92 THK SYCAMORE MILL. 



interesting to the local historians for the additional reason that 

 one of the buildings on the property was for many years the 

 home of the Union Library, one of the oldest libraries in 

 Delaware County. 



The title of the Sycamore Mill property has passed through 

 many hands, and is a somewhat complicated one. Hence, 

 before going into the historical details connected with the mill 

 and its surroundings, it may be well to set forth concisely the 

 chain of title of the property from William Penn down. No 

 more reliable account of this matter can be found than that 

 given in Minshall Painter's " Reminiscences," published in 

 1870, from which the following abstract is made : 



"William Penn, proprietor of Pennsylvania, under his 

 commissioners, Samuel Carpenter, Robert Turner and John 

 Goodson, did grant, on the 24th of June, 1690, to James 

 Swaffer five hundred acres of land situated in Providence, 

 Chester County ; and the said James Swaffer by two several 

 deeds, dated 13th of September, 1693, and iith of December, 

 1695, did grant the said five hundred acres to Jeremiah 

 Collett : and Jeremiah Collett, by indenture dated iith of 

 June, 1696, did grant the same five hundred acres to Josiah 

 Taylor; and Josiah Taylor, by deed 14th of June, 1696, did 

 grant the said five hiintlred acres to John Edge : and John 

 Edge iiKule his will, idIIi of 5th nu)., 1711, by which he gave 

 to his son. Jc^hn, three hundred acres of lantl, to be taken off 

 the upper part of said five hundred acres, and gave to his son, 

 Jacob, the residue of his lands: John l^dge, the son, pur- 

 chased of Philip Yaruall a small piece of land on the west side 

 of Ridley Creek, in Edgmont, to secure a right for a mill pond, 

 and which was ever after conveyed with the mill property. 



"The said John P^dge and Jacob Edge and Henry Miller 

 by mutual agreement erected a water corn mill on a part of the 

 above mentioned land of John J{dge, who allotted for that 

 puryiose about twent>' acres in addition to thai purchased of 



