INTRODUCTION.

CHAPTER I.

Pennsylvania named in honor of Sir William Penn-William Penn receives a charter from King Charles II.-Boundary of the Province -Penn's policy towards the aborigines-Similar policy had been pursued, in some measure, by others-Markham, in obedience to Penn's instructions, purchases lands from the Indians-Repeated purchases made-Deeds to John Penn, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn-Deeds of 1749 and 1754—William Penn's stay in, and departure from, the Province-His return to the Province: return to England: his death-Influx of immigrants-Settlements extend westward-Swiss settlement-Huguenots settlement-Scotch, Irish, and Irish settlements in Lancaster county, &c.-Settlements extend up along the Susquehanna river-Settlements commenced on the west side of the Susquehanna, in York county-Settlements west of the Susquehanna in North, or Kittochtinny Valley-Earliest settlements first among the Indians-Indians' friendship towards the first settlers. If it were in accordance with the general design of this compilation, much might be said of the spirit of the age in which the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania lived. The main object in view, is to notice some of the leading incidents, events, and historical facts, in connection with the present state or condition of several counties of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania, or the Province of Pennsylvania, was named by King Charles II., in honor of the son of Giles Penn, Sir William Penn, an Admiral of the English Navy, who commanded the British fleet in Oliver Cromwell's time; and in the beginning of the reign of Charles II.

In a letter to Robert Turner, William Penn says, that the King would have it called "by the name of Pennsilvania," in honor of his (William Penn's) father. The following is a copy of the letter:

"To Robert Turner,

DEAR FRIEND,

5th of 1st Mo. 1681.

My true love in the Lord salutes thee, and dear friends that love the

Lord's precious truth in those parts. Thine I have, and for my business here, know that after many waitings, watchings, solicitings and disputes in council, this day my country was confirmed to me under the great seal of England, with large powers and privileges, by the name of Pennsilvania, a name the king would give it in honor of my father. I chose New Wales, being as this, a pretty hilly country, but Penn being Welsh for a head, as Penmanmoire in Wales, and Penrith in Cumberland, and Penn in Buckinghamshire, the highest land in England, called this Pennsilvania, which is the high or head woodlands; for I proposed when the Secretary-a Welshman-refused to have it called New Wales, Sylvania, and they added Penn to it; and though I much opposed it, and went to the king to have it struck out and altered, he said 'twas past, and would take it upon him; nor could twenty guineas move the under secretarys to vary the name, for I feared least it should be lookt on as a vanity in me, and not as a respect in the king, as it truly was to my father, whom he often mentions with praise. Thou mayst communicate my graunt to friends, and expect shortly my proposals: 'tis a clear and just thing, and my God that has given it me through many difficultys will, I believe, bless and make it the seed of a nation. I shall have a tender care to the government, that it will be well laid at first: no more now, but dear love in truth.

Thy true friend,

W. PENN.

Sir William Penn, the Admiral, for services rendered, and in consideration of sundry debts, due him from the crown, had a promise made him, from King Charles II., of a large tract of land in America; but he died before he obtained it.

William Penn, son of Sir William, while at Oxford, pursuing his studies, hearing the distinguished Thomas Loe, a Quaker, preach, imbibed religious sentiments of the Friends; and seemed, for some time to care little about the promised grant which the King had made his father; he, therefore, did not urgently press his claims upon the crown; till at last finding that those, whose sentiments he had imbibed, and whose cause, in common with the cause of all the oppressed, he espoused, were harassed every where in England by spiritual courts, resolved to put himself at the head of as many as would go with him, and remove to this country; of which he had obtained a grant from Charles II.

There were several acts passed about the middle of the seventeenth century that were oppressive to non-conformists. The Oxford act of 1655 banished non-conforming ministers five miles from any corporate town sending members to Parliament, and prohibited them from keeping or teaching schools. The Test act of the same year was still more seThe dreadful consequences of this intolerant spirit was, that not less than from six to eight thousand died in prison in the reign of Charles II. It is said that Mr. Jeremiah White had carefully collected

vere.

a list of those who had suffered between Charles II. and the revolution, which amounted to sixty thousand-De Laune's Plea, &c.

The Province, or the lower part of it, had been called "New Netherlands," and was begun to be planted by some Dutchmen and others. It is called Pennsylvania in the original Patent, bearing date March 4th, 1681. It contained all that tract of land in America, with all the Islands belonging to it, from the beginning of the 40th to the 43d degree of north latitude, whose eastern bounds, from twelve miles above New Castle, otherwise Delaware town, run all along upon the side of the Delaware river-these bounds and extent were set down in the original grant; but Mr. Penn having afterwards obtained part of Nova Belgia from the Duke of York, it was added to the country given in the first grant, so that it extends now to the 38th degree and 55 minutes north latitude."*

Soon after Penn had obtained a charter, he made sales to adventurers, called first settlers, who embarked the same year, and arrived in America, at Upland, now Chester, December 11, 1681. Penn, with many of his oppressed friends, sailed next year, landed at New Castle, October 27, 1682.

Penn, who was wholly devoted to the be interests of his colony, did all that lay in his power to secure the continued friendship of the aborigines, or Indians, to whom, of right, belonged the soil-"the woods and the streams"-though, according to the custom of conquest, and in conformity to the practices of the whites of Europe, a contrary principle had generally, if not universally obtained; and, in conformity to that principle, and by virtue of his charter, Penn might legally have claimed an indisputable, or an undoubted right to the soil granted him by Charles II.; but he "was influenced by a purer morality,, and sounder policy, than that prevailing principle which actuated the more sordid. His religious principles did not permit him to wrest the soil of Pennsylvania by force from the people to whom God and nature gave it, nor to establish his title in blood; but under the shade of the lofty trees of the forest, his right was fixed by treaties with the natives, and sanctified, as it were, by smoking from the calumet of peace."+

• See Emanuel Bowman's Geography, vol. 2, p. 655; printed at London, 1747-Bowman was Geographer to his Majesty, King of England.

† Smith's Laws of Pa,, ii., 105.