Biographical Sketch of Charles Pickering from The History of Chester County by Futhey and Cope (1881); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Charlestown TWP is named for Charles Pickering, of Asmore, Chester, England..and, the creek that runs through it is the Pickering, also in his honor. Pickering was an Englishman who it is said crossed with Wm. Penn and "wandered up the Schuylkill River in search of treasure" . Supposedly he found traces of silver on the banks of what is now the Pickering Creek and he returned to Philladelphia and got a grant from Penn for a to England, a large amount of the supposed silver, for analysis. The result is unknown but he ceased mining operations so it may be supposed that it wasn't silver, or any metal of value. In 1683, Pickering was tried for setting up a private mint for the "Quoining of Spanish Bitts and Boston money", for which he was fined 40 lb and directed to redeem all that he had already issued. It doesn't appear that this conviction was followed by any ort of social condemnation, and the council, in 1685, passed a resolution that, in privileges and freedom, he stood in "Equal Capacity" with the other colonists. Later, he was drowned while crossing the ocean.