LANCASTER COUNTY. 185 



CHAPTER V. 



Donegal township organized — First settlers — Harris's attempt to settle at 

 Conoy — Settles at Paxton — Settlement commenced by Barber, Wright 

 and Blunston — Settlements back from the river — Reamstown settlement 

 — Welsh settlement— Webei's Thai settled — Settlement at Saeue 

 Schwamm, or New Holland — Germans misrepresented — Committee 

 appointed to inquire into the facts ; makes report — Thomas Wright killed 

 by the Indians — Inhabitants of the upper part of Chester county 

 alarmed — Governor Gordon goes to Conestoga and holds a treaty -nith 

 the Indians — Returns to Philadelphia — Note ; Iron Works. 



As the population of the county increased, it was found 

 necessary to organize new townships. Donegal was 

 organized in the year 1722, and David Jones appointed 

 constable. The first settlers of Donegal were principally 

 Irish emigrants; they were the Semples, Pattersons, 

 Mitchells, Hendrickses, Speers, Galbraiths, Andersons, 

 Scotts, Lowreys, Pedans, Porters, Sterrits, Kerrs, Works, 

 Litles, Whitehills, Campbells, and others. James 

 Mitchell and James Hendricks, were justices of the 

 peace. Many of the lineal descendants, of the first 

 settlers, are still the owners of their ancestor's first 

 possessions. 



Jolm Harris, a native of Yorkshire, who commenced, 

 afterwards, a settlement at Paxton, first made an attempt 

 to settle near the mouth of Conoy creek, not far from the 

 present site of Bainbridge. Harris did not think this a 

 propitious spot ; for, it appears, this place was fre- 

 quented by more northern Indians, on their southern 

 excursions, which excited considerable alarm.* Go- 

 vernor Spottswood, of Virginia, in a letter to the 

 Governor of Pennsylvania, says: "A nnmber of Penn- 



*Col. Rec. III. 58—90. 



16* 



