226 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. * [1717. 



tisms are recorded as having taken place at a very early period, 

 and at various places in the County ; but a highly interesting 

 manuscript in the possession of Robert Frame, Esq., of Birming- 

 ham, satisfies me that no regular church of the Baptist persua- 

 sion had been organized till 1715. Meetings, it is true, were 

 held in private houses in Chester, Ridley, Providence, Radnor, 

 and Springfield, and baptism was performed according to ancient 

 order, in the adjacent creeks, and even the Lord's Supper was 

 administered, but these were the doings of variable congrega- 

 tions, rather than the acts of an organized church. 



The paper referred to is in the nature of a constitution, and 

 the organization eflected under it, afterwards assumed the title 

 of the " Brandy wine Baptist Church," by which it has continued 

 to be known to the present time. It will be perceived that 

 these early Baptists used the same designation for the months 

 and days as the Quakers. Most of them had been members of 

 that sect ; quite a large proportion were of Welsh origin. — See 

 Appendix^ Note I. 



The minute adopted by the Chester Monthly Meeting in 1715 

 in respect to negro slavery, is rendered explicit by the following, 

 adopted by the same meeting this year : 



" The meeting desires the Quarterly meeting will take into 

 their further consideration, the buying and selling of negroes^ 

 which gives great encouragement for bringing them in, and that 

 no friend be found in the practice of buying any, that shall be 

 imported hereafter." 



A preparative meeting was settled at Cain in 1716, by Con- 

 cord Monthly Meeting. 



From orders made by the Court for the repair of the bridge 

 over Chester Creek at Chester, it appears that its original con- 

 struction with a draw was still maintained. From a similar 

 order, " to repair y^ bridge over Ridley Creek in the great new 

 road now leading from Chester to Philadelphia," it may be in- 

 ferred that it did not contain a draw. 



It would appear from the Court Records of this period, that 

 but twelve traverse jurors sometimes attended at a Court, and 

 fifteen Grand Jurors. The sentences of the Court change from 

 time to time, sometimes in consequence of a change in the law, 

 at others, from the whims of the Justices. 



This year a sentence for larceny to the value of X8 was, that 

 the defendant pay four fold and costs, " and be whipped 21 

 lashes, and to wear a roman T of a blue colour for the space of 

 six months not less than four inches long each way, and one 

 inch broad, and be committed till he comply with s** Judgment." 

 This was not an unusual punishment. 



In early times the ofiice of Sheriff was not so profitable as it 



