OF SOVEREIGNTY, JURISDICTION AND LIMITS. CHAPTER 1.

the grant from King Charles II. to himself for the province of Pennsylvania, and the release of the Duke of York for the same; and that, "as a beneficial and requisite addition to the territory of the said Proprietary and Governor, it hath also pleased the said James, Duke of York and Albany, &c. for divers good considerations, to grant unto the said William Penn, and his heirs and assigns, all that tract of land, from twelve miles northward of New Castle, on the river Delaware, down to the south cape, commonly called Cape Henlope, and by the Propretary and Governor now called Cape James, lying on the west side of the said river and bay, formerly possessed by the Dutch, and bought by them of the natives, and first surrendered upon articles of peace to the King's Lieutenant Governor, Colonel Nicholls, and a second time to Sir Edmund Androsse, Lieutenant Governor to the said Duke, and hath been by him quietly possessed and enjoyed; as also the said river of Delaware, and soil thereof, and all islands therein, lately cast into three counties, called The three lower New Castle, Jone's and Whorekills, alias New Dale: "Enacted by, to the provinces, and with the advice and consent of the deputies of the freemen of the province and counties aforesaid in assembly met, That the counties of New Castle, Jone's, and Whorekills, alias New Dale, shall be annexed, and by the authority aforesaid, are hereby annexed unto the province of Pennsylvania, as of the proper territory thereof; and the people therein shall be governed by the same laws, and enjoy the same privileges in all respects, as the inhabitants of Pennsylvania do or shall enjoy from time to time therein, anything in this law, or any other law, act or thing in this province, to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding."

counties annexed

Ibid. 46.

I vol, Del. Laws,

This union continued until about the year 1701 to 1704, when the lower counties separated themselves from Pennsylvania.

There is no authentic record of the boundaries of ancient hun

ed. 1797, p. 570. dreds. By act of 1775, the justices of the peace of the several counties were directed to ascertain the bounds and limits of the several ancient hundreds within the same, and lay out such and so many new hundreds as might be found necessary and convenient; but it is not known that this act was complied with. The only lines of hundreds ascertained by any act of assembly are the following:

Christiana, Wilmington, an. 1833.

Red Lion,
Pencader,

St. George's,
an. 1845.

The dividing line between Christiana and Wilmington hundreds is, the line which separates the city of Wilmington from the country part of Christiana hundred.

The State road beginning near George Toppins', in Red Lion hundred to Summit Bridge, is the dividing line between Pencader and Red Lion hundreds in that connection; and a continuation of said line along the middle of said road from said bridge to a point near the house of Andrew Eliason at the termination of the southern boundary of Pencader hundred as it runs from the State line

OF SOVEREIGNTY, JURISDICTION AND LIMITS. CHAPTER 134.

to the said State road, is the boundary between Pencader and St George's hundreds in that connection.

Little Creek,

"The dividing line between Duck Creek and Little Creek hun- Duck creek, dreds, shall commence at the mouth of Little Duck creek; thence an. 1823. up said creek binding with the several courses thereof to Register's mill; thence through the mill pond of the said Register's mill, Wail's heirs and Cloak's mills with the main stream of water courses thereof, until it crosses the State Road leading from Kenton to Sadler's cross-roads in the State of Maryland; thence with the said road to the stone line, so called, between this State and the State of Maryland."

Murderkiln.

The line between Dover and Murderkill hundreds was, in 1823, Dover, from the mouth of Isaac's branch on Dover river, up said branch and the ponds of Molleston's, Howell's, Warner's and Alliband's mills to the mouth of a stream emptying into Alliband's mill pond from the southward; and up that stream to the State road near the Almshouse; and with said road to the Maryland line. In 1831 "all that part of Murderkill hundred in Kent county which lies north-westerly of a line running with a large ditch leading from Hadden Smith's mill to Philip Marvel's, and from thence with the new road leading from the said Philip Marvel's to the Union meeting-house" was detached from Murderkill and added to Dover hundred.

Milford.

The dividing line between Mispillion and Milford hundreds, is Mispillion, the public road known as the Philadelphia, Dover and Norfolk Steamboat Company's road.