214 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1706. 



A Supreme or Provincial Court was held in Chester this year 

 in which John Guest and Jasper Yeates officiated as Justices. 

 This court declined to try an indictment for Burglary, on the 

 ground that it had no jurisdiction in the case. 



Instead of Grand Jurors holding their office for a year as 

 formerly there is now a new Grand Jury called at every court. 

 Many of their presentments have the form of regular indictments, 

 but others bear unmistakable evidence of having been drawn up 

 in the Grand Jury room, of which the following is a specimen : 



" We the Grand Jury do present the want of a good lawful 

 bridge over the Sweed's mill creek, and also over Darby creek, 

 and also over Crum Creek, and to have the Queen's road made 

 good, laid out according to law through Darby township & the 

 township of Ridley to clear the road and mend the bridges." 



At the close of the year 1705, an act was passed by the 

 Legislature " to assure, grant and convey unto Ralph Fishbourne 

 of Chester, Gent, one messuage, Cottage, house or Tenements 

 and lot of land thereunto belonging, situate in Chester, in the 

 county of Chester aforesaid, formerly known by the name of the 

 old Court house, to hold to the said Ralph Fishbourne, his heirs 

 and assigns forever." This Court-house was built in 1685. — 

 See Appendix, Note H. 



Governor Evans was a young man, and was alike destitute of 

 correct principles and good morals. He hated the Quakers, and 

 in order to test their doctrine of non-resistance, he resorted to a 

 trick so contemptible in character, that it should at once have 

 insured his dismissal from office. With one French^ who was 

 stationed at New Castle, and others, he concerted a plot, to raise 

 an alarm, by announcing the approach of hostile vessels. On 

 the appointed day, (16th of May, 1706,) French sent a messenger 

 to the Governor in the greatest haste, with the false ncAvs, which 

 the Governor and others in the plot, pretended to believe, and 

 did not fail to circulate far and wide. The Governor in order to 

 play his part the better, rode through the streets of Philadelphia 

 on horseback, with a drawn sword in his hand, in the greatest 

 apparent consternation. This false alarm must have reached 

 Chester before it reached Philadelphia, but no document has 

 been met with in which the subject is mentioned. By even- 

 ing of the same day, the untruthfulness of the story became 

 known, and its authors were glad to hide .themselves in order to 

 avoid the just indignation of an insulted people. 



The Great Southern road, as originally laid out, crossed Darby 

 creek at nearly the same point where it now crosses — just at the 

 head of tide. The place of crossing Crum, Ridley and Chester 

 creeks was also at the head of tide water, and the main rout of 

 the road had a general direction to suit these points for crossing 



