Darby Borough.

set forth that John Lee, late of Philadelphia City, was a tailor by trade, and as there were two public-houses then in the town, - Davis' license had been granted early in that year, - there was no necessity for a third tavern. The judges looked favorably upon this "representation," and when Lee's application came before the August court it was refused.

Davis did not continue long as a publican, for Aug. 30, 1737, William Thomas petitioned for the court's favor, and stated in his application that he had "purchased the dwelling-house in Darby where Benjamin Davis lately dwelt, which has been a publick house several years," and license was continued to him until Aug. 28, 1744, when William Donaldson, having leased the premises, succeeded Thomas as landlord of the inn, and remained as such until 1758, when Margaret Donaldson succeeded him in the business, to be herself followed in turn, in 1760, by John Wilkinson. The latter continued there until 1770, when John Mitchell received the license, and in his petition that year, for the first time, occurs the noted name of the old hostelry, as before mentioned. In 1774, Mitchell was succeeded in business by John Richards, and when the latter died in 1779 his widow, Ann, took out the license. Agnes Bryce seems to have had control of the inn in 1782, and John Bryce the year following. In 1786, Samuel Smith was granted license for that year, and annually thereafter until 1795, when he died, and his widow, Elizabeth, continued there until 1803, at which date her daughter, Tacy, succeeded to the business. The year following (1804) Tacy Smith associated Sidney Smith, her sister, in the enterprise, and to them the license was annually granted until 1833. During the war of 1812 the old weather-beaten sign of the Ship, still displaying the British flag at the peak, creaked in the wind, and as patriotic spirit ran high, a number of boys in the village determined that the flag of the enemy must come down, and arming themselves with stones, they battered the ancient sign to pieces. The proprietors of the inn very quietly substituted in its place a new sign representing an American frigate in full sail bearing an American ensign. The residents of Darby fifty years ago used to say of these maiden ladies of uncertain age, "May the Lord help the man that wanders in there if he cannot give his family pedigree from Noah down, together with his own age, whence he came, whither he was going, and whether he was married or single." In 1833, Hannah Rice succeeded the Misses Smith as landlady of the Ship, and continued so until 1835, when the Smiths again procured license until 1838, when John Smith removed from the Market Wagon (which latter place in that year ceased to be a public-house) and became the landlord of the Ship. The ancient hostelry was to bear that name no more, for it was licensed as the "Darby Village Inn," and continued to be known as such for many years subsequently. In 1840, Norris Hannum became the landlord, and the line of stages which John Smith, when he relinquished tavern keeping, sold to Edward Ingram, continued to make the Village Inn their point of arrival and departure. Here Hannum continued until his death, his widow, Sarah B. Hannum, receiving license for the first time in 1847, the year when granting license to vend spirituous liquors by a popular vote under the provisions of the act of Assembly (afterwards declared unconstitutional) had been interdicted in all the townships of Delaware County excepting Concord, Thornbury, Edgmont, Middletown, and Darby. In 1848, Mrs. Hannum received license, and in her petition set forth the name of the house as the "Farmers' and Mechanics' Hotel," a title that seemed to please her fancy and which she could use with all propriety, since the original dwelling bearing that name had ceased to be a public-house. In 1852, William Russell, Jr., had the old inn, and he dubbed it anew as the "Plank-Road House." Here he continued until 1856, when he was succeeded by Franklin Thornton, after which date the old inn had several landlords, and was finally torn down, and a new building erected, which is now kept by John Standerling as "The Philadelphia Hotel."

On Aug. 31, 1736, John Hallowell strove to obtain license by showing that "he had rented a house of Joseph Hibberd, in Darby, by the King's Road, and he and his wife, being stricken in years," were persons well fitted to receive the court bounty, but the justices refused their approval of his petition.

In 1756, Barbara McCullough was granted license to keep a tavern in Darby township, and in 1758 was followed by John Wayton, while he in turn gave place to John Trapnall, in 1765, after which occurs a break of seven years, until 1773, when Henry Schrieber was a recipient of the court's favor, presumably at the same place, after which it disappears of record.

Sixth month 28, 1744, John Pearson presented his petition asking that he be allowed to keep a house of entertainment in Darby, "where Thomas Bulford kept tavern," and was allowed. The following year John Rudolph, who had rented the premises, succeeded John Pearson as landlord, and continued there until 1747, when John Pearson again presented his petition, and stated therein that John Rudolph was about to remove from the house he had formerly kept and desired license for the same, which was granted him.

The Blue Anchor Tavern. - The same year (1747) John Rudolph was allowed license, but it is very probable it was not in the same place where he had formerly kept, for both he and Pearson were continued annually to be licensed by the court until 1754, when Pearson's name for the last time appears of record. Where Rudolph's tavern was at that time I have failed to learn so as to state its locality beyond doubt, but in 1763, William Pinville seems to have followed him in business, to be succeeded in the year 1765 by John Rudolph, and the latter in 1770 by