court then held." On the 10th of 8 mo., 1697, a court is again held, when the record closes with "No court then, nor since, for orphans." The first record book for deeds commences in 1684.

It is to be supposed, that if all the records were well examined by an industrious hand, and by a mind of proper tact for olden time inquiries, that something strange, amusing, or useful, might be found to gratify the present generation. But who shall do it?

The Crooked Billet," now known as Hatborough, was originally settled by John Dawson, a hatter, of London. The first name was derived from the first house there built, it being used as a public inn, with the sign of a crooked billet of wood hung out as its token, and the place, when made a town, was changed to the name of Hatborough, in reference to the employment of the first resident. His descendants have informed me, that when he first came there he built a cabin, and afterwards a stone house, with his own hands; and was assisted with stone and mortar, by his daughter Ann, who married Bartholomew Longstreth, who came from Yorkshire in 1699. The same John Dawson moved to Philadelphia in 1742, and dwelt in the house south-west corner of Second and Church alley, made notable there as "the first built brick house." His relative, Wm. Clinkenbeard, a farmer in Plymouth, lived to be one hundred and eight years of age.

Bartholomew Longstreth first opened the York road from the Billet to Neshamony. When he built his house, one hundred and twentyeight years ago, now occupied by Daniel Longstreth, he sawed all his joist with a whip saw, from hewn squared logs. That family still retain the bell-metal mould in which he used, like other farmers, to make his own pewter spoons. Think of that specimen of household economy then! They have also preserved the same iron with which old John Dawson used to smooth beaver hats.

Old Jacob Heston, who died about ten years ago, had resided at, and died on the spot, and perhaps at the same house, that was first built in Wrightstown by his ancestors, who emigrated from New England at the time of the Quaker persecution. A remarkable providence attended them, deserving of some record here. The family was obliged to escape in the night, and eventually to cross the Delaware, not knowing whither they were going. They sat down in the woods, and to their surprise and satisfaction, found an old neighbour who had also fled on the same night, without the knowledge in either of them of their several intentions! Here, amongst wild beasts and Indians, they found that security and repose that was denied them elsewhere.

The road from Philadelphia to Buckingham, prior to the opening of the York road, was across the Neshamony at Galloway's ford, one mile above Hulmeville, through Langhorne park, thence by Attleborough, &c.

Near that ford, once stood Growden's old fire proof, in which were kept the records of Bucks county; and when Joseph Galloway went

off with the British in '78, the office was broken open, and the records strewed about, to the use of any who might choose to possess them. Thomas Paxson, who saw them so strewed about on the ground the next morning, got hold of a MS. journal of a voyage down the Ohio, that was curious and interesting, and being lent about, has disappeared.

The first built mill on the Pennepeck was Gwin's mill, the same place where James Varee now has his rolling mill. An old log house of a Swede still remains, near the Neshamony, which has such superior construction as to be remarkable. All the logs are so grooved thus, one above the other, as to turn all winds and rains, without the use of intermediate mortar, except in very thin quantity. John Watson, now of Buckingham, who is in himself a walking library in matters of local antiquity, especially in Buckingham valley, where the family first settled in 1691,-besides the MS. book of occurrences, (made by his father, Dr. John Watson,) which he has bestowed on the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, has been a strenuous advocate of the "poor Indians," who, as he and others of Bucks county allege, were cheated out of their lands by the agents of the Penn family, at the time of the notable "great walk." He has written and given to the Philosophical Society, for their library, his circumstantial narrative of that "great walk." It was once a very exciting subject of animadversion and general discussion in Bucks. The agents publicly advertised a fee of £5 for the greatest walker for one day, and procured Marshall, who ran over four times as much ground as the Indians expected. He argues, and supposes, that all the country north-west of Wrightstown meeting-house, was taken from the Delawares without compensation. [Nicholas Scull, the surveyor general, made oath, in 1757, that he was present when James Yeates, and Edward Marshall, together with some Indians, walked one and a half days back in the woods from Wrightstown; that they walked but eighteen hours, and made out fifty-five miles; did not run, or go out of a walk; that B. Eastburn, surveyor general, and T. Smith, sheriff, were also along, and were satisfied of the same; and that no objections were expressed by the Indians at the time. The Indians always cherished a spirit of revenge against Marshall; and a party of warriors once came from their settlement, at Wyoming, to seek his life. He was from home, but his wife was made prisoner, and his children escaped, by an Indian thoughtlessly throwing his match coat over a bee hive, which caused the party to be so attacked and stung, that they went off without the children. The mother, being pregnant, could not keep up with the party, and her bones and remains were found, six months afterwards, on the Broad mountain.

