Middletown transcript., 1871-09-23

"
line Of the farm belonging to John Dilworth,
Esq, and extending north to Doctors Swamp
In 1918 Adam Peterson surveyed 200 acres oI
land, the tract on which Middletown now stands,
the original plat and title TO which here pre-
sent before you and In 1851 Hans Hanson Nil
Ter (oiherwise known as Hans Hanson sur
veyed 500 ncrcs adjoining Adam Peterson We
1878 then, was the earliest purchase Of lands al
Mddlciown.
In igs2 the court granted Edward Cantwell
and Casper Herman, 200 acres Of land lying on
each side Of Druwyers Creek, 'for the use Of n
wa,er-mill, which the said Cantwell aud Herman
do intend TO cree, on the said creek for the pub
lie good of the Inhabitants"
In 1885 John Taylor sold TO Thomas Snow
ding Of Apoquinin,y, ITO acres Of land on the
orih side Of Second Drawers Creek, lying be-
tween Tnylor Branch and Snowdiugs Branch.
This farm wns west Of the farm Of Hon. Louis
Mci.nnc.
The Briscoe family was at New Castle In l6s2.
In 1855 Daniel Smith surveyed the farm now
owned by Abraham vandcgrifs, called Straw
berry Hill.
Ia 1856 Edward Green surveyed 1000 acres,
called Green's Forest. A part Of this farm was
afterwards owned by James Anderson, n trustee
Of this congregation in 1884; and has descended
to James Houston his grandson, who Ia now n
trustee Charles haughcy now owns a par, Of
this tract, and probably Mount Pleasant was a
part of 10.
! have given you these dates Of original sur
vcys, that yen may that the field Of this con-
grcgaiion began TO be settled about the year
1871, aud that from this date the settlement WAS
made at various points Of Our boundaries. From
that period the settlement here was rapid. These
lands, with those below the Apoluinimy, seem
TO have attracted strongly the attention OF cmi-
grants, so that in 1882, New Castle, st. Georges,
ia.
divisions Of territory in the county. In that
year there were fifty taxable inhabitants between
Georges Greek aud the Apoquinimy. Among
these were Henry Waravcn, who owned the
farm adjoining Samuel Townsead on the east /;
John Foster. John Taylcr, John Peterson, Huns
Hanson, Adam Peterson, Elias Humphreys, Ju-
diih Crawford and Peter Alrcks the descend
ants OF some OF whom ARE still with us. Judith
Crawford WIS the widow of James Crawford,
who WAS "a landholdcr here prior To lG7l. Be-
tween Apoqninimy aud Duck Greek there were
forty taxable inhabitants in 1858.
Drawers Creek has three branches. The
q main branch rises ives, Of the Forest church,
aud crosses the road near that church. There
was also the branch between General Mansfield :
and Charles liaush-ys farms anciently called
the Southern Brnnch OF 2nd Drawers" The
other branch between Mr. Tcmplcman' s and Mrs.
iinnsous was called the " Northern Branch Of
1nd Drawers The 81. Augustine Creek WAS
anccnly called "Arpi.dskil." Rccdy Island
has been called Rccdon Recden. Rccton, Iiccien.
and Bird lsUnd.
Pr.rccs Run derived its name from Abraham
pcarcc Who owned lnud adjoining H. 1t was
anccnlly cal ed Canoe Branch The ucn-
ton II The ynniykcs in Dutch Neck was called
= Hlrut-t jaime. buTnhams farm was called
" Spring Garden General Munshcld's " Az
mister Charles linugheys Weston = and
William fcrrys fopinr liill." The Trap
ha. had tha, name mOrc tiaa a ccg,lry. Nearly
every farm had its own name
In 1878 t.4erc were probably but three churches
in tho prcsdni states Of Delaware aud Pcnnsyl-
wanna TIA the recocds OF the court We find the
following order. viz
" At = special court hold by the Governor n,
New cus,ie on Delaware River the 18th and 18th
daycs oi May 1919 II was ordered, that the
church. or place of worship iu this Town and
tie arlirs tlercnnio belonging he regulated by
the court here IN as orderly aud deccn, n man
mrr may he Thn, the plncc for meeting n,
Craine iiueck DO continue as heretofore tina,
/ the church at Tinnccum Island dc .esve for Up
iliud and parts djacori.
And whereas there is no church or place oi
worship higher upp the River than the said Is
land, ior the greater ease and convenience Of the
inhabitants there, us ordered that the images
trals Of fppland do cause u church place OF
idvring fut that purpose 10 b- built al Niekeg-
koo. the which 10 br for the inhabitants of Pas
sayunk and 80 upwards. The said court being
empowered tn rdisc Tax Tor its building, and
4 10 agree upon a competent maintenance for ,heif
minister Of all which they are TO give an ac'
cougt 10 The next general Court, and they 10 the
/ governor tot h,s APPRECIATION. Signed,
"E. ASDRoss
The churches At Crainc Hook Tiunicum. and
] Wcocoa wecc Swcics churches, aud sufficient,
/ puin, ont the lurniou ut the Swcdcs
+ Ti llutrIi ruftr.lt nj keX, i'1stlg yua nrahl
( hly the nucleus OF the present Presbyterian
! hurrh. The Episcopal chnIch, in that town
/ was founded in lG-H. We have no eyidene,
I that any other church existed earlier than 1898
/ Ia thai year the first Presbyterian church, il
| philadelphia, was formed. In 1900 Bshol
I Compton, oi London, sen, Rev. Evan Evans IL
I Philadelphia.
This church. then, wa; the second Presbytcri
1 an church organized IN New Castle county, ana
probably the second In the State. There WAS
! minisier at LeWistown tRcs. Mr. Black in los
/ the very year in which We find Mr.. Wilson
! preaching here. Among the early settlers, IL
] this VicnitY, there were four classes list, th,
/ Swcdcs These seemed 10 have formed but I
/ small portion OF the earliest population. TIL,
| pc,crsons, the Apdress0ns, or Andersons, ant
t the Pipers belonged To thi, class. T.. Piper wai
secretary In Charles n. King Of Sweden and il
1 l6g6 he wrote u letter Ia the Swedcs of Delaware
which WIS also signed by the king, and accom-
painted II Win present from Tie king ui b9
! volumes Of books which were sent 10 them frc
from charge. Count Piper, you will remember
WIS secretary to Charles Nj Of Sweden, and nc
companicd him in his expedition against ancien
Muscory, in his attempt 10 conquer Peter th
Great. He was with him in all his rcverses o
fortune in the Ukraine, aud in his Eight to ben
| der.
"a. This Dutch. The residence Of the Puritan
! who landed on Plymouth Rock in 1920, for man
years in Holland, and the correspondence be
tween ihosc who came 10 America aud that pot
ton OF the Pilgrims who remained behind, la
open u field OF entcrprize To many llollaudert
Who soon embarked for America. The butch ha
previously SETTLED in New York and part 4
New Jersey. A portion Of these cmigrants locs
tea in Delaware. To this class belonged III
Alrieks, the Iausons. the vandegrifts, the Va
Dykes, the Vanzandts, the Hya,ts, aud III
Kings.
The third class was composed OF the Frenc
iiugucnots. After most uiirclcntng pcrsccu
tion during the 40 years which succeeded th
massacre on st. Bariholon,cw's day, Henry "
by the Edict Of Nantes, adopted In 1923, gave 4
the Pro,estAnts, the same rights and privilege
and immunitics with the Roman Catholics. Thl
wae, in fact. extending to them full tolefado
Of thei, religious principles.