The City Of Chester.

dence township, and Abigail, a daughter of Frederick Engle, formerly of the borough of Chester. They were married in 1784. Their children (besides F. J. Hinkson) who reached maturity were: Jane (who married Ambrose Smedley, a farmer of Middletown township; she died in 1873, in her eighty-ninth year), Ann (who married David Baker, of Middletown township, - he was a carpenter and builder), John (whose business was that of a farmer. His first wife was Jemima, a daughter of Joseph Worrall, of Upper Providence; his second, who is now living in Chester, is Orpha, a daughter of Joseph Naide, of Chester township. John held the position of steward of the House of Employment of this county, was sheriff, a member of the State Legislature, and a recorder of deeds and register of wills), Mary (who married Abraham Hamor, formerly of Middletown, and afterwards of Hamorton, in Chester County), Joseph (who was a carpenter and builder. He married Ann, a daughter of Samuel Black, of Marple), Orpha (who married Jacob Evans, of Upper Providence, afterwards of Chester township), and Edward Engle Hinkson (who married Sarah, a daughter of Samuel Slanter, of Chester township. He was a carpenter and builder. He was the first building inspector of the city of Chester; held the office for several years, and until his death). All of the children of John Hinkson, Jr., are deceased.

Frederick J. Hinkson was born Nov. 8, 1803, in the township of Upper Providence. When he was quite young his parents moved into Middletown township. Soon after his father's decease (which happened when he was fifteen years old) he entered the store of Abraham Hamor, of that township. Mr. Hamor, in connection with his store, carried on tailoring. Mr. Hinkson having learned his trade, that of a tailor, went to school. He subsequently taught school at Upper Providence meeting-house, at Village Green, then at Columbia, in Lancaster Co., and again at Village Green. While teaching at the last-named place he was elected a clerk in the Bank of Delaware County, at Chester, in which institution, in the capacity of clerk, cashier, and president, he remained for over thirty years. He entered the bank in 1828, and resigned in 1864, for the benefit of his health.

For many years the Bank of Delaware County (now "The Delaware County National Bank") was the only one in the county. Mr. Hinkson drove occasionally from Chester to the Black Horse Tavern (a noted cattle market), in Middletown township, and sat there to cash checks, and to do other banking business with the drovers. Although he at times took with him and brought back large sums of money, he was never molested. Before leaving the bank he engaged in the tanning business at the old yard, on Edgmont Avenue, in Chester, which his father-in-law, William Brobson, had carried on for many years. During a part of the time he had as a partner James S. Bell. He (Mr. Hinkson) sold out, in 1865, to his sons, Charles and F. J. Hinkson, Jr., who continued the same business until the decease of Charles, in 1872, when the tanning business was discontinued. Since then F. J. Hinkson, Jr., has kept a store at the old stand for the sale of leather and findings. The old tannery, after more than a century of continued usefulness in tanning and finishing leather, such as slaughter, belt, loom, harness, bridle, skirting, welt, wax-upper, and calf-skins, which helped to drive the machinery of industrial establishments, to harness the horses and to shoe the people, is a thing of the past.

Mr. Hinkson was for twenty years treasurer of the borough of Chester. He was also the treasurer of the first building association started in Chester. It was called the Chester Building Association. John M. Broomall was the first president. F. J. Hinkson filled the same position subsequently. It was organized in January, 1850. There have been many associations since, which have rendered great help in building up Chester.

In 1856, Mr. Hinkson was elected one of the associate judges of the county. He resigned before his time expired. He was also elected a director of the poor and a jury commissioner, and was a treasurer of the Farmers' Market Company of Chester. He served often as an executor and guardian, and performed his duty with conscientious fidelity.

The firing on Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861, aroused the loyal North to intense excitement. The people of Delaware County felt the patriotic impulse, and immediately took action to stand by the government. The Delaware County Republican, in its issue of April 26, 1861, said, "Capt. Edward's company, the Union Blues, received marching orders on Saturday morning last, at nine o'clock. At six o'clock the volunteers were mustered in front of the Washington House, where they were addressed from the piazza by Judge Hinkson, who informed them that the citizens of the borough had pledged themselves that the wives and children of the soldiers should be properly cared for in their absence. The speaker paid a high compliment to the men who were about to enter the service of their country. The Rev. Mr. Talbot, of St. Paul's Episcopal, and the Rev. Mr. Sproull, of the First Presbyterian Church, also made patriotic speeches. The company left that night for Harrisburg. Measures were soon taken to form relief committees, to raise money to maintain the families of those who might be in the service of their country. A county meeting was held at Media, April 23, 1861 (of which Hon. H. Jones Brooke was chairman), which divided the county into seven districts, each district to have a committee of three, with power to increase to twelve. Each district was to have a treasurer, and collecting and distributing committees. The district treasurer was to return the funds collected to the county treasurer appointed by the meeting. The money was to be distributed pro rata among the districts, the amount given to each family to be regulated by the income made by the