148 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1684. 



into the wilderness. They first occupied Merion and Haverford 

 in 1682 with a very few settlers. These townships were rapidly 

 filled up by the constant influx of immigrants from Wales, where 

 the spirit of persecution against the Quakers was raging at this 

 period; and from these townships the Welsh settlements soon 

 spread over Radnor and the chief part of Newtown, and after a 

 time extended over Goshen, Tredyfii'in, and Uwchlan. But three 

 settlements were made in Haverford in 1682 — those of Lewis 

 David, Henry Lewis, and William Hotvell. The number was 

 largely augmented before the close of 1683. 



Nearly all the early immigrants of mature age were Friends 

 from convincement, and many of them had suffered persecution. 

 Under such circumstances it cannot be supposed that their 

 religious meetings were suspended even during their passage, 

 much less after their arrival. But we have no positive evidence 

 that meetings of record were held either by the Friends of 

 Darby or Haverford earlier than 1684.^ 



Although monthly meetings had alternated between Chester 

 and Marcus Hook, First day meetings for worship were not held 

 at the latter place till the early part of 1683. The first appro- 

 priation, by Chester Monthly Meeting, for the support of their 

 own poor, was made this year. No regular burying-place ap- 

 pears to have been established at Chester till 1683, when, 

 after the appointment of sundry committees, and some delay, a 

 suitable piece of ground was fixed upon, which was ordered " to 

 be fenced about as soon as may be." The ground thus se- 

 lected continues to be the burying-place of the Society to the 

 present day. 



No evidence exists of a meeting for worship being held at 

 Providence earlier than the commencement of 1684, and it is 

 not certainly known at what particular place it was held. The 

 earliest quarterly meeting was held at Chester, the 4th of the 

 12th mo. (February) 1684. 



The minutes of both Haverford and Darby Meetings com- 

 mence in 1684 ; the former on the 10th of the 2d mo. (April) 

 and the latter on the 2d of the 5th mo. (July). There is some 

 evidence that the business of a monthly meeting had been trans- 

 acted at Darby a short time prior to the date of the first regular 

 minute. The early meetings of Darby were held at the house 

 of John Blunston, located nearly in front of the present Friends' 

 meeting house in Darby, and near the mill race. 



Three particular meetings were united to form what became, 



' A Committee was appointed in 1683, by the Chester Monthly Meeting, to invite 

 the Friends of Darby Meeting to unite with them in their Monthly Meeting. This they 

 appear to iiave done so far as to contribute to the funds of that meeting on one occa- 

 sion. Some of the earliest Haverford Friends, for a time, were attached to the Phila- 

 delphia Monthly Meeting. 



