Ridley Township.

erected in pursuance of the order then made by the justice:

"Jan Cornelissen, of Amesland, Complayning to ye Court that his Son Erik is bereft of his naturall Sences & is turned quyt madd, and y^t hee being a poore man is not able to maintaine him.

"Ordered, that three or 4 p^rsons bee hired to build a Little Blockhouse at Amesland for to put in the s^d madman, and att the next Court order will bee taken y^t a small Levy bee Laid for to pay for the building of y^e house and the maintayning of y^e s^d mad man according to Lawes of y^e goverment."¹

The remainder of the township of Ridley lying north of Amosland and extending westward from a line drawn due west from the northwest corner of the farm of J. L. Moore to that of William Worrall's, on Crum Creek, was part of the two thousand two hundred acres surveyed to John Simcock, who, prior to his leaving England, purchased from Penn many thousand acres of land in Pennsylvania. John Simcock was a man of large means, a member of the society of Friends, who "had suffered much on the score of thythes and for bearing a faithful public testimony and going to meetings among his Friends, the Quakers," immigrated to Pennsylvania about the time of Penn's first visit to the province, in 1682. He was a member of Penn's Council, and continued one of the Governor's councilors until Governor Blackwell assumed control of the provincial government, at the beginning of the year 1689. The following year he was appointed one of the judges of the Provincial Court, and in 1691 was again a member of Council. He was elected to the Assembly from Chester County in 1693, again in 1696, and was chosen Speaker of the House in the latter year. In 1697, and again in 1698, he was a member of Council. He also was one of the commissioners appointed to settle the difficulties respecting the boundary lines between Maryland and Pennsylvania, and was deputy president of the Free Society of Traders. John Simcock died on the 7th of the First month (March), 1703, aged seventy-three years.²

The tract of land at Ridley Creek which belonged to Olof Stillé, on May 1, 1674, passed to Domine Laurentius Carolus, or Laurenes Lock, the Swedish minister who came with the seventh expedition from Sweden to the Delaware. His career was such, and he conducted himself with such freedom of behavior in his ministerial office, that the scandal which his deeds occasioned has descended to the present time. In 1649, "Lock was accused of 'bribery' or 'corruption' (details not given), and would have been sent to Sweden 'to defend and clear himself' had he not fallen dangerously sick."³ He is believed to have resided for a time at Tinicum, afterwards at Upland, subsequently within the jurisdiction of the New Castle Court, and after his purchase of the three hundred and fifty acres on Ridley Creek he resided there until his death. "His old age was burdened with many troubles. Finally he became too lame to help himself, . . . until his death, in 1688."⁴ Campanius tells us that his "great infirmity seems to have been an overfondness for intoxicating drink."

⁴ Acrelius' "History of New Sweden," p. 177. For an account of the Rev. Mr. Lock's or Lare's difficulties respecting the elopement of his wife, see ante, p. 10, and for his part in the Long Finn's Insurrection, see ante, p. 158.

As mentioned, the territory now comprising Ridley township was not originally limited to its present boundaries. At the court held at Chester on Fifth month 1, 1684, William Cobb and Mons. Stakett were appointed collectors of the county taxes for "Amos Land and Calcoone Hooke." William Cobb then owned the Swedish's mill on Cobb's Creek, while for "Ridley and in the Woods James Kenela and Randolfe Vernome" were appointed collectors. James Kennerly at that time resided in Springfield, and Randall Vernon in Nether Providence. In 1686 the lines of Ridley township were changed, Calcoon Hook being attached to Darby, and the following year Amosland and Tinicum became part of Ridley. The lower part of Nether Providence remained attached to Ridley until 1753, when, on petition of the residents in that section, that part of the township was attached to Nether Providence.⁵ Tinicum remained a part of Ridley until Aug. 31, 1780, when it was erected into a separate township.⁶ At what date that part of Ridley which extended into Springfield, after the organization of the latter township, was separated from Ridley has not been ascertained.

⁶ Ante, pp. 285, 286.

Bridges. - The early settlers of Philadelphia in journeying from Chester to the "Great Town" crossed Ridley township considerably north of the present highway. William Worrall, who was born in Marple in 1730, and who settled in Ridley when a young man, stated, in 1820, that when he first located in the latter township the old inhabitants pointed out to him the path which William Penn and his followers used when crossing his farm, and in his rotation of plowing found nails which he supposed had belonged to some of the early travelers. The first reference to a bridge in the township occurs at a court held on Third day of first week March, 1685; it was "Ordered that upon y^e returne of y^e Grand Jury Albertus Hendrickson, Supervisor of y^e Highways belong to Chester, doe forthwith Erect a Horse-Bridge in such places y^e Grand Jury have layd it out.

"Ordered y^t upon y^e same returne Bartholomew