114 



HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 



[1677. 



The extreme slowness with which the population on the river 

 increased, is a very remarkable circumstance. An approxima- 

 tion to the whole number of inhabitants in the Upland District 

 may be arrived at from the data furnished by this list of 

 taxables. The male population between the ages of 16 and 60 

 years, by including the Justices of the Court, a few soldiers 

 and paupers, would probably reach 150. By making the number 

 of females between those ages equal to the males, the whole 

 number of inhabitants between 16 and 60 years of age would be 

 300. An estimate made by a comparison with census returns, 

 would make the balance of the population about the same, and 

 the whole population of Upland County 600. Only about two- 

 fifths, or 240 of whom resided within the district now forming 

 the County of Delaware.' 



The Justices becoming tired of holding Court in a public house, 

 " Capt" Hans Jergen is ordered & desiered by the Court to 

 warne his men belonging to his Company, and w"' them to fitt 

 up and finish ye house of defence att upland fitt for the Court to 

 sitt in, against ye next Court." The site of this first Court- 

 house, is designated on the map of "the Early Settlements."^ 



' About this time a list of Tydables was made out in New Castle County, numbering 

 307, which, on the plan adopted for estimating the whole number of inhabitants, 

 would make the population of New Castle County 1248. Forty-three of the New 

 Castle tydables resided on the "Eastern Shore." The tax was only 12 gilders 10 

 stivers on each tydable ; the greatest part of the amount raised being to liquidate a 

 debt of 2,200 gilders incurred i'or 55 wolves' heads. 



^ See Rec. Upland Court, 74, also (note) p. 202, where the location of this " House 

 of defence" is fixed "on the east side of, and at an angle to the present Front street, 



