inhabitants of Chester County," was presented to the Provincial Council, " set- ting forth the great want of a Mill in their parts, and requesting a permission for Thomas Coebourne to goe forward with ye build- ing, and setting up his mill on Chester Creek." Whereupon the Council express a willingness "to give incouragement to ye Pro- cedure of Thomas Cobourne in the finishing of his mill that he is now about, for ye urgent necessity of ye contrey, Reserving to ye Gov" his Proprietary Ship." This mill, it is supposed, occu- pied the site of what is now "Dutton's Mill."1
At the June Court, the want of a bridge over Chester Creek, on the King's road, is again presented by the Grand Jury; the same want, for Ridley and Crum Creeks, is also presented, Quite a number of persons were presented and fined for being drunk, and some for suffering others to be drunk in their houses; for selling liquor to the Indians, or for keeping an Ordinary without license. In one "liquor trial," the terms "Punch and Tife" are used by a witness as names for drinks then in use. Drunken- ness appears to have been a growing evil, and, as at the present day, much of the time of the Court was occupied with cases con- nected with the illegal sale or immoderate use of liquor. The following is among the presentments of the Grand Jury this year :-
" The Grand Jury doe also present Anne Neales,2 Widow, for keeping and harbouring doggs that worries and kills her neigh- bours Hoggs ; as alsoe for deteining in her service one Indian
1 Caleb Pusey made a further effort to prevent the erection of this rival mill through the instrumentality of the Commissioners of Property. The following singular man- date, issued by William Markham and Jno. Goodson, members of the board (which Cobourne disregarded), will explain the whole matter :-
"To Thos. Cobourne, of Chester County."
" Whereas we the Proprietary Deputies (upon complaint made to us by Caleb Pusey that thou wast about to set up a mill in Chester Co. to the great damage of the mill there under the charge of the sd Caleb pusey which hath been of vast charge to the owners thereof & but of little profits (yet) toward defray any part thereof,) did on the 22ª Inst. obligingly send to thee to give thee notice thereof and to desire thou wouldst, ye 29th following answer the sd complaint before us in the Council Room at Phil. but instead thereof thou sent a letter of the 26th inst. by whh we perceive thou dost not only contemn the proprietarys authority & endeavour to subvert his dominion over all the water and soile within this his province of Pennsa as he is chief propy thereof, but likewise intended to persist in the builds the mill aforesd to the damage of the other mill and contempt of the proprietaryship "
" We therefore in the propys name will and require thee to desist from building the gd mill (witht positive orders from the propy for the same) or any way hinder the true course of the water of the sd Cr or any part thereof by draws it out of its own proper channel or stop or any other way molest the same upon thy peril .- Givn &c. 30th 5 mo. 1687." Minutes of Property Book C. p. 6. Harrisburg .- The closing paragraph was ordered to be read to Thomas Cobourn, and then " to be nailed up at the mill he is building."
2 She was the widow of Neals Laerson.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
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boy Chato, who with the said dogg, have been found to worry & kill the neighbours hogs as aforesaid." Anne was fined 10s., although she denied the ownership of the vicious dog ; and An- drew Friend1 became bound " to the King and Governor in 20.£ for the Indian boy's Cato's good [behaviour] towards all the Kings Leidge people."
The rapid spread of population over the whole extent of terri- tory now included within our County, created a necessity for highways. Hence we find the Grand Jury much engaged in this and the following year in laying out roads. A road was laid out from Birmingham to Concord, from thence to the bridge near Chester mill, and from thence to Chester. This road passed "the Hamlet of Bethell." Another road was laid out, "from Edgmont to the Kings High way in Chester, being a sixty foote road ;" another "from Newtown, Marple & Springfield to the landing at Amosland," and also one from Darby to Haver- ford. This last road was laid out "by the Grand Jury and other neighbours," under an order from the Court "that the township of Darby finde out a convenient High way from thence to the township of Hartford."
Neither was the Provincial Council neglectful in providing our early settlers with highways. "Upon ye Reading ye petition of ye Inhabitants of Radnor, Complayning yt part of ye road yt leades to the ferry of Philadelphia is fenced in, & more likely to be, it was Orded yt John Bevan, Henry Lewis, David Meridith, John Evans, Barnabas Wilcox & Tho. Ducket, meet within four- teen days, to view or agree upon as conveniently as may be, a Road from ye Place aforesaid to ye ferry, and ye Like Conve- nient road from Darby to ye ferry aforesaid, by ye said Barnabas Willcox, Tho. Ducket, with John Blunston & Joshua fearne, by ye time aforesaid, and to return ye same &c."
