Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-06-30
Written for the Register
PIONEER HISTORY OF THE LUCAS
AND DARKE FAMILIES.

hither sent by King James, to consolidate
and govern the scattered colonies in
America under the comprehensive title OF
New England, that he was petitioned by
certain Quaker settlers "newly arrived
from Old England to grant particular
parcels OF land in the Duke OF York'S ter
ritory, west OF the South river, soon to be
known as Pennsylvania.
The land sought by these early English
emigrantS was some OF the faireSt river
bottoms in this fair province, its alluylal
soil washed down in ages past by the
Delaware from the foothills nearbJ, and
from mountain slopes OF the distant Blue
Ridge, to form here a broad and level
plain, deep in fertility, overlaid with YER
dure OF luxuriant growth, and here and
there blocked with forests ofuSeful timber.
Of such as this there were about $1,000
acres which bordered and followed the
sinuouS western shores OF the river from
the head of navigation "at the falls" OF
the Delaware,-a locality, under Penn's
proprietary system, thereafter created
into township by the name Of Falls.
"The falls" not only determined the
fartheSt point OF navigabIe waters in the
upper Delaware, but the term indicated
the place OF crossing-from period re-
mote in Indian traditions, down to recent
times when we first read OF it in history,
in the path which traverSed the province
OF East New Jersey, reaching from the
Dutch settlements at Manhattan on the
North [HudSonl River,t TO kindred posts at
Christina and at New AmStel on the lower
Delaware, between which points, and
touching at other but widely separated
settlements, was evolved the so-called
"King'S Highway" and by which the
burgherS communicated with each other;
and where the Indians, too, for that mat
ter, possibly for generations paSt-had
worn a trail in their primitive intenribal
intercourse.
The Lennl-Lenape still dwell and forag-
ed upon and over this wide domain and
with them the settlers of that day had 10
reckon. 1t is OF record that the English
settlers after securing the coveted grants
from the sovereign oyerlord perfected
title to the land, by an absolute purchase
from the Indian OF hereditary rights in the
Soil,-hence, it is said, that no moleSta-
ton Of person or property ever followed
the settler from the red man who thus re-
linquiShed his title, and when so acquired
no pangs OF troubled conscience ever dis
turbed the serenity OF Quaker pioneer
in these parts.
With this general but brief review OF
the period as prelude, shall now pro-
ceed with the documentary testimony re-
lating to my subject.
"Hon'b BILE Strive whose names are
hereunder inscribed lately come from old
England with intent to inhabit in this
country and if your Honor please 10 grant
us and under your hand to settle at Mr..
Pittar Aldridge's Plantation and the falls
of Delaware River we shall be willing to
inhabit it and hold it according to the
custom of the country, being fit place
for huSbandmen. We may have land in
JerSie side, but we are willing TO become
tenants to his HighneSS the Duke OF York
if yr Honor please to give us the grantand
to clear the Indians that now - to send
for the rest OF Our families, or our rela-
tionS which look for return from us, so
deserving your answer by this bearer we
shall write for it before we settle and shall
rest,
Yr Humble servants, though unknown.
Burlington, June ye % 1919"
Among the score OF SignerS to the above
petition, the first and second persons TO
append their names were: Robert Lucas
and John Lucas. The Lucas's who signed
the above document, which was deliver
ed probably by one OF the group OF emf
grants to Sir Edmond AndroS, were Rob
ert Lucas and his eldest son, John, yeo-
men, hailing from Deverall, Lingbridge
[Loughbridgel, in the county of Wits,
England. They arrived in the ship
Elizabeth and Sarah" OF Weymouth,
on the 4th of 4th month April, 1919.
Following this application for a land
grant, an order drawn by Sir Edmund
Andres was directed to Philip PoCoCk,
the surveyor for New Castle, in July, 1879,
authorizing him TO lay out certain land
below ''the falls on the west side of the
Delaware. The land surveyed to Lucas
and the others who were settling in the
same locality had frontage on the river
in proportion to The land purchased, and
extended inland-in narrow parellelo-
grams for quantity. From an expression
used in their petition by the SignerS, it is
probable that they first landed at Rurling
ton, the seat OF government for the Diyi-
sion Of West New Jersey, and finding the
river lands in its vicinity already appro-
priated, made tour OF observation
which determined them upon negotiating
for the unabSorbed lands on the opposite
shore.
In 1851 William Penn by this time hav-
ing been confirmed in the grant OF Penn
sylvana and the patent issued to him by
the King, notice was given 10 A1dros,
and all grants under the latter were held
in abeyance. Penn devised his own sYS-
tenn OF land allotment and tenure, and sent
his agents before him to take tentative
possession until, by his own presence in
the following year, he could formally ex-
ercise it in person. After Penn came and
organized his government, all persons
who were seated in the province under
the Duke of York'S grants were obligated
m have their titlr confirmed bV Penn