1705.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 213 



But another trouble presented itself; for some of the inhabitants 

 of Chichester "did declare, they would never cut nor clear" 

 the said road. But the Court got round the difficulty by order- 

 ing "the inhabitants of Chester with such others as are willing 

 to assist them, at tlteir own proper charge, for the more effectual 

 answering the said law, and speedy accommodation of all travel- 

 lers, to cut and clear the road as they had laid it out." The 

 Chester people were very anxious for the road, and the work was 

 soon accomplished, and a report thereof made to the next Court. 

 The great thoroiighfare, by land, from the north to the south 

 now, for the first time, passe<l through Chester. 



Application was made in 1704 to the Chichester and Concord 

 Monthly Meeting of Friends, by John Bennet and Elizabeth 

 Webb, " on behalf of the inhabitants of the upper part of Bir- 

 mingham and Brandy wine Creek," to have a meeting at the 

 house of John Bennett. This application was granted and after- 

 wards confirmed by the Quarterly Meeting. Birmingham meet- 

 ing had its origin in the meeting thus established. 



There appears to have been an unusually great rain on the 

 first of May this year — so unusual that the circumstance is re- 

 corded in the minutes of Chester Quarterly Meeting. 



What is now known in the Society of Friends as a Prepara- 

 tive Meeting, being a thing of recent introduction, Darby sub- 

 mits the manner of their preparative meeting to the Quarterly 

 Meeting for their approbation. They also make the inquiry. 

 Whether persons intending marriage may appear by writing at 

 the preparative meeting. The answer was : " they may not, 

 but by themselves or friends." 



Goshen, Whiteland, Willistown, Kennet and Marlborough now 

 appear to be organized as townships, and return constables to 

 the court.' 



The law requiring applications to the Governor, for license to 

 keep tavern, had the effect of lessening the number of legalized 

 public houses. Some still persisted in selling lic^uors Avithout 

 license, but through the vigilance of the Grand jury, few were 

 allowed to escape tiie penalty of the law. 



The Court did not, in every instance, at once cut short the 

 traffic in licjuor by persons whom they could not cordially in- 

 dorse. As an instance of the leniency of the Justices in this re- 

 spect, John Test was recommended to the Governor " for a 

 license to sell strong liquors by retail for six months and no 

 longer, in consideration that he now hath liquors lying on his 

 hand, which cannot, without great damage, be vended as is sup- 

 posed in much less time." John Test kept tavern in Darby. 



1 Shortly after this time. New Garden. Uwohlan. and Bradford were organized as 

 townships, but the precise date is not contained in the Record of the Court. 



