1731.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 241 



master and Keeper of tlie House of Correction or Workhouse in 

 the borough of Chester for the term of one year, if he behave 

 himself well which s** time is to commence on the 25"' day of 

 March next, and that the Burgesses of said borough shall from 

 time to time, give such directions therein as they may adjudge 

 proper." 



Haverford Monthly Meeting, after having appointed a com- 

 mittee to aid the Valley Friends in fixing on a site for a meeting- 

 house, at length leaves them at their liberty to build the said 

 house " at the Grave Yard near Lewis Walker's Dec'', which was 

 left by the said Lewis by his last will fur that purpose." A 

 temporary meeting was, from time to time, authorized by Haver- 

 ford Meeting, to be held at Richard Harrisson's School-house, 

 but it does not appear that it ever grew into a regular meeting. 



The Chester Monthly had not as yet received any response to 

 their application to the quarterly meeting, and through it to the 

 yearly meeting, on the propriety of purchasing imported slaves. 

 In anticipation of any action by these meetings, this monthly 

 meeting, towards the close of the year 1730, adopted a minute 

 that cautioned Friends " against purchasing imported Negroes, 

 it being disagreeable to the sense of the meeting, and that such 

 as are likely to be found in the practice, be cautioned how they 

 offend therein." 



The act of the Provincial Legislature, imposing a duty on im- 

 ported slaves and criminals, did not meet with much favor from 

 the home government. Instructions were transmitted to Gover- 

 nor Gordon against laying duties on either negroes or felons; 

 the latter being in direct opposition to an act of Parliament "-for 

 the further preventing Eobery, Burglary, and other felonies, and 

 for the more effectual transportation of Felons." 



The first mission from the Roman Catholic Church was estab- 

 lished within the limits of Delaware County about the year 1730, 

 or perhaps a little earlier. The mission was from an establish- 

 ment of the Jesuit Society in Maryland, and was set up at the 

 residence of Thomas Willcox, at Ivy Mills, in Concord township. 

 The church services at the Ivy Mills Mission have been conducted 

 in a private dwelling for a century and a quarter; at first in 

 that of Thomas Willcox, by periodical visits of missionaries from 

 Maryland ; next at the residence of his son, Mark Willcox, and 

 subsequently in that of the late James M. Willcox, Esq., where it 

 was continued till the erection of the neat Catholic Church in the 

 immediate vicinity. At first the congregation was very small 

 and it continued so for many years, but of late the number 

 professing that faith has become very considerable, chiefly by 

 foreign immigration. 



Pennsylvania had been peculiarly prosperous under the ad- 

 16 



