In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

14 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION THE FOUNDING AND FOUNDERS OF FALLS MEETING By Jane Moon Snipes * This afternoon I wish to take you back two hundred and fifty years and try to picture this community as it was at the time, and before the coming, of the Quakers. Let us consider some of the landmarks and a few of the characters who lived here and established a meeting at the Falls on the Second of Third Month, 1683 —the day we now celebrate. The Falls of the Delaware, or Sankikan, as the Indians called it, now only a rapid between the bridges connecting Morrisville and Trenton, was the outstanding landmark in this part of the wilderness . Early historians tell us of a Dutch trading post here in 1624 which carried on a profitable trade with the Indians, and report that the Dutch held undisputed sway on the South River (the Delaware) until the coming of the Swedes. Later research has questioned this story ; but we do know that in 1633 Thomas Yong, son of a London merchant, twice ascended the river up to the Falls and erected the coat of arms of England on a tree, taking the country into possession with the usual ceremonies. He says, " I enquired of this (Indian) king how far this river ranne up into the country and whether it were navigable or no. He told me it ranne a great way up and that I might goe with my ship until I came to a certaine place where the rockes ranne cleane acrosse the river and that there he thought I could not goe over with my great canoas (for so they call all vesselles that swimme upon the water)." In 1638 the Swedes under the leadership of Peter Minuit came to make their settlement on these shores. They purchased in 1640, from the Indians, undoubtedly the Lenni Lenape, a strip of land along the west bank of the river from Cape Henlopen to Sankikan —the first purchase by Europeans from Indians in Bucks County. From that time on the Dutch and Swedes held joint occupancy along the river until both were driven out by the English. 1 A paper read at Fallsington, Pennsylvania, Fifth month 20, 1933, at the meeting held in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Falls Monthly Meeting. See bibliography on page 25. FOUNDING OF FALLS MEETING15 In 1655 Peter Luidstrom, a Swedish engineer, surveyed the river from its mouth to the Falls, and is thus quoted : " Along the west side of the river to the Island Minachkonk (Biles Island) and again down Sipaessinghs Land (that comprising Penns Manor) it is everywhere low country favorable for maize." Sipaessinghs Land was especially mentioned in the first deed to William Penn in 1682 for land in Bucks County ; the price named is 10 guns and some black and white wampum. The middle of that century marked the beginning of much travel to New York from various directions, and the crossing at the Falls became increasingly popular as the main overland route between the colonies north and south. The route was marked by a mere bridle path through the woods ; but this path was none the less the King's Path. Governor Andros of New York with his retinue traveled this path on his way to New Castle to attend Court in 1675, and purchased a strip of land for eight or nine miles on either side of the Falls, along the King's Path, and also established a ferry. The first Friend mentioned was William Edmundson from Ireland , who was traveling in this country on a religious visit in 1678. He lost his way in coming from Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and was taken across the river near the Falls in a canoe by Indians and directed on his way to Upland, now Chester. A quotation from the Journal of Jasper Danckaerts, a Labadist from Holland who passed this way in 1697, is descriptive. He writes : " We arrived at Falls of South River, about sundown, passing a creek where a new grist mill was erected by the Quakers who live hereabouts in great numbers. As it was still daylight...

pdf

Share