son, William Clark, Francis Whitewell, John Richardson, John Hillyard. The Members of Assembly for each county were

For Bucks-William Yardly, Samuel Darke, Robert Lucas, Nicholas Walne, John Wood, John Clowes, Thomas Fitzwater, Robert Hall, James Boyden.

For Philadelphia-John Songhurst, John Hart, Walter King, Andros Binkson, John Moon, Thomas Wynne, speaker, Griffith Jones, William Warner, Swan Swanson.

For Chester-John Hoskins, Robert Wade, George Wood, John Blunston, Dennis Rochford, Thomas Bracy, John Bezer, John Harding, Joseph Phipps.

For Newcastle-John Cann, John Darby, Valentine Hollingsworth, Gasparus Herman, John Dehoaef, James Williams, William Guest, Peter Alrick, Henrick Williams.

For Kent-John Biggs, Simon Irons, Thomas Haffold, John Curtis, Robert Bedwell, William Windsmore, John Brinkloe, Daniel Brown, Benony Bishop.

For Sussex-Luke Watson, Alexander Draper, William Futcher, Henry Bowman, Alexander Moleston, John Hill, Robert Bracy, John Kipshaven, Cornelius Verhoof.

Captain William Markham, from London, was a relation of the proprietor. He was afterwards sometimes his secretary, and sometimes his deputy-governor. He appears to have been a useful person, of good education, character and ability. He had the proprietor's confidence and esteem till his death.

Christopher Taylor is said to have been a person of excellent character and ability; he was born in Yorkshire, had a good education, wrote well in the Latin language. He was an eminent preacher among the Quakers, and wrote several pieces in defence of their religious principles, in England, as well as his brother, Thomas Taylor. He was one of the first and principal settlers in the province, under William Penn; and is said to have been of great service in it, in different respects. He died in 1696.

Captain Thomas Holmes came from Waterford, in Ireland. He was one of the people called Quakers, and surveyor-general of the province, appointed by commission from the proprietor, bearing date the 18th of the second month, 1682.

Lacy (Lasse) Cock appears to have been one of the Swede settlers. prior to William Penn's arrival.

John Simcock came from Ridley, in Cheshire, in England, where he had suffered much for his religion, being a Quaker and a preacher in that society. He had a good education, was one of the proprietor's first commissioners of property, and one of his most trusty friends in the

government. Sometimes he was speaker of the assembly; and is said to have been a very worthy and serviceable person in the province, both in a religious and civil capacity. He lived in Chester county, and died on the 27th of January, 1702.

William Biles was a preacher among the Quakers, among the first settlers there; where he appears to have taken up land under Governor Andros, of New York, prior to William Penn's grant of the province. He is said to have been a very useful person both in the civil and religious line; being often in the Council and Assembly, &c.

James Harrison came from Boulton, in Lancashire, one of the proprietor's first commissioners of property; was divers years in great esteem with him and his agent, at Pennsbury-being a man of good education, and a preacher among the Quakers.

William Haige had been a merchant in London.

Ralph Withers, from Bishop's Canning, in Wiltshire.

Griffith Jones, from Surry.

Francis Whitewell was counsellor for Kent county. He is said to have been a very serviceable person in the government, among the first and early settlers; a preacher among the Quakers; and every way a very useful and worthy member of society. He died in the year 1684; and William Darval was chosen counsellor in his stead.

Thomas Wynne was Speaker of the Assembly during the two first years, and was at other times a member of it. He was one of the people called Quakers, a preacher among them, and came from North Wales; a person of note and good character. He died in the latter part of the year 1692. He was author of some pieces written in defence of the Quakers, in his native country.

John Moon was originally of Lancashire, in England: afterwards of Bris tol. He wrote some pieces in defence of the Quakers, in his native country. John Songhurst came from Sussex, in England; was a writer and preacher among the Quakers. He died in West Jersey, and was buried in Philadelphia, in 1688.-1 Proud, 235–6.

