1740.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 251 



in Westtown on the 20th ; on Abraham Marshall's land in Brad- 

 ford on the 21st, and on the 23d had reached " an old field 

 belonging to John Newlyn, on or near its North Line," from 

 whence they turned South. 



It must not be supposed that the place of stopping had any- 

 thing to do with fixing the N. E. corner of Maryland. The 

 only object in running Westward before measuring the lo^ 

 miles South, was to avoid the large streams of water, and when 

 they had reached John Newlin's old field, they concluded the 

 large waters of the Brandywine and Christina Creeks would be 

 avoided. 



In running the South line, the land of "William Wickersham 

 in East Marlborough township, and that of Hugh Steward in 

 New Garden are mentioned. The point at which the 15^ miles 

 ended was " 20 perches from the road leading to Charles 

 Tenants meeting house in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle 

 County."' 



An inquiry made by the crown in respect to the currency of 

 the Province, brings to light many interesting facts, and among 

 others that the emission of bills of credit had effectually excluded 

 specie as a circulating medium. The report on the subject from the 

 Assembly, doubtless drawn up by John Kinsey, their Speaker, 

 claims thatjobedience had been yielded to the provisions of the act 

 of the sixth year of Queen Anne, fixing the rates of foreign coin 

 in the British Plantations, up to the year 1720, but admits that 

 " between which time and 1723, merchants, to make remittances 

 to England, did sometimes purchase silver with gold at a small 

 advance." The first act for issuing bills of credit was passed 

 in 1723. The report goes on to say that, " it must indeed be 

 confessed, that soon after these bills of credit were issued, as 

 our trade very much increased, and far greater quantities of 

 English goods were imported, the balance of our trade with 

 Great Britain turned out in our disfavour, and as those bills 

 were in good credit, and answered the ends of money amongst 

 us, it was no longer in our power to keep any great quantities 

 of silver or gold for a currency : and therefore since that time, 

 they have been seldom used in the payment of debts, but gene- 

 rally bought and sold as merchandize, and shipped off to Great 

 Britain to pay for those great quantities of goods, which are 

 yearly imported from thence." 



The ridiculous fashion of wearing hoops, as now, prevailed 

 about this period, but it found much less favor at that time than 

 at present, with those of the Society of Friends. Towards the 

 close of 1739 Concord Monthly Meeting testified thus against 

 the practice. 



' Penna. Archives, i. 602-614. 



