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Home : Quarterly Archives : Volume 30 |
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Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society |
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Source: January 1992 Volume 30 Number 1, Pages 15–20 Seven Road Petitions from the Chester County Archives As has been noted several times in earlier issues of the Quarterly *[Footnote], many of the early 18th and 19th century roads were laid out and built pursuant to the approval of a petition for the road by persons at a great "disconveniency" for want of the road. The person or persons desiring the road would submit a petition to the County Court of Quarter Sessions, describing the starting place and terminus of the proposed road, the reasons why such a road was needed, and requesting that it be laid out and built. The Court would then appoint a six-man jury of view "to view the ground for the proposed road" and determine whether there was occasion for it. It was required that at least five of the six persons appointed view the ground, and if at least four of the actual viewers agreed that there was occasion for the road the jury of view would then also proceed to lay out its course and recommend it to the Court. Upon confirmation of the jury's recommendation by the Court, the road would then be constructed. As has also been noted, most of the requested roads were sought in order to get to meeting or church, to a mill, or to markets. In fact, the need to get to all three of these places was sometimes cited as the reason for a road by the petitioner, as shown in the first two petitions transcribed below. The first one was submitted in 1735 by William Moore, of Charlestown township. (It is believed that he is the same William Moore who later became quite a controversial political figure in the county; he served for seven years, from 1733 to 1740, in the Pennsylvania Assembly before becoming a judge in the Chester County courts for more than 35 years.) To the Worshipfull the Justices of the County of Chester. The Petition of William Moore Humbly Sheweth That your Petitioner at a very great Charge and Expense has Settled an Inland Plantation some miles Distance from any main Road, from which he has not any way or Road layd out either to Church, mill or Markett -- Your Petitioner therefore prays - you'l be pleased to appoint Six sufficient house keepers of the neighborhood inhabiting near your Peti tioners Farms or Plantation on to view the sd place and see the necessity of such a Road and to lay out such a Road as shall be thought convenient and of such a breadth as your Worships shall direct, and make returns thereof at the next County Court, according to the direction of the act of Assembly in such Case made and provided -- And your Petitioner shall pray, &c. Wm. Moore O.R.P. v.2, pp.1-2 The necessity for a road as cited by a John Griffith in his petition in 1765 was apparently even greater because of other obstacles. Although he too resided in Charlestown, the road he sought also passed through Tredyffrin "to or near" the Great Valley Presbyterian Church. To the Honourable Justices of the Court of Quarter Sessions held and kept at Chester Augt. Term The Petition of John Griffith of the Township of Charles Town humbly sheweth -- That Whereas Your Petitioner having no road to Mill, Market and Meeting from his dwelling house without Travailing many miles round and dangerous Rocks which cannot be Evaded Therefore your Petitioner humbly prays this Court may he pleased to take sd Promisses [Premises?] under their Serious Consideration and appoint a Judicious Jury or Set of Men such as in your Wisdon may see moot to view and if they may see Occasion to lay out a road for your Petitr to Begin in ye road that Leads from ye White Horse Tavern to William Moore ESQ. at or near ye Plantation of Yr Petitr and from thence to or near ye Presbyterian Meeting House in the Great Valley and to ye Provincial road Leading from Lancastr to Philadelphia and your Petition r for ye same shall as in Duty Bound shall gratefully acknowledge ye favr. Jno. Griffith O.R.P. v.8, p.39 In the next two petitions the necessity of getting to a mill was the reason for the requested road. The first one was submitted on the last day of February, then the twelfth month of the year, in 1737 by a dozen persons living in the northeastern section of Tredyffrin. (The surnames of several of the petitioners are reflects in the names of roads in that section of the township today.) To the Court of Quarter Sessions held at Chester the twenty eight day of the twelveth Month of 1738/7 Whereas Divers of the Inhabitants of ye Township of Tredyffrin and other Neighbours adjacent have ocation of a Road leading out of ye Valy to Nathaniel Grubs Mill Therefore Wee your Petitioners humbly Craves that this Court will be pleased to appoint. Men to View and lay out a Road to Mill Beginning at the Valy Road in the Line of John David Griffith and Griffiths John the Most Convenient Place ye House of Evan Ellis and from thence to ye sd Mi11 and your Petitioners Shall be as in Duty Bound, &c
