A Petition from the Citizens of Chester for Improvements to the Queen's Road

Presented to the Provincial Council held
at Philadelphia
March 19 1705/6


To the Hon'ble John Evans, Esq., Lieut.-Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Three Lower Counties, and to his Council:


The Humble petetion of the Inhabitants of the town and County of Chester and others, humbly showeth: That whereas, by ye Laws of this Government, ye sole power of laying out of the Queen's Road is lodged in the Governor and Council; and whereas the Town of Chester is daily improving, and In time may become a great place, and very advantageous to the Propriatour, but forasmuch as most of the People of that place concerned In the Improvement is much discouraged for want of a direct Road from thence to Philadelphia, wee, your Petitioners, whose names are hereunto subscribed, do beg the Governor and Councill that an ord'r may be granted to fitt and proper persons to lay out the Queen's Road on as direct a Line as can be from Darby, to answer the bridge on Chester Creek, and your petitioners in duty bound will ever pray.



Edward Dutton.
Jonathan Ruttland.
David Powell.
John Wiley.
Isaac Taylour.
Charles Booth.
Joshua Calvert.
Richard Prichard.
John Houldston.
Samuel Bishop.
Jonathan Hayes.
John Grubb.
Henry Hollidgsworth.
George Simpson.
Peter Trego.
James Swaffer.
Edward Jennings.
Morgan Jones.
James Chivers.
David Lloyd.
Jasper Yeates.
James Sandelands.
John Hoskins.
John Wade.
Paul Sanders.
Robert Barber.
Saml Tomlinson.
David Merredith.
Edward Danger.
John Hekenes.
Thomas Oldham.
Thomas Bauldwin.
Joseph Richards.
Walter Martin.
Tho. Powell.
Nicholas Fairlamb.
Moses Key.
Henry Coburn.
Nathan Baker.
Geo. Chandler.
John Worrall.
James Hendricxson.

Richard Crosby.
Joseph Clowd.
Edward Wilburn.
Thomas Buffington.
Edward Elwell.
Jonathan Munrow.
John Morton.
David Jones.
James Thomas.
Joseph Baker.
David Lewis.
William Gregory.
Ephraim Jackson.
Edward Kennison.
Phillip Yarnall.
John Gibbeans.
Roger Jackson.
Richard Addams.
John Childe.
Ralph Fishburn.
Wm Pickells.
Wm Huston.
David Roberts.
Wm Swaffer.
Thomas Cartwright.
John Bauldine.
John Test.
John Test, Jr.
John Dutton.
Thomas Dutton.
Alexander Badcock.
George Woodiar.
John Bristow.
George Oldfield.
John Sharples.
Thos. Vernon.
Jeremiah Collett, Sr.
Mordecai Howell.
Israel Taylor.
Jeremiah Collett, Jr.
Humphrey Johnston.






In response to this petition the Council ordered:



That the said Road be laid accordingly and if there shall be occasion for building a bridge over any Navigable creek or water for the greater conveniency of Travelling the said Road; that such bridge shall be so built that the same may in nowise hinder any boats from passing up or down such creek or water. And it is further Ordered yt Jasper Yates, Caleb Pusey, Jeremiah Collett, Robert Barber and John Hendrickson, or any four of them, do survey and lay out the said Roads, and that they return as soon as they can to the Board, - Under their hands and seals an exact draught setting forth the several courses thereof.



Sources:

A copy of the petition including the names of the signers was made and preserved in the papers of James Logan the secretary to the council.

The petition and the list of signers was published in John Hill Martin, Chester (and its vincinity,) Delaware County, in Pennsylvania on page 59.

The response to it is in the Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania Vol. 2 (Philadelphia: Printed by Jo. Steverns & Col, 1852), pp. 236-237.

The complete volume of John Hill Martin, Chester and its vincinity can be found in the Library section of the website

Google Books has this volume online.



Google Books has the book online