LANCASTBR COUNTY. 67 



SECOND PART 



FROM THE EARLIEST SETTLEMENTS MADE WITHIX 



THE PRESENT LIMITS OP THE COUNTY TO ITS 



ORGANIZATION IN THE YEAR 1729. 



CHAPTER I. 



Preliminary remarks — Unsettled state of affairs in Europe — Consequent 

 emigration of Swiss, Germans, French and others, into America — Into 

 Pennsylvania — Swiss Mennonites settle in Pequea Valley — Purchase ten 

 thousand acres of land — Make improvements — Others purchase lands — 

 The Mennonites call a meeting to send a person to Europe for the residue 

 of their families — Kendig goes and returns with a number of familiea^ 

 Settlements augmented — Governor Gookin's journey to Conestogo. 



The unsettled state of affairs in Eiurope subjected 

 many of the Germans, French, Swiss and others, to sore 

 persecutions because they could not change their reli-^ 

 gious opinions so as to coincide mvariably with those of 

 the ruling Prince. The religious complexion of the 

 coimtry was frequently determined or influenced by the 

 character of the rulers — as they changed, it was changed^ 

 either by force, or by inducements to ''hold it with 

 the populace.''^ To these changes it was impossible for 

 the Germans, the Swiss, the French, to conform* 



