1600.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. • 177 



had hopcMl to establish in the land of their adoption. They 

 say : 



" Wee, the Inhabitants of the Welsh Tract, in the Province of 

 Penn*, in America, being descended of the Antient Britains, 

 who always in the land of our Nativity, under the Crown of 

 England, have enjoyed tliat liberty and priviledgc as to have our 

 bounds and limits by ourselves, within tlie which all causes, 

 Quarrclls, crimes it titles were tryed k wholly determined by 

 officers, magistrates [and] Juries of our own language, which 

 were our ecjuals. Having our faces towards these countries, 

 made the motion to our Gov: that we might enjoy the same here, 

 w'*" thing was soon granted by him before he or we were come to 

 these parts." 



Tbey then recite the fact of the grant and survey of the 40,000 

 acres, upon which they say there were already near four score 

 settlements, besides " several scores of their men servants who 

 vere very desirous to have out their head land," and that some 

 of their friends had been here awhile, and had returned for their 

 families, friends and relations, &c. ; "and now," they say, "to 

 deprive these of their lands & Libertys which they depend 

 upon when coming here, (& that in their absence,) we look upon 

 it to be very unkind Dealing, like to Ruin many Families, as 

 also a subtell undermining to shutt that Door against our Nation, 

 which the Lord had opened for them to come to these Countreys, 

 for we can declare with an open face to God and man that we 

 desired to be by ourselves for no other End or purpose, but that 

 we might live together as a Civill Society to endeavour to deside 

 all Controversies and debates amongst ourselves in Gospel order, 

 and not to entangle ourselves with Laws in an unknown Tongue, 

 as also to preserve our Language, that we might ever keep Cor- 

 respondence with our friends in the land of our nativity. There- 

 fore our request is that you be tender not only of violating the 

 Governor's promise to us, but also of being instrumental! of 

 depriving us of the things which were the chief motives and in- 

 ducements to bring us here," &c.' 



The Commissioners having prejudged the case, their answer 

 was of course not satisfactory, and the land within the "Welsh 

 Tract was thrown open for settlement to others besides the de- 

 scendants of the "Ancient Britains," but the number who em- 

 braced the opportunity was not large. 



John Blunston having declined to serve any longer as a mem- 

 ber of Council from Chester County, William Howell was elected 

 to serve in his stead. What is remarkable in the return of this 

 election is, that it is signed Vjy all the Freeholders who voted, 

 the number being 29.- 



1 Penna. Archives, i. 108. ^ Ibid i. 115. William Howell also declined serving. 



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