108 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1677. 



The first instance on record of the appointment of Guardians 

 for minors was made in this Court, in the case of the chiklren 

 Hendrick Johnson, Dec*", — ''Jan Jansen and morten morten sen," 

 were appointed to bee "ouerzeers and guardians." 



Mr. Justice Hehn presented a petition to the Court "desiering 

 to haue some recompence for haueing served the Riuer often and 

 att sundry tymes as an interpreter w"" the Indians &c. This 

 application the Court determined to refer to Governor Andros, 

 which they did in a letter addressed to him on the same day, 

 wherein they also intreat that his Honor " will be pleased to 

 confirm the order made att the Last Gen'^ Court here about the 

 voolves heads," and that he will prescribe a way & order how 

 the charges of this Court, when they sitt, may bee found, con- 

 ceidering that wee all Liue att a great distance from o'' Court 

 place, and the amercem'^ (by Reason of the small number of ac- 

 tions) amounting to Little ; and that yo"" hon' will bee pleased to 

 Impower us, so that the old debts of the Court together w''' 

 the debts sence yo"" hon''^ government may also be sattisfyed by 

 the same way w'^'' yo"" hono"" shall prescrybe."^ 



The Court was held at the house of Neeles Laerson, who also 

 entertained the justices. The account made out by the Court 

 of the public indebtedness to Laerson for "the Charges of 

 Keepeing of Court and Justices dyet there," establishes the fact 

 that the former Court, of which the Records have not been dis- 

 covered, was held at the same place. Laerson probably kept a 

 public house. His charge for entertaining the Court during its 

 present sitting, which appears to have lasted but one day, was 

 100 Gilders.2 



The next Court at Upland was held on the 13th of March, 



year, to deliver these Records to the present Clerk, which, he being sent for, promised 

 to do ; but dying shortly afterwards, it is not probable that these records were ever 

 placed in the custody of the Court. See New Castle Court Rec. Book A. pp. 95-244; 

 also Haz. Reg. iv. 73. 



1 Record of Upland Court, 46. 



2 The Gilder or Guilder, as used in commercial and other transactions on the Dela- 

 ware about this period, has by some writers been estimated at about 40 cents of our 

 money, the usual value of the Dutch coin of that name. This is a serious mistake, 

 and must lead the reader to very incorrect conclusions in respect to the pecuniary con- 

 dition of the early settlers on the river. The value of the Gilder during the Duke of 

 York's government, was 6 pence, currency. This fact is established by the judgment 

 of the Upland Court in the case of Thomas Kerby ?•«. Gilbert Wheeler, wherein " the 

 Def is allotted and ordered to pay" for 70 days work, at 50 styvers per day, " y* sume 

 offower pounds, seven shillings and si.x pence." See Rec. Upland Court, 154. See 



also p. 164, where £5 is made equal to 200 Gilders Samuel Smith, in his History of 



New Jersey, published in 1721, says : " Eight white wampum, or four black, passed at 

 this time, [1673] as a stiver ; twenty made what they called a Guilder, which was about 

 sixpence present currency, (p. 76). Proud, in his History of Pennsylvania, 1. p. 134, 

 in a note, says: "Six beads [of wampum] were formerly valued at a stiver ; twenty 

 stivers made what they called a Guilder; which was about six pence currency, or four 

 pence sterling." In large transactions, what is called a Dutch guilder was valued at 

 two shillings, ten being taken as equivalent to a pound. See the Record of the trial 

 for the recovery of Tinicum Island. (Chester Rec. West Chester, 1683.) 



