Peddlers and Indian Traders License Papers, 1722-1866 Chester County, Pennsylvania

Peddlers and Indian Traders License Papers, 1722-1866 Chester County, Pennsylvania Linda Feehrer and Jeffrey Rollison D ETITIONS FOR THE LICENSING OF INDIAN TRADERS and peddlers are an interesting and useful collection of court records at the Chester County Archives. In May of 1715 the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an act to license Indian traders stating that no person could "go forth abroad into the woods to trade with the Indians [for] any commodity whatsoever, without being first recommended to the governor for (his license) by the justices of some or one of the county courts of quarter-sessions of this province."' With the necessary recommendation, the petitioner, and at least one substantial freeholder of the same county, had to post a security bond "not exceeding fifty pounds. . ." The yearly cost of the license was forty shillings. When the act was renewed in 1722 the amount of the bond was raised to 1100 but the license fee was decreased to thirty shillings. The renewed act also forbade the selling of liquor to the Indians.2 It wasn't until 1729 that peddlers were licensed. The preamble to the licensing act states why it was necessary: aflany idle and vagrant persons are come into this province, and under pretense of being hawkers or peddlers and carrying goods from house to house within this province to sell have greatly imposed upon many people as well in the quality as in the price of the goods, and under cover of selling their wares and merchandises have entered into the houses of many honest and sober people in the absence of the owner or owners of the said houses and committed felonies and other misdemeanors, to the great prejudice of the inhabitants of this province: For remedying of which inconveniencies and preventing such evil practices, and to the intent that no persons may be admitted to follow the business of hawkers or peddlers within this province but persons of known honesty and civil behavior(.]' To obtain a license the petitioner had to receive the court's 288 284 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine recommendation, post a bond, and have freeholders of the county provide sureties. The cost of the license, which was good for a year, was determined by whether the person intended to travel by foot or with beasts of burden and a wagon. Shown below are the costs for a peddlers' license and surety bond charges for the years covered in this article. Year License Cost Bond 1729 15 shillings if traveling by foot £40 25 shillings if traveling with beast of burden 1784 45 shillings if traveling by foot 15 if traveling with beast of burden £100 and 2 freeholders must provide sureties of £50 each 1830 $8 if traveling by foot $16 if traveling with 1 horse and wagon $25 if traveling with 2 horses and a wagon $300 and sureties In 1799 the eligibility requirements for a license changed. Only someone who "from age, loss of limb, or other bodily infirmity, shall be disabled from procuring a livelihood by labor, which disability shall be proven by certificate or certificates from one or more physicians of respectable character" could be a licensed peddler.' After the Civil War, in 1867, the law was modified to allow disabled soldiers licenses free of charge. Peddlers and Indian Traders Petitions Petitioner Adams, James Anderson, Robert Anderson, Robert Anderson, Robert Ash, Samuel F. Baker, Reuben License Date Township Peddler November 1743 Peddler May 1743 Peddler May 1744 Peddler August 1748 Peddler circa 1869 Peddler September 1842 West Cain 285 Peddlers and Indian Traders License Papers Petitioner License Date Black, William Peddler February 1738 Bourgoin, Joseph Peddler May 1733 Bourgoin, Joseph Peddler August 1736 Township Edgmont Willistown Darby Tredyffrin Brooks, David Peddler February 1773 Brown, Archibald Peddler August 1801 Burgauer, Peddler October 1861 Abraham Burgauer, Lewis Peddler February 1859 Burt, John Indian May 1724 Conestoga Trader Burt, John Indian August 1726 Conestoga Trader Clancey, John Peddler November 1842 Clarke, Thomas Peddler May 1754 Cain Indian May 1725 Cloud, Joseph Trader Borough of Peddler July 1855 Colligan Phoenixville (Colgan), Bernard Connall, George Peddler August 1749 Ridley Conner, Charles Peddler May 1730 Conner, Charles Peddler May 1731 Conner, Charles Peddler circa 1732 Peddler circa 1744 Cross, Samuel Cross, Samuel Peddler August 1745 Cross, Samuel Peddler February 1746/7 Londonderry Peddler August 1748 Cross, Samuel Donegal Davenport, Jonah Indian February 1725 Trader Donig, Michael Peddler December 1862 Dunlap, Matthew Peddler November 1751 Peddler July 1853 Eicholtz, Solomon Peddler August 1854 Eicholtz, Solomon Eichwald, Julius Peddler July 1852 Fain, Nicholas Peddler November 1760 Flanagan, Peter Peddler March 1850 East Nantmeal Peddler August 1831 Gilt, Peter The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 286 Petitioner License Date Township Peddler May 1859 Goldman, Upper Oxford Edward Peddler 1728/9 Conestoga Goodman, George Peddler July 1850 Greenebaum, Abraham Peddler July 1852 Greenebaum, Abraham