ly convened on the 3d of 6 mo. 1691.-Present, Thomas Lloyd, Deputy Governor, and John Simcock, John Delavall, Thomas Duckett, Griffith Owen, William Stockdale, and John Bristow, and they proceed to decree and order" that in consequence of the application of the Mayor, Humphrey Murrey, in behalf of the said city," praying them " to regulate the landing place, the end of the street, near the Blue Anchor, being the only cartable landing place to serve the south end of the town, and has been so used and enjoyed, till of late it was granted away by the Commissioners of Property; whereupon it is ordered, that the said Mayor and Aldermen [of course it is probable the preceding petition signed by thirty-two inhabitants were them] have notice to attend the Governor and Council, to view the same which was done accordingly.] And upon the subject of a harbour for shipping, &c. near where the Blue Anchor stood, the Governor and Council duly weighing the powers granted by the King to Governor Penn for erecting keys, harbours, and landing, it is hereby declared and ordered, that there shall be left a vacancy between the north side of John Austin's frame of a house, upon the bank, and Society Hill, extending about 400 feet in breadth towards the point of said hill, for a public landing place and harbour for the safety of ships and other vessels, and the same so to continue, until the proprietary's pleasure be known to the contrary,(which it is certain he never did signify, and more especially as his city charter, of 1701, did confirm this very area,) notwithstanding any encroachments, grants, or patents, made of the said vacancy by the Commissioners of Property to any person whatsoever."

"And it is further ordered, that Jeremiah Elfreth, and all other persons concerned, pretending to have any title or right to the said vacancy or landing place, [meaning in front of Budd's row, and north of the Drawbridge] shall desist and forbear encumbering the same,--but that they be repaid for their materials put upon the same."

It appears, respecting the premises, that the Commissioners of Property, who had granted the above invasions, became dissatisfied with the above supreme decree of the Council, they therefore did what they could, by a nugatory protest under date of the 19th of 11 mo. 1691, to wit: Captain William Markham, Robert Turner, and John Goodson, saying, "Whereas, complaint was made to us by William Salloway, Grif fith Jones, and Jeremiah Elfreth, that Thomas Lloyd, (Governor) Humphrey Murrey, (Mayor) and others, did often last summer come on their bank lots, and commanded their workmen to desist, to their delay and damage; and whereas, William Salloway was refused by David Lloyd, clerk of court, to have his patent recorded-all which enormities we consider to infringe on the rights of the proprietary to dispose of all lots and lands within this province, &c. by his commission to us; therefore, we do in his name assert the patents granted by us to the above-named persons to be good and sufficient to them."

[It now becomes a question, which are the places referred to aboveI should judge that John Austin's frame house must have stood on the area, now open, north of the Drawbridge, on the east side of Front street; and that the 400 feet was to extend from the north side of that house, down town, southward, to the extreme projecting point (towards the river) of Society Hill, (which lay below Spruce street) and had its boundary northward, about the 6th house below Spruce, in Front street, and

thence it inclined south-eastward, over Water street to the river, having its margin watered by the Dock swamp. We ought, therefore, by this grant, to have had now an open view, from about the present Hamilton's wharf and store, down towards Pine street, of as much extent, as it now is, from Front to Second street, which is so near 400 feet as to be 396 feet. I infer, that what was called the "sandy beach," before Budd's row, was called also the bank lots, because it was in the line of Front street, which are, and were, so called; and especially because the complaints of Elfreth and others, who encroached on the beach, said they were molested on their bank lots]

In the year 1701, October 25, William Penn grants the charter of the city of Philadelphia, and therein ordains, that the landing place now and hereafter used at the Penny-pot house, [Vine street] and the Blue Anchor, [Drawbridge] saving to all persons their just and legal rights and properties in the land so to be open; as also the swamp, between Budd's buildings and the Society Hill, shall be left open and common for the use and service of the said city and all others, with liberty to dig docks and make harbours for ships and vessels in all or any part of said swamp.

"The first house (says R. Proud) was built by George Guest, and not finished at the time of the proprietor's arrival." This house of Guest's was in Budd's row, and, was kept by him as a tavern, called the Blue Anchor-the same afterwards called the Boatswain and Call, and lately superseded by a new building as a large tobacco-house, by Garrett.