In the revolutionary war, the Indian warriors again returned from west of the Ohio, into Tinicum, or Noxamixon townships, still aiming at Marshall, and he again escaped by being from home; they then went back through Jersey. This they told themselves after

the peace. The most of these facts, above told, are not in his "Narrative of the Walk," as above mentioned; but, coming from his own mouth, are to be respected and believed, as the relations of an honest and intelligent gentleman: for such he is.

The "Log College," of Tennant, still remains near the Nesha, mony; and lately it was so, that a gentleman called and offered five dollars for a piece of its log, and scared the occupants, as if the enthusiast was demented!

It would seem, from family names existing in Bucks, that many of the Dutch must have been primitive settlers there, most probably under grants from Governor Andros, of New York. There is a place, beyond Abington, called Holland, which even now is much settled with Dutch names, such as Wynkoop, Vanmeter, Vansant, Corell, &c. The Presbyterian church too, at Abington, founded in 1717, was originally got up by the people near there of the Reformed Dutch faith, the descendants of Dutch forefathers. These facts were confirmed to me by the present pastor, the Rev. Mr. Steele. New Britain was settled by the Welsh.

Pennsbury.

This was the name of Penn's country place and mansion-sometimes called his "palace,”-in Bucks county, situated on the margin of the Delaware river, below Bordentown. There William Penn and his family lived, during part of his stay among us in the years 1700 and 1701. There, he often entertained Indians, and held treaty covenants, religious meetings, &c. The place was constructed in 1682-3, at great expense for that day, having cost £7000, and having considerable of the most finished or ornamental materials brought out from England. The mansion was sixty feet in front, by forty feet in depth; the garden, an ornamental and sloping one, lay along the river side in front of it, and numerous offices were in a front line with the dwelling. All that now remains is the house now occupied by Robert Crozier-the same building of wood which was originally formed for Penn's family "brew-house."

After Penn had gone back to England, his place was retained some time in hopes of his return. His furniture was long preserved there, and finally got sold and spread about in Bucks county. His clock, and his writing desk and secretary, I have seen. For many years the people of Burlington used to make visits to the place, because of its associations with so distinguished a man-" a hallowed haunt, though but in ruins seen." Beneath a great grove of walnut trees they used to regale, and take their refreshments. A leaden reservoir on the top of the house, kept there for retaining water as a security against fire, got to leaking, and caused the building to fall into premature decay, so that at the era of the revolution, it was torn down, with an intention to rebuild another; but the war prevented

that design. While it rested in a state of decay, it had a furnished chamber, hung with fine tapestry, and in which the family descendants were intended to be lodged in case of visits. This, from its being so seldom opened, and when seen, presenting so many tokens of musty and cob-web interior, got the reputation of "the spirit-room," and was deemed to be a haunted chamber! All who used to visit the premises in years long since, were accustomed to take away some relics of the place. Some such I have preserved, such as the carved side of the door, and a piece of the bed cover, curiously worked by Letitia Penn. In the Pennsylvania Hospital is Penn's chair, taken from this mansion.

The country immediately around, through Penn's manor, presents a generally level and rich soil; but its aspect from the river side is quite low and tame. Formerly a creek (now dry) ran round behind the mansion, at some distance, forming the farm into an island, and being crossed at places by bridges. At those places Penn once had his pleasure barge, and some small vessels.

