OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 41 



Byllinge being pecuniarily involved, conveyed his interest in the 

 province to "William Penn, Gawen Lawrie and Nicholas Lucas, in trust, 

 for his creditors. The trustees sold })roprietary rights to several other 

 persons and having made with sir George Carteret, a division of the 

 province, proceeded to frame a constitution for their moiety under the 

 title "concessions and agreements of the proprietors and free-holders of 

 West Jersc}-, in America." ^ 



"In June, 1677, Thomas Olive, Daniel Wills, John Kinsey, John Pen- 

 ford, Joseph Ilelmsley, Eobert Stacey, Benjamin Scott, Thomas Foulke, 

 and Eichard Guy, commissioners, appointed by the proprietaries to su- 

 perintend their interests in the province, arrived at New Castle, with two 

 hundred and thirty settlers, principally Quakers,. Having explored the 

 country for many miles along the shores of the Delaware, they made 

 allotments of land among the adventurers at several miles distance from 

 each other.^ But fear of the natives finally induced the emigrants to 

 settle together, in and about a town plot, laid out by the commissioners, 

 first called Beverly, then Budlington, and afterwards Burlington. - In 

 the same year two ships arrived, bearing many families of great respec- 

 tability. The quiet of the colonists was undisturbed, except by the duty 

 again levied upon their commerce at the Hoarkills, by the New York 

 government. This was vexatious as a tax, and insulting to the sover- 

 eignty of the proprietaries, who remonstrated for some time in vain 

 Avith the agents of the Duke of York ; but finally, after an investigation, 

 by commissioners appointed for the purpose, the duty was repealed. 



"Dispensing with their executive of commissioners, the proprietaries 

 appointed Edward Byllinge governor, who, soon after his arrival in the 

 province, commissioned Samuel Jennings as his deputy. In November, 

 1681, Jennings called the first assembly, and, in conjunction with them, 

 adopted certain articles, defining and circumscribing the power of the 

 governor, and enacted such laws as the wants of the colony required." 



Sir George Carteret, the proprietor of East Jersey, died in 1679, having 

 in his last will ordered the sale of that country to pay his debts. His 

 heirs sold it, by indenture of lease and release, bearing date February 1 

 and 2, 1681-82, to William Penn and eleven other persons. These twelve 

 proprietors added twelve more to their number, and to these the Duke 

 of York made a fresh grant of East Jersey under date March 11, 1682. 



William Penn, as one of the trustees of Byllinge, became thus inti- 

 mately connected with the colonization of West Jersey, and subsequently 

 as a purchaser with that of East Jersey. Under these circumstances he 

 became familiar Avith the afltairs of the new world and conceived the 

 design of founding a commonwealth on principles of perfect equality, 

 and of universal toleration of religious faith on the west side of the Dela- 



1 Gordon. -By tlie Indians, Chygocs island, from a chief w])0 d^velt upon it. 



