The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-11-15
The Origin of William Penn's Amer
lean Scheme.

When the Dutch province in
America. came by conquest into pos
session of the English crown, the
King had graciously made present
of the whole OF that vast tract of new
settled country to bis brother, His
ROYAL Highness the Duke of York
His Royal Highness had in turn
granted that portion of his territory
now comprising the State of New
jersey to his humble servants Lord
Berkeley and Sir George Carteret.
At that time (about 1863 the north
eastern part of this province had
begun to be sparsely settled here and
there. Elizabethtown had grown to
four houses, and was the capital of
the province. Middletown, too, had
been planted. apd Shrewsbury. But
all the western part, lying up on tho
Delaware River and Bay, was still
untouched, saving by a few scattered
Swedish and Finnish settlers.
Toward this tract of country,
comparatively near the ocean coast
upon one side, and washed by a
broad river and bay upon the other,
the attention of certain Quakers be-
gan to be directed. John Fenwick
and Edward Byllinges, the former OF
Buckinghamshire, the latter Lon
don merchant, both prominent mem
bers OF the Society, purchased of
Lord Berkeley ali his rights and in
terests in the Jerseys for the sum OF
one thousand pounds sterling. The
province was then divided by agree
ment with Sir George Carteret into
East and West Jersey, called collec-
lively in the Did times "The Jer-
seys." This was accomplished by a
line drawn from Little Egg Harbor
to a point on the Delaware River in
the 4lst degree of north latitude.
But in the meantime the settle
ment of this territory with a regular
provincial government came practi-
cally to naught. Fenwick seems to
have been OF a litigious, disputatious
disposition; chickering's and back
talk ensued between the two propri-
etors. Unable, because of the rules
of their secis, TO have the matter
settled by law, the difficulty reached
such a stage that it became necessary
to call for arbitration TO arrange the
matter between them. After casting
about for sJme one TO whom To ap.
peal, William Penn was selected to
/ finally settle the matter And so his
attention first became attracted to
the New World. and his interest
awakened in it. The matter was
satisfactorily adjusted, but West
Jersey was destined to become a
propriatary-or rather bi-proprie-
tary-government Both Byllinges
and Fenwick became involved in
financial difficulties and their estates
passed into the hands of trustees.
one of whom was William Penn. In
this position he became still more
interested in the country; he devoted
his attention wholly to the settle
ment and improvement of this part
of the Jerseys, and as his letters af
terwards showed, he thereby made
himself acquainted with the re-
sources of that which was to him
heretofore an almost unknown world.
He saw at glance the vast possibil-
tiles it held forth to such as would
undertake the development of them.
and finally determined to found a
province there himself. not in the
loose, unsystematic way in which
West Jersey was becoming peopled.
but endowed with a good internal
government for its foundation and
support.
1t is thus that great events move
upon little things, as heavy door
does upon little hinges. Ii John
Fenwick had not been of a disputa.
tious nature, in all likelihood VIII
liam Penn would never have founded
a province.-Hotcard f,gle, IN Hdr-
lpa's Aags-ine for NoremJer.