190 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1695. 



At this time the settlements had spread in Chester County 

 but little beyond the territory now included in Delaware County. 



There appear to have been great losses of stock and cattle 

 during 1694, from want of provender.^ 



" The want of a Bridle road between the broad road near 

 James Brown's house in Chichester [Marcus Hook] and Chiches- 

 ter creek and from thence to Chester creek," was presented by 

 the Grand Jury at the March term of 1695. A similar pre- 

 sentment had been made at the previous session of the Court. 

 The necessity of such a road will be understood, when the reader 

 is informed that the King's road did not, up to this time, pass 

 through Chester, but crossed both Ridley and Chester Creeks at 

 the head of tide ; there being no bridge over the creek at Chester, 

 and no public road from thence directly to Marcus Hook. 



The Grand Inquest, after having examined the accounts of 

 the county, recommend a levy of a penny in the pound, which 

 was ordered by the Court, "/or jinislmig the prison and defray- 

 ing of the old debts & for wolves heads ;" also for the relief 

 of the poor. The Grand Jury also on this occasion performed 

 the duty of County Auditors, and " having examined Jeremiah 

 Collet's [the Treasurer's] accounts, finds them to be true ac- 

 counts, and finds him to be indebted to the county, the sum of 

 eighteen shillings and eleven pence, and the county to be in- 

 debted to Thomas Smith the sum of 18 pounds 19s. and 4d." 

 The next Grand Jury held a meeting on the 2d of October, to 

 consider the afi'airs of the county. The following interesting 

 record of their proceedings is given at length : 



" We the Grand Jury by the King's authority, finding that 

 the county is in debt by the accounts that the last Grand Jury 

 presented ; that the County Treasurer is out of purse, and others 

 in the concerns of the county charge ; and that the prison is not 

 yet finished, and several wolve's heads to pay for : We the 

 Grand Inquest have taken it into our consideration to lay an 

 assessment upon the county for to pay the Judges expenses, 

 which is to be paid to Joseph Wood, Sherifi" of Chester County, 

 and what was disbursed by the said Treasurer of said county 

 concerning the building of the prison, and to finish the said 

 county prison, with as much expedition as may be, and the said 

 levy to be raised as followeth : — on all real and personal estates, 

 at one penny per pound and three shillings per head on free 

 men, (viz) every acre of cleared land, and being in tillage, at 

 one pound per acre ; and for every hundred acres of rough land 

 by the river, at ten pounds per hundred, and for every hundred 

 acres in the woods, at five pounds per hundred ; for all horses 

 and mares from three years old and upwards, at 3 pounds ; for 



» Col. Rec. i. 481. 