Robert Turner, in his letter of 1685 to William Penn, says, John Wheeler, from New England, is building a good brick house by the Blue Anchor-Arthur Cook is building him a brave brick house, near William Trampton's, on the Front street-and William Trampton has since built a good brick house by his brewhouse and bakehouse, and let the other for an ordinary.

Mrs. Lyle, an ancient inhabitant, scen by Charles Thomson, who had come out with William Penn, said they chose to locate on the Dock creek as a place of business, because of its convenient and beautiful stream, which afforded them the means of having vessels come up close under their bakehouse, located below Second street. The ancient Mrs. Claypole, too, who lived on the north side of Walnut street, east of Second street, spoke much of the beautifu! prospect before their door, down a green bank to the pretty Dock creek stream.

Henry Reynolds, of Nottingham, Md. a public Friend, lived to the age of 94 years, and at his 84th year came to Philadelphia with his grandson Israel, who since told me of it.-He there showed him an old low hipp'd-roof house in Front street, above the Drawbridge, (western side) at which place he said he had often cultivated corn. He said he often used to sit in a canoe in Dock creek, at the back end of that lot, (which belonged to him,) and there caught many an excellent fish. He told him also of many occasions in which he

was in the company and converse of William Penn, both before and after his leaving Chichester in England, from which said Henry

came.

What is curious in the above case, is, that the above-described lot of Henry Reynolds, which ran from Front to Second street quite across the creek, was at first so little regarded by him (who had gone to his lands, of 1000 acres, at Nottingham, near the line, and deemed at the time as within Penn's province,) that he took no measures nor pains to exclude the city squatters. It was assumed by others; and the pacific principles of the owner would not allow him to contend for it. The holders had procured a fictitious title, from two maiden women of the name, in Jersey, but they were not relatives, and had made no claim! The present Israel Reynolds, of Nottingham, and other heirs, where the family is numerous, tried the case of ejectment some years ago before Judge M⚫Kean, who charged the jury not to allow such long unmolested possession to prevail, as a necessary means of preventing numerous other contentions; for, in truth, many of the country settlers who became entitled to corresponding city lots, so little regarded their value, as to utterly neglect them-or, at best, they leased them for a trifle for 100 years, which they then deemed equivalent to an eternity ; but which now, in several cases, I am told, is becoming an object to reclaim by unexpected heirs, or, more properly, by sordid persons with no better titles than their knowing the defects in the titles of present and long undisputed occupants.

In 1699, the only two tanyards, then in the city, were then on Dock creek, viz. Hudson's and Lambert's, and but few houses near them; and yet, from those few houses, many died of yellow fever, communicated from Lambert, who sickened and died in two days!

In 1704, the Grand Jury present "the bridge, going over the dock at the south end of the town," as insufficient and dangerous to man and beast. It was for awhile before used as a ferry place.

In 1706, the Grand Jury again speak of the place of the bridge, saying they have viewed the same and found the bridge had been broken down, and carried away by storm, and recommend it to be rebuilt.

They present also the wharves between Anthony Morris' brewhouse [above the bridge] and John Jones', as very injurious to the people along King street-[now Water street.]

In 1712, they again present the public kennel there as full of standing water.

In 1713, they present, as not passable, the Drawbridge [the first time so named!] at the south end of Front street, and the causeway at the end of said bridge. And again, they say "the bridge at the dock mouth," and the causeway betwixt that and Society Hill, want repair-so also the bridge over the dock and Second street. In 1739, the citizens present a petition that the six tanners on

Dock creek shall be obliged to remove their yards out of the town, and as being nuisances and choking up the dock, which used to be navigable formerly as high as Third street. They compromise, by agreeing to pave their yards, &c. and not thereafter to burn their tan on the premises, so as to smoke the neighbourhood.

In 1739, Hamilton's fine new buildings near the bridge [the same place now bearing his name, on the north side of the dock,] took fire, and were called a great loss, as an ornament to the town. They were consumed before they were finished. Only three years before, Budd's long row took fire, but was extinguished.

