1704.] IIISTOHY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 347 



izin<; a Company to be incorporated, with authority to make this 

 improvement. The navigation was to extend up each branch of 

 the Brandywine to the point wlierc it is intersected by the Lan- 

 caster turnpike road. It is believed that no part of this improve- 

 ment was ever made. 



For some years past the diff"erent meetings of the Society of 

 Friends have had tlie subject of schools for the more careful and 

 guarded education of their youth, under very serious considera- 

 tion. From the extreme difficulty of finding suitable teachers, 

 the progress made in the establishment of these schools was 

 at first slow, ])ut up to this ])eriod several had been estab- 

 lished on a proper ])asis. Each monthly meeting had a com- 

 mittee specially appointed on the subject, who from time to time 

 reported upon the condition of the schools under their charge. 

 As early as 1788, Concord Meeting had three schools, and not- 

 withstanding the difficulty of the times, the committee express 

 the belief that there were no Friends' children amongst them 

 " but what received a sufficiency of learning to fit them in a good 

 degree for the business they are designed for." Three schools 

 had also been established within the limits of Chester Monthly 

 Meeting — one at Darby, one at Haverford, and one at Radnor. 

 These schools, though establisl>ed for the benefit of Friends' 

 children, were open to those of every denomination, and being 

 the best then established, were generally well patronized by 

 them. By the constant care bestowed upon these schools, they 

 were greatly improved in after years, so that at the time of the 

 establishment of our general system of education by common 

 schools, several of them were in such excellent condition that 

 it was reasonably doubted whether any benefit would result 

 from the change. 



The proper education of the colored population also claimed 

 a share of the attention of the Society. Many had been re- 

 cently set free, and their helpless condition presented a very 

 strong claim upon those who had been foremost in the work of 

 emancipation. 



In early times the general election for the whole county of 

 Chester, was held at the Court-house in Chester. Before the 

 Revolution, Chester County was divided into three election dis- 

 tricts, called Chester, Chatham, and J\ed Lion — the places at 

 which the election was held. Chester district embraced nearly 

 the same territory that is now included in Delaware County. 

 After the division, the people of the whole county continued to 

 vote at Chester till 1794, when an Act was passed dividing the 

 County of Delaware into four election districts. This Act con- 

 stituted the townships of Concord, Birmingham, Thornbury, 

 Aston, Bethel, and Upper Chichester, the second election dis- 



