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From: Debbie <>
Subject: [NewCastle] History of Wilmington. Part VII
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 16:47:05 -0400


Scharf, Thomas J., History of Delaware, 1609-1888. 
Volume Two- pp. 629-663.

CHAPTER XXVII.

In 1739 the population was only 610, but at the opening of the
Revolution in 1775 it had increased to 1172 whites and 57 colored. There
was no other computation until 1790, when the town comprised 2335
inhabitants. In 1791 the insurrection at San Domingo drove hundreds of
the French families from the island to the United States, quite a number
of the emigrés settling in Wilmington. The population was further
augmented in 1793 by refugees fleeing from the yellow fever plague in
Philadelphia, who sought new homes in Wilmington. So large was their
number that all the residences in the town were overcrowded and high
rents were paid for the poorest kind of accommodations. The Christina,
from the old ferry to the upper wharf, was so crowded with ships of all
kinds that there was scarcely room left for the passage of a boat. In
1795–96 the pestilence was again manifested in Philadelphia and when it
attacked that city in the most malignant from in 1798 some of the
refugees brought it to Wilmington, which had previously escaped the
contagion. The consequences were terrible. First developed in the low
land on the river-bank, the fever spread to the higher localities and
out into the village of Brandywine. The mortality rate was enormous and
during all that year there was a partial paralysis of trade and
industry. Nevertheless the city hall was completed in 1798 and the
growing commerce of the port was fairly maintained.

Wilmington existed under Governor Penn’s charter until 1809, and in
January 31st of that year the Legislature passed an amendment to it, by
which the borough boundaries were defined as follows:
     "Beginning at the mouth of the Brandywine Creek, on the east side
of the same; thence along the eastern and northeastern side of the same
about two and a half miles to the Old Ford above the head of tide-water;
thence crossing the Brandywine westwardly and passing along the Old
King’s Road, according to the several courses there to the State Road,
leading from Wilmington to Lancaster; thence in a direct line
southeasterly, passing over the mouth of the rivulet called STALLCUP’s
Gut, to the opposite side of the Christina River; thence down the side
of the same until southwest of the lower point of the mouth of the
Brandywine; thence northeast to the place of beginning."

The amended charter established a government by chief burgess, one
assistant burgess, a Town Council of thirteen members, an assessor, a
treasurer and a high constable. Under it the officials chosen from term
to term were the following:

Chief Burgess.
Dr. George Monro1809James Brobson1814
George Monro1815John Torbert1817
Robert Porter1820James Brobson1822
James McKean1825James Brobson1826
Frederick Leonard1830

Assistant Burgess.
Isaac Stevenson1809Robert Porter1817
Hance Naff1818James Sorden1822
James Gordon1823Frederick Leonard 1826
Hance Naff1830

 Clerk.
James Wilson1809Joseph Read1812
Joseph C. Hartley1816Charles T. Grubb 1829
 
Borough Council.
John Torbert1809Cyrus Newlin1809
Isaac H. Starr1809Samuel Bush1809
Jeremiah Wooleston1809William Seal1809
Isaac Dixon1809Carson Wilson1809
John Reynolds1809James Jeffries1809
John Hendrickson1809Matthew R. Lockerman 1809
James Collins1809Cyrus Newlin1810
William Seal1810Isaac Dixon1810
Robert Porter1810Joseph Grubb1810
John White1810Samuel Wallace1810
James Canby1810Rob, Wilkinson1810
Jacob Alrich1810John Torbert1810
John Hadden1810Eli Mendenhall1810
Cyrus Newlin1811John Torbert1811
Isaac H. Starr1811John White1811
Joseph Grubb1811Jacob Alrich1811
Ziba Ferris1811James Jeffries1811
Robert Wilkinson1811William Seal1811
Eli Mendenhall1811Jeremiah Wollaston 1811
Joseph B. Shipley1811John Rumsey1812
Joseph Grubb1812John Torbert1812
Eli Mendenhall1812Joseph Robinson 1812
James B. Shipley1812Tho. McConnell1812
James Jeffries1812Patrick O’Flinn1812
Robert Wilkinson1812James Collins1812
Cyrus Newlin1812Patrick O’Flinn1813
John Torbert1813Hance Naff1813
Allen Thompson1813John Gordon1813
Joseph Jones1813David Fitzpatrick 1813
Joseph B. Shipley1813George Jones1813
Corson Wilson1813Abijah Sharp1813
Washington Rice1813James Robinson1813
Frederick Leonard1814John Torbert1814
Math. K. Lockerman1814James Collins1814
John Dixon1814Robert Porter1814
Thomas McConnell1814William Shipley1814
Carson Williams1814George Monro1814
Jared Chestnut1814John Rumsey1814
John Reynolds1814Joseph Robinson 1814
John Rumsey1815James Hogg1815
Jared Chestnut1815John Ross1815
William Shipley1815James Cochran1815
James Collins1815James Wolf1815
John Dixon1815Fred, Leonard1815
David Bush1816Ziba Ferris1816
Joseph Grubb1816James Hogg1816
Tho. McConnell1816Henry Physick1816
William Shipley1816Jeremiah Wolleston 1816
David C. Wilson1816James Wolf1816
Benjamin Webb1816Benj. H. Springer 1817
John Patterson1817Fred. Leonard1817
Joseph Grubb1817Nance Naff1817
Thomas Warrington1817John Rumsey1817
John Sellars1817James Hogg1817
Thomas McConnell1817William Erskine1817
Joseph Grubb1818William Seal1818
David Bush1818John Hedges1818
James Hogg1818John Patterson1818
Benj. H. Springer1818John Rumsey1818
John Sellers1818Fred. Leonard1818
Edward Gilpin1818Tho. McConnell1818
Aaron Paulson1818Tho. C. Aldrich1818
John Hedges1819Edward Gilpin1819
David Bush1819James Hogg1819
John Rumsey1819James Canby1819
Samuel Wood1819William Seal1819
George Jones1819Evan Lewis1819
William Seal1820John Rumsey1820
Edward Gilpin1820

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