212 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1704. 



At the last Court in 1703 the Grand Jury presented " the 

 old court house as being a nuisance to the town in case of fire, 

 and also the chimney of Henry Hollingsworth in Chester town." 

 In consequence of this presentment, the court " on deliberate 

 consideration orders that the said house be pulled down, and that 

 Jasper Yeates, Chief Burgess of the Borough of Chester, shall 

 see the said order performed."^ 



Since the first settlement of the county, the sentences of im- 

 prisonment, by the Court, have been very rare. For many years 



past there hi^s been none until this year, when 



was ordered " to remain in prison till he give security for his 

 good behaviour." 



The following is a sentence on a man servant of Richard 

 Woodward, for stealing a horse, saddle, bridle and wearing ap- 

 parel from Jonathan Munrow : 



" That the said shall serve his said master and 



Jonathan Munrow, or their assigns seven years, (which time is to 

 be equally divided betwixt them, and they to be at equal charge,) 

 and to wear a T according to law." 



"West town" makes its appearance as a township in 1703 — 

 its first constable being Richard Buffington. 



The attention of the Justices was frequently called to matters 

 that would now scarcely claim the attention of our courts. Thus, 

 an apprentice boy complains that his master had not freely per- 

 formed his duty in teaching him to read and write. The Court 

 directs the master " to put the said servant to school one month, 

 and to instruct his said servant another month." 



An illegitimate child is brought to the Court, whose reputed 

 father could not be found out. The Court ordered the child "to 

 be called John Thorley.'' 



Tavern licenses were granted by the Governor, but none could 

 apply but such as were recommended by the Court. The appli- 

 cation for these, "recommendations," were rather annoying. 



At the May Court, this year, a commission from Governor 

 Evans to Jasper Yeates, Caleb Pusey, Jeremiah CoUett, Philip 

 Roman and Jonathan Hayes was read, when they were qualified 

 as Justices. 



In the year 1701, an act was passed authorizing the erection 

 of a bridge over Chester Creek, in the town of Chester, and 

 ordering the justices of the county court of this county, " to lay 

 out a road from the Kings road that leads to New Castle and 

 Maryland, near as may be to Ralph Fishbourn — the intended 

 place for a bridge over Chester Creek." The road was not laid 

 out till this year, when it appears the bridge was completed. 



' An act passed in 1701, for the sale of this Court-house, shows that it had been 

 "ruinated by fire " some time before. 