It has been matter of surprise to some, why Penn so soon provided for a country residence, even when society for mutual benefit was so necessary in the early rise of Philadelphia. A cause may perhaps be found in his predilections for a country life, as expressed in his admirable letter of family counsel, to wit: "Let my children (he said,) be husbandmen and housewives. This leads to consider the works of God and nature, and diverts the mind from being taken up with the vain arts and inventions of a luxurious world. Of cities and towns of concourse beware. The world is apt to stick close to those who have lived and got wealth there. A country life and estate I like best for my children."

A letter of William Penn says, the place cost him £7000, and he intended to settle permanently there, saying, "I should have returned to it in '86 or '89 at furthest."

In 1705, he says, "whether I surrender to the crown, or not, shall make no difference as to my coming and inhabiting there." He says he bought there of an old Indian king. Of course it was a royalty once! It was called Sepessin.

The original tract of Pennsbury contained, in 1684, about 3431 acres, from which were abstracted, at various times afterwards, about 1888 acres granted to others, and 400 acres besides to Arthur Cook, a public Friend of Philadelphia.

John Richardson, a public Friend, speaks in his journal of living with William Penn, at Pennsbury, in 1701-saw there a public meeting and a marriage; also, an Indian assemblage to renew and revive former covenants with Penn before his departure for England-they held a cantico or worship, sitting around a fire, and singing a very melodious hymn, after which they joined in a dance, &c.

Having had, in my possession, the book of MS. letters from Wil

liam Penn to James Harrison, his chief steward-i. e., his general agent of the years 1681 to 1687,-[vide the letters in form in my MS. Annals, pages 164 to 171, in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.] I have here selected such extracts, as will serve to show the character of the houses, &c., once made or intended as the residence of the proprietary and his future generations, to wit:

In August, 1684, he says, he sends Ralph, his gardener, some walnut trees to set, and some seeds of his own raising, which are rare good. He urges Ralph to stick to his garden, and to get the yards fenced in, and doors to them. By an Irish ship, he says, he sends butter, cheese, shoes, &c.-Some beer at £10 a tun, and some wine.

On the 18th of 11th month, 1684-5, he says, "I have sent herewith four servants-three carpenters, and a gardener; he had three more, but they failed him. I would (says he) have a kitchen, two larders, a wash-house, a room to iron in, a brew-house, and a Milan oven for baking, a stable for twelve horses; all my rooms I would have nine feet high, and my stables eleven feet, and overhead half a story. What you can, do with bricks. What you can't, do it with good timbers, and case them with clap-boards, about five feet, which will serve other things, and we can brick it afterwards."-[Probably this was never done so afterwards, and furnished a cause of premature decay.]

Pray, let the court-yard be levelled, and the fields and places about house be cleanly and orderly kept: so let me see thy conduct and contrivance about grounds and farm accommodations. I hope the barge is kept safely. Let Ralph take the lower grounds of the garden, and the other, his helper, the upper grounds and courtshave too a convenient well, or pump, for the several offices.

"I desire that a pair of handsome plain steps be made at the landing right against the house, also the bridge more passable going to John Rowland's, unless one over the creek near the New England people may be better done.

"I would have a walk to the falls [meaning in the direction to them,] and to the point where S. H.'s son built, cleared so as two may walk a foot. It would be pleasant if the old Indian paths were cleared up.

"Pray, secure the refusal of the New England people's farms—I have some in my eye that will buy them.

"Let there be a two-leaved door back, and have a new one in one for the front, as the present is most ugly and low. I would have a rail and banisters before both fronts. The pales will serve round, though they are sad ones."

The 19th of third month, 1685, he writes and says, "I like all thou hast sent me. I hope they go on with the houses and gardens, and let them finish that which is built as fast as they can. The partition between the left parlour and the great room the servants used