Birmingham Township.

not been in accordance with moral and religious propriety, and that it was injurious to the best interests of the neighborhood, hence we (the remonstrants) respectfully ask the court to remove the evil." Edward Brinton also presented his individual remonstrance, in which he stated that he had for thirty-five years been engaged in "public business," the last fifteen within about a mile and a half of Chad's Ford Tavern; that he had "experienced great inconvenience and loss in business by the encouragement held out to his apprentices and hired men to meet there on various occasions to their great moral injury while in the company of the dissipated and profane, which common report says, and I believe truly, do too often assemble there, that there were more taverns than public convenience requires, which was particularly the case with the Chad's Ford Tavern, that must look principally to neighboring custom for support." This remonstrance concludes: "It has been observed by some writer that no person nor associations are at liberty to indulge in any acts or practices in the face of the community which by their necessary operations are calculated to corrupt and debauch the youthful or the unwary, to incite to licentiousness or crime."

The court, however, deemed the house a public necessity and granted the license to Milton Stamp, continuing so to do annually until 1843, when in the fall of that year John M. Dusham had the license transferred to him. The latter, in 1845, gave place to Edward B. Hoskins, who in his petition states that the tavern was known as the "Chad's Ford Inn." In 1847 it received license, as did most of the public-houses in Delaware County, as a temperance inn, but the next year, when the local-option law of that day was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, the Chad's Ford Tavern received full license, and it was extended to Hoskins until 1854, when John Evans had the control of the ancient hostelry. The following year the court refused their consent, and so annually kept the house under the ban of their displeasure for three years, although there were not wanting applicants for the position of "mine host." In 1858, Philip Mullin presented his petition to court, which was supplemented by a petition from James Twaddell, of Philadelphia, who represented to the judges that he had resided in the latter city for fifty years, and was a reputable citizen; that he was owner of the Chad's Ford Tavern, which had been kept as a public-house for the last fifty years or more; that he had held the property for three years, and his tenants had been refused license, although well recommended. The reason for this denial Mr. Twaddell could not understand, nor could the neighbors in Birmingham, he stated, since the house was in much better order than when he purchased it, as he had expended over a thousand dollars, and proposed to make further improvements if circumstances should warrant it. The applicant who had rented the property was well recommended, and would no doubt keep a reputable public-house if the court would only give him an opportunity to do so. But the bench turned a deaf ear to his pleadings. The following year Isaac C. Lindsay leased the hotel, and the owner smiled once more when the judge announced that the new applicant had received the judicial approval. Annually thereafter the house remained as a tavern, - in 1862, under the control of Benjamin French and Horatio J. Sheppard, and the following year under French alone. In 1864, Charles Mendenhall had license, as well as in 1865. In 1866 the house remained without a tenant, and in 1867, Charles Twaddell was granted privilege to keep a public inn there. William Seal, Jr., in 1869 was the landlord, and remained so until 1871, when he gave place to Charles Davis, who in turn was followed by Jackson McFarland in 1876. In 1880, John D. Makiever had become the landlord, and continues as such to the present time.

Kaolin Pits. - Over fifty years ago Amos C. Brinton says white clay lay on top of the ground in James Russel's meadow, and small quantities were used by the fullers in fulling-mills. It is also stated that potters from up the Great Valley came down occasionally and carried some of it to their works, and that one man used the white clay for adulterating white lead and soap. It was not, however, until 1863 that any particular effort was made to bring the white clay in this section into use. At that time the property that in 1848 belonged to Thomas H. Bullock was in possession of Caleb Hayburn, who had purchased it of William McKay, a son-in-law of Bullock. Brinton J. Hayburn, a butcher, came one day with his butcher's cart from Caleb Hayburn's place to Concordville. Some of the clay was on the wheels of his cart. When Mrs. George Rush was buying some beef, the white clay attracted her attention, and Brinton told her that it would take grease out of cloth. She took some of it and tried it on a carpet, and accomplished the result. He also told her it was potters' clay. George Rush became interested, and went over to the farm, procured some of the clay, and wrote to E. B. Shee, a paper manufacturer of Philadelphia, and also interested in mining in South Carolina. Mr. Shee in the course of a short time came to Concordville, and visited the farm with Mr. Rush. More samples were obtained, which Shee took to Philadelphia, where it was shown to Bartles Shee and Christian Spengler, on Minor Street. Mr. Spengler also came to the place and examined it.

In 1864, Edward Shee purchased sixty acres of land of Caleb Hayburn for ten thousand dollars, in the interest of Edward B. Shee, Bartles Shee, George Rush, Christian Spengler, and Henry Shillingford. Pits were sunk on the farm, and samples of the clay were sent to different parties. Negotiations had been in progress with several persons in New York, who formed the "Union Woolen Company of New York," with Edward Peckham, president. To this