O.R.P. v.3, p.57 The road petitioned for by John Davis in 1782 to provide access to a mill was not a road to go directly to the mill, but, rather, was a road to connect with a road already existence that went to Gulph Mills. To the Honorable Justices of ye Quarter Sessions for the County of Chester the Petition of John Davis Respectfully sheweth That your Petitioner is under considerable Disadvantage for want of a Road and has endeavour fed] to obtain one with the consent of his Neighbours but in Oasis is under the necessity of requesting the Honorable Court to appoint six Judicious Persons to view the Ground and if they so Cause to lay a Road in the most convenient Place beginning in the Road leading from the Sweeds Ford to ye Lancaster Road and ending in a Road laid from the Lancaster Road to ye Gulph Mill and your Petitioner as in Duty Bound shall pray [John Davis] O.P.P. v.14, p.42 here is a petition for a road to get to church or meeting. It was submitted by sixteen members of the congregation of the Baptist Church of the Great Valley in 1736 to facilitate their taking part in church activities. To the Justices of Peace of the County of Chester and the Court heald att Chester now sitting the 25th day of February in the year of our Lord 1736 The petition of us the subscribers, inhabitants and the Congregation of People commonly known or distinguished by the name of Baptists in the Township of Tredyffrin in the County of Chester and others adjacent Humbly Sheweth That whereas we do work and labour under a great hardship and disconveniency being the want of a Road to pass & repass to the place of our publick worship or meeting house and to cary our dead to he buried with several 1 other good causes Therefore your petitioners Humbly crave that it may please your worships to grant £ order six men as usual 1 to view and lay out a Road beginning att the line dividing betwixt the two counties Philadelphia and Chester aforesaid near Mr: William Moor's Road att mount Joy [and] from thence the most commodious way and with the least detriment to the Inhabitants lands thereunto adjoining upon a divition line deviding betwixt the heads of the Tracts to cross the said Township of Tredyffrin to the said Baptists meeting house and to extend from thence to Conestoga Road which will be very commodious and of necessity to goe to Philadelphia to markett. And in Expectation there of Your Petitioners as in duty bound shall every pray
The final two petitions we have transcribed here are petitions for roads to run from one existing road to another to make it less difficult for the petitioners to carry on their business. The first one was submitted to the Court by 27 inhabitants of Tredyffrin and Easttown who sought a road from the Jarman's Mill road to the road to the Newtown Meeting. Submitted in 1716, it is one of the earlier petitions made to the Court of Quarter Sessions. To the Honorable the Justices of the County of Chester at the Court of quarter Sessions now held in Chester for the sd County, Sc The petition of Some of the Inhabitants of Tredyffrin and Easttown in the sd County of Chester humbly Sheweth &c That Whereas Severall of the sd, Especially We whose names are herewith Subscribed have no Road from the places of their habitation to Newtown road that leadeth to Chester and also to Richard Hayes' Mill therefore they have- been heretofore forced to go a great Compas out of their way when they had any Business to travel to any of the a fores d Therefore they Desire that according to your Usual Customs you would be pleased to Grant them Six a djoining Inhabitants to view and Lay out a road for us the Most Convenient way with the Least Detriment to the Inhabitants from Thomas Jorman's Mill road to the Great road yt leadeth to Newtown Meeting house Beginning in Tredyffrin afforesd And we your Petitioners Shall ever pray as In Duty Bound &c
O.P.P. v.1, pp. 74-75 The last petition here was similarly for a road between two roads already in existence, to go from the road past John Rowland's mill to the road between St. David's Church and Fatland Ford. It was submitted in 1765, and among the petitioners were David and Samuel Havard and also "Parson" Currie. (Two of the members of the jury of view appointed by the Court to review this petition were Anthony Wayne and Joshua Evans, who a few years later obtained a license to keep the public house known as the Paoli.) To the Honorable Justices of the Court of Quarter Sessions to be held at Chester The Last Tuesday in May 1765 The Petition of us the Subscribers Humbly Sheweth That Whereas Several of the Inhabitants adjoining our Settlements have Enclosed Their plantations by Reason of which we find it Difficult to Carry on Business To our owm advantage or the Emolument of the Publlck Therefore We Humbly Pray That your Honours would be pleased to appoint a jury to View & Lay out a Road From The Road Which Leads from John Rowlands mill to The Yellow Springs Into the Road Which Leads from Radnor Church to The fatt Land By our Settlements and your Petitioners Shall as In Duty Bound Ever Pray
We whose names are here-to Subscribed are of oppinion That There is a necessity for a Road In The Place petitioned for as above which nevertheless we Submit to The Judment [Judgment] of The Court
John Simontown O.R.P. v.ll, p.33 (For each of these seven petitions, incidentally, the jury of view found occasion for the road requested and laid out its course, though some of the roads are now no longer in existence.) Back*[Footnote] See especially "A Road from the Great Valley to the Lancaster Turnpike", December 1988 [Vol. XXVI, No. 4] or "Early Roads in Chester County", April 1986 [Vol. XXIV, No. 2] Note A special thank you to Laurie Rofini, the county archivist, for her help in selecting the petitions used in this article. |
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Page last updated: 2011-12-12 at 11:35 EST |