Milford chronicle., 1932-04-22
A TEN THOUSAND
ACRE PLANTATION
IN SUSSEX COUNTY
LOvett's Nursery Stands
On What Was Formerly
Called Farmers De-
light"

81 do hereby order and appOi"
that before any land he surveyed
for any other person | do issue a
warrant directed to the surveyor
......................to lay out for
the Duke of York in the county
.................te ten thousand acres
of land for Il manor for myself
Observation-Disclosures. manor to be
between the hounds of Cedar Greek
and AlispilliOn Greek or in the most
convenient pace towards the north
side of the county"
This is part of the letter that was
written by William Penn to the JUS
tices of the neace in Sussex County,
1852 Penn's manor, which was
known as Farmers Delight" in
cluded large part of what is now
East and South Milford, LOvetts 3
Nursery, aud numerous small farms
all the way to where Cedar Greek is
now crossed by the du POnt BOule-
ward.
Sometime later this large planta-
ton was broken up into smaller
parts. and in l774. portion of it
was owned by Abraham WynkOop.
When he died in l775, his land was
transferred to the ownership of
Joshua Fisher of Philadelphia. To-
day Mrs Elizabeth Riggs has in her
possession the writ of indenture
which exchanged the land. John
Russell the Sussex County Recorder
for that year wrote in an elegant
and elaborate hand on parchment
paper that Abraham WynkoOp had
bought some of his land from Josh
ua Fisher and did not have it paid
for when he departed this life" In
the deed his executors gave tht land
back to Joshua Fisher.
The farms adjoining WynkOop's
belonged to John Crapper and John
Draper who were both early settlers
in the Cedar Greek Hundred. Other
people mentioned in the deed were
Mary Wynkoop, Phoebe Vining and
Benjamin Wynkoop. They are the
three executors. Among the sigma
lures on it was the name of Caesar
Rodney, a well-known figure in Del
aware history. All money payments
mentioned were in English pounds
and shillings. The county seat at
that time, we are told, was at Lewes.
From ITS on that land passed in
to various hands. 1t became known
as Mansion Farm and in 1850 Lem
uel Draper bought it from Joshua
Layton. The next owner was a Col
Onel Fiddeman, whose son-in-law, a
Mr.. Reed, was the tenant. About
hundred years after the death of
Abraham WynkoOp the farm came
into the possession of another fam
lily of WynkoOps who were probably
descended from the first owners. |
This family grew tobacco extensive
ly on the place. Later they sold ii
to James Fl. Deputy who in 1928 |
sold it to Lester LOvett.
The old house in which the Wyn-
koops lived is still standing. AL |
though it has been remOdeled many |
times the same wide boards and |
hand made nails remain. Outside the |
aged milk-hOuse is still in good con-
ditiOn. The house is set back from |
the road in II grove of tall trees and |
Mr.. John Allen. the Nursery fore
man. now lives there.
Many changes have come about |
since 1775. Many people have owned |
the land called Farmers Delight"
Much of its history has been for
gotten, and that old, old piece of
parchment is like something real,
tangible from the dim
past. The writing is still legible; the
parchment is still stiff and thick
We very rarely find a piece of paper
that has weathered one hundred lif-
ty-seven years so well.
Alice Breme