Peddler September 1842 Greenebaum, Leon Hagedorn, John Peddler October 1859 Hagedorn, John Peddler October 1860 Hagedorn, John Peddler October 1861 Hagedorn, John Peddler November 1865 Hagedorn, John Peddler October 1866 Peddler November 1866 H agedorn, Morris Hall, Reuben Peddler November 1841 Hall, Richard Peddler February 1753 Hallahan, Daniel Peddler April 1850 Hatten, James M. Peddler April 1857 Hatten, James M. Peddler May 1858 Hatten, James M. Peddler July 1859 Peddler October 1842 Hecht, Samuel Hergstein, Julius Peddler December 1862 L. Herzfeld, Reuben Peddler August 1866 Hetherinton, Peddler May 1749 Henry Hetherinton, Peddler February 1749/50 Henry Peddler February 1836 Honeybrook Holland, John Holland, John Peddler May 1837 Honeybrook Hopkins, William Peddler August 1802 Hunter, James Peddler November 1750 Peddler November 1751 Hunter, James Peddler June 1828 East Goshen John, Philip Johnston, John Peddler February 1756 Kennett Upper Oxford Kennedy, William Peddler August 1815 287 Peddlers and Indian Traders License Papers Petitioner License Date Township Kerins, James Peddler June 1861 Salsbury West Brandywine Klein, Lewis Peddler August 1859 Klein, Lewis Peddler August 1862 West Brandywine Lang, Harvey Peddler November 1845 East Marlborough Little, William Peddler May 1759 Oxford Lockhart, John Peddler May 1732 Loeb, Hirsch Peddler April 1842 Lord, Daniel Peddler April 1834 McAllison, James Peddler December 1743 West Nantmeal McBride, Francis Peddler August 1754 East Bradford McCarty, John Peddler February 1760 McClure, John Peddler February 1743/4 Borough of McKeever, Peddler Februay 1805 Michael West Chester McKeever, Peddler February 1806 Michael McKeever, Peddler circa 1807 Michael McLaughlin, Neal Peddler February 1749/50 London Grove McMichael, Peddler August 1742 Charles McMichael, Peddler August 1743 Charles McMichael, Peddler August 1744 Charles McMichael, Peddler August 1745 Charles McMichael, Peddler August 1746 Charles McMichael, Peddler August 1748 Charles McMichael, Peddler August 1749 Charles McMichael, Peddler November 1750 Charles McMichael, Peddler November 1751 Charles McMichael, Peddler November 1752 Charles The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 288 Petitioner License Date McMichael, Peddler November 1753 Charles McMichael, Peddler November 1754 Charles McMordie, James Peddler November 1751 March, David Peddler August 1843 March, David Peddler September 1845 Mason, George Peddler May 1731 Mason, George Peddler May 1737 Middleton, Peddler October 1820 Thomas Middleton, Peddler February 1822 Thomas Peddler February 1825 Middleton, Thomas Middleton, Peddler February 1826 Thomas Middleton, Peddler February 1827 Thomas Peddler February 1828 Middleton, Thomas Middleton, Peddler February 1829 Thomas Middleton, Peddler February 1830 Thomas Millis, Johns Peddler May 1754 Moses, Philipp Peddler October 1855 Murray, Richard Peddler May 1735 Peddler May 1731 Neale/(Neill), Bryan Nealey, Samuel Peddler February 1750/1 O'Neal, Terrance Peddler May 1730 O'Neil, Michael Peddler May 1858 O'Neil, Michael Peddler May 1859 O'Neil, Michael Peddler May 1860 O'Neil, Michael Peddler June 1861 O'Neil, Michael Peddler August 1862 O'Neil, Rodger Peddler April 1855 Patterson, James Indian November 1722 Trader Township New London New London New London New London New London New London New London New London West Nantmeal Conestoga 289 Peddlers and Indian Traders License Papers Petitioner Patterson, James Patterson, Samuel Patterson, Samuel Patterson, Samuel Perrin, Thomas License Date Township Indian November 1723 Conestoga Trader Peddler May 1752 Peddler August 1754 Peddler August 1759 Indian Trader Peddler Peddler Peddler November 1724 Conestoga Prince, John February 1755 Rice, Jacob February 1808 Richardson, February 1729/30 Alexander Richardson, Peddler circa 1730 Alexander Peddler August 1737 Richardson, Alexander Richardson Peddler May 1733 (Richison), Alexander Richardson, Azel Peddler September 1850 B. Rodden, Charles Peddler February 1758 Ross, James Peddler February 1738 Schwab, Abraham Peddler April 1841 Shaw, John Peddler May 1754 Sleer, Jacob Peddler November 1772 Smith, Erastus Peddler September 1841 Stewart, Daniel Peddler February 1742/3 Swanner, John Peddler November 1742 Vincent Swanner, John Peddler November 1743 Trim, John Peddler May 1802 Welsh, Charles Peddler February 1803 Peddler August 1809 Welsh, Charles Whinnery, Peddler February 1749/50 Patrick Winnick, Isaac Peddler November 1858 Woodford, James Peddler July 1833 Young, Charles Peddler April 1868 290 Petitioner The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine License Date Township Young, William Peddler May 1730 Young, William Peddler May 1735 Young, William Peddler February 1737/8 Notes 1, James T. Mitchell and Henry Flanders. The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1700 to 1801. (Harrisburg: 1896-1915), III: chapter COL 2. Ibid. HI: chapter CCLVI. 3. Ibid. IV: chapter CCCVIII. 4. Ardemus Stewart, Esq. Stewart's Purdons Digest: A Digest of the Statute Law of the State of Pennsylvania from the year 1700 to 1903 13th edition. (Philadelphia, 1905-1910) Hi: 3474.