History of Caln, East Caln and West Caln Townships (1881); Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson <ferg@ntelos.net>.

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from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA, by Futhey and Cope (1881);
 
Caln Township originally included the territory embraced in Caln, East Caln , 
west Caln, East Brandywine, West Brandywine and a part of Valley twp, and the 
borough of Downingtown , and tat part of Coatesville lying east of the west 
branch of Brandywine.  It was named from the town of Calne, in Wiltshire, 
England, whence some of the early settlers came.  In 1702 and about that time 
surveys were made, extending from the Welsh tract on the east to the west branch 
of the Brandywine on the west, mostly confined to the valley.  These surveys 
were afterwards extended northward and northwesterly.
    Joseph Cloud, Richard Cloud, and George Marshall all of Caln were indicted 
for an assault on Joseph Hickman, in his house in Caln, 4-6-1709.  In 1714, 
Peter Taylor was constable for Caln, which shows an organization at that date.
    The inhabitants of East Caln petitioned for a determination of their 
boundaries in May of 1739, and in 1744, the boundaries were set for West Caln.
    East Caln was reduced in size in 1790 by the erection of Brandywine twp, 
which was taken from its northern part in that year.  It was again reduced in 
size in the formation of Valley twp on the west in 1853.  In 1859 it was still 
further reduced by the incorporation of the borough of Downingtown.  In 1868 it 
was again divided, the part lying east of the east branch of the Brandywine 
retaining the name of East Caln, and the remainder with the part of Valley twp 
lying east of the borough of Coatesville, taking the original name of Caln.  
West Caln was slightly reduced in size in 1853, in the erection of valley twp on 
the SE.  From 1790 to 1853 East Caln was a long, narrow twp, extending from the 
west branch of the Brandywine to the western line of West Whiteland, a distance 
of over 9 miles.  The greater part of the present twps of Caln and East Caln lie 
in the valley and contain beautiful farming-lands , while West Caln is more 
hilly.
    Among the early settlers and owners of land in East Caln were the names of 
Baldwin, Cloud, Moore, Parker, Taylor, and Vernon; in Caln, the names of Aston, 
Hung, Lewis, Miller, Pim, Parke, Roman, Coates, Bizallion, Musgrove and 
Mendenhall; in West Caln, the names of Sharpless, Swayne, Sinkler, Way, White, 
Weaver and Dawson.  Peter Bizallion was a French trader among the Indians for 
some time, but finally settled here.