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Newtown Township. - From its extreme western corner to its extreme southern point, Newtown is bordered
by Crum creek, which separates it from Upper Providence and Edgemont townships in Delaware county, and from Willistown
township, Chester county. From its western to its northern point, Newtown borders Chester county; from north to
east, Radnor township, and from the eastern to the southern corner, Marple forms the boundary line. Darby creek
flows across the northern part of the township from west to east.
The first mention of Newtown as a municipal district was at the court held in January, 1685, when Thomas Norbury
and John Humphrey were appointed collectors of the "Lcvie for the cort house and Prison, for ye Township of
Newtowne." At the December court, 1686, Thomas Norbury was appointed constable. Newtown was largely. settled
by Welchman, and the township was laid out with a "townstead" in the centre. Lots in the village were
distributed among the purchasers of land in the township according to the number of acres bought by each settler.
The following is the list of taxables in 1715: Daniel Williamson, Reece Howell, William Bevan, David Thomas, William
Phillips, Thomas Reece, John Reece, junior, Lewis Reece, Lewis Lewis, Evan Lewis, William Lewis, John Reece, John
Ffawkes, Morgan James, Lawrence Peirce, Daniel Williamson, John Williamson, James Price, John Meredith, Edward
Thomas, William Thomas. Freemen :- Jolrn Goodwin, Adam Treheall.
During the Revolution, Newtown was visited by British foraging parties and much loss incurred thereby. Many of
the losers being Friends, no demand was made on the Assembly for compensation by them; other claims, however, to
the amount of £86 were presented, but there is no record of their having ever been paid.
On Hunter's Run, in Newtown township, and extending to the Marple line, was a tract of 170 acres owned by Matthias
Aspden, who was declared an attainted traitor to the colony by act of March 6, 1778, unless he surrendered himself
and submitted to a legal trial for "such his treason." Aspden was one of the wealthy merchants of Philadelphia,
fled to England, and the tract in Newtown was seized by the authorities, later being sold to Edward Bartholomew,
to whom the state issued letters patent. In April, 1786, Aspden was pardoned by the state, and much of his property
returned to him. His will subsequently gave rise to the most extensive litigation ever had under the Confiscation
Acts. The claimants numbered over two hundred. The decision, as finally rendered by Judge Grier, awarded an estate
of over $500,000, his decision being affirmed by the United States Supreme Court.
The principal village in the township is Newtown Square, so named at the establishment of a post office there in
1820. The population now is about 300. Another post office in the township is Wyola. In the eastern part of the
township, extending from Newtown Square to the Radnor line is the tract upon which the Pennsylvania Hospital was
erected, maintained by the state. At the extreme northern point of the township, old historic St. David's Church
is located, the second oldest church edifice in Delaware county (see churches). In 1910 the population of Newtown
township was 739.
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