146 HISTORY OF DELA^A^ARE COUNTY. [1683. 



the trial, in accordance with which the jury rendered their ver- 

 dict in favor of the phiintiif, with costs and forty shillings dama- 

 ges ; "the PItflF: paying to the Deft. Thirty seven pounds & Tenne 

 shillings," * * * " also delivering the -B/ot- A' Ao if S(^' & timbers in 

 the same agreement mentioned." 



The practice of acknowledging deeds in open Court, under 

 Penn's government, commenced with this Court. 



At the following Court, " held on the 17'" of the 8^^ month, 

 called October," 1683, the inhabitants of Providence made their 

 application to the Court for a highway, leading to the town of 

 Chester. It was accordingly ordered by the Court " that the 

 Grand Jury doe meete on the 22d instant at Thomas Nossiters, 

 there to consider the premises." This is the first time that the 

 name of Providence has appeared as a division of Chester County. 

 The Grand Jury " was empannelled to look out a convenient 

 highway from Providence to Chester," but their report is not 

 recorded. The name of Robert Eyre appears now for the first 

 time as Clerk of the Court, in the place of Thomas Revel ; and 

 at the following Court, held on the 14th of December, Thomas 

 Withers supplies the place of Thomas Usher as Sheriff. In a 

 case before this Court, in which the plaintiff suffered a non suit, 

 the matter was referred by the Court to the "peace makers." 



From the circumstance, that several of Penn's letters, written 

 during the winter of 1683, were dated at Chester, it is believed 

 that he resided at that place nearly up to the 10th of March, 

 when his first Council was assembled at Philadelphia. The mem- 

 bers of the Council being now reduced to three from each county, 

 those from Chester were, John Simcock, Ralph Withers and 

 William Clayton. The second Assembly was convened at Phi- 

 ladelphia two days afterwards, and continued its session twenty- 

 two days. 



But little was done at this session specially relating to Chester 

 County, except the establishment of a seal, the design of which 

 was a jiloiv. The first charter, which it was found impossible to 

 conform with, in respect to the number of representatives, was, 

 in an amended form, accepted from the Governor, " with the 

 hearty thanks of the whole House." 



This year the noted " Chester Mills" were erected on Chester 

 Creek, a little above the site of the present manufacturing village 

 of Upland. Richard Townsend, who came over with Wm. Penn, 

 in a letter written in 1727, says, " After some time I set up a 

 mill on Chester Creek, which I brought ready framed from 

 London; which served for grinding corn and sawing of boards; 

 and was of great use to us." From this it might be inferred 



1 It is not certainly known where this lilovk-honse stood, but it is probable that it 

 occupied the same position as the old fort, Gottenburg. 