In 1741, the Grand Jury present the streets laid out along each side of the dock between Second and Third streets, as well as the said dock, as much encumbered, by laying great heaps of tan therein. In High street the water-course, from the widow Harman's to the common-shore across High street, is very much gullied and dangerous. Thus intimating, as I conceive, that there was then a common-shore or landing for wood, &c. as high up Dock creek as to the corner of Fourth and High streets.

In 1742, John Budd, as heir to "Budd's long row," claims the ends of the lots bordering on the dock, and publicly proposes to convey the whole swamp" (the present Dock street) to any who will buy his titles.

In 1747, the Grand Jury present that it is the universal complaint of all the neighbours adjacent to the dock, that a swamp, near it, for want of cleansing, &c. [by not draining along Spruce street, I presume,] has been of fatal consequence to the neighbourhood in the last summer.

In 1747-October-On a representation made to the Common Council, that "the swamp between Budd's row and Society Hill," as it now lies, is a great nuisance, and injurious to the health of those near it, it was resolved to appoint Benjamin Franklin, William Logan, &c. as a committee to consider of the best means of removing the nuisance, and of improving the said swamp-[laying along on the north side of Spruce street, where is now the city lot.] At the same time an address was moved to the proprietor on the same occasion. Afterwards, in February, 1748, the committee report, that there be a convenient dock of sixty feet wide as far as the said swamp extends westwards, a branch of thirty feet wide on the south west, and forty feet wide on the north west, to be left open for the reception of flats, boats, and other small craft-that the remainder ought to be filled up above the side, and walled in with a stone wall, and made landing places for wood, &c.-that the said dock be dug out, so deep that the bottom may always be covered with water-that the common sewer on the south west branch (Little Dock street now) be continued to the dock. They further add, that the owners, adjoining to the dock, have agreed to dig out their respective shares, provided the city bear the expensc of the floodgates at the several bridges.

In 1748, Secretary Peters, in writing to the proprietaries, speaks of filling up the dock swamp ground on the northern side of Spruce street, by using the ground from the neighbouring hills. As the Dock creek, by neglect, was suffered to fill up, and so have its bottom exposed to the eye and to the sun-beams, it was deemed by some likely to be pernicious to health. Such physicians as were unfriendly to its continuance open declared it pernicious. Doctor Bond, for instance, asserted that fewer ounces of bark would be used, after its filling up, than pounds before! Doctor Rush, after him, in later time. gave his influence to have it filled up, by exciting the people to an alarm for their health: for some time he stood quite unsupported. On the other hand, those who thought a stream of water, changing with the tide, an ornament to the city, (among whom Tench Francis appeared as a leader and a writer,) were strenuous in endeavouring to preserve the original creek. In the present day, we are aware that a dredge could keep it deep enough, and the rich deposit for the use of land might defray the expense.

In 1750, they present the arch over the Dock creek, on Chesnut street, as fallen down and dangerous,

and

In 1751, they present that part of Front street southward of the Drawbridge, and opposite to the city lots, as impassable for want of filling up, &c.—and

In 1753, they present Spruce street, from Front to near Second street, as impassable.

In 1753, The Mayor and Commonalty of Philadelphia" propose to let the lot of ground of 100 feet in breadth on the east side of Front street, north of the Drawbridge, thence 250 feet into the river. In consequence of this, the Wardens, Commissioners, Assessors, and Overseers of the poor, at the request of the Freemen of this city, present a memorial to the Mayor and Commonalty, assembled on the 16th of February, 1753; an abstract of which reads, to wit: "That by the mutual consent of our worthy proprietary and the inhabitants, the two public landing places, at the Penny-pot house and Blue Anchor, were appointed to be left open and common, for the use of the inhabitants, and as much so as any of the streets.”.

"That the landing place at the Blue Anchor, was at first very large and commodious, and of much greater extent than it is at present. That in or about the year 1689, the proprietary commissioners made grants to several persons for lots on the river Delaware, which were a part of the said landing place."—

"That the Mayor and inhabitants, knowing these grants were an infraction of their rights in the same, petitioned the Governor and Council for redress; that therefore, the said Governor and Council decreed the removal and clearance of materials from the same, so as to restore the same to the original design of a public and common landing; that therefore, the landing place remained