A 1948 booklet on the home of John Simcock who named Ridley Township for his home in England. The house still stands in the Swarthmore section of Ridley Township.
TOWNSHIP
NAMES IN DELAWARE COUNTY
Delaware County became a separate
political division on September 26, 1789, by an Act of the State Legislature
which provided for cutting off the eastern part of Chester County, to create
the new county consisting of 21 townships, with Chester as the county
seat. The earliest settlements in
Pennsylvania were made in the part which is now Delaware County, but they were
not organized as townships until William Penn took over the government of his
Province.
Before Penn received his grant of
land, Upland Court had jurisdiction over all of the land from Christina River
to the Falls of Trenton. This was called
Upland County, a name which was changed to Chester by William Penn in 1682, probably
because many of the settlers there had come from Cheshire in England. At first Chester was the name of one of the
three original counties laid out by Penn.
Later, the name was also given to a township, the first one organized
under Penn’s government, and finally to Chester Borough in 1701.
Many of Penn’s followers had bought
land before leaving England, intending to pick out their tracts after they
arrived in America. Some settled near
the river, but many went into the country back from the river and built homes
in the wilderness. New plantations were
laid out as fast as surveyors could mark boundaries. Emigrants who knew each other or had the same
religious beliefs, stayed together if they could. In time, a name was chosen for a community by
the whole group of families, or by someone looked up to as a leader.
A township was officially recognized
when the people living in the area elected a constable or a tax collector, or
presented a petition for official action or approval in such matters as laying
out a road or building a dam.
Some township and village names were chosen
because they reminded the settlers of their old homes. For instance, Darby was named for Derbyshire;
Edgmont, also written England, was named by Joseph Baker, an early settler, for
the town in Shropshire from which he came; Birmingham, originally spelled
Birmingham , was the English home of William Brinton, the first settler in the
township.
Thornbury was named by George Pearce
for his wife’s old in Gloucestershire; Aston or Ashton, was at first called
Northley, then Aston by Edward Carter, an early settler, for the town in
Oxfordshire from which he came. Radnor
and Harford, or Haverford, in the Welsh Tract were names brought from Wales by
the settlers. Haverford means “confluence
of two streams.” Newtown, though not in
the Welsh Tract, had many Welsh settlers and may have been named for a Welsh
town of the same name, or from the townstead in the center.
Ridley was the name given by John
Simcock in 1682 to his large tract of land north of Amosland, to honor his home
town in Cheshire. When the township was
organized, it was named Ridley, Springfield, at first called
Ridley-in-the-Woods, was named from a fine spring on the farm of George Maris,
an early settler. In Marple, the early
settlers were English and the township may have been named for the English
parish Mar Poole, but it is not verified.
Chichester, the name of an English
town, was the name given by William Penn, at the request of some of the
residents, to the settlement called Marcus Hook, when he granted a charter in
1701. The township was organized as
Chichester but the townspeople continued to call it Marcus Hook.
Middletown was so named because it was
supposed to be the central township in old Chester County. This was a mistake, but it is well-named for
Delaware County. Tinicum, too, is
well-named. The name is derived from
Tennakonog, an Indian word meaning island.
Bethel and Concord were known as
Concord Liberty until the two townships were organized. Concord was a name chosen to denote the
feeling of good will among the settlers there.
Bethel means House of God. It was
chosen to show the holy purpose of the settlers. The name Providence was given to express
gratitude for a safe journey.
These 21 townships, all settled and
organized before 1688 constituted the whole territory of the county when it was
first made a separate county. They will
exist as municipal districts but their area has been reduced by the formation
of Chester City and 27 boroughs.
