Upper Chichester Township
Part of the “Chichester Liberty” established in 1683 by William Penn, this area originally included Upper and Lower Chichester Townships and Marcus Hook and Trainer Boroughs. The terms “Upper” and “Lower Chichester” were in use as early as 1722. In 1735, the two areas were taxed as separate districts, but the first record of Upper Chichester as an organized entity does not appear in Court records until 1759. The municipality became a first class township on December 30, 1941 and is 6.8 square miles. It is named after a market town and seaport in Susses, England from which many of its settlers came.
The Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Indians erected several semi-permanent villages in the area; occupancy was seasonal, tied to fishing or hunting cycles with some farming. The sachem Naaman headed a large settlement along the creek which still bears his name. A network of trails utilized the ridge lines to connect these villages and the main “Swedes’ Path” (now U.S. Route 13) and “Minquas Path”. The European settlers adapted these routes to be the first roads surveyed in the Township, and they still are the principal local highways. The “Old Chichester and Bethel” (now Larkin Road, “Old Concord Road” (now Chichester Avenue) and Poulson (now Blueball) Road were laid out in the first decade of English settlement.
The Upper Chichester area was claimed both by the Swedes (1643) and by the Dutch (1654), but both nations were primarily interested only in trading with the Lenape. Although some settlements were built in the river tier, there is no firm evidence of European occupation in Upper Chichester until Penn’s grants under his 1681 from King Charles II. The “First Purchasers” under Penn’s authority were fourteen English and Welshmen, most of them Quakers. Many of the original grantees were speculators or commissioned agents who immediately sold their holdings, but some of the first landowners settled and have descendants still in the township – Bezer, Buffington, Garett, Kingsman, Marten, and Willer.
The regional pattern of independent family farmsteads was followed in Upper Chichester, which retained its rural atmosphere well into the twentieth century. McCaysville, a small crossroad town at Chichester and Meetinghouse Roads, predates the American Revolution and was the only major concentration of structures for 200 years. Other major intersections also were named after nearby settlers – Pennell’s Corners (Bethel and Larkin Rds.) and Larkin’s also known as Hanby’s, Corners (Larkin and Chichester Rds.) being extant examples. IN 1769, there were only thirty-nine voters in the township. As last as 1900, the population was only 601 persons.
The Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Indians erected several semi-permanent villages in the area; occupancy was seasonal, tied to fishing or hunting cycles with some farming. The sachem Naaman headed a large settlement along the creek which still bears his name. A network of trails utilized the ridge lines to connect these villages and the main “Swedes’ Path” (now U.S. Route 13) and “Minquas Path”. The European settlers adapted these routes to be the first roads surveyed in the Township, and they still are the principal local highways. The “Old Chichester and Bethel” (now Larkin Road, “Old Concord Road” (now Chichester Avenue) and Poulson (now Blueball) Road were laid out in the first decade of English settlement.
The Upper Chichester area was claimed both by the Swedes (1643) and by the Dutch (1654), but both nations were primarily interested only in trading with the Lenape. Although some settlements were built in the river tier, there is no firm evidence of European occupation in Upper Chichester until Penn’s grants under his 1681 from King Charles II. The “First Purchasers” under Penn’s authority were fourteen English and Welshmen, most of them Quakers. Many of the original grantees were speculators or commissioned agents who immediately sold their holdings, but some of the first landowners settled and have descendants still in the township – Bezer, Buffington, Garett, Kingsman, Marten, and Willer.
The regional pattern of independent family farmsteads was followed in Upper Chichester, which retained its rural atmosphere well into the twentieth century. McCaysville, a small crossroad town at Chichester and Meetinghouse Roads, predates the American Revolution and was the only major concentration of structures for 200 years. Other major intersections also were named after nearby settlers – Pennell’s Corners (Bethel and Larkin Rds.) and Larkin’s also known as Hanby’s, Corners (Larkin and Chichester Rds.) being extant examples. IN 1769, there were only thirty-nine voters in the township. As last as 1900, the population was only 601 persons.
Listing Details
Telephone
610-485-5881
Fax
610-485-8643
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