"For the County of Chester" - The Oldest Record Preserved at the Chester County Archives

The oldest record preserved at the Chester County Archives is an old colonial court docket. The first entry was recorded on September 13, 1681—just six months after William Penn received his royal charter from King Charles II. What’s particularly interesting is the fact that the first nine pages of this docket were all recorded before William Penn ever stepped foot on Pennsylvania soil, and before he formally established the Chester County Government in November 1682. Explore the history of this court docket and learn about some of the earliest European inhabitants in the local area. For those interested in reviewing a transcribed (although slightly censored) version of this court docket, see: https://archive.org/details/recordofc... You can learn more about the difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendars in this write up from the Swarthmore Friends Historical Library. See: https://www.swarthmore.edu/friends-hi...