HISTORY: Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, PA, Roland D. Swoope, 1911, Chapter 3 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja and Claire White Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ NOTE: Use this web address to access other chapters: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/1picts/swoope/swoope.htm ________________________________________________ TWENTIETH CENTURY HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS BY ROLAND D. SWOOPE, JR. PUBLISHED BY RICHMOND-ARNOLD PUBLISHING CO. F. J. Richmond, President C. R. Arnold, Secretary and Treasurer CHICAGO, ILL. CHAPTER III. LAND TITLES. HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 24 Charles the Second's Grant to William Penn - Penn's Lease from Governor Dongan - Indian Deed Confirming the Purchase - Indian Deed to Penn's Heirs - The Articles of Consideration - Penn's Will - His Sale to the Crown - Thomas Penn Assumes Charge of the Province - First Surveys - Early Land Owners - Litigation Over Titles. The lands in the province of Pennsylvania were granted to William Penn by King Charles II of Great Britain by Royal Charter, dated the fourth day of March, A.D. 1681, in payment of a claim which Penn's father, Admiral William Penn, had at the time of his death against the English Government, amounting to ?16,000. Under this charter Penn and his descendants claimed title to all the lands in the province, but in order to avoid trouble with the Indians, Penn's representatives, on coming into possession, negotiated with the various tribes for a release of their claim to the lands. In Vol. 1, of Pennsylvania Archives, pages 121 and 122, may be found a copy of the curious instrument, dated January 12, 1696, by which William Penn leased from Thomas Dongan, late governor of New York, for one thousand years, at the annual rental of a "pepper corn," the lands of which Clearfield County is a part. Governor Dongan had acquired from the Iroquois, either by purchase or gift, the title which they claimed to said lands by right of conquest. On January 13, 1696, Dongan made a deed to William Penn for the same lands for a consideration of ?100, and on September 13, 1700, the Indian chiefs occupying these lands confirmed the purchase by William Penn by a deed which may be found recorded in the Recorder's office at Philadelphia, in Deed book F, Vol. VIII, page 242. By an article of agreement, dated April 23, 1701, recorded at Philadelphia in Deed book F, Vol. VIII, page 243, the chiefs of the Susquehanna Indians confirmed the deed of Governor Dongan. Thirty-five years later, October 11, 1736, at a great council called at Philadelphia a large number of chiefs, representing the different tribes, executed a deed forever releasing to John, Thomas and Richard Penn all titles and claims to the Susquehanna lands. This deed is also recorded in Philadelphia, in Deed book G, Vol. V, page 277. This deed describes the property conveyed as follows: "They, the said Kakiskerowand, Tayenhunty, Caxhaayn, Kuchdachary Saweegateeos, Sachems or Chiefs of the Nations of ye Onondagoe-Kanickhungo, Tagachskaholoo, Sagoayaton-dackquas, Ashcoalaax, Hetquantagech- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 25 ta, Sachems or Chiefs of the Senekaes; Sayuehsanyunt, Sunaratchy, Kanawatoe, Tecochtseegherochgoo, Sachems of Chiefs of the Cayoogoes; Saliscaquoh, Shecalamy, Tahashwangaroras, Sachems or Chiefs of the Oneydoes, and Sawantga and Tyeros, Sachems or Chiefs of the Tuskaroros, for themselves and on behalf of all the five nations aforesaid, and every of them, have given, granted, bargained, sold, Released and Confirmed, and by these presents Do, and every one of them doth give, grant, Bargain, sell, release and Confirm unto the said proprietaries, John Penn, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, their Heirs, Successors and Assigns, all the said River Susquehannah, with the lands lying on both sides thereof, to Extend Eastward as far as the heads of the Branches or Springs which run into the said Susquehannah. And all the lands lying on the West side of the said River to the setting of the Sun, and to extend from the mouth of the said River Northward, up the same to the Hills or mountains called in the language of the said Nations, the Tyannuntasacta, or Endless hills, and by the Delaware Indians, the Kekkachtananin Hills, together, also, with all the islands in the said River, Ways, Waters, Watercourses, Woods, Underwoods, Timber and Trees, Mountains, Hills, Mines, Valleys, Minerals, Quarries, Rights, Liberties, Privileges, Advantages, Hereditaments and Appurtenances thereunto belonging, or in any wise appertaining." Among the articles mentioned as the consideration of this curious document, and particularly interesting on account of the well-known peace-loving qualities of the Penns are: 500 lbs. of powder, 600 lbs. of lead, 45 guns and 25 gallons of rum, besides 200 lbs. of tobacco, and 1,000 pipes. William Penn died in 1713, and by his will, his property in the province was devised to his wife, Hannah, in trust to sell so much of his estate as was necessary to pay his indebtedness; and then to convey to his son by a former wife 40,000 acres of land; and all the residue of his lands in the province to his children by his second wife - John, Thomas and Richard. After Penn made this will, he agreed to sell his Pennsylvania property to the Crown for 112,000 and received part of the purchase money. This agreement of sale was never consummated, but it caused litigation between the widow and children which was, however, finally compromised. In 1732 Thomas Penn came to this country to take charge of the province for himself and brothers, in whom the title of William Penn was then vested. In 1779 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the title of the Penns for the sum of ?130,000 sterling, by virtue of an act of assembly, approved June 28th, 1779, known as the Devesting Act. The first surveys of the land in the territory now composing Clearfield County were made as early as 1769. Among the earliest surveyors were: Judge Smith, James Harris, Canan, Samuel Brady, the Indian fighter, and Daniel Turner. After the lands were opened to purchase, they were rapidly taken up and surveyed, and patents issued to the purchasers, most of whom were non-residents. Among the largest land-holders were the Holland Land Company, Nicklin and Griffith, James Hopkins, McConnell and Reynolds, James Yard, Cramer and Bates, the Keatings, Charles Mead, Thomas Kitland, William Parker, James Wilson, Samuel M. Fox, Henry 26 HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY Drinker, George Roberts, Joseph P. Morris, Robert Morris, John Hallowell, Walter Stewart, Archibald McCall, Richard Peters, Rawle and Morgan, Phillips and Company, James C. Fisher and William Scott. These men owned many thousand acres of land in what is now Clearfield County. For many years after the organization of the county there was tedious and expensive litigation over land titles, most of which was caused by the difficulties encountered by the early surveyors, but these disputes were finally settled by the Supreme Court.