1689.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. • 175 



John Simeock was re-elected to Council from Chester County, 

 and the njune of George Foreman appears as Sheriff. William 

 and Mary were proclaimed King and Queen in 1689. 



Probably nine-tenths of the population of the County were, at 

 this time, members of the Society of Friends, and their plan of 

 accomplishing marriages had become so common, that it came 

 to be looked upon with favor by persons not in membership, who 

 indeed, sometimes asked and obtained permission to be joined in 

 marriage in that way. Chester Monthly Meetings had permitted 

 a marriage where one of the parties to it, "owned himself to 

 be none of us, yet was willing to submit to the order of Friends." 

 In Ilaverford Meeting, marriages of persons not members appear 

 to have been allowed, as a matter of course,' but in Chichester 

 and Concord it appears from the following extract from the 

 minutes of their meeting, that such parties were subjected to 

 rather an embarrassing examination previous to permission being 

 granted to proceed. 



It was proposed by friends to the young man and woman : " 1'' 

 AVhether he did believe that was the truth which we professed, and 

 walked in according to our measure — further showing that if we 

 did not walk in the truth according to our measure given to us, 

 we were but a community of men and women and not a Church 

 of Christ — and then marriage would be as well by the law of 

 the Province as among us ; and your coming to us to propose 

 your intentions of marriage and desiring our consent is as we 

 are a church, which we cannot be without we walk in truth — 

 Therefore whether thou dost believe that is the truth we profess, 

 to walk in ? His answer Avas yes he did believe it. Also the 

 young woman was asked the same. Her answer was, I do be- 

 lieve it." 



" 2""* Whether you do believe that this way of marriage among 

 friends is according to the order of Truth ?" 



' The following is a copy of the certificate of such a marriage in Havcrford meeting : 



" Ilaverford the 17"> day of the ninth 

 month in the year 1CS7." 

 " This is to certify all whom it may concern, that the day and year above written, 

 Daniel Thomas late of Ilaverford aforesaid, together with Elenor Vaughan of the 

 same, came to the meeting of God called Quakers, where they solemnly declared that 

 then and there they took each otiicr as man and woman, mutually promising faithful- 

 ness to each other in their respective stations, and so to continue untill death them part. 

 Having formerly made known their intentions to their neighbors and at several of o"' 

 meetings, and further desire o'' certificate, who being present accordingly subscribe o'' 

 names." 



" Lewis David EUinor Lawrence Daniel Thomas 



James Thomas Sarah Rhydrth Ellinor Thomas" 



David Lawrence Given Thomas 



Morris Llewelin ffrancis Price 



John Richard Sarah David 



Daniel Lawrence Mary Llewelin 



Richard Hayes 

 David Llewelin 



