The Morning herald., 1876-04-14
NEW CASTLE IN I748

AWEVxsSVSeOW
saovas Of The County Cnscss to oChrtsttana
Brtdge-John Curtis and Benjasstn
F.rAn1Nss '"i.'' 'n l0H
The exposed situation Of New Castle
to stack from naval in the early days, be-
fore the Republic, kept the people Of that
place In constant dread of alarm. We are
told BY historical record that the bay was
constantly filled with vessels ofswar, and
attacks upon New Castle so seriously
threatened, that many of the residents
moved further into the country, and as an
act of prevention against loss removed
with them many valuable stores. BEING
directly upon the great water highway tc
Philadelph1s all classes of vessels had tc
pass there, and as there were no forts OF
other means Of protection, the people had
reasons for alarm. This is shown In doc
,,ment which Mr.. Rogers of New Castle
has In his possession, that was drawn up
ID early as 1746, which orders that all the
documents of the county be removed to .
better place Of safety. It reads as follows:
1At private sessions of the peace held
for the county of New Castle, the 9th day
of April, in the seventy first year of Hi
Aajesty's reign A. D. 1748, before the SUBJ
seribers, Justices of the Peace for the
donty of New Castle :--.z..-
WAsysas-The inhabitants of the county
aforesaid and particularly those of the town
Of New Castle are daily alarmed by French
and Spanish privateers cruizing in the Della.
ware bay, and considering the defenceless
cbndition of the town of New Castle afore-
saA,where the records Of the County Of New
CASTLE aforesaid are aud ought to be kept,
L. L a. Nhr
thonotory, Clerk of the Peace, Master Of
the Rolls, and Clerk of the Orphans Court
fpr the county Of New Castle aforsaid, to
remove the said Offices from the town Of
New Castle to proper and convenient
house at Christians bridge, In the said
county, and also that John Curtis, Esq,
Commissary Register for the Probate OF
Wills and granting letters of administra-
tion for the county Aforesaid and one Of the
trustees Of the General Loan Office for the
said county of New Castle, likewise to re-
remove his said offices to Christiana
bridge aforsaid, all to be kept In one house,
and likewise we bind ourselves to oblige the
county of New Castle to pay all the ex-
penses Of the removing Of the records afore-
said, and also the rent of the house where
the said Offices shall be kept as soon as 1t
may be . conveniently done. Signed
James Armitage, Thomas James, ]. Van
Bebber, D. Witherspoon, Jacob Gooding,
VIM. Patterson and David Bush."
It must be inferred from this, that all
trials and county business was transacte
at Christiana bridge, and all the records
and court Offices were removed from New
Castle to that poirt as one Of more security
to their protection than New Castle, In
view of the dangers that thre atened IT,,
and which the Justices who signed the
above orders must have seen. It also dis
proves what has often been asserted for
truth that New Castle was the only place
in the county where the trials Of the county
we're ever held.
John Curtis, to whom the order makes
reference, Is buried In the Episcopal church
yard, at New Castle, and the slab over his
grave shows evidences Of age. The letter.
Ing having become almost indistinet. Mr..
Rogers not long since had II rechiseled, and
now the beautiful tribute which Benjamin
Franklin paid to the occupants of the tomb
In the following epitaph can easily be read:
"Ifto be prudent in Council,
Upri ght IN payment, '..,
Faithful in trust,
Give value to the public man;
II to be sincere In friendship,
Affe lion ate In relations.
And1 kind to all around him.
Make the private m an amiable.
Thy death. 0 Curtis,
AS q general loss,
Long shall be lamented.''
-~>o-
Sea Grove Hotel.
Mr.. A.H.P. Barr, who contemplated rent
ing the Sea Grove Hotel, Ut Cape May
Point, the coming Summer, has abandoned
the idea, and the owners have rented It to