Middletown transcript., 1875-03-13
"New Sweden"

ical Society of Pennsylvania Gin con-
junction with that of Delaware), is IA
History of New Sweden, or the Settle
ments on the River Delaware, by
Israel Acrelius, translated from the
Swedish, with an introduction and
notes by William NJ. Reynolds. D. D.
This interesting work. is the eleventh
volume of the Memoirs of the Histori-
cal Society, and it is. like all the
others, valuable as contribution to our
local history. The actual control OF
the settlements made on the shores OF
the Delaware by the Swedes lasted only
from 1888 to 1868. Long afterwards.
however, and as late as 1856, the
Swedish Government continued to send
clergymen to care for the spiritual in
terest. of its colonists. paying the ex-
penses Of their voyage and providing
for them on their return. Many books
in the Swedish language still attest the
friendly zeal of the ancestral home in
the work of providing for the churches
on the Delaware, and nearly all of
these churches still retain the plate pre-
sented for their use by their friends in
Sweden. There is quite literature on
our early history in the shape of books
written by the clergymen and others
sent to this country, and one Of the
most particular and satisfactory is that
now reprinted by the Historical Society.
for Acrelius was himself long enough
here to be able to judge for himself.
and his reputation with his contempor-
aries, as we'll as with students Of later
date. was a very good one, indeed
The interest in the republication Of his
history is very much increased by the
notes and maps and other details of ad-
ditional information. furnished to the
editor with great liberality by our local
antiquarians, and especially by Mr..
Joseph j. Mickey, whose zeal led him
to Sweden, where he made diligent in
vestigation in the archives Of their
colonial history, and ascertained the
strength of the ties between the old and
new countries
Few persons bear in mind that when
William Penn and his colonists came to
this country. the Swedes, who had been
here for nearly half century. received
their new fellow citizens with great
friendliness. carried up their goods and
furniture from their ships, and enter
tained them in their houses without
charge. The land on which portion
of our own city was laid out, consisting
of three hundred and sixty acres,
high, dry and pleasant place. on the
river, at Wicacoa, was the gift Of three
brothers of the Swanson family, upon
condition that two hundred acres should
be given to them in what were after
wards called the Northern Liberties"
of the city, with yearly rent of one
half bushel Of wheat for each one hun
dred acres. Penn himself made CRATE
full acknowledgment Of the friendly re-
ception of the Swedes, and. gave them
a place both in the General Assembly
and in the Governors Council. Acre
| Illus, in his account of the condition of
the Province at the time Of his resi-
sdence. in 1859, describes the property
qualification prescribed as necessary for
the right to vote, fifty acres of land
located, and twelve of those under cul-
tivatiop, or property to the value Of
fifty pounds Of provincial currency"
and the method of voting by ballot,
matter of very doubtful antiquity in
our early colonial history. As native
of Sweden, and interested in its iron
production, Acrelius gives an account
Of the iron works in Pennsylvania and
the adjacent English colonies in bis
time, which furnishes one good basis
for comparison between the condition
Of the country then and now. At that
time there were eight iron works in
this colony, Of which the Cornwall
Works" are still in active and success
full operation. Then it made twenty
four tons Of iron week, and kept six
forges regularly at work. The pig iron
was mostly sent to England, the bar
iron was used in Philadelphia and the
interior towns.
Competent authority reported that
pig iron was sold at the furnaces for
three pounds six shillings and eight
pence per ton, bar iron at the forge for
twenty pounds per ton. on six months
credit; while the calculation Of expense
put the pig iron as costing at the fur
mace 92 per ton, and bar iron at the
forge 910, kettles, stoves, etc., sold at
the furnace for five pounds six shillings
eight pence per ton, and as. even then,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Mary
land supplied more iron than their in
habitants needed, it was exported to
London, which had an exclusive privi-
lege of trade. to the West India Islands,
and other English colonies. In the
lists Of Swedish families living on the