; 



262 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1753. 



" That from and after the time above mentioned, the Eleventh 

 month, called January, shall thenceforth be deemed and reckon- 

 ed the First month in the year, be so styled in all the records 

 and writings of Friends, instead of computing from the month 

 called March according to our present practice, and Friends are 

 recommended to go on with the names of the following months 

 numerically, according to our practice from the beginning, so 

 that the months may be called and written as follows : — That 

 January be called and written the first month, and February 

 called and written the second month, and so on. All other me- 

 thods of computing and calling of the months unavoidably leads 

 into contradiction. 



" And whereas, for the more regular computation of time, the 

 same act directs that in the month now called September, which 

 will be in the year 1752, after the second day of the said month, 

 eleven numerical days shall be omitted, and that which would 

 have been the third day, shall be reckoned and esteemed the 14th 

 day of the said month, and that which otherwise would have been 

 the fourth day of the said month, must be deemed the 15th, and 

 so on. It appears likewise necessary. Friends should conform 

 themselves to this direction and omit the nominal days accord- 

 ingly-" 



From the commencement of this work; the author has con- 

 formed his dates to the new style so far as to make the year com- 

 mence with the first of January, but no allowance has been made 

 for the eleven days that are to be omitted under the present 

 mode of computation. 



Standing in the Pillory was rarely resorted to as a mode of 

 punishment by the Justices of Chester County. At the Febru- 

 ary term of this year, one Owen Oberlacker, alias John Brad- 

 ley, upon being convicted of "speaking seditious words," was 

 sentenced to stand in the Pillory one hour, with the words, 

 ^^ I stand here for speaking seditious words against the best of 

 Kings, wrote in large hand, to be afiixed to his back." In ad- 

 dition to this punishment, twenty-one lashes upon his bare back 

 were to be inflicted the same day. 



It was in 1753 that the French invaded Western Pennsylva- 

 nia, in pursuance of their grand scheme to secure the possession 

 of the valley of the Mississippi. Though in a time of profound 

 peace, the news of this hostile movement filled the country with 

 consternation and alarm, for it was well known that a war would 

 be inevitable. To our Quaker population, though generally out 

 of harm's way, the news of this invasion was especially unwel- 

 come. From experience they had learned that there were those 

 among their young men who would go out to the battle, and 

 should they return, it was rarely to enter that fold from which 

 they had strayed. 



