The Colonial History to the War of the Revolution

The second deed was made after Penn had returned to England. The Provincial Council, on the 22d of the Seventh month (September), 1685, was notified by Capt. Lasse Cock that the Indians were anxious to dispose of their land between Upland and Appoquinomy. Council immediately appointed Thomas Holme, surveyor-general, John Simcock, and Col. William Markham, the then secretary of the body, to meet the Indians and purchase from them the territory named. The following deed, executed in ten days after the date given, shows how expeditiously the authorities acted in carrying out the original intention of Penn, the extinguishment of Indian titles; but the indefinite bounds, "so far as a man can ride in two days with a horse," clearly shows the superior bargaining abilities of the white man, and the success which attended this transaction might have prompted the noted "walking purchase" of a later date.

"This Indenture Witnesseth That We Lare Packenah Tareekham Sickais Pettquessitt Tewis Essepenaick Petkhoy Kakelappan Feomus Mackalohr Melleonga Wissa Powey Indian Kings Sachemakers, Right Owners of all the Lands from Quing Quingus Called Duck Creek unto upland Called Chester Creek all along by the West Side of Delaware River and So between the Said Creeks Backwards as far as a man can Ride in two days with a horse for and in Consideration of these following good to Vs in hand paid and secured to be paid by W^m Penn Proprietary and Gouvnour of the Province of Pannsilvania and Territories Thereof, Viz Twenty Gunns Twenty fathom Matchcoat twenty Fathom Stroudwaters, twenty Blankets twenty Kettles twenty pounds Powder One hundred Barrs Lead forty Tomahawks One hundred Knives Fourty pare Stocking One Barrel of Beer twenty pound red Lead One hundred Fathom Wamphum thirty Glass Bottles thirty Pewter Spoons one hundred Awl Blades three hundred tobacco Pipes One hundred hands of Tobacco twenty Tobacco Tongs twenty Steels three hundred flints thirty pare sissers thirty Combs Sixty looking Glasses two hundred Needles one Skiple Salt thirty pounds Shuger five gallons Mollassis twenty Tobacco Boxes One hundred Juise Harps twenty Hows, thirty Guimiets thirty Wooden Screw Borers & One hundred Strings Beeds. Wee hereby Acknowledge in behalfe of Our Selves as Only Rright Owners of the aforesaid Tract of Land to Bargain and Sell And by these Presents doe fully Clearly and Absolutely Barggaine & Sell Unto the said W^m Penn his heirs and Assignes for Ever without any mollestation or hindrance from or by Us and from or by any other Indians whatsoever that Shall or may Claime any Right Title or Interest in or unto the Said Tract of Land or any Part thereof. In Witness Whereof Wee have hereunto Set our hands and Seals at New Castle the 2^d day of the Eighth month 1685.
:Signed sealed and delivered unto Cap^t Thomas Holme Survey^r Gen^l of ye Province of Pennsylvania to & for ye use of William Penn Esq^r Proprietary & Govern^r of y^e afores^d Province & Territories thereunto belonging in the presence of us.

"Pieter Alricks	The Mark of
"Lasse Cock	Oweg Ham
"Philip Th Lehnmann	The Mark of
"James Atkinson	Oweg X Ham
"Christopher Gorr	The Mark of
"The Mark of	Lik X Hamm
"John X Walker	The Mark of
"Edward Lare	Patasko X
"John Mandy.	The Mark of
"The Mark of	Mack X Rashute."1
"Tamma X Gwaran

The general history of our county is very meagre of interesting incidents in the early days of the province other than the happenings which became matter for the intervention and adjudication of the courts; and as these subjects will be found collated and treated of in a distinctive chapter, no allusion will be made to them at this time.

The absence of William Penn from England afforded an opportunity to his enemies and for the friends of Lord Baltimore in the mother-country to press with earnestness objections to the former's title to the "three lower counties," now Delaware, as also to seriously menace his ownership of the greater part of the present county of Delaware (as well as others) in Pennsylvania. Hence it became imperatively essential that he should return to Great Britain; and preparatory to his departure he appointed Thomas Lloyd, James Harrison, and John Simcock -- the former to be Deputy Governor, and, in the event of death, the others to succeed to that position in the order mentioned -- to represent him in the province, and, in the contingency of his (Penn's) death before other officers were selected, empowered them to be "Commissioners & Guardians in Government to my dear Heir, Sprigett Penn." As the record shows that on Aug. 14, 1684, Penn presided for the last time in Council until he returned, nearly sixteen years subsequently, it is thought that he sailed not long after the date above mentioned.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, April 1, 1685, Thomas Lloyd presiding, the boundaries of the county of Chester were officially prescribed, as follows: "The county of Chester to begin at ye Mouth or Entrance of Bough Creek, upon Delaware River, being the upper end of Tinicum Island, and soe up that creek, dividing the said Island from ye Land of Andros Boone & Company; from thence along the several courses thereof to a Large Creek Called Mill Creek: from thence up the several courses of the said creek to a W.S.W. Line, which Line divided the Liberty Lands of Philadelphia from Several Tracts of Land belonging to the Welsh and other Inhabitants; and from thence E.N.E. by a line of Marked Trees 120 perches, more or less; from thence N.N.W. by the herford (Haverford) Township 1000 perches, more or less; from thence E.N.E. by ye Land belonging to Jno. Humphreys 110 perches, more or less; from thence N.N.W. by ye Land of John Eckley 880 perches, more or less; from thence continuing ye said Course to the Scoolkill River, wch sd Scoolkill River afterwards to be the natural bounds."²

Many complaints having been made respecting the manner in which Charles Ashcom, the deputy surveyor for Chester County, had encroached on the forty thousand acres which Penn had ordered set apart as the Welsh tract³ (including Radnor and

³ The survey of the Welsh tract was authorized by the following warrant from the proprietary:
"Whereas divers considerable persons among y^e Welsh Friends have requested me y^t all y^e Lands Purchased of me by those of North Wales and South Wales, together with y^e adjacent counties to y^m, as Haverfordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire, about fourty thousand acres, may be lay^d out contiguously as one Barony, alledging y^t y^e number allready come and suddenly to come, are such as will be capable of planting y^e same much w^thin y^e proportion allowed by y^e custom of y^e country, & so not lye in large and useless vacancies. And because I am Inclined and determined to agree and favour y^m w^th any reasonable Conveniency & priviledge: I do hereby charge thee & strictly require thee to lay out y^e s^d tract of Land in as uniform a manner, as conveniently may be, upon y^e West side of Skoolkill river, running three miles upon y^e same, & two miles backward, & then extend y^e parallell w^th y^e river six miles, and to run westwardly so far as till y^e s^d quantity of land be Compleately surveyed unto y^m. Given at Pennsbury, y^e 13^th 1^st mo. 1684.
"WILL. PENN.
"To THS. 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, he directing him to execute it. The survey was probably made before the end of 1684. See Smith's "History of Delaware County," pp. 164-65.