DCHPN Monthly E-Newsletter |
|
|
Happy Halloween! Lots of spooky things happening this month Some events this weekend are cancelled/postponed due to the weather. Check before you go and stay dry! Read the announcements below for important information |
|
|
October Events Rowhouse City: History and Adaptation in Philadelphia Oct 07, 9:00 AM – Oct 08, 5:00 PM University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 This two-day symposium will focus on the history and development of the rowhouse in Philadelphia, critically evaluate its current conditions, and identify the inherent advantages and challenges associated with its preservation in a 21st-century context. | | |
|
|
*Dark History First Friday with Special Guests - Grim Philly Oct 07, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM Elfreth's Alley, Philadelphia, PA 19106 The cast and creators of the Grim Philly Tours and Grim Podcast will be joining us at the Alley to share highlights of the upcoming podcast season, tease us with dark stories about Philadelphia’s history, and show you that history is anything but dull. | | |
|
|
Candlelight Ghost Tours 2022 Oct 07, 7:00 PM – Oct 30, 10:00 PM Fort Mifflin, 6400 Hog Island Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19153 Welcome to Philly's most authentic Halloween event --- No decorations. No hype. Just you, a few candles, and REAL Ghosts! Experience Haunted Fort Mifflin after hours on our popular candlelight walking tour. Tours last approximately 1 hour and timed tickets assure a meaningful experience. $15-20 | | |
|
|
Oktoberfest Oct 07, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Nitre Hall, 1682 Karakung Dr, Havertown, PA 19083 HTHS presents Live music, German food, Beer garden, and a Silent Auction/ Chance Raffle with prizes from local businesses. Music and food outside at the upper stage and summer kitchen. Auction inside Nitre Hall. $30 | | |
|
|
*Walk in William Still's Steps: Guided Hike & Discussion Oct 08, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Ridgeland Mansion Sheep Barn, 4100 Chamounix Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19131 The 3.5 mile loop hike will visit places of historical significance, some with connections to the UGRR. Stops include: Ridgeland Mansion, Boelsen Cottage, Belmont Mansion, and physical remnants of the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad, which was a means of clandestine conveyance for freedom seekers. | | |
|
|
*50th Anniversary Community Celebration Oct 08, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Area 17, Ridley Creek State Park, Ridley Creek Sp Rd, Edgmont Township, PA 19063 We will be offering several activities for you and your family to enjoy including a 5k fun run to kick off the day. Attendees can also enjoy food trucks, music by the Midnighters Band, balloon artist, face painter, scenic hikes, tours of the grounds, and learn about the park. Pre-reg. req'd. | | |
|
|
*Main Line of Public Works Bike Tour with Bob Thomas Oct 08, 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM Villanova Regional Rail Station, 308 N Spring Mill Rd, Villanova, PA 19085 In 1834 Pennsylvania opened a “Main Line of Public Works” – made up of a series of canals, inclined planes, and railroads – linking Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Tour traces the route of these works. Ends at Broad and Callowhill in Philly. Limit 25 riders. | | |
|
|
*History Meets the Arts in Historic Newtown Square Oct 08, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Square Tavern and other sites, 3716 Goshen Rd, Newtown Square, PA 19073 NSHS hosts various artists at the historic Square Tavern, Paper Mill House, and Bartram Covered bridge. Plein air artists, demonstrations, and art displays. Tours at all locations. Free but donations gratefully accepted. | | |
|
|
Pottery by Moonlight Workshop Oct 08, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Colonial PA Plantation, 3900 N Sandy Flash Dr, Newtown Square, PA 19073 Enjoy Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation by moonlight for a beginners pottery workshop led by Bob Deane and colleagues from the Wallingford Potters Guild. Participants will make their own sculptures that will be fired and returned to the farm to pick up. 10+ $30-40 | | |
|
|
*An Evening of Weird and Supernatural Tales with Matt Lake and Laurie Hull Oct 10, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM Ridley Twp Public Library- Meeting Room, 100 E Macdade Blvd, Folsom, PA 19033 Get into the Halloween spirit by joining authors and favorite storytellers Matt Lake and Laurie Hull in the library meeting room as they spin strange tales of the weird and supernatural. This is a Civic and Social Literacy Program of the PA Forward Initiative. Funded by Friends of Ridley Library. | | |
|
|
*The Legend of Sleepy Hollow & the Headless Horseman Oct 10, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Zoom- registration required Join us for a talk by historical lecturer Michael Jesberger on one of America’s oldest short stories based on real events that took place in the Hudson Valley of New York during the American Revolution. | | |
|
|
I Never Heard Anyone But Politicians Call This Eastwick Oct 11, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Zoom- registration required Between 1883 and World War I, 21 subdivisions were built in SW Philly. After WWII, the Philadelphia Planning Commission classified Eastwick as "blighted" and initiated the Eastwick Urban Renewal Project, one of the largest in the nation's history, which relocated hundreds of families. $10-15 | | |
|
|
*Recent Discovery: Samuel Sloan, Terra Cotta, and the Franklin County Courthouse in Chambersburg, PA Oct 11, 7:00 PM Zoom- registration required The Franklin County Courthouse was burned during the Civil War in 1864. The architect of its reconstruction remained a mystery until recently, when it was discovered that Samuel Sloan was the architect and the column capitals are terra cotta. | | |
|
|
*Dark History IV - Cults, Crimes and Other Catastrophes in Penn's Woods Oct 11, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Zoom- registration required The 4th installment of the Dark History series, this program features more true dark stories of Penn's Woods, including a cult in Chester Cty., a fiery disaster in Berks Cty., and a lust-fueled poisoning in northern Delaware that resulted in the state's only legal execution by burning. | | |
|
|
*The Hessian Experience at Red Bank Battlefield Oct 12, 7:00 PM Zoom- registration required Recent excavations at Red Bank Battlefield in New Jersey uncovered the remains of 13 Hessian soldiers from a battle in late October 1777. Hear from Dr. Jennifer Janofsky from Rowan University about their recent findings, the Hessian experience, and the cost of war. | | |
|
|
*A Century of Haverford HS Athletics (and beyond) Oct 12, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Haverford Township Free Library, 1601 Darby Rd, Havertown, PA 19083 and Zoom Mr. Art Sciubba will discuss his research about the history of Haverford High Athletics. This presentation will include photos, statistics, and sample pages as well as information on the history of Haverford’s facilities and education. Zoom option available. Registration required for both options. | | |
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment