Edgmont Township.

who then resided in Middletown township. It so happened that one of the miles ended on Richard's land, but instead of planting an apple-tree, the surveyor took an axe and bent two saplings so as to cross each other at the spot, saying at the same time, 'Richard Crosbie, thee crosses me and I will cross thee.' Henry Hollingsworth wrote to his friends in England that he had planted an orchard nine miles in length. It is said that some of the apple-trees were standing until within a very recent period."¹

Early in the history of the province an important meeting between the Indians and the Governor is believed to have been held in Edgmont township. The particulars are thus related by the historians of Chester County:

"The Indians manifested some uneasiness about this time, which was communicated to the Governor by William Dalbo, of Gloucester, N. J., 'who acquainted him that there is a Belt of Wampum come to Connestego, from Mahquahotonoi; y^t there was a Tomahock in Red in the belt, & y^t the French with five nations of Indians were designed for war and to fall on some of these plantations.' This information was duly laid before the Council by the Governor on the 14th of April, 1710, and also a letter he had received from Mr. Yeates, Caleb Pusey, and Thomas Powell, dated the same day, 'purporting that to-morrow there was to be a great concourse of Indians, those of Conestoga & those of the Jersey; that they were of opinion that it might be a reasonable opportunity for the Gov'r to visit them altogether; the meeting being the greatest that has been known these twenty years, and is to be about two miles from Jno Warrams [John Worralls] at Edgmond.'

"It was the opinion of the board 'That the Governor with some of the Council, and as many others as can be got should go to-morrow to meet the s^d Indians, to inquire further of them about the said Belt of Wampum, and what else may be thought necessary.'

"The Governor and others doubtless met the Indians, as here indicated, but as no report of the interview was made to the Council, it is probable that the principal chiefs were not present. On the 29th of April, some more alarming news was communicated to the Council, which induced the Governor to visit Conestoga and have an interview with the red men. He found them 'very well inclined to the English,' but they complained of aggressions that had been committed on them by the white man.

"The Governor, immediately on his return from Conestoga, sent Col. French and Henry Worley to ascertain more fully the wishes of the Indians. These gentlemen returned with eight belts of wampum, and made their report to the Council on the 16th of June. Each of these belts had a particular significance. The import of three of them will be given.

"The first was from their old women, and signified 'That those implored their friendship of the Christians and Indians of this govm^t, that without danger or trouble, they might fetch wood & water.'

"'The second belt was from their children born, and those yet in the womb, requesting that room to sport and play without danger of slavery might be allowed them.'

"'The Third Belt was sent from their young men fitt to hunt, that privilege to leave their Towns, and seek provisions for their aged, might be granted to them without fear of Death or slavery.'

"The last of these belts have a significance that cannot be misunderstood. They plainly suggest the reason for the passage, in 1705, of the 'Act to prevent the importation of Indian slaves.'"²

In the assessment for the year 1715 the taxables then in Edgmont were as follows:

John Worrall, Joseph Baker, Philip Yarnall, John Worrilow, Ephir. Jackson, Joseph Pennell, John Broomall, David Register, William Hiddings, John Golding, Rebecca Powell, John Gregory, Thomas Vernon, Thomas Dawson, Joseph Baker, Simon Acres, Edward Thompson, Jacob Taylor, John Clues, Nathan Evans, John Holdston, Caleb Thompson, William Willis, Robert Williamson, Evan Howell, William Adams, Richard Pritchard, Evan Lewis.

Freemen, William Clues, John Hiddings, William Floud.

That the above list represented the male residents of Edgmont at that time is apparent, because at the conclusion it is stated, "Non-resident Land, Bostock's Land, John Kingsman."

In 1799 the following is the list of taxables in the township:

George Bishop, Nehemiah Baker, Joseph Baker, Sr., Joseph Baker, Jr., Edward Baker, Richard Baker, William Baker, Joseph Bishop, Abraham Farr, John Fox, Joshua Fox, George Green, Joseph Griffith, George Hunter, Isaac Hoops, Abraham Hoops, Benjamin Holston, John Holston, Joseph Holston, James Howard, Daniel Hoops, Thomas Hammer (shop-keeper), Thomas Johnson, Samuel Lewis, Abraham Lewis, Moses Meredith, John Mendenhall, John Morgan, Daniel McGowan, Richard Passmore, John Parker (weaver), Joseph Pennell, David Pratt, Lowrie Bonsall, William Russell, James Sill, Aaron Sill, Isaac Taylor, Daniel Williamson, John Worrell, Isaac Worrell, Nicholas Woolas, William Yarnall, Eli Yarnall, Caleb Yarnall, James Yarnall, Joseph Daniel, Robert Register, William Sill, Margaret Bishop, Joseph Williams, George Antricum, William Monangby (joiner), Samuel Plankington (carpenter), Nathan Pyle (blacksmith), Aaron Matson (weaver), Joseph McAfee (weaver), Samuel Fox (carpenter), Benjamin Houghton (carpenter), Nehemiah Barker (cooper), Isaac Pennell (shoemaker), Enoch Yarnall (shoemaker), Evan Pennell (weaver), John Register (turner), Thomas Register (mason), Thomas Dent (tailor), Abraham Hoops (chairmaker), John Gilmore (mason).

The residents of the township, as already remarked, devoting their attention, as a rule, to agriculture, the incidents and happenings in that locality were not generally of that moment to make a deep impression on the annals of the county, and yet Edgmont, in the old war of independence, was repeatedly visited by the scouting parties of both sides, and the American camp-followers and "jayhawkers" just as frequently appropriated private property to their personal use as did the enemy. After the battle of Brandywine to the withdrawal of the British forces from Philadelphia, the residents of Edgmont suffered from the inroads of foraging parties of the Tory adherents of the crown. The account of losses sustained in this township, filed as a claim against the government but never paid, were as follows:

On Sept. 17, 1777, a party of English soldiers visited the residence of Edward Russell, on the farm known as Hunting Hill, and while in the house they broke into a secretary, where, in a secret drawer, one of the daughters had secreted a sum of money. The soldiers had not discovered the hiding-place, had turned, and were about leaving the room when the owner of the money, in her anxiety for the treasure,