OF LAXCASTER COUNTY. io 



thee has been great, and the remembranco of tliee aftects mine heart and 

 mine eye! the God of eternal strength keep and preserve thee, to his 

 glory and thy peace." 



After a passage of seven weeks Penn reached England. 



Charles II died Dec. (3, 1684 (O. S.) and was succeeded by James, duke 

 of York, Avhose accession was greatly dreaded hj the Protestants, Avho 

 apprehended a revival of the persecutions during the reign of Mary. 

 Penn might have taken advantage of these apprehensions to induce more 

 emigrants to settle in Pennsylvania, but he was disinterested and used his 

 influence with the King to grant liberty of conscience to all religionists 

 and more especially to the Quakers. Penn had stood high in the King's 

 favor long before he ascended the throne, for the friendship which James 

 entertained for the father, who had bravely fought under his flag, was 

 enjoyed in a still higher degree by the son, who by that means succeeded 

 in obtaining from the King's Council a favorable decree in his dispute 

 Avith Lord Baltimore.^ 



On the first day of the second month, 1685, the lines of separation 

 between the county of Philadelphia and those of Bucks and Chester, were 

 confirmed by the Council :- 



** The county of Chester was to begin at the mouth, or entrance of 

 Bough Creek, upon Delaware river, being the upper end of Tenecu)n 

 island; and so up that creek, dividing the said island from the land of 

 Andrein Boone and company; from thence along the several courses 

 thereof, to a large creek called Mill-creeh; from thence, along the several 

 courses of the said creek, to a west-south-west line ; which line divides 

 the liberty lands of Philadelphia from several tracts of land, belonging 

 to the Welsh and other inhabitants; and from thence east-north-east, by 

 a line of marked trees one hundred and twenty perches, more or less; 

 from thence north-north-west by Haverford township, one thousand 

 perches, more or less ; from thence east-north-east by the land belonging 

 to John Humphrey, one hundred and ten perches, more or less; from 

 thence north-north-west by the land of John Ecklej^, eight hundred and 

 eighty perches, more or less ; from thence continuing said course to the 

 bounds of Scidkil river; which said Sculkill river afterward to tlie 

 natural bounds." 



The period of Penn's absence from the C(jlony is marked cliiefl}^ hj 

 unhappy dift'erences between the legislature and the executive, and 

 between the members from the territories and those of the province. ^ 

 The more important events and incidents are now presented in chrono- 

 logical order. 



[1685.] Penn had appointed Kicholas Moore from London, a laAvyer 

 and President of the Company of Free Traders and a member of the Assem- 

 ] Ebeliiig-. 2 Col. Rec. I.— 136. 3 Day. 



/ 