The early records that have been examined in the preparation of this work, establish the fact that the wolves congregated very much in the vicinity of the settlements-that they were more numerous in the neighborhood of the Delaware after considerable settlements had been made, than when the country was first visited by the Dutch and Swedes. This is accounted for by the introduction of domestic animals, which furnished an easy prey for these voracious creatures. Their depredations had become so alarming, that this year it became necessary to order a levy for their destruction, as well as "other hurtful vermine."
The rate of this levy was one shilling per 100 acres upon occupied, and eighteen pence upon unoccupied lands, and a poll tax of one shilling upon freemen between the ages of 16 years and 60, and sixpence upon servants of the same age.
1 Andrew Friend was the eldest son of Neals Learson by his wife Anne.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1687.
The Court, from time to time, has transacted business proper for an Orphans' Court, but the first Court under that name was held "att Chester on the 3rd day, in the 1st weeke, of the 8th month [October] 1687."
John Bristow was this year elected to the Provincial Council from Chester County, in the room of Francis Harrison. The Executive power of the provincial government was now vested in five Commissioners of State, any three of whom could aet as deputy or Lieutenant Governor. The first to act in this capa- city were Thomas Lloyd, Robert Turner, Arthur Cook, John Simeock and John Eekley.1
A history of Delaware County would be incomplete without some account of what, in ancient times, was familiarly known as " The Welsh Tract." This intended Barony had its origin in the desire of the Welsh purchasers of Pennsylvania lands to be seated together, and in a promise exacted from Penn before leaving Wales, that this desire should be gratified. The survey of the Welsh Traet was authorized by the following Warrant from the Proprietary :
" Whereas divers considerable persons among ye Welsh Friends have requested me yt all ye Lands Purchased of me by those of North Wales and South Wales, together with ye adjacent coun- ties to ym, as Haverfordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, about fourty thousand acres, may be layd out contiguously as one Barony, alledging yt ye number allready come and suddenly to come, are such as will be capable of planting ye same much wthin ye proportion allowed by ye custom of ye country, & so not lye in large and useless vacancies. And because I am inelined and determined to agree and favour ym wth any reasonable Conve- niency & priviledge : I do hereby charge thee & strictly require thee to lay out ye sd traet of Land in as uniform a manner, as conveniently may be, upon ye West side of Skoolkill river, run- ning three miles upon ye same, & two miles backward, & then extend ye parallell wth ye river six miles and to run westwardly so far as till ye sd quantity of land be Compleately surveyed unto y™ .- Given at Pennsbury, ye 13th 1st mo. 1684.">2
WILL: PENN."
" To Tho: Holmes, Surveyor-General."
In pursuance of this Warrant, the Surveyor-General, on the 4th of the 2d month (April), 1684, issued an order to his deputy, David Powell, and after reciting it he directs him "to survey and sett out unto the said purchasers the said quantity
1 It appears that Nicholas Moore and James Claypool were at first appointed two of these Commissioners. See Janney's Life of Penn, 277; Proud. i. 377. They never aeted.
2 Surveyor-General's office, Harrisburg.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
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of land, there, in manner as before expressed, and in method of townshipps lately appointed by the Governor att five thousand acres for a townshipp and to be directed (for placing the villages of each Township and division of the purchasors) by Thomas Lloyd Master of the Rolls who is principally concerned therein, unto whose care and prudence is recommended the ordering and managing of this affair to the content and satisfaction of the said purchasors and make me a true return of the original field work and protracted figures, as well as the distinct quantity of each purchasor, &c."
