Smyrna times., 1884-05-21
The Circular Boundary Line Be-
tween Delaware County,
Pa, and the State
Of Delaware.
BY H. c. AsHMEAD.


nearly century in tedious and ex-
pensive litigation before it was finally
set at rest by the decree of Lord Chan
cellor Hardwick and the establishment
of the noted Mason and Dixon line in
conformity Herewith. While the
southern boundary of Delaware coun-
ty presents a circular course extending
the State of Delaware several miles at
its northern limit beyond the straight
line which elsewhere forms the south
ern boundary of PENNSYLVANIA, that
circle constitutes historically no part
OF Mason and Dixon survey, which
during the Missouri compromise de-
bates in 1920, was made so familiar to
the nation by John Rudolph, who in
his remarks, constantly referred to it
as the imaginary geographical line
which marked the division between
the free and slave States. Nearly four
years previous to the grant of the ter
rltOry to Penn, for the convenience of
the then settlers on the Delaware an
amicable adjustment of the line divid-
ing New Castle and Upland-afterwar
Chester cOunty-was made. At
court held at Upland, November II,
1873, this proceeding is recorded as
follows:
" The Limits and division between
this and New Castle county, were this
day agreed upon and settled By this
Court and Mr.. John Moll president of
New Castle Court To be as followeth.
Wit.
"This County of Upland to begin
from W. r1nrfh IR -,
Creeke, otherwise Called Steenkill Ly-
ing IN the bOght above We verdrietige
hoeck, and from the said Creek over
to ye singletree point on the East syde
of the River"
This division, Mr.. Edward Arm
strong, in his valuable note to the
Record of Upland Court" has made
Ineligible to the modern reader. The
creek he tells us at the time when the
boundary line between the two coun-
ties was adjusted known as Dele Fran
Gems was at a late date called Streen or
StOney creek, and is now recognized
as Quarryville creek, crossing the
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Balti-
more Railroad three and three-uuar-
ters miles below the mouth of Naa-
mans creek, in Brandywine Hundred,
New Castle county. Verdrietege
hoeck or corner of land, was also
called Trinity Hook, laying between
ShellpOt a corruption of "Skelld-
paddle" the Swedish for turtle ~
and Stoney creeks. " Verdrietege .
was a term derived from the Dutch
verdrietigh," signifying "grievOus -
or $ tedious" owing to the character of
the navigation in approaching that
point, while "Singletree Point is now
Old Mans Point" on the New jersey
shore one mile below the mouth OF
Old Man creek"
The charter or patent of Charles II,
to William Penn bearing the date OF
the 4th day of March, 1851. as also in
the proclamation of the King, April
I'd of the same year, in defining the
territorial boundaries of Penn's Prov
inces, mentions the circular line as
ON the South by circle drawn at
twelve miles distance from New Castle
nOTthwards and westWarls into the be-
ginning of the fortieth degree of north
ern latitude and then by straight
line westwards to the limits of lOngi-
/ AuuC 0DOfE UlGHliOneu-
After Penn had acquired Jurisdiction
of the territory by virtue of the roya
| grant he dispatched his cousin, Cap.
tain William Markham, as his Deputy
/ Governor, TO represent him in the
| Province. The latter in a letter t
Penn, dated New York, June %, 1851
/ says: This is to acquaint thee thai
about ten daies since here arrived
Francis Richardson with thy Deputy, ,
and on the 3rd day of August, 1851
Markham was in Upland as stated il
the preceding chapter.
In the latter part of August 1851
Captain William Markham, Deputy
Governor of Pennsylvania,-who haC
been entrusted by the King with let
ter to Charles, Lord Baltimore, request
ing the latter to appoint with all con
venient speed some person or persons
who may in connection with the agen
or agents We said William Penn MAKE
true division & separation of We sale
Province of Maryland and Pennsilvani;
according to the bounds and degree o
northern latitude expressed in our let
ters patent, &c."-went to Maryland
in order to settle as quickly as Nigh
be the controversy respecting thl
boundary line between tine two Prov
inces. Markham also took with him
letter from William Penn to Lord Bal
timore urging the prompt adjustmen
of the vexatious dispute. The Lor,
Proprietary of Maryland receive,
Penn's representative with marke,
kindness and as the latter was suffer
ing from indisposition induced by tn
intensely warm weather, Baltimore in
vited Markham to his house on tn
Patuxent River, where the latter be
came dangerously i'll and for nearly
month was incapable of being moved
On his recovery he determined to re
turn to Pennsylvania, bat before hi
departure, Baltimore and he arrangel
to meet at Upland on the 10th of OctC
Der following, where observation
should then be taken to ascertain pre-
cisely where the 40th degree Of north
ern latitude was, and thus adjust th
disputed point of territorial boundarie.
Markham also promised to borrO'
from Col. Lewis Morris, of New York
the necessary instruments for maxim
the astronomical observations. Unez
pected the passage Of the vessel u
Chesapeake Bay to its head was lon
and tedious, so that much of the tim
Markham had intended for his iourne
to New York was thereby consumed
Hence, from the head of the bay,
addressed a letter to Lord Baltimor
September %, 1881, requesting ths
the meeting should be deferred unit
the 26th Of the same month Whe
! ! the Deputy Governor reached Uplan
) he was again taken III, and thereupo
he wrote to Lord Baltimore, this tim
informing him that his physical cond
ton was such that It would be imposs
ble for him to attend to the adiustmeI
Of the boundary line until the follow
ing Spring. This letter was forwarde
!. but before it reached its destinatio
! Markham received q communicate
from Lord Baltimore, dated OctObs
10, 1851, in which the latter stated thi
: he could not come to Upland that vet
for fear of the frost" which might Il
, tercept navigation, but inasmuch
the Kings wishes in this matter ha1
not been complied with. his Lordshi
, would place on Markham the respons
: bility Of not meeting that year
y the meanwhile both parties to the col
: troversy maintained that his adversaI
was trespassing on his domain and
convinced was William Penn that th
was the case that on September /
4 1851, he addressed letters to six Of Il
q most extensive land owners ii Mar
land, whose possessions were l0cats
within the debatable territory, stain