"Taken from the published "Pa. Archives, Third Series," this list includes taxpayer/land owner, page number of the volume in the published "Archives," township where the person was recorded, acres, number of horses, head of cattle, number of sheep, servants/slaves, and tax. Over 5,700 names." [from the publisher]
199 p. front., illus., plates, ports., maps (1 fold.) facsims. 28 cm.
Summary
A 1909 tour of the towns and places near the west branch of the Brandywine Creek, it includes Honey Brook and the railroad that once ran through it, Coatesville, Hibernia, Icedale, West Chester, Chadds Ford, and many other sites in Chester County, northern Maryland, and Delaware.
"Levi Henry Crouse and Mary Louise Worrest were married marh 7, 1843 at the ages 26 and 18 years in Paradise, Lancaster co [sic] Pa. by Rev., Edward y. Buchanan of the Epsicopal church [sic], a brother of the President James Buchanan. Our parents named their first born -- a boy for that minister, Edward Buchanan."
"Aunt Kate was a teacher for some time at Millersville, Pennsylvania Normal School. The school published a magazine entitles [sic] 'The Page Monthly.' Her intimate frind on the faculty was Rose Budd, who wrote an article for the magazine entitled 'Let me die in Autumn.' It was Clara's last school days that she choose [sic] that poem for her recitation. Her wich was granted when she passed away Sept. 1, 1860."
This collection contains Thomas Baker's three surveying books which document land and property ownership in southern Lancaster County, primarily Colerain Township from 1856-1902. Octorara Creek, Kirkwood, Christiana and Upper Oxford Twp. are among the place names.
Admin/Biographical History
Thomas Baker traces his ancestry back to Sir Richard Baker (1568), born in the county of Kent, England. In 1685, seven generations before Thomas Baker was born, Joseph Baker immigrated to Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Born in Chatham, Chester County to Lewis and Diana Baker, Thomas was well-educated; a teacher until 1840, when he commenced the study of surveying. Land surveying is the location of points on, above and below the surface of the earth and the relation of those points to a common reference system. Employed at Jonathon Goss, at Unionville Academy in Chester, he surveyed over 650 farms in Lancaster County's Colerain Township. He married in 1855; his family adhering to his Quaker faith. The Biographical Annals in Lancaster, published in 1903, describes Baker as "…a man esteemed by his neighbors for his many good qualities and excellent character, and in disposition he is a man of warm heart and kindly feeling."
