George Stevenson Letter (January 19, 1763) - 1
Gentlemen
The Bearer hereof, John Mitchel, waits of your for a Lea[se]
of his Improvement in the Mannor of Conestoga the Disorder of w[hich]
Mr Mitchel so long languished, and lately died, has confin'd him to [illegible]
House near a Year, & therefore he could not attend sooner. He has
requested me to mention his Case to you, now least what at you have been
made acquainted with formerly be forgot, which is as follows, [viz]
In the Year 1757 when others fled from Cumberland County, John
Mitchel also fled with his Family, and took shelter with his father.
in Law Mr John Ross, who then liv'd on blue Rock Farm at that
Time People were setting & buying the Mannor. In Spring 1758 John
Ross directed him to settle and improve on a Piece of Land Eastward
of the blue Rock Farm, which he accordingly did, and I then survey
has Lines of that Place intending it to contain about one Hundred
& fifty Acres. John Mitchel then began to clear Land, build & improve
in full Assurance of buying as others then did. The Rich Land th[en]
sold at £ 4: 10: 0 p Acre, and the poorer Land for less according to its
Quality. John Mitchel expended what Money he then had in clearing
building Fences & Houses, and maintaining his Family before he could
raise Bread off that Land; At that price [illegible]
wch he left in Cumberland County, and therefore I did not finish his
Survey, & he postpon'd his Journey to Philada for a Season, until he co[uld]
procure Money to make a Payment. Soon after Lands began to rise [in]
Value, and £ 6 Acre was offered for the Rich part of the Tract he had set[tled]
on, this he thought very Hard usage, but concluded to comply with that
rather than Loose his Labour; soon after that Order are sent from the Hon
the Proprietaries not to sell it any Price. Thus, unfortunately, for him,
miss'd of purchasing when other did, had he purchased then, he would
now be as Rich as his Neighbors that did.
In Spring 1761 a Lease was promis'd to his Wife on reasonable
Terms, in Consideration of his Labour on the Place & Disappointm[ent]
in purchasing, as the Advantages from his Labour & Rise of Lan[d]
now falls to Mr Penn; Last Spring you were pleas'd to promise
him a Lease, but he has not been able to leave his Family, & wait[s]
of you to get it, until now.
I took a Memorandum last Spring at Philadelphia pf the Terms then talk[ed]
of, which I shall mention here, least you may have forgot; viz, Lease, for
clear Land & Improvements only, for 7 Years at £ 15 or 20 p Annum with Lib[illegible]
to get Firewood Fence Rails & Timber for necessary Repairs to clear one Acre [of]
Land Yearly for Turness, to plant 60 Aple Tree, to pay all Taxes, & to keep
