Radnor Township.

form a separate community, with a view of deciding all controversies and debates among themselves in their own language and in "Gospel Order." However, as these troubles of the early Welsh settlers have have been explained at some length in the history of Haverford township, it is deemed unnecessary to repeat them here.

In 1691 the grand jury ordered that a road be laid out leading from Rhoads' tan-yard, in Marple, to a point near the site of the present Radnor meeting-house. The route when marked by blazing trees was not varied in the least by reason of hills, etc., but continued straight ahead over all elevations, ravines, morasses, etc.

At a Monthly Meeting of Friends held at Haverford meeting-house in Sixth month (August), 1693, it was ordered "y^t William Howell, Morris Llewelyn, for Haverford; David Meredith, David Evans, for Radnor; Griffith Jones, James Thomas, for Merion, see y^t sufficient fences be kept in his respective neighbourhood." During the same year, also, "it is ordered by this meeting by consent of the inhabitants of the townships of Haverford and Radnor, in pursuance of a law in that case made, y^t y^e inhabitants of y^e s^d two townships should pay one shilling per hundred [meaning one hundred acres of land] towards y^e taking of Wolves, William Howell, William Jenkins, for Haverford; and David Meredith and Stephen Bevan, for Radnor, to receive y^e s^d Taxe."

The taxable inhabitants of Radnor at this date, 1693, a time when a provincial tax was levied of one penny per pound sterling on estates and six shillings per head upon freemen, were as follows:

Roads leading from the site of Radnor Friends' meeting-house to Schuylkill Ford, and from John Longworthy's house to a road "between Chester and Radnor," were laid out Tenth month (December) 11, 1694.

Although a large majority of the early inhabitants of Radnor were Friends, people who remained true to the principles and the teachings of their peculiar system of opinions throughout their lives, still there were others among them who could only be satisfied with the dogmas preached by ministers of the established church, - the Church of England. Hence, in accordance with the earnest request of prominent members of the latter class, a Rev. Mr. Evans, of Philadelphia, - the first clergyman of the Episcopal Church to preach in Pennsylvania, - occasionally visited certain families residing in Radnor, and preached to them, beginning as early as the year 1700. However, to explain more fully these events in the early history of the township, we quote from an historical account of the incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, which was published early in the last century, as follows:

"Oxford and Radnor, two Welsh settlements, were first visited by Mr. Evans from Philadelphia; and the People, having been Members of the Church of England when they were transplanted from Wales hither, were desirous of having that form of worship fixed among them again. By his occasional Sermons, and the visits of other Clergymen, the People of Oxford were encouraged to build a neat and convenient Church. The Congregation consisted chiefly of the younger People, and the whole town composed of about 20 families; they not only built a Church, but subscribed also £20 a year to their minister in money and country produce. The people of Radnor also petitioned for a Minister; and the Society appointed the Rev. Mr. Club Missionary to Oxford and Radnor, two Towns being about 20 miles distant from each other. He arrived there in 1714. The inhabitants of both Towns received him with great kindness, as being well known to them before, during his being School-master at Philadelphia; The people of Radnor especially were very thankful to the Society for having been pleased to consider their Wants, and renewed their promise of giving him their best Assistance and presently after his arrivals, heartily engaged to build a handsome stone Church,¹ which they have since performed. Mr. Club was very earnest in all parts of his Ministerial Office, and very successful in his Labours, and happy in engaging the love and Esteem of all his people. But the Cure of these two Churches engaged him in great Fatigue, not only on account of the Distance between the Places, but because of the Extremity of the Weather, whether hot or cold. Mr. Club contracted so many indispositions by his Labours, as put an end to his Life in 1715. The People were so sensible of the Difficulties he underwent that, after his Death, the Church Wardens of the Parish wrote thus to the Society: 'Mr. Club, our late Minister, was the first that undertook the Cure of Oxford and Radnor, and he paid dear for it; for the great Fatigue of riding between the two Churches, in such dismal ways and weather as we generally have for four Months in the Winter, soon put a period to his life.'

"Both Towns wrote again to the Society, requesting another missionary, the Society wrote a Letter in reply exhorting them to consider on some proper means among themselves for making sufficient allowance for a minister to reside constantly among them. In answer to this they assured the Society, 'they were heartily disposed to do their best; but at present their circumstances would not do great things. They were at present but poor Settlers, who had a newly settled Land backwards in the Wilderness, and had not yet so much as their own Habitations free from Debts; that indeed they had built Churches, in hopes of having ministers from the Society, and had thereby so much incumbered themselves, that it would be some years, in all Probabilities, before they could clear that debt.'

"The Society were desirous this good Disposition of the People should not be disappointed, and in 1717, appointed the Rev. Mr. Wayman their Missionary at Oxford and Radnor . . . . The inhabitants of Oxford purchased a House, Orchard, and sixty-three acres of Land, for the use and Habitation of the Minister; and the People of Radnor have obliged themselves to contribute forty pounds Proclamation money of that Country, yearly, towards the support of a Minister to preach to them in Welsh, their Native Language; because many of them do not understand English . . . ."

The taxable inhabitants of Radnor in 1722, and the assessed value in pounds sterling of real estate held by each, were -

David Harry, 54; Richard Ormes, 20; William Thomas, 30; David Pugh, 20; Sarah Abraham, 24; Hugh David, 8; Arthur Jones, 6; John