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History of Northampton, Lehigh, Monroe, Carbon, and Schuylkill Counties
History of Northampton Lehigh Monroe Carbon and Schuylkill Counties Author:Israel Daniel Rupp Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. ERECTION OF NORTHAMPTON COUNTY. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, shortly after his arrival in 1682, caused several counties, in the pr... more »ovince of Pennsylvania, to be established, namely, Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester and Bucks. When this county was erected, and for eighty years afterwards, it comprised all, and even more than is within the present bounds of Northampton, Lehigh, Monroe, Pike and Carbon counties. It was sufficient, as to extent of territory, to form a "Helvitic Republic." After repeated efforts to erect a new county out of the north part of Bucks, the inhabitants of that part of the county succeeded. None was more active in effecting this than Mr. William Craig. It is set forth in tlie records of the County Commissioners, in 1753, "that William Craig sent a letter to the Commissioners, setting forth that he had been at considerable expense in procuring Northampton county to be divided from Pucks county; and requested that they would be pleased to reimburse him the said expenses: whereupon they took the same into consideration, and agreed to allow him .£30, and ordered the Clerk to draw an order on the Treasurer for that sum. An order was drawn." By virtue of the following act of Assembly, passed March llth, 1752, the county of Northampton was erected: " Whereas, a great number of the inhabitants of the upper parts of the county of Bucks, by their petition, have hereby represented to the Governor and the Assembly of this province, the great hardships they lay under, by being so remote from the present seat of judicature, and the public offices; that the necessary means to be used for obtaining justice is attended with so much difficulty and expense, that many forego their right, rather than attempt the recovery of it under such ...« less