1680.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 123 



Chester this yeur. This event was celebrated by his father, 

 Richard Buffington, in the year 1739, on the anniversary of his 

 85th birth-day, by assembling all his descendants, who numbered 

 115, at his house in Chester; the first born, Richard, in the 00th 

 year of his age, being among the number.^ 



On the 15th of December, Richard Noble was commissioned 

 Surveyor of Upland in the place of Walter Wharton, deceased, 

 who had hold the office for both New Castle and Upland counties. 



On the 28th of May, 1080, Governor Andros issued a new 

 commission to "M' Otto Ernest Coch, M' Israel Helm, Mr Henry 

 Jones, Mr Lawsa Cock, and M'' George Brown to bee Justices of 

 y" Peace in y" Jurisdiction of Upland Court or County, in Delo- 

 war River k dependencies." It will be perceived that the num- 

 ber of Justices is reduced from six to five — that two Englishmen 

 have been substituted in the place of two Swedes, and that of 

 the old bench only two Justices have been retained. Though it 

 is not known that any jealousy existed b^ween the Swedes and 

 English, the number of Englishmen who had settled on the AVest 

 side of the river, made it necessary that they should be repre- 

 sented on the bench. As nearly as can be ascertained, the places 

 of residence of the Justices were as follows: — Israel Helm, at Up- 

 land ; Otto Ernest Coch, at Tinicum ; Henry Jones, at or near 

 Wicaco; Lawrence Cock, at Moyamensing, and George Brown, 

 nearly opposite to Trenton. As the Duke of York, about this 

 time, upon the judgment of Sir William Jones, yielded his rights 

 to the government of West Jersey, the jurisdiction of the new 

 Justices did not extend to the East side of the river. They held 

 their first Court at Upland on the 8th of June, and among other 

 things ordered a poll tax of one scipple of wheat, or 5 gilders to 

 be levied, "for defraying y^ charges of this Court's sitting," to 

 be brought unto Justice Otto Ernest, att Tinnagcong Island**. "'- 



The Justices also assumed the authority of removing the seat 

 of justice from Upland. They say "that in regard that Upland 

 creeke where ye Court hitherto has sate, is att y* lower end of 

 y® County, The Court therefore for y" most Ease of y" people, 

 have thought fitt for y" future to sitt and meet att y'' towne of 

 Kingsesse in y" Schuylkills."^ It does not appear that this first 

 removal of our seat of justice met with any serious opposition 

 from the inhabitants of Upland or its vicinity. 



The first Court was held at the new seat of justice, on the 13th 



1 Watson's Ann. i. 512. 2 Rec. Upland Court, 170. 



3 The " Townc of Kingsesse" was located below the Philadelphia, AVilmington and 

 Baltimore Railroad, and East of the Island road, in the late township of Kingsessing. 

 The immediate vicinity of the Swedes mill has been assigned as the location of this 

 towne. but this was not situated •' in y<= Schuylkills." A comparison of Holme's map 

 with p. 174 of the Upland Court Record, and also with Jonas Ncelson's Will, (Reg. 

 Office, Phila., Book A. No. 94) will be satisfactory as respects the location of this 

 "towne." 



