History of Delaware County - Ashmead, Ch. II, (Page 14)

Chapter II

The Essex House stood¹ on the site of the present brick dwelling at the northwest corner of Second and Penn Streets, Chester. It was a story and a half in height, its southeast gable fronting the river, the rear or southwest side facing Concord Avenue, and its front, with a commodious porch, extended the entire length of the building to Chester Creek. Almost one hundred and ten feet southeastwardly from it stood the noted trees under which Penn landed, seven years after Wade became the owner of the estate. In the journal of the Labadists, Dankers and Sluyter, in 1679, particular mention is made of these trees. "We have nowhere seen," they record, "so many vines together as we saw here, which had been planted for the purpose of shading the walks on the river side in between the trees."² It seems that Wade, after the purchase of the estate from Mrs. Pappegoya, returned to Great Britain, whence, accompanied by his wife, Lydia, he sailed in the ship "griffin," which arrived in the Delaware on the 23rd of Ninth month (November), 1675. It was in that year, we are told, that William Edmundson, a public Friend from Ireland, made a second visit to America, and while he and his party journeyed, swimming their horses across the river at Trenton and the intermediate creeks, and camping out in the woods at night, when on the way to "Delaware Town, on the west side of the river Delaware," ... "there came up a Finland man, well-horsed, who spoke English. He soon perceived what they were, and gave them an account of several of their friends. His house was as far as they could ride that day; there he conducted them and lodged them kindly. The next morning being the first day of the week, they went to Upland (since named Chester), where a few Friends were met at Robert Wade's house. After meeting was over they took boat and went to Salem, where they met with John Fenwick and several families of Friends, who, with those at Chester, had come from England in that year with John Fenwick."³ It is, however, nowise certain that the Essex House had been built when the first recorded meeting of Friends in Pennsylvania was held at Wade's dwelling at Upland, but that it had been erected before 1679, the statement of the Labadist ministers, already quoted as a note, conclusively establishes.
¹ In "A Journal of a Voyage to New York in 1679-80," Memoirs of Long Island Historical Society, vol i. p. 183, it is recorded: "It was late before we left here and we therefore had time to look around a little and see the remains of the residence of Madame Popegay, who had her dwelling here when she left Tinekonk." The diary the preceding day mentions that Robert Wade had brought the travelers to Upland after dark, and "we went to the house of the Quaker who had brought us down." So that there can be no doubt that the Essex House was never owned by Mrs. Pappegoya.
² "Journal of a Voyage to New York in 1679-80," Memoirs of Long Island Historical Society, vol. i. p. 183.
³ Smith's "History of the Province of Pennsylvania." Hazard's Register, vol. vi. p. 182.

Governor Andross, On Sept. 25, 1676, promulgated the Duke of York's laws by proclamation, declaring that they "Bee likewise in force and practices in this River and Precincts," excepting such ordinances as were peculiarly applicable to Long Island. At the same time he ordered courts to be held at three places on the river. That at Upland to be a Court of Quarter Sessions, and to begin on the second Tuesday of the month.⁴ ⁴ Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. iii. p. 783.

The records of these early courts are historically interesting, for in them is found the story of the gradual growth of the English system of jurisprudence in the State, which will be related elsewhere in this work.
On March 4, 1681, Charles II. of England signed the great charter which conveyed to William Penn, in lieu of the sum of sixteen thousand pounds, which the king owed to Admiral William Penn, the enormous tract of land now known as Pennsylvania, and from that period our early annals become more interesting, for from that time we may date the actual founding of this great commonwealth. Almost immediately thereafter Penn sent his first cousin, William Markham, to the colony as his Deputy Governor. It is presumed that he came over in the ship "John and Sarah," from London, commanded by Henry Smith, which was the first to arrive here after the grant was made to Penn. Certain it is that Markham was in New York about June 15, 1681,⁵ and previous to the 21st of that month he had presented his commission to the authorities at New York, for on that date the Governor and Council issued a proclamation announcing the royal grant and commanding all persons to recognize Markham as Governor of Pennsylvania. On August 3d following he was at Upland and had assumed the reins of power on the Delaware, for on that date last mentioned his Council took and subscribed to the oath of office. The members of the Governor's Council were Robert Wade, Morgan Drewt, William Woodmanse, William Warner, Thomas Fairman, James Sandilands, William Clayton, Otto Ernst Cock, and Lasse Cock, almost every one residents of the territory now Delaware County. "The proceedings of their first session were kept secret and little is known, except that the government of the new province was established with the capital at Upland, where we find Markham holding court on the 30th of November, 1681."⁶ Markham made his residence at the Essex House,⁷ and there the first summons from Penn, calling a General Assembly, were written and proclaimed, for, as is well known, the proprietary was Wade's guest on his first coming to the province in 1682.
⁵ A letter to William Penn from New York, dated June 25, 1681, says, "This is to acquaint thee that about ten daies since here arrived Francis Richardson with thy Deputy." - Penna. Mag. of Hist., vol. vi. p. 175.
⁶ Duke of York's Book of Laws, p. 471.
⁷ Sept. 23, 1682, Markham lived there, for he says, "Lord Baltimore was at my lodging at Robert Wade's." - Penn. Mag. of Hist., vol. vi. p.430.

