164 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1687. 



The Court, from time to time, has transacted business proper 

 for an Orphans' Court, but the first Court under that name was 

 held "att Chester on the 3^'^ day, in the 1'' weeke, of the 8"^ 

 month [October] 1687." 



John Bristow was this year elected to the Provincial Council 

 from Chester County, in the room of Francis Harrison. The 

 ExecutiA^e power of the provincial government was now vested 

 in five Commissioners of State, any three of whom could act as 

 deputy or Lieutenant Governor. The first to act in this capa- 

 city were Thomas Lloyd, Robert Turner, Arthur Cook, John 

 Simcock and John Eckley.^ 



A history of Delaware County would be incomplete without 

 some account of what, in ancient times, was familiarly known as 

 " The Welsh Tract." This intended Barony had its origin in 

 the desire of the Welsh purchasers of Pennsylvania lands to be 

 seated together, and in a promise exacted from Penn before 

 leaving Wales, that this desire should be gratified. The survey 

 of the Welsh Tract was authorized by the following Warrant 

 from the Proprietary : 



" Whereas divers considerable persons among y^ Welsh Friends 

 have requested me y' all y*" Lands Purchased of me by those of 

 North Wales and South Wales, together with y" adjacent coun- 

 ties to y"", as Haverfordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, about 

 fourty thousand acres, may be lay** out contiguously as one 

 Barony^ alledging y' y^ number allready come and suddenly to 

 come, are such as will be capable of planting y^ same much w"'in 

 y^ proportion allowed by y^ custom of y*^ country, & so not lye 

 in large and useless vacancies. And because I am inclined and 

 determined to agree and favour y™ w**" any reasonable Conve- 

 niency k priviledge : I do hereby charge thee & strictly require 

 thee, to lay out y*" s*^ tract of Land in as uniform a manner, as 

 conveniently may be, upon y'' West side of Skoolkill river, run- 

 ning three miles upon j^ same, & two miles backward, & then 

 extend y'' parallell w*** y*^ river six miles and to run westwardly 

 so far as till y^ s'' quantity of land be Compleately surveyed 

 unto y".— Given at Pennsbury, y*^ 13*'> V mo. 1684."^ 



Will: Penn." 



"To Tho: Holmes, Surveyor-General." 



In pursuance of this Warrant, the Surveyor-General, on the 

 4th of the 2d month (April), 1684, issued an order to his 

 deputy, David Powell, and after reciting it he directs him " to 

 survey and sett out unto the said purchasers the said quantity 



1 It appears that Nicholas Moore and James Claypool were at first appointed two 

 of these Commissioners. See Janney's Life of Penn, 277 ; Proud, i. 377. They never 

 acted. 



^ Surveyor-General's oflBce, Harrisburg. 



