Smyrna times., 1884-05-21

his action in writing, a request which
the latter Immediately complied
with. (S) The two Governors, how
ever agreed to meet at New Castle the
next day, so that the point of 40 de-
grees might be determined at the head
of Chesapeake bay. In the afternoon
of the Goth of September, Lord Balti-
more left Upland for New Castle, but
before he stepped into the boat at the
landing he spoke in a loud voice to
Markham, who was present, together
with number of the residents of the
place. "You are sensible. Captain
Markham, that by an observation
taken yesterday that this plantation is
in 80 degrees AZ minutes and some
seconds, and must therefore be sensi-
bic that am here about twelve miles
to the southwark of the degree of forty,
which is my north bound as the same
is Mr.. Penn's south bound. There
fore, afOre you and all the rest here
present lay claim to this place and as
far further as the degree of forty will
reach" To this claim of Lord Balti-
more Markham made no response but
with courteous attention conducted the
former to the boat and then they part
ed. Baltimore, as he descended the
river, halted at Marcus Hook, where
he landed and going to each of the
dwellings at that place prohibited the
residents from paying any more quit
rents to Penn, as the land did not come
within his territory, but was part of
Maryland, and that he, Baltimore,
would return suddenly and take posses
sion of his own. This notification,
particularly as the one who made it
was attended with the pomp and cir
cumstance of power, caused the utmost
CONSERVATION among the settlers, who
repaired to Upland the next day, Just
as Markham-the instrument being
| placed on board bOat-was about
starting ON horseback with his attend
ant for New Castle, and so great was
the excitement consequent on Lord
Baltimore's unexpected claim that
Markham called his Council imme-
diately together and they decided that
the Deputy Governor must remain at
Upland to quiet the disturbed peO-
pie" WhereupOn Markham wrote to
Lord Baltimore that he could not meet
him at New Castle under the circum-
stances.
Although the Proprietaries of the
/ two Provinces could not adjust their
dispute, for the expediency of the in
habitants, the Court at Chester, on
March IA, 1858, declared that Naaman's
Greek should be the boundary line be-
tween the two counties, and so gener-
ally was this recognized, that Thomas
Holms, Surveyor General under Penn,
in his "map of the improved part of
the Province of Pennsylvania in Amer
lea" observes this division.
Nevertheless there was some confu-
sion still existing, hence ten years later,
in 1898, petition was presented by
some of the inhabitants of Chester
county to the Governor and Council
stating that they were seriously incon-
venienced because of there being no
authoritatively recognized line be-
tween that county and New Castle.
The Council after discussing the topic,
on the 9th of August, 1893,
Resolved, That for the present con-
venience of the government, and not
for an absolute and final prOprietarie
division, but that the inhabitants on
the borders of both counties may
Know to which of the two to pay their
levies, taxes, ETC., and perform their
other cOuntie services, the bounds of
New Castle county shall extend north
ward to the mouth of Naaman's creek
and upwards along the southwest side
of the NOrthmost branch Excluding
the townships of Concord and Bethel, J
and not to extend backwards of the
said northmost branch above the said
two townships"
For eight years the boundary thus
established seemed to meet in a meas
ure the demands of the sparsely set
tied country Immediately effected
thereby, although the constantly grow
ing disposition on the part of the in
habitants of the three lower counties
now the State of Delaware-tO sep
arate from the territory comprising the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was
often manifested during the interval
and at length eliminated in petition
from the Assembly to Penn, 20th OF
9TH month, 1901, in which they urge
that the division line between the
I counties of New Castle and Chester be
aseertained allowing the the boundary
according to the prOprietary's letters
patent from the King" Penn, then in
Philadelphia, in response to this petit
7 ton, replied: 1t is my own inclina-
tiOn and desire the representatives OF
New Castle and Chester counties forth
with, or before they leave town, to at
tend me about the time and man.
ner of doing it." In conformity with
the wish of Penn, a conference was
held which resulted in a warrant be-
ing issued 2Sth of Sth month 1701, to
Isaac Taylor, surveyor of Chester
county, and Thomas Pierson, surveyor
of New Castle county, requiring them
to meet the magistrates of the two
counties, or any three of them, and,
I" In their presence to admeasure and
survey from the town of New Castle
the distance of twelve miles in a right
line up We said river and from We saiC
distance according to We Kings letters
patent and deeds from the Duke and
We said circular line to be well marked
) twO-thirds part of We semi-circle.n
The surveyors designated made re.
| report that, ON the 4th day of the tenth
l month, (December) 17O1, in the pres
ence of Cornelius Empson, Richard
: Halliwell and John Richardson, Jus
} tices of New Castle county, and Calet
Pusey, Philip Roman and Robert Pyle
Justices of Chester county, they ran
the division lines, beginning at the
J point of the radial line, which was Sc
lected by the magistrates at the end
of the horse dyke next to the town o.
: New Castlen Thence they measured
; due north twelve miles, the termina
: ton of that distance being "a white
, oak marked with twelve nOtches stand
ing on the west side of BrandywinS
3 creek, in the lands of Samuel Helm,
g thence eastwardly circularly chang
ing our course from the east southwark
g one degree at the end of every sixty
l seven perches which is tho chord o
e one degree to a twelve mile radius
= and at the end of forty-three chords W,
, came to the Delaware river, ON the up
;. per side of Nathaniel Lampley's OlC
!, house at Chichester" The survey
{ ors then returned to the marked white
r oak on Helms land and ran a west
{ wardly course, changing as before lou
, course one degree from the west south
/, ward at the end Of every sixty-sevel
: perches, until we had EXTENDED
e seventy-seven chords, which, being
t added to the forty three chords maxi
5 twO-thirds part of the semi-cirele te
twelve mile radius, all which said cir
: cular line being well marked will
Q three nOtches on each side of the tree,
+ to a marked hickory sfanlin0 near tn