Birmingham Township.

tinuance." His application was in that year indorsed by Thomas Chandler and thirty-eight other persons, and was approved.

Aug. 26, 1727, James Townsends, a resident of Birmingham, narrates in his petition his reasons for desiring the court's kindly consideration in the following words: "Whereas your petitioner Lyeth under very great hard ships Liveing on ye great Road Side and very much oppressed by Travailers wich is too much for me to Bear, therefore your peticioner prays you will Grant me a License to keep a house of Entertainment, and your peticioner will in Bounden duty ever pray." His application seems to have melted the stern hearts of the justices, for the license was allowed, and seems to have been continued until 1731, for on the clerk's list of that year his name appeared among those whose petitions had been approved.

August court, 1732, Thomas Bullock's petition shows that "having obtained license at last November to sell beer & Sider now wishes to have full licence," which was awarded him. His name appears on the clerk's list of approved licenses for the year 1734, after which it is not found.

At the court held Feb. 26 (last Tuesday in February), 1733/4, Joseph Webb, living on the road from Concord to "Forks of Brandywine," applied for license, which was refused to him, while on Aug. 27, 1734, Robert Hannum states in his petition that he "hath taken to ffarm ye Plantation and appertinances in the township of Birmingham where Mary Stevens lately dwelt known by the name of the hoop and Tun Tavern." His application is recommended by Joseph Gilpin, Samuel Painter, William and Edward Brinton, Calvin Cooper, John Chads, and nineteen others. He was successful, and license was granted him, continuing from year to year until 1738, after which date his name is not on the clerk's list of licenses approved.

John Chads, Sept. 1, 1736, calls the attention of the court to the fact that he "has undertaken to keep a ferry and wishes to keep a public Inn on road from Phila. to Nottingham, in Birmingham." To which petition the court accedes and granted license to Chads. From year to year he is regularly recommended to the Governor for license. But something must have gone astray in his manner of conducting the business of innkeeping, as will be seen by his petition, Aug. 31, 1742, which sets forth that "by the Favour of the Honorable Court had for this Considerable time past A Recommendation granted him annually in order to obtain Lycense to keep a publick House or House of Entertainment in Birmingham, aforesaid: And your Petitioner not being Conscious he hath Forfeited his right to the said Favour by any abuse thereof." This petition is indorsed "not allowed."

Under like date "a representation" from William Webster, John Baily, Joseph Pennock, John Strode, and thirty other signers, was presented which states that "having heard yt John Chads, Jr., to bee Soprest or put down from Publick house keeping . . . that Itt Is a house that Lies most Convenient to the ford or ferry Boat on Brandywine and Ceeps the best Entertainment for man and horse on the upper Road from Maryland to philadelphia and Likewise Keeps a very orderly house, not allowing of Either drunkeness or Swaring." This representation is indorsed "not Regarded."

Chads was determined that his license should be renewed, for very shortly after the refusal of the court to continue his as a house of public entertainment, he presented a petition, signed by himself and a considerable number of inhabitants of Chester County to the Commissioners and assessors, setting forth that "pursuant to an agreement made with their predecessors in the year 1737, he built a boat and suitable appurtenances for the conveying of people and carriages over Brandywine Creek, with the money that he borrowed of the County for that purpose, the sum of which was 30 pounds, and it being evident as ye petitioner conceives, that the profits of the said ferry, will not without some consideration compensate for the charge thereof, and that the Honorable Justices, hath at last August Court, thought proper to deprive him the sd John Chads from keeping a house of entertainment, near the sd ferry, which he had done heretofore. They therefore request that the said John Chads may be acquitted & discharged from the payment of the sum of money above mentioned, and also from the care and management of sd boat and appurtenances, and some other person appointed to act therein in his stead."

This shrewd movement on the enemy by the flank was not the only effort of Chads, but he charged the bench in column when, under date of Nov. 30, 1742, a petition "of sundry inhabitants of Kennett and places adjacent" in favor of John Chads, as one of "sundry inhabitants and freeholders of the said County on the west side of brandyWine," and still another from "sundry Inhabitants of Concord and other adjacent Places," and even yet another from "inhabitants of Nottingham and places adjacent" is presented. These petitions, which are signed in the aggregate by one hundred and seventy-one persons, are couched in the same language, and state to the court that "being sensible that we may be Liable to great Disappointments as well on account of Entertainment, as also ye attendance of ye boat over ye said Creek wch has been greatly serviceable to our Inhabitants & more especially to Strangers unacquainted with ye sd. Creek," they ask for these reasons that license may be granted to Chads.

The same day the personal petition of John Chads was presented, in which he says "that whereas many of the Inhabitants of the Townships on the West side of Brandywine and others of my neibourhood have aqwainted me with their Intention To Petion the Court for their Recommendation to the Governor for