S3 . HISTORY OF 



unpleasant altercation between the proprietary and the 

 colonists. Certain laws which he proposed for regulat- 

 ing these affairs, were rejected by the assembly. His 

 exertions, in recommending a liberal system to his own 

 sect, were attended with better success, and the final 

 abolition of slavery, in Pennsylvania, was ultimately 

 owing to these powerful influences."* 



The proprietary, previous to his departiue for Eng- 

 land, had divided the lower part of Pensylvania, into 

 three counties, viz: Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester, and 

 cast the counties into townships, for large lot s^ of land\\ 

 but, as appears from the Colonial Records, did not so 

 clearly define and precisely fix upon the boundaries of 

 the counties, as to prevent, among peaceable quakers 

 themselves, subsequent misunderstandings. 



The boundaries of Chester county, especially its en- 

 largement, had been made the subject of more than a 

 mere transient conversation. Penn, in a discourse, a few 

 days before he left the province, did declare "upon the 

 bank (Delaware) by John Simcock's house,t to John 



•Frost's U. S. 139, 140. 



fit appears to have been part of the plan of William Penn 

 to have laid out the province into townships of 5,000 or 10,000 

 acres, and to have surveys made within the respective bounda- 

 ries of such townships ; and that purchasers of large tracts 

 might lie together; he accordingly introduced this clause into 

 his warrant. " According to the method of townships ap- 

 pointed by mc." This plan was not long pursued— •Smii/j's 

 Laws, II. 140. 



JJohn Simock lived in Chester county. He was a man of 

 good education; was one of the proprietor's first commis- 

 sioners of property, and one of his most trusty friends in the 

 government. He was a Quaker preacher.— He died January 

 27, 1702. 