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Chapter II
	The Essex House stood¹ on the site of the present brick dwelling at the northwest corner of Second and Penn Streets, Chester. It was a story and a half in height, its southeast gable fronting the river, the rear or southwest side facing Concord Avenue, and its front, with a commodious porch, extended the entire length of the building to Chester Creek. Almost one hundred and ten feet southeastwardly from it stood the noted trees under which Penn landed, seven years after Wade became the owner of the estate. In the journal of the Labadists, Dankers and Sluyter, in 1679, particular mention is made of these trees. "We have nowhere seen," they record, "so many vines together as we saw here, which had been planted for the purpose of shading the walks on the river side in between the trees."² It seems that Wade, after the purchase of the estate from Mrs. Pappegoya, returned to Great Britain, whence, accompanied by his wife, Lydia, he sailed in the ship "griffin," which arrived in the Delaware on the 23rd of Ninth month (November), 1675. It was in that year, we are told, that William Edmundson, a public Friend from Ireland, made a second visit to America, and while he and his party journeyed, swimming their horses across the river at Trenton and the intermediate creeks, and camping out in the woods at night, when on the way to "Delaware Town, on the west side of the river Delaware," ... "there came up a Finland man, well-horsed, who spoke English. He soon perceived what they were, and gave them an account of several of their friends. His house was as far as they could ride that day; there he conducted them and lodged them kindly. The next morning being the first day of the week, they went to Upland (since named Chester), where a few Friends were met at Robert Wade's house. After meeting was over they took boat and went to Salem, where they met with John Fenwick and several families of Friends, who, with those at Chester, had come from England in that year with John Fenwick."³ It is, however, nowise certain that the Essex House had been built when the first recorded meeting of Friends in Pennsylvania was held at Wade's dwelling at Upland, but that it had been erected before 1679, the statement of the Labadist ministers, already quoted as a note, conclusively establishes.	¹ In "A Journal of a Voyage to New York in 1679-80," Memoirs of Long Island Historical Society, vol i. p. 183, it is recorded: "It was late before we left here and we therefore had time to look around a little and see the remains of the residence of Madame Popegay, who had her dwelling here when she left Tinekonk." The diary the preceding day mentions that Robert Wade had brought the travelers to Upland after dark, and "we went to the house of the Quaker who had brought us down." So that there can be no doubt that the Essex House was never owned by Mrs. Pappegoya. ² "Journal of a Voyage to New York in 1679-80," Memoirs of Long Island Historical Society, vol. i. p. 183. ³ Smith's "History of the Province of Pennsylvania." Hazard's Register, vol. vi. p. 182.
	Governor Andross, On Sept. 25, 1676, promulgated the Duke of York's laws by proclamation, declaring that they "Bee likewise in force and practices in this River and Precincts," excepting such ordinances as were peculiarly applicable to Long Island. At the same time he ordered courts to be held at three places on the river. That at Upland to be a Court of Quarter Sessions, and to begin on the second Tuesday of the month.⁴	⁴ Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. iii. p. 783.
	The records of these early courts are historically interesting, for in them is found the story of the gradual growth of the English system of jurisprudence in the State, which will be related elsewhere in this work. On March 4, 1681, Charles II. of England signed the great charter which conveyed to William Penn, in lieu of the sum of sixteen thousand pounds, which the king owed to Admiral William Penn, the enormous tract of land now known as Pennsylvania, and from that period our early annals become more interesting, for from that time we may date the actual founding of this great commonwealth. Almost immediately thereafter Penn sent his first cousin, William Markham, to the colony as his Deputy Governor. It is presumed that he came over in the ship "John and Sarah," from London, commanded by Henry Smith, which was the first to arrive here after the grant was made to Penn. Certain it is that Markham was in New York about June 15, 1681,⁵ and previous to the 21st of that month he had presented his commission to the authorities at New York, for on that date the Governor and Council issued a proclamation announcing the royal grant and commanding all persons to recognize Markham as Governor of Pennsylvania. On August 3d following he was at Upland and had assumed the reins of power on the Delaware, for on that date last mentioned his Council took and subscribed to the oath of office. The members of the Governor's Council were Robert Wade, Morgan Drewt, William Woodmanse, William Warner, Thomas Fairman, James Sandilands, William Clayton, Otto Ernst Cock, and Lasse Cock, almost every one residents of the territory now Delaware County. "The proceedings of their first session were kept secret and little is known, except that the government of the new province was established with the capital at Upland, where we find Markham holding court on the 30th of November, 1681."⁶ Markham made his residence at the Essex House,⁷ and there the first summons from Penn, calling a General Assembly, were written and proclaimed, for, as is well known, the proprietary was Wade's guest on his first coming to the province in 1682.	⁵ A letter to William Penn from New York, dated June 25, 1681, says, "This is to acquaint thee that about ten daies since here arrived Francis Richardson with thy Deputy." - Penna. Mag. of Hist., vol. vi. p. 175. ⁶ Duke of York's Book of Laws, p. 471. ⁷ Sept. 23, 1682, Markham lived there, for he says, "Lord Baltimore was at my lodging at Robert Wade's." - Penn. Mag. of Hist., vol. vi. p.430.
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