OF LANCASTER COUXTY. 



119 



CHAPTER IV. 



FROM THE ORGANIZATION OF LANCASTER COUNTY TO THE TER- 

 MINATION OF THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. 



Opinion was divided respecting the most suitable place for a Court 

 House. Wright's Ferry, the residence of the first Sheriff of the county, 

 was strongly recommended, and the Sheriff felt so confident that the 

 Ferrj would be selected as the site "that he had a strong wooden build- 

 ing put up near his residence, which was intended for the county Goal. 

 It is only a few years since this building was pulled down."^ [1729,] 



The house of John Postlewhait, in the townshp of Conestogoe, now the 

 residence of Jacob Fehl, Esq., being an old settlement, the original site 

 of an Indian wigwam and close to the Indian town of Conestogoe, was 

 selected for the purpose, and a temporary Court House and Goal, built 

 of logs, were erected there. 



The following extracts from the Sessions and Road Docket of the Court 

 of Quarter Sessions exhibit the state of things at that period. 



At a Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held at the 

 house of John Postlewhait, in the township of Conestogoe, for the county 

 of Lancaster, the fifth day of August in the third year of the reign of our 

 Sovereign Lord George the Second, by the grace of God of Great Britain, 

 France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Before John 

 Wright, Tobias Hendricks, Andrew Cornish, Thomas Read and Samuel 

 Jones, Esquires, Justices of our said Lord the King, the Peace of our 

 same Lord the King in the county aforesaid to keep, as also divers felo- 

 nies, trespasses and other misdemeanors, in the said county committed 

 to hear and determine assigned, etc. 



The Court being opened, the Sheriff, to wit, Robert Barber, Esq. returns 

 the Writ of Venire Facias to him directed, with the panel thereunto 

 annexed, and the following persons were sworn and afiirmed on the 

 Grand Inquest, viz: 



James Mitchell, 

 George Stewart, 

 Edward Smout, 

 Edmond Cartlidge, 

 James Pattison, 

 Andrew Gailbraith, 

 Thomas Baldwyn, 



t Sworn. 



John Hendricks, 

 James Hendricks, 

 Francis Jones, 



Samuel Tavlor, 



1 



}- Affirmed. 



I 

 J 



1 Rev. D. Goheen. 



