Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-08-24
FOURTH EDITION.
Social Pfc-Nic at MT. Cuba.

| REUNION OF THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF HOOK
EssIN--THE scATTERED REoATHERED.
A large party of both sexes, and all ages, gath
cred at Mt Cuba, on the Wilmington & Western
Railroad on Saturday, in response to private
invitation to attend Basket Picnic Re-Union
'of old friends and associates, especially but
not exclusively of Hockessin." The day was
somewhat showery, but the time was pleasantly
spent with croquet, games and dancing.
An informal meeting was also organinized, J.
| Il. Head being called to the chair, and after he
had made some preliminary remarks, John G.
Jackson spoke briefly. Emma Worrell read a
poem, and Lydia ii. Rice, of West Chester ad-
dressed the meeting. John jackson began by
aludng to the fact that Hockessin had become
somewhat celebrated in the little world of Della
ware-that in fact it had been made almost clas-
sic ground by being referred to so handsomely
| in the writings of our noted fellow countryman,
| Bayard Taylor espec ally in his late poem Of
Lars" The walks of his hero
"Beyond the town where deeper wales bring down
| The winding brooks from Pennsylvania hillsr
were aptly illustrated and realized by the deep
valley of Red Clay Creek and the sparkling wa
ters right there in presence flowing.
More appropriately still for the occasion, the
poets words were quoted and commented upon,
"The land was called Hockessfn Der its hills
High, wide, and fertile, blew healthy air;
There was a homestead set wherever fell
A sunward 81 pc, and breathed its crystal vein,
And up beyond the woods at crossing roads
The heart of all, the ancient mteting-hoisen -
Mr.. Jackson next produced an old deed writ
ten in quaint Old English text, dated the 'six
aud twentieth day of August in ye fifth year of
We reign of our sovereign Lord George, King of
Great Britain and Ireland "a. d. 171S," from
which it appeared that Hockessin Valley was
part of the Manor of Steining of 1880 acres,
granted by VIM. Penn to his daughter Letitia,
by patent dated 1907. In 1715, tract of 800
acres of this land, embracing the main body of
Hockessin Valley and the hill slopes fronting
South-Eastward, was sold by the attorneys OF
William Asbury, and Lettia his wife. late Lett
tia Penn, to John Houghton. From John
Houghton, the valley lands passed by deeds of
conveyance and otherwise more or less direct, to
the hands of the present owners.
Mr.. j. then made some flattering illusions to
the character of the people who have come
from the valley of Hockessin and vicinity and
gone forward to make their mark in wide field
of action, or who, perhaps, he jocosely said.
'left their country for their countrys good. "
The name of several families were mentioned
the Marshalls the Healds the Pus-
eys, the Romans, the Phillipses, the
Worrell's and Others who had left the old home
stead and gone forth to battle-some In the Con-
gress Of the Nation, some in the Halls of Legis-
lation of their own and other States some as
successful manufacturers and enterprsing bus
mess men in various fields of labor, some as
instructors and teachers-all demonstrating the
pluck, energy, and integrity inherited from their
ancestors ana the Tree ana lnuepenuent charac-
ter imbibed from the imprisoned air Of their ma
| tive hills.
| Mr.. modestly laid claim that those who still
lived in the valley and did their duty towards its
development, should, according to the old Mosa-
ic rule, be entitled to the same share of reward
| as those who went forth to the battle
| After some brief illusions to the good old
| times enjoyed as school mates by those now as
sembled in pleasant reunion, to the vast i'm
provements in mechanical art and scientific
knowledge, the birth of railroads, steamboats,,
teegTaphs, ETC., ETC., since those good old times
Mr. ]. closed by brief exhortation to those
present not to forget their honorable descent and
the noble testimony to the freedom of COM
merce and the in iioidadlty Of all true relig on,
so nobly borne by Their ancestors.