186 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1693. 



the fact that at one Court two newly-married couples were made 

 the subjects of presentment because a child was born, in each 

 case, too soon after marriage. In one case, besides the Court 

 charges and a fine of 20s., both parties were sentenced "to 

 attend at the common whipping post and for the officer to declare 

 their offence to the people ;" while in the other case the fine was 

 50s., but the woman only was subjected to public exposure. This 

 was more wantonly cruel than was inflicted in the former case, 

 and consisted in standing at the common whipping post for one 

 quarter of an hour with a paper on her breast, thus : " I here 

 stand for an example to all others for committing the most 

 wicked & notorious sin of fornication." 



Presentments by the Grand Jury of such cases as the above 

 could have no beneficial result, but their watchfulness when 

 directed to matters that concerned the public was often produc- 

 tive of much good, especially when seconded by the Court. A 

 bridge over Ridley Creek having been several times presented, 

 the Court this year imposed a fine of <£5 each on the supervisors 

 of Chester and Ridley for their neglect to repair it. Such cases 

 were not unfrequent. 



While the Courts at this period, and for many years after- 

 wards, did not hesitate to sentence a freeman to be sold into 

 servitude for a period of years, in order to liquidate a fine or 

 some other dues, they were extremely vigilant in guarding ser- 

 vants against oppression by their masters. Upon the complaint 

 of a servant that he had served out his time and had been turned 

 oif " without clothes fitting for a servant to have," the Court 

 ordered his master to '''' pay him'' a hat, coat, waistcoat, breeches, 

 drawers, stockings and shoes, all new, and also ten bushels of 

 wheat or fourteen bushels of corn, two hoes and one axe. This 

 kind of complaint was very common, and was denominated a 

 claim "for the custom of the country." Justice Jonathan 

 Hayes constantly interposes his dissent to the allowance of this 

 " custom." 



There was another duty the Court had to perform in respect 

 to children about being bound out to service. This duty con- 

 sisted in determining their ages, and the time they should serve. 

 This was termed "Judging" them. At the October Court of 

 this year " the boys that Mauris Trent brought into the country 

 were called up to be judged." There were eight of these boys, 

 and they were probably negroes. They were ordered to serve 

 their respective masters till they arrived at the age of 21 years. 



The Grand Jury laid out the following roads this year, viz : 

 One from the townships of Upper Providence and Edgmont " to 

 the limestone;" one from NewtoAvn to Haverford Mill; one 

 from Thornbury towards Chester, and they reported adversely 



