184 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1693. 



foot in breadth, and the said Dyall post is to be the western 

 bounds thereof." 



The same Grand Jury, at the same Court, made what they are 

 pleased to term, "a return of a road to Thornbury." Being 

 brief, the "return" is given as another specimen of the manner 

 these early road viewers performed their duties: 



"Beginning at a marked tree by Edward Carters, which was 

 marked by a former Grand Jury, and so along a line of marked 

 trees to John Baldwin's fence, and then by John's consent over a 

 corner thereof through a corner of his field and so along to a black 

 oak, being a corner of John Nield's land, and from thence down 

 to John Nields field and by his consent over a corner thereof, and 

 so through the creek, and up the hill, by Gilbert William's Barn."^ 



The order for the erection of a new jail and work-house, made 

 by the Court in 1691, does not appear to have been enforced, 

 and the Grand Jury again presents the want of such a building. 

 The Court having considered this action of the Grand Incjuest, 

 "agreed forthwith to build a prison," and did "order John Sim- 

 cock & John Bristow to take care for the building of the same ; 

 and that the sheriff take care to levie the fines due to the public 

 in order to defray the charges of the prison." 



The following order for a levy, made at the January Court of 

 the following year, will show that the Sheriff had not been very 

 successful in the collection of '■'■fines due the public.''' 



"Whereas the Grand jury have taken into consideration, the 

 necessity of a prison, and the defraying of the charge of the 

 county, have unanymously agreed to lay a levie for defraying the 

 said charges as followeth, viz : Upon every male white and black 

 from 16 years to 60, 3s. every 100 acres belonging to per- 

 sons resident, 3s. — and upon every 100 acres belonging to persons 

 non-resident, 4s. 6d. ; and the Court considering of it agreed to the 

 same, and doth order that forthwith warrants be issued out of 

 the levie, the same in every township, by the respective consta- 

 bles, one moiety to be paid, at or before the next County Court ; 

 and the other moiety, at or before the first of the 9th month fol- 

 lowing; and the constables shall [hold] a town's meeting to make 

 assessment for levying the same ; and when account is taken of 

 Males and Lands, to return a duplicate of the same to Chester 

 or Darby, when we will be at both places, for the ease of the 

 country. Justices met to receive the same, upon the 13th day of 

 the 12"^ mo. next." This is the first instance in levying a poll tax, 

 where no distinction has been made between /ret'mcM and servants. 



• There appears to have been a review of this road the next year, and a still less 

 intelligible return made by the Grand Jury, as follows, viz. : " that it shall jro through 

 John Nields fielil by the creek, and so by a straight line up the land of the Orphans of 

 John Dutton as it was marked as we went along to the upper side of John Baldwins 

 field, and he to take down two or three pannels of his fence and aslant to the line and 

 along John Baldwin's line about twenty perches, and then as it is marked to the old 

 road." 



