History of Fagg’s Manor (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);
 
About the year 1702 some surveys were made to the west of the London tract, as 
Londongrove was then called, for Letitia Penn and her brother Wm.  This land, 
however, was so far beyond the regular settlements that nothing could be done 
towards selling it to actual settlers, and so it remained for many years.  There 
were 2 tracts of 5000 acres each, although there is some evidence that 
Leticia's, which lay nearest to the London tract contained at first 7125 acres.  
Her tract was called Fagg's Manor, in honor of Sir John Fagg, and the name has 
been handed down to the present time, being more particularly kept alive by the 
Presbyterian church,m which is situated near the NW corner of the manor.
  After a time the land became exposed to the encroachments of irresponsible 
squatters, who destroyed the timber in order to raise a little grain, but made 
no great improvements" (this is noted in contemporary papers and letters.)  "
    "The manor was resurveyed by warrant dated 5th April, 1737 and a patent for 
the same signed by Thomas Penn the following May.
    The land in Fagg's Manor was divided among the settlers into many tracts, 
and the divisions numbered on a plan of the whole, but with a few exceptions, 
the settlers did not pay for the land or get deeds for the same for several 
years after, and in the meanwhile the improvements passed from one owner to 
another, so that the deeds in many cases were not granted to the original 
settlers.  owing to the very great irregularity in shape of the surveys, and the 
uncertainty in regard to the twp lines, it would be difficult to give with any 
certainty the exact locations of the early settlers.
    There seems to have been an intention to make a township of the manor, and 
in 1734 there was even a separate assessment made, in which the following names 
appear