Haverford Township.

a body as a barony on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. Hence Dr. Edward Jones, chirurgeon, as he is styled, with other Welsh purchasers, sailed from Liverpool, England, in the ship "Lyon," John Compton, master, and arrived in the Schuylkill River on the 13th of the Sixth month (August), 1682. On the 26th of the same month Dr. Jones wrote to his friend, John ap Thomas, the following letter, which describes the voyage and arrival of the Welsh settlers:

"These ffor his much esteemed friend John ap Thomas of Llaithgwn neer Bala is Merionethshire, North Wales, to be left with Job Boulten att the Boult and tun in Lumber Street, London, and from thence to William Sky Butcher, in Osweatrie, to be sent as above directed and via London - with speed.

"My endeared fr'd & brother my heart dearly salutes thee in a measure of ye everlasting truth dear fr'd hoping that these few lines may find thee in health or no worster yn I left thee. This shall lett thee know that we have been aboard eleven weeks before we made the land (it was not for want of art but contrary winds) and one we were in coming to Upland, ye town is to be buylded 15 or 16 miles up ye River. And in all this time we wanted neither meate, drink or water though several hogsheads of water run out. Our ordinary allowance of beer was 3 pints a day for each whole head and a quart of water; 3 biskedd a day & some times more. We laid in about half hundred biskedd, one barrell of beere, one hogshead of water - the quantity for each whole head, & 3 barrells of beefe for the whole number - 40 - and we had one to come ashoare. A great many could eat little or no beefe though it was good. Butter and cheese eats well upon ye sea. Ye remainder of our cheese & butter is little or no worster; butter and cheese is at 6d per lb. here if not more. We have oatmeale to spare, but it is well, yet we have it, for here is little or no corn till they begin to sow their corn, they have plenty of it. The passengers are all living, save one child, yt died of a surfeit. Let no frds tell that they are either too old or too young, for the Lord is sufficient to preserve both to the uttermost. Here is an old man about 80 years of age; he is rather better yn when he sett out, likewise here are young babes doing very well considering sea diet. We had one tun of water, and one of drinks to pay for at Upland, but ye master would faine be pd for 13 or 14 hogsheds yt run out by ye way, but we did not, and about 3 quarters of Tunn of Coales we p'd for; we laid in 8 Tun of Coales and yields no profit here. We are short of our expectation by reason that ye town is not to be builded at Upland, neither would ye Master bring us any further, though it is navigable for ships of greater burthen than ours. Ye name of town lots is called now Wilcoco; here is a Crowd of people striving for ye country land, for ye town lot is not divided, & therefore we are forced to take up ye Country lots. We had much adoe to get a grant of it, but it cost us 4 or 5 days attendance, besides some score of miles we traveled before we brought it to pass. I hope it will please thee and the rest yt are concerned, for it hath most rare timber, I have not seen the like in all these parts, there is water enough beside. The end of each lot will be on a river as large or larger than the Dye at Bala, it is called Skool Kill River. I hope the Country land will within this four days [be] surveyed out. The rate for surveying 100 Acres [was] twenty shilling, but I hope better orders will be taken shortly about it.

"The people generally are Swede, which are not very well acquainted. We are amongst the English, which sent us both vension and new milk, & the Indians brought vension to our door for six pence ye quarter. And as for ye land we look upon it [as] a good & fat soyl generally producing twenty, thirty, & fourty fold. There are stones to be had enough at the falls of the Skeet Kill, that is where we are to settle, & water enough for mills, but thou must bring Millstones and ye Irons that belong to it, for Smiths are dear. Iron is about two and thirty or fourty shillings per hundred; Steel about 1s. 6d, p. 1. Ye best way is to make yr picken axes when you come over, for they cannot be made in England, for one man will work with ym as much as two men with ours.

"Grindle stones yield good profit here; ordinary workmen have 1s. 6s. a day. Carpenters 3 or four shillings a day; here are sheep, but dear, about twenty shillings a piece. I cannot understand how they can be carried from England . . . . Taylors hath 5s. & 6s. a day.... I would have you bring salt for ye present use; here is coarse salt, some times two measures of salt for one of wheat, and sometimes very dear. Six penny & eight penny nails are most in use, horse shoes are in no use . . . good large shoes are dear; lead in small bars is vendible, but guns are cheap enough . . . They plow, but very bungerly, and yet they have some good stone. They use both hookes and sickles to reap with . . . .

"Time will not permit me to write much more for we are not settled. I [send] my dear love and my wife's unto thy selfe and thy dear wife and the rest of my dear friends, H. Ro. Rich. P. Evan Resse; J. ap E. Elizabeth Williams E. & J. Edd; Gainer R.; Ro. On.; Jo. Humphrey; Hugh J. Tho.; and the rest of fr'ds as if named.

"I remain thy Lo' friend and Bro. while I am.

"This is the 2d letter, Skool Kill River,
"Ye 26th of ye 6th mo., 1682."

Subsequently Jones and his countrymen settled upon "The Welsh Tract," the outlines of which had been run by virtue of the following warrant:

"Whereas, divers considerable persons among y^e Welsh Friends have requested me y^t all y^e Lands Purchased of me by those of North Wales and South Wales, together with y^e adjacent counties to y^m, as Haverfordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire, about fourty thousand acres, may be lay^d out contiguously as one Barony, alledging y^t y^e number all ready come, and suddenly to come, are such as will be capable of planting y^e same much w^thin y^e proportion allowed by y^e custom of y^e country, & so not lye in large and useless vacancies, and because I am inclined and determined to agree and favour y^m wth any reasonable Conveniency and priviledge: I do hereby charge thee and strictly require thee to lay out y^e s^d tract of Land in as uniform a manner as conveniently may be, upon y^e West side of Skool kill river, running three miles upon y^e same, and two miles backward, and then extend y^e parallel w^th y^e river six miles, and to run westwardly so far as till y^e s^d quantity of land be Compleately surveyed unto y^m. Given at Pennsbury, y^e 13^th 1^st mo., 1684.

In pursuance of this warrant the surveyor-general, on the 4th of the Second month (April), 1684, issued an order to his deputy, David Powell, directing the latter "to survey and sett out unto the said purchasers the said quantity of land, in manner as before expressed, and in method of townshipps, lately appointed by the Governor, att five thousand acres for a townshipp and to be directed (for placing the villages of each Townshipp and division of the purchasers) by Thomas Lloyd, Master of the Rolls, who is principally concerned therein, unto whose care and prudence is recommended the ordering and managing of this affair, to the content and satisfaction of the said purchasors, and make me a true return of the original field-work and protracted figures, as well as the distinct quantity of each purchasor, &c".

The survey was probably made before the close of 1684. Soon after encroachments were made by others within its limits, and particularly by Charles Ashcom, a very troublesome deputy surveyor. In consequence thereof the Welsh inhabitants petitioned to the proprietary's deputies against these intrusions, who, after they had "well weighed the mater, truly considered the case, and rightly understanding the Governor's intention in granting the warrant," issued their mandate on the 25th day of the Fifth month (July), 1687, forbidding such intrusions, and making void what had been done within the prescribed limits, which are given as follows: