Thornbury Township.

chase of the lot is evidence that it was the desire of the trustees to have a place where their children might receive educational advantages. From the recollection of the oldest residents in the neighborhood a stone school-house was on the site; the first was burned in 1810, and rebuilt. The lot was transferred to the school directors in 1837, and was used until the second building was destroyed by fire, in December, 1842. On this occasion the fire originated from hot ashes having been put in a barrel standing in a shed adjoining the house. A third stone house was built on the site, and used until 1872, when it was removed, and the present brick building erected. The ancient spring, mentioned in the deed of 1715, was in use by the pupils until 1880, when other water-supply was obtained much nearer to the school-house.

On Sept. 12, 1839, the school directors purchased a lot of land of Joseph Baker and Reuben Yarnell, on which a stone school-house was built. It was used until 1863, but its inconvenient location was such that the present lot, half a mile to the north, was purchased, and the present brick house, known as the Eastern District school-house, erected.

In the present Central District of Thornbury the first school-house was built about 1820. It was located near the present residence of William Pennell. The real estate belonged to Nathan Hunt, who built a small frame building, in which he taught school. On the 27th of August, 1840, the school directors, purchased eighty square perches of land of William Pennell, and the same year purchased two other lots, adjoining one of which was the old Nathan Hunt lot. At this place the directors built a stone house, which was used until the present brick house was erected on the same lot in 1863.

On March 18, 1825, at the election held in that year, Joseph James, Eli D. Pierce, and Thomas S. Brinton were returned as school trustees. After the enactment of the pub:ic school law of 1834, Hill Brinton and Dr. John T. Huddleson were appointed by court inspectors of the school in Thornbury until directors were elected. The township, however, did not accept the public school law until 1836. In that year $141.86, the State and county appropriation, was set apart to Thornbury, but was never paid to the township.

The following is a list of the school directors of Thornbury, as appears from the records at Media:

1840, Joseph Baker, Harlan Clayton; 1842, Thomas Hemphill, Alexander Russell; 1843, Henry W. Brinton, Charles Baldwin, David R. Cheyney; 1844, Curtis Cheyney, Eli Pyle; 1845, John C. Caldwell, Robert B. Roberts; 1846, Joseph Pennell, Reuben H. Smith; 1847, John T. Huddleson, John D. Peirce; 1848. Samuel Palmer, Joseph Baker; 1849, Reuben H. Smith, Eli Pyle; 1850, John Eldridge, Joseph R. Cheyney; 1851, Joseph E. Brinton, David R. Cheyney; 1852, John Eldridge, William H. Cheyney; 1853, Eli Baker, Samuel Palmer; 1854, George Thomas, Eli Baker; 1855, John Eldridge, Caleb J. Hoopes; 1856, James Myers, Bernard Pyle; 1857, David Cheyney, George Thomas; 1858, John D. Reece, Joseph Newlin; 1859, Samuel Palmer, Isaac Malin; 1860, Isaac C. Malin, Eli Baker; 1861, James Newlin, John D. Peirce; 1862, Samuel C. Ogden, Samuel G. Eachus; 1863, Thomas I. Baker, Charles H. Cheyney; 1864, Samuel G. Eachus, Isaac Bunting; 1865, Thomas N. Hemphill, Charles Pyle; 1866, J. M. Hickman, A. P. Temple; 1867, Samuel G. Eachus, James R. Cheyney; 1868, J. M. Baker, Garrett Thatcher; 1869, Charles H. Cheyney, Bennett Temple; 1870, Joseph R. Cheyney, Samuel G. Eachus; 1871, John Bennington, George Thatcher; 1872, Charles H. Cheyney, Bennett Temple; 1873, Walter Pyle, Daniel Broomall; 1874, Joseph Hunt, Charles H. Baldwin; 1875, C. H. Cheyney, Bennett Temple; 1876, Walter Pyle, David Jeffries; 1877, Charles H. Baldwin, T. Elwood Pyle; 1878, Charles H. Cheyney, Joseph Pratt; 1879, Walter Pyle, David Jeffries; 1880, T. Elwood Pyle, Dr. J. H. Horner; 1881, Charles H. Cheyney, Mrs. S. F. James; 1882, Walter Pyle, Bennett Temple; 1883, Joseph H. Horner, John Brinton, Jr.; 1884, Charles H. Cheyney, Joseph Pratt.

Westtown and Thornbury School District. - The residents in the northwestern section of Thornbury, with those of the southeastern part of Westtown, Chester Co., uniting in a petition to the Legislature for the creation of a school district which should include territory lying in the counties of Delaware and Chester, obtained the passage of the act of May 1, 1852, which provided that all lands "lying east of the western lines of the farms now held by Edward Shimer and John Entriken, and the farms and lands now in the occupancy and possession of Benjamin Hickman, Joseph G. Gibbons, Alexander Stephens, Evan E. Green, Joseph Cheyney, and Jesse Russell, situate in the township of Thornbury," and that part of the township of Westtown, in the County of Chester, lying east of the western line of the west school farm, were erected into a separate and independent school district. The school-house in this district is located in Westtown township, Chester Co.

Union School District. - In the winter of 1861 the residents of the northwestern section of Thornbury, lying east of Westtown and Thornbury school district, together with residents of Edgmont, in Delaware County, and Westtown and Willistown, Chester County, petitioned the Legislature for the erection of an independent and separate school district. On April 1, 1861, the act of Assembly was approved, erecting within certain designated boundaries, extending to the Ashbridge road in Edgmont, the "Union School District of Chester and Delaware Counties." The territory so included was enlarged by act of Assembly of April 9, 1873, by which the farm lands of Eber Eachus, Edward Baker, and Joseph R. Menagh, in Edgmont, were attached to the Union school district. The first directors, consisting of Charles Baldwin, Homer Eachus, Abraham W. Bailey, Edwin Hoopes, Ellwood Smedley, and Charles Tanger, were appointed by court on April 19, 1861, to act until others were elected.

Sarum Forge. - The exact date of the erection of a forge on Chester Creek, at the present Glen Mills, by John Taylor, has not been ascertained. Early in 1750, Parliament enacted a law "to encourage the importation of pig- and bar-iron from his Majesty's Colonies in America, and to prevent the erection of any mill or other engine for slitting or rolling of iron, or any plating forge to work with a tilt-hammer, or any