Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-23
LEWES BEACH LAND.
Justice OF the Peace wiltbank Writes on
fIle subject.

Justice OF the Peace Wiltbank Writes on
The subject.
Grank Stout o.. this oity has received
from Justice of the Peace II. u. Wilt
bank OF Lewes, friend of his, tho fol-
lowing letter and cory of grant of
beach land, bearing on a subject which
has been causing much discussionsin
Sussex county:
Mr. Frank Stout, Wilmington, Del.--My
Dear Sir: For many years there has been
much dispute between The commissioners of
Iewes and persons residing between the Bay
Shore and Lewes Greek running in front of
Lewes, aB to the title OF the land, the COM
missloners of Lewes claiming that IL was
public land and that the title was in them,
by and for the State OF Delaware. and they
have always levied and collected public and
land tax for the same. The American Fish
cries Co., who own factories near Lewes, pay
n tax OF $500 per annuLE. as do also numer-
GUS poor people. !)f late the question has
been agitated very strongly, the claim being
made that the State of Delaware had no
right to this land, and that she had no right
to give the same to the commissioners of
lewes. MIR. James O. Beebe Of Lewes,
who has taken grent interest for the poor
people residing ON the land.has finally found
grant US FER enclosed, and no record that
Edmund Warner or ats heirs ever disposed
of the same. The people residing on this land
| are preparing to resist the collection of a
public land tax and propose to compel the
commissioners of Lewes to show ritie. The
commissioners he'd a public sale some little
| time back and sod some 81, 200 of pubic
land lenses, intending to make IL summer
resort out of same Many OF the purchasers
are dissatisfied and the commissioners have
troubles of their own. MIR. Beebe informs
me that the grant is recorded in the first
book in the recorders Office without index.
About same time this grant was given nine
others were given, but the heirs disposed of
them. The Warner grant at that time was
considered worthless and Warner and his
heirs paid mn attention to It. ~
Lewis, Jan. 18th, 1902.
Following is copy of the grant,
which was enclosed in MIR. Wiltbank 8
letter:
penn's grant of Cape Henlopen, l6s2.-
Sussex, by the Kings authority and by
Com nissioners of William Penn. proprie-
tory of Pennsylvania and territories there
unto belonging, the 9Th mo-, 18th day OF the
18th mo-, 1852; justices present, William
Darrell, Luke Watson, John Rhodes, Edward
Southern, Robert Hart and John Kiphaven.
| Upon petition of Edmund Warner the
| Court grant unto him the Land of the Cape
| commonly Called Cape lulopen, lying on
| the Northeast side of the Creek formerly
| called the Whoeekile, to make Coney war
rem on and the liberty 10 Build House on
the seat, a warriner upon said Lana upon
the condition that the timber ana feed Of
! the said Land and marshes thereunto be.
l longing, be and forever hereafter I've in
| common for the use OF the inhabitants ot
the Town of Lewes and County of Sussex,
as also free liberty for any or all the In.
habitants of said County to fish and get and
take theirlOyst ers, and cockelshells and gather
Plums. Cemeteries aud Huckeberries or
said land as they shall see fit, Always pro
| vidPd that no person whatsoever snail no
hunt or Kill any Rabbits or Hares on sale
land, without the leave and consent of him
the said Edmund Warner, his executors, nd
minstrators or assigns.
Deed Book No. 1-page 14l in the Re
corder of Deeds office for Susssx county.
The following supplementary note il
added TO the copy OF the grants
There is not much left but the beach, Al
the wood is nearly all gone and the marshes
are covered with sand.