John Test:

Sheriff at Upland
(Chester)




Before the founding of Philadelphia, the main settlement was located about 15 miles down the Delaware River at Upland. The original settlers were Swedish arriving in 1643 as part of the colony of New Sweden. It was ruled by the Swedes until 1655 when the Dutch incorporated the area into the New Netherlands, and finally, beginning in 1676, the English replaced the Dutch. John Test was the second sheriff of Upland under English administration. William Markham had been commissioned Deputy Governor of the province in April of 1681.


“In September [1681] Upland Court appears to have been organized under [Capt. William] Markham's instructions and jury trials instituted. The justices present at the meeting of this newly organized court were William Clayton, William Warner, Robert Wade, William Byles, Otto Ernest Cook, Robert Lucas, Lasse Cock, Swen Swenson, and Andreas Bankson, five of them being members of Markham's Council. The clerk of the court was Thomas Revell, and the sheriff's name was John Test.”

Thomas Scharf and Thomson Westcott, History of Philadelphia: 1609-1884 (Philadelphia: L.H. Everts, 1884), p. 95.




The Court at Upland, Record of the Courts of Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1681-1697 (Philadelphia: Colonial Society of Pennsylvania, Patterson & White Company, 1910)



The first session of the new court was ... at ... Upland, where, no doubt, Governor Markham had fixed his residence. The record commences thus:


Transcription


Province of Pennsilvania: At the Cort at Upland, September 13th, 1681--

Mr. William Clayton     Mr. Robert Lucas
Mr. William Warner Mr. Lassey Cock
Mr. Robert Wade Mr. Swan Swanson
Mr. Otto Ernst Cock Mr. Andreas Bankson
Mr. William Byles Justices present
Mr. John Test Sheriffe
Mr. Tho: Revell, Clerke




J.Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope, History of Chester County (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1881), p. 18.

Futhey and Cope's History of Chester County is available online in a poorly scanned version at Google Books:
Google Books History of Chester County Available on Heritage Quest -- subscription required. Your local library may have access.

Also available in Microsoft Word format at: Open Source Books: History of Chester County Pennsylvania

List of Sheriffs of Chester County Pennsylvania



This list is from George Smith, History of Delaware County Pennsylvania (Philadelpha: Henry B. Ashmead, 1862), p. 529.

See George Smith: History of Delaware County Pennsylvania

The list may be a bit misleading. John Test was first sheriff of Chester County appointed under the proprietorship of Wm. Penn. William Penn's cousin and acting governor of Pennsylvania William Markham who arrived in Upland (now Chester, Pennsylvania) on August 3, 1681 appointed John Test sheriff. Markham continued to serve as governor until Penn arrived in October of 1682.

Capt. Edmond Cantwell served as the sheriff at Upland before Penn became proprietor of Pennsylvania. He was appointed by Governor Edmund Andros the fourth colonial governor of New York.









Source: Publication Title: Pennsylvania Archives

Short Description: The Pennsylvania State Archives published 10 series of historical records (138 volumes) covering the initial colonial settlement through the Civil War.

Series: Series 2

Volume: IX

Chapter: Officers of the Colonies on the Delaware 1614-1681.

Page: 635




Thomas Revell's House in Burlington, N.J.
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I seem to have noticed that frequently when John Test is recorded in a position of public service Mr. Thomas Revell is there as well. The two seem to be associates in some form although Mr. Revell was much more involved in the governing process than John Test was.