392 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 



the last of the natives who had a home in the County was 

 "Indian Nelly," who had her cabin on the farm now owned by 

 Garrett Edwards, near the line of the Shipley farm. She had 

 her constant residence there as late as 1810. 



MARPLE. 



How Marple township obtained its name is a matter of un- 

 certainty. In many of the early records it is spelled Marpool, 

 but Holme, in his map, gives the modern spelling. Marple was 

 organized as a township early in 1684. In 1722, the township 

 contained but twenty-four taxables. There was no established 

 place of worship in the township till Marple Presbyterian 

 Church was erected about the year 1833. 



In the winter of 1788, a very tragic affair happened on Darby 

 Creek, where it forms the line between Marple and Haverford, 

 in the death by drowning of Lydia Hollingsworth, a young lady 

 of great worth and beauty, who was under an engagement of 

 marriage to David Lewis. The party, consisting of Lewis, Lydia, 

 another young lady, with the driver, left the city in the morn- 

 ing in a sleigh, and drove out to Joshua Humphrey's, near Haver- 

 ford meeting-house. From thence they drove to Newtown ; but 

 before they returned the weather moderated, and some rain 

 fell, which caused Darby Creek to rise. In approaching the 

 ford, (which was that on the road leading from the Presbyterian 

 Church to Coopertown,) they were advised not to attempt to 

 cross, but were made acquainted with the existence of a tempo- 

 rary bridge in the meadows above. They drove to the bridge, 

 but the water was rushing over it, and the driver refused to 

 proceed ; whereupon Lewis took the lines, and missing the 

 bridge, plunged the whole party into the flood. All were res- 

 cued but Lydia, whose body was not found till the next morning. 

 The feelings of Lewis can be more readily imagined than de- 

 scribed. The young lady was buried at Friends' grave-yard, 

 Haverford. In some pathetic rhymes written on the occasion, 

 it is stated that 1,700 persons attended her funeral. 



HAVERFORD. 



This township is wholly located in what was known as the 

 Welsh Tract, and was the earliest settled of the Welsh Town- 

 ships except Merion, in Montgomery Count3^ The name was 

 brought over with the first settlers, who came from the vicinity 

 of Haverford-West, in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. In early 

 times, the name was very frequently written with u instead of v, 

 and doubtless had the pronunciation that this change of letters 

 would give it. The pronunciation was, at length, corrupted to 