The survey was probably made before the end of 1684. Soon after, encroachments were made by others within its limits, and particularly by Charles Ashchom, a very troublesome Deputy Surveyor. In consequence thereof the Welsh inhabitants peti- tioned to the Proprietary's deputies against these intrusions, who after they had " well weighed the mater, truly considered the case, and rightly understanding the Governors intention in granting the warrant," issued their mandate on the 25th day of the 5th month (July), 1687, forbidding such intrusions, and making void what had been done within the prescribed limits, which are given as follows :- " Beginning att the Schoolkill, thence running W. S. W. by the City liberties 2256 perches to Darby Creek. Thence following up the several courses thereof to New Towne Line, Thence up the said line N. N. W. 448 perches, Thence S. S. W. and by W. by New Towne, 988 perches, to a corner post by Crumb Creek, Thence down the several courses thereof 460 perches, Thence W. and by S. by a line of trees 1920 perches, Thence E. and by N. by a line of trees, 3040 perches, Thence E. and by S. 1120 perches, Thence S. S. E. 256 perches, Thence E. N. E. 640 perches, Thence S. S. E. 1204 perches, Thence E. N. E. 668 perches to the Schoolkill, Thence down the several courses thereof to the place of beginning."- The only draft of the Welsh tract that has been found in the Surveyor-General's office does not entirely agree with this survey.
The Welsh settlers not only contemplated having their set- tlements together, but expected to constitute one municipal district, in order that they might manage their affairs in their own way. They certainly had grounds for this expectation ; and consequently when the division line was run between Phila- delphia and Chester Counties, through the Welsh tract, and separating the Welsh settlements of Radnor and Haverford from those of Merion, it gave rise to much dissatisfaction, which will be noticed hereafter.
The Monthly Meeting of Chester was, this year, removed to the house of Walter Faucet of Ridley, who had been recently authorized by the Council to keep an ordinary. It would seem
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. ¢
[1688.
strange at this day to hold a religious meeting at a public house, but at that time and under the circumstances there was a real necessity for it. A number of the persons who attended this meeting resided at the distance of ten miles. Entertainment for themselves and horses was necessary, but from their numbers, to receive it without compensation, would have been oppressive.
The settlements about Darby increased very rapidly, and the settlers being all Quakers, it became inconvenient to hold their meetings any longer at a private house. This year John Blun- ston, at whose house the meetings had been held, acknowledged a deed in open Court "for one acre of land in the township of Darby, to build a meeting-house thereon, to the use of the said township for ever, to exercise the true worship of God therein." The meeting-house was erected during the following year (1688). Its site was doubtless on the hill within the grounds now occu- pied as a graveyard. The minutes are silent as to the character of the structure, except one, which records an agreement to have it " lined within." It was doubtless built of logs. The first marriage accomplished within it, was that of John Mar- shall to Sarah Smith, in February, 1689. Though built in 1688, it was not finished till the next year. At a monthly meeting held in October, 1689, it was "ordered that all be- longing to ye meeting, shall come every one a day, to worke at ye meeting house, and that four come a day till all the work be done."
In 1687 it was agreed by the Chester Monthly Meeting, " that Bartholmew Coppock, James Kennerly, Randal Vernon, and Caleb Pusey, do agree and contract with such workmen or men, as they shall think fit, to build a meeting house at Chester 24 foot square and 10 foot high in the walls.'
On the first of March, 1688, Urin Keen conveyed, in trust, to John Simcox, Thomas Brasey, John Bristow, Caleb Pusey, Randal Vernon, Thomas Vernon, Joshua Hastings, Mordecai Maddock, Thomas Martin, Richard Few, Walter Fauset, and Edward Carter, a lot in Chester, "beginning at said Urin's lot or Garding, and so running, 60 foot along and fronting the street towards the prison house, thence down the lower edge in Chester Creek-thence along the creek 60 foot-thence to the place of beginning to the use and behoof of the said Chester-the people of God called Quakers & their suc- cessors forever." It might be inferred that a new meeting- house was built about this time, and upon the lot of ground thus conveyed. It will be seen, however, as we proceed, that the erection of the meeting-house was postponed for some time.
The evil resulting from the use of intoxicating drinks, being most striking among the Indians, the sale of it to them first
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claimed the attention of Friends. A strong testimony against the practice, was about this time received from the yearly meet- ing. The approval of this paper was attested by the signatures of the principal male members of the Chester Monthly Meeting to the number of seventy-six. This array of witnesses does not only show the magnitude of the evil as it existed among them, but it gives some idea of the extent to which the settlements had progressed at this early period. Seventeen persons give their approval of the same testimony on behalf of Chichester and Concord Monthly Meeting.
A portion of the minutes of Haverford Meeting, at about this period, being lost, the date of the erection of the first meeting- house at that place cannot be precisely ascertained. There are however undoubted facts to show that it was erected in 1688 or 1689. The first marriage solemnized at "Haverford Meeting House," was that of Lewis David to Florence Jones, at a meet- ing held 1st mo. (March) 20th, 1690.
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