The most important business enacted at this session was the adoption a new charter, framed by a joint committee [1683.] It is reprinted in Division X. No. 4. This charter, with another enacted in 1696 were only preparatory to the last Charter of Privileges, granted in 1701.

"The Governor and Council, among other regulations, established a Sal, for each county, viz: for Philadelphia, an Anchor; for Bucks, a Tree and Vine; for Chester, a Plow; for New Castle, a Cassia; for Kent, three Ears of Indian Corn; and for Sussex, a Wheat Sheaf.

"The first sheriffs appointed for each county, were: for Philadelphia. John Test; Chester, Thomas Usher; Bucks, Richard Noble; New Castle, Edmund Cantwell; Kent, Peter Bowcomb; Sussex, John Vines.

"The first Grand Jury, in Pennsylvania, was summoned on the second of the third month, this year, [1683] upon some persons accused of issuing counterfeit silver money. The Governor and Council sat as a Court of Justice on the occasion. The names of those impannelled and attested to serve on the Grand Jury were, Thomas Lloyd, Foreman, Enoch Flower, Richard Wood, John Harding, John Hill, Edward Louff, James Boyden, Nicholas Walne, John James, John Vanborson, Robert Hall, Valentine Hollingsworth, Alexander Draper, John Louff, John Wale, Samuel Darke, John Parsons, John Blunston, Thomas Fitzwater, William Guest, John Curtis, Robert Lucas, Henry Jones and Caleb Pusey.

"A bill or bills, being found by the Grand Jury, a Petty Jury was therefore impannelled and attested; whose names were: John Claypoole, Foreman, Robert Turner, Robert Ewer, Andrew Binkson, John Barnes, Joseph Fisher, Dennis Rochford, William Howell, Walter King, Benjamin Whitehead, Thomas Rouse and David Breintnall."

At this time Penn was probably renewing his negotiations with the Indians, as would appear from two deeds on record for land purchased. The first dated June 23d, 1683, between William Penn and Kings Tamanen and Metamequan, conveys their land near Neshemanah (Neshaminy) creek, and thence to Pennapecka (Pennypack.) The second dated July 14, 1683 is for lands lying between the Schuylkill and Chester rivers.3

"In one of the purchases of land made from the Indians, it was stipu lated that it should extend 'as far back as a man could walk in three days.' Tradition relates that William Penn, himself, with several of his friends and a number of Indian chiefs, 'began to walk out this land at, the mouth of the Neshaminy, and walked up the Delaware; that in one day and a half, they got to a spruce tree near the mouth of Baker's creek, when William, concluding this would include as much land as he would want at present, a line was run and marked from the spruce tree to Neshaminy, and the remainder left to be walked out when it should be wanted for settlement.' 'It is said they walked leisurely, after the Indian manner, sitting down sometimes to smoke their pipes, to eat biscuit and cheese, and drink a bottle of wine. It is certain they arrived at the spruce tree in a day and a half, the whole distance rather less than thirty miles. The remainder of the line was not run till the 20th of September 1783, when the Governor of Pennsylvania employed three of the fastest walkers that could be found, one of whom, Edward Marshall, walked in a day and a half the astounding distance of eighty six miles. The name of William Penn has by some persons been unjustly coupled with this disgraceful transaction, which did not take place till many years after his death. The Indians felt themselves much aggrieved by this

1 Proud.

2 Watson.

3 Mem. Hist. Soc. Pa.

unfair admeasurement of their lands: it was the cause of the first dissatisfaction between them and the people of Pennsylvania; and it is remarkable, that the first murder committed by them in the province, seventy-two years after the landing of Penn, was on this very ground, which had been taken from them by fraud."1

