222 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1715. 



shillings one penny half penny, and Thomas Jones is ordered to 

 pay the same according to the desire and order of the Quarterly 

 meeting "^ 



Many persons have been led to believe from the date on the 

 Friends' meeting-house at Merion, that the present edifice was 

 erected in 1695.^ That date undoubtedly refers to the first 

 meeting-house, a temporary structure of wood erected on the 

 same site. The present meeting-house, which has been reno- 

 vated within a few years past, was erected in 1713. The fol- 

 lowing minute, adopted by Haverford Meeting on the 8th of the 

 8th mo. (October) of that year, is conclusive upon the subject: 



" This meeting agrees that Merion frds shall have the money 

 lent to Rees Howell and Joseph Evans, towards finishing their 

 meeting house." 



Another minute shows that " the five pounds old currency^ 

 lent to Rees Howell was paid toivards finishing Merion Meeting 

 house." 



Haverford Monthly Meeting this year authorized a first-day 

 meeting " in Upper Merion at the house of Rowland Ellis, and 

 at David Meredith's house on the fourth day of the week * * *." 



In 1714 "friends inhabiting about Perqitaming and this side 

 of Schulkill in y" valley being desirous y* a meeting might be 

 allowed y™ every other m", to be & begin att Lewis Walker's 

 house the first in 2^"^ m" next and thence every other month, att 

 Joseph Richardsons house until y^ 9"" mo. next." 



Gwynedd was established as a monthly meeting in 1714. It 

 included Plymouth, and probably other meetings. 



The annual and semi-annual Fairs held at difl"erent villages 

 had become places of so much disorder and vice, that Friends 

 found it necessary to appoint persons to have an oversight of the 

 youth who assembled there. 



Queen Anne died on the first of August, 1714, and was suc- 

 ceeded by George the First, but as no official announcement of 

 the decease of Her Majesty had been made, the legislature that 

 met in October adjourned over till February. David Lloyd was 

 again returned to the legislature and elected Speaker. 



The circular line between the Counties of Chester and New 

 Castle, that had been run in 1701, was not confirmed by the 

 Legislature till 1715. 



By the death of the Queen, all commissions granted during 



1 An afiBrmation act was among the earliest laws enacted by Pcnn, but this was an- 

 nulled by Queen Anne in 1705, and consequently Friends were subjected to the form 

 allowed in England, which was in these words : " I, A — B — , do declare in the presence 

 of Almighty God, the witness of the truth of what I say, Ac." Some Friend* objected 

 to this form of affirmation on account of the appeal made to the Supreme ]5eing, and 

 it was to remove this difficulty that the act in question was passed. The application 

 for its confirmation was not successful. 



* Hist. Collections Penna. 484 ; also, Retrospect of Early Quakerism, 61. 



