166 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1688. 



Strange at this day to hold a religious meeting at a public house, 

 but at that time and under the circumstances there was a real 

 necessity for it. A number of the persons who attended this 

 meeting resided at the distance of ten miles. Entertainment 

 for themselves and horses was necessary, but from their numbers, 

 to receive it without compensation, would have been oppressive. 



The settlements about Darby increased very rapidly, and the 

 settlers being all Quakers, it became inconvenient to hold their 

 meetings any longer at a private house. This year John Blun- 

 ston, at whose house the meetings had been held, acknowledged 

 a deed in open Court " for one acre of land in the township of 

 Darby, to build a meeting-house thereon, to the use of the said 

 township for ever, to exercise the true worship of God therein." 

 The meeting-house was erected during the following year (1688). 

 Its site was doubtless on the hill within the grounds now occu- 

 pied as a graveyard. The minutes are silent as to the character 

 of the structure, except one, which records an agreement to 

 have it "lined within." It was doubtless built of logs. The 

 first marriage accomplished within it, was that of John Mar- 

 shall to Sarah Smith, in February, 1689. Though built in 

 1688, it was not finished till the next year. At a monthly 

 meeting held in October, 1689, it was " ordered that all be- 

 longing to y^ meeting, shall come every one a day, to worke at 

 y^ meeting house, and that four come a day till all the work be 

 done." 



In 1687 it was agreed by the Chester Monthly Meeting, 

 " that Bartholmew Coppock, James Kennerly, Randal Vernon, 

 and Caleb Pusey, do agree and contract with such Avorkmen or 

 men, as they shall think fit, to build a meeting house at Chester 

 24 foot square and 10 foot high in the walls." 



On the first of March, 1688, Urin Keen conveyed, in trust, 

 to John Simcox, Thomas Brasey, John Bristow, Caleb Pusey, 

 Randal Vernon, Thomas Vernon, Joshua Hastings, Mordecai 

 Maddock, Thomas Martin, Richard Few, Walter Fauset, and 

 Edward Carter, a lot in Chester, " beginning at said Urin's lot 

 or Garding, and so running, 60 foot along and fronting the 

 street towards the prison house, thence down the lower edge in 

 Chester Creek — thence along the creek 60 foot — thence to the 

 place of beginning ****** to the use and behoof of the 

 said Chester — the people of God called Quakers & their suc- 

 cessors forever." It might be inferred that a new meeting- 

 house was built about this time, and upon the lot of ground thus 

 conveyed. It will be seen, however, as we proceed, that the 

 erection of the meeting-house was postponed for some time. 



The evil resulting from the use of intoxicating drinks, being 

 most striking among the Indians^ the sale of it to them first 