The only instance of a prosecution for witchcraft found in the judicial records of Pennsylvania belongs to this period. It seems to have originated among the Swedes.2 The persons accused were Margaret Matson and Yeshro Hendrickson. Lacy Cock acted as interpreter. A sample of the evidence is here produced: "Henry Drystreett, attested, saith he was told 20 years ago, that the witness at the bar was a witch, and that several cows were bewitched by her." "Annaky Coolin, attested, saith that her husband took the heart of a calf that had died, as they thought, by witchcraft and boiled it, whereupon the prisoner at the bar came in and asked them what they were doing; they said boiling of flesh; she said they had better they had boiled the bones, with several other unseemly pressions." The Governor gave the jury their charge concerning the case, of which, it is to be regretted, there is no record. "The jury went forth, and upon their returning brought her in guilty of the common fame of being a witch, but not guilty in manner and form as she stands indicted."

During the spring or summer of this year Penn visited the interior of the province and embodied the result of what he saw, in a letter to the Free Society of Traders in London, which, as an authentic description of the country and an account of its actual status, is one of the most interesting documents relating to the period, extant and is, therefore, given in full:

"A letter from William Penn, Proprietor and Governor of Pennsylvania, in America, to the Committee of the Free Society of Traders of that province, residing in London: containing a general description of the said province, its soil, air, water, seasons and produce, both natural and artifieral, and the good increase thereof. With an account of the natives, or aborigines:

· My kind Friends:

The kindness of yours, by the ship Thomas and Ann, doth much lige me; for by it I perceive the interest you take in my health and reputation, and the prosperous beginning of this province; which, you are so kind as to think, may much depend upon them. In return of which I have sent you a long letter, and yet containing as brief an account of myself, and the affairs of this province, as I have been able to make.

"In the first place, I take notice of the news, you sent me; whereby I 1 Janney. Haz. Reg. of Penn'a. VI, 209. 1 Janney.-Col. Rec.

find, some persons have had so little wit, and so much malice, as to report my death; and, to mend the matter, dead a Jesuit too. One might have reasonably hoped that this distance, like death, would have been a protection against spite and envy; and, indeed, absence being a kind of death, ought alike to secure the name of the absent, as the dead; because they are equally unable, as such, to defend themselves: but they that intend mischief do not use to follow good rules to effect it. However, to the great sorrow and shame of the inventors, I am still alive, and no Jesuit; and I thank God, very well. And, without injustice to the authors of this, I may venture to infer that they that wilfully and falsely report, would have been glad it had been so. But I perceive many frivo lous and idle stories have been invented since my departure from England; which, perhaps, at this time are no more alive than I am dead.

"But, if I have been unkindly used by some I left behind me, I found love and respect enough where I came; an universal kind welcome, every sort in their way. For here are some of several nations, as well as divers judgments: nor were the natives wanting in this; for their kings, queens, and great men, both visited and presented me; to whom I made suitable returns, &c.

"For the Province, the general condition of it, take as followeth:

I. "The country itself, its soil, air, water, seasons and produce, both natural and artificial, is not to be despised. The land containeth divers sorts of earth, as sand, yellow and black, poor and rich: also, gravel, both loamy and dusty; and, in some places, a fast fat earth like our best vales in England; especially by inland brooks and rivers: God, in his wisdom, having ordered it so, that the advantages of the country are divided; the back lands being generally three to one richer than those that lie by navigable rivers. We have much of another soil; and that is a black hazel-mould upon a stony or rocky bottom.

II. "The air is sweet and clear, the heavens serene, like the south parts of France, rarely overcast; and as the woods come, by numbers of people, to be more cleared, that itself will refine.

III. "The waters are generally good; for the rivers and brooks have mostly gravel and stony bottoms; and in number hardly credible. We have also mineral waters, that operate in the same manner with Barnet and North Hall, not two miles from Philadelphia.

IV. "For the seasons of the year having, by God's goodness, now lived over the coldest and hottest that the oldest liver in the province can remember, I can say something to an English understanding:

"First, Of the Fall-for then I came in-I found it, from the 24th of October to the beginning of December, as we have it usually in England, in September, or rather like an English mild Spring. From December to the beginning of the month called March, we had sharp, frosty weather;