32 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1643. 



was probably greater than the whole previous population of the 

 river. He brought with him his wife and one daughter and 

 probably other members of his family, a lieutenant-governor and 

 secretary, a chaplain and surgeon, (barber,) besides twenty- four 

 regular soldiers with officers sufficient for a much larger force. 

 These, with an ample supply of military stores and provisions for 

 the garrison, and a large stock of goods suitable for Indian traffic, 

 which is known to have constituted part of the freight of the 

 two vessels, would leave but little space for actual settlers, their 

 household goods and implements of husbandry. Still a consider- 

 able number of settlers accompanied the expedition, Avho doubt- 

 less fixed their places of abode within a convenient distance of 

 the newly erected forts. It was the first successful colony planted 

 within the limits of Pennsylvania. 



We are told by Campanius,^ that " on this island [Tinicum] 

 the principal inhabitants had their dwellings and plantations." 

 From the limited extent of the island this could not have con- 

 tinued long in respect to the plantations. In 1645, when 

 Andreas Hudde, the Dutch commissary on the Delaware, made 

 his examination of the river preparatory to making his report 

 to the government, there were on the same side of the river with 

 Fort Christina, and about two [Dutch] miles higher up, " some 

 plantations," which, in the language of the report, "are con- 

 tinued nearly a mile ; but few houses only are built, and these 

 at considerable distances from each other. The farthest of these 

 is not far from Tinnekonk. * * * Farther on, at the same 

 side, till you come to the Schuylkill, being about two miles, 

 there is not a single plantation, neither at Tinnekonk, because 

 near the river nothing is to be met but underwood and valley 

 lands. "^ 



This report, from such a close and accurate observer as Hudde, 

 renders it certain that the immigrants who accompanied Printz, 

 as they spread themselves from Tinicum, at first for a time, con- 

 tinued within the bounds of what is now Delaware County. The 

 points on the river where no marsh or flats intervene between 

 the water and the shore, were doubtless the locations first occu- 

 pied by these settlers. Chester, Marcus Hook, and one or two 

 points above and below, may therefore claim a priority of set- 

 tlement to any part of the county of Philadelphia, and after 

 Tinicum, of any part of the Commonwealtli. 



It is not easy, at this time, to arrive at any satisfactory con- 

 clusion in respect to the social and domestic condition of the 

 settlers on the Delaware at the time of the arrival of Governor 

 Printz, and for a short time afterwards. The Swedes were of 

 three classes: "The company's servants, who were employed by 



I Hist. New Sweden, 79. -' N. Y. Hist. Col. N. S. i. 429. 



