Edgmont Township.

he asks license for the house under that title. The next year Robins gave place to Joseph Griffith, the owner of the house, but in 1811 Jesse Cheyney was granted license for the President. In 1813 Isaac Weaver was landlord of the tavern, which he called the George Washington, but in 1815 he restored the old name, and in 1816 he was followed by Joseph B. Ramsey, who had formerly kept the Rising Sun Inn, at Howellville. The next year, however, he was superseded by Abel Green, who remained there until 1829, when he gave place to William Sill, and the latter in turn, in 1834, was followed by Hiram Green, who continued annually to receive the court favor until 1858, when Juliann Green, his widow, was granted license. In 1862, Joseph P. Tucker succeeded to the business, to be followed the next year, 1863, by George Pierce, after which time the President ceased to be kept as a public-house.

In 1813, Nathan Baker petitioned for license to keep public-house on "road from Chester towards Downingtown and West Chester, where Edgmont road intersects with road leading from Marple through Newtown, by John Williamson's, toward Dilworthtown, and there is no tavern on Edgmont road from Chester, but the Black's Horse, and nearest above the General Green, near Goshen meeting-house, Chester County, and besides there is no tavern on said Cross-road. The house is nine and a half miles from Chester, and from West Chester eight and a half miles. There is much travelling at present and particularly by those going and returning by the stage, which runs steadily between Westtown and Philadelphia." His license was approved and there was established the tavern at Howellville, which was the following year, when Joseph B. Ramsey made application at the same location, known as the Rising Sun Tavern. In 1816, William Sill, who appeared to have been the owner of the property, received license. William Bowen, in 1817; John McMinn, in 1818; and Homer Eachus, who in his petition states, in 1820, that the house is known as the "Old Rising Sun." The latter remained only one year, for in 1821 David Green was landlord. Jane Hamilton, who was licensed in 1823, was followed, in 1826, by George Thatcher, and in 1828 David Green returned there again. Enos Smedley, of West Chester, several years ago stated that he remembered Howellville when the land was bought by Israel Howell, from whom the name is derived. "As the Irishman said, it was 'A honey of a place, the king of all places.' First day, or Sunday, as it is commonly called, was a fair day. Young men and boys from the whole neighborhood would collect to drink whiskey, play corner-ball, pitch quoits, jump for distances or for height, and compete in holding a fifty-six weight at arm's-length. You could hear their noise for half a mile. This place was known at that day as the Rising Sun, Delaware County. It had a blacksmith- and wheelwright-shop, store and tavern, the latter two selling whiskey. I heard the person who kept the store say that he sold one and a half hogsheads of whiskey on an average per month, the price of which was eleven cents per quart, and per gallon, in the jug, forty cents. The poor class, when they sent to the store, would give whiskey the first place on the order, and if any money was left other commodities were to be purchased, but the whiskey must be first. Howellville is now one of the most respectable villages in Delaware County."¹ In 1833, John C. Irwin was mine host, and in 1834, George P. Alexander, who remained there in 1836, after which date no license was had for the house until 1856, although in 1839, in an advertisement, "William Robins, at Sign of the Lamb, Howellville," is mentioned, when William Sill received the right to keep tavern there, and yearly the privilege was continued to him until 1860, when Robert Sill, his son, followed as the host of the Howellville Inn, until 1867, when Edward B. Green assumed control of the house, which is now kept by his widow.

Settlers of Edgmont. - Among the earliest purchasers of land from the proprietary were Joseph Baker, John Worrall, Philip Yarnall, Robert Pennell, Joseph Pennell, Ephraim Jackson, David Register, John Houlston, Samuel Bishop, and in 1722 appear the names of Jonathan Hunter, Samuel Lewis, Joseph Pratt, Henry Howard, James Sill, Jacob Taylor, and others, whose names still survive in their descendants in the limits of the township.

The descendants of Joseph Baker and Mary, his wife, are very numerous throughout Delaware and Chester Counties. He represented Delaware County in the Provincial Assembly, and died in 1716. His son, John, born in Edgmont the 11th of Tenth month, 1686, inherited all his land in the township. When Dr. Ash's map was published, in 1848, Abel, Thomas, and William Baker were land-owners, as well as Edward, George, Abel, and Anthony, sons of Edward Baker.

John Baker, a brother of Joseph, died in Philadelphia in 1685, and left four daughters, - Rebecca, Mary, Dorothy, and Sarah. In 1684, Roger Jackson, Mary, Hannah, and Sarah Baker appear as purchasers from William Penn in Edgmont. Mary married William Coebourn, Hannah to Francis Yarnall, and Sarah to Charles Whitacre.

Phillip Yarnall, with his brother, Francis, came from Cloynes, in Worcestershire, England. They first settled in Springfield township, adjoining George Maris' land, about a mile from Springfield Friends' meeting-house, on the road to Clifton. This land was conveyed to Francis, Oct. 17, 1683, and for several years they were members of Darby Monthly Meeting of Friends. Francis married Hannah Baker, of Edgmont, and purchased five hundred and ten acres of land adjoining Edgmont line, in Willistown township, extending from Crum Creek westward nearly two