200 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1700. 



With this view, Ralph Fishbourne exhibited to the October 

 Court of 1699 a petition, " with many hands of the inhabitants 

 of the County for a convenient road way from the west side 

 of Chester Creek, where the ferry is to be kept, for to lead to the 

 now King's road. The Court accordingly appointed six viewers 

 " for to go and lay out the said road way in the most convenient 

 place they can for the conveniency of the Inhabitants." 



That dreadful scourge, the yellow fever, prevailed in the city of 

 Philadelphia in 1699, producing the greatest consternation and 

 alarm among the people.^ The September Court at Chester ad- 

 journed without transacting any business, and though the cause 

 is not given on the record, it may reasonably be inferred, that 

 the malady had made its appearance at that place. After a very 

 protracted voyage, William Penn arrived in the Province with 

 his wife and family, with the avowed intention of ending his days 

 in Pennsylvania. He landed at Philadelphia in the beginning 

 of November, after the ravages of the fever had ceased. 



When proceeding up the Delaware, Penn left the vessel, and 

 spent one night at the house of Lydia, the widow of Robert 

 Wade, in company with Thomas Story, who had recently arrived 

 from a religious visit to Virginia. Before proceeding to the ves- 

 sel in the morning, he crossed over to the east side of the creek 

 in a boat, "and as he landed, some young men officiously, and 

 contrary to express orders of some of the Magistrates, fired two 

 small sea pieces of cannon, and being ambitious to make three 

 out of two, by firing one twice, one of them darting in a cart- 

 ridge of powder, before the piece was sponged, had his left arm 

 shot to pieces ; upon which, a surgeon being sent for, an ampu- 

 tation took place. "^ 



After the government was restored to Penn, a new Constitu- 

 tion had been adopted under the administration of Markham, 

 which was not satisfactory to the Proprietary. An entirely new 

 Council was elected; and from Chester County, David Lloyd was 

 returned for three years, Caleb Pusey for two, and John Simcock 

 for one year. Many new laws were passed shortly after the 

 arrival of the Proprietary, which were duly read at the opening 

 of the March Court at Chester. 



Ralph Fishbourn now appears as a Justice, and Henry Hol- 

 lingsworth as Clerk of the Court. In a prosecution for highway 

 robbery, John Moore appeared as atto?'ney for the King. 



That everlasting subject, the Court-house and Prison, again 

 claimed the attention of the Court and Grand Jury, who or- 

 dered them to " be forthwith repaired for a present necessity 

 ***** that the two back-rooms in the prison be arched over 

 with a brick in length, and be furnished with sufficient doors, 



1 Proud's Uist. Penna. i. 421. ^ ciarkson, ii. 163. 



