HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
 

51
 

CHAPTER  III.
 

WILLIAM  PENN   BECOMES  PROPRIETOR OF THE COUNTRY  WEST

OF THE DELAWARE.
 

1673    TO    163S
 

William Penn first appears.—Sketch of life and character.—Grant of Pennsylvania.—
Why so named.—Penn writes a letter to inhabitants.—Markham deputy governor.
—Transfer of government.—Site of Pennsbury chosen.—Commissioners to pur¬
chase land.—Silas Crispin and Thomas Holme.—Site for Philadelphia selected,—
Immigrants of 1682.—Henry Paxson, John Brock, William Yardley, &c.—Races
that settled Bucks county.—English, Germans, Scotch-Irish, Welsh, Hollanders.—
Indian occupants.—Lenni Lenape.—Their treatment of children.—Tammany.

William Pexn first appears in connection w^ith affairs in America
in 1673. West New Jersey was then held by Lord Berkley and
Sir George Carteret, but in March of that year Berkley conveyed
his interest to John Fenwick, in trust for Edward Byllinge ; but some
difficulty occurring between Fenwick and Byllinge, William Penn
w\as chosen arbitrator between them. In 1674 he was appointed
one of the three trustees, into whose hands the entire management
and control of West New Jersey passed. Through this agency he
became the chief instrument in the settlement of that country, which
aflbrded him an excellent opportunity to collect valuable information
of the country generally. No doubt he directed his attention especi¬
ally to the west bank of the Delaware, and, we have every reason