New Castle County Orphans, Sheriff and Coroners

Registers of Court of Chancery and Clerk of the Orphans Court.

Sheriffs

Under the Dutch the sheriff was termed the schout, or scout, and on the 12th of June, 1657, Gregorius Van Dyck (who acted on the Delaware River as deputy schout, under the schout living at New Amsterdam) was appointed schout, or sheriff. He was succeeded by Gerret Von Swearwingen, whose commission was dated May 18, 1660. He served until after the surrender of the territory to the English, in 1664.

Captain Edmund Cantwell was appointed April 21, 1668, as high sheriff on the Delaware River, embracing the jurisdictions of the courts of Upland, New Castle and Whoorekill, and served until May 1, 1683 (with the exception of 1673-74, when the Dutch were in possession, when Peter Alrich was chosen schout), when Abraham Mann, of Bread and Cheese Island, was appointed. Thomas Wollaston was appointed deputy sheriff under Cantwell, and served until 1679, when he was succeeded by Samuel Land, who continued to act in that capacity until June 17, 1684, when he succeeded Abraham Mann as sheriff.

Edward Gibbs appears in 1686 as certifying to the election returns of that year, and is continued until after 1690. The following dates are obtained from commissions and sheriff's deeds:

Coroners

Clerks of the Peace

William Tom was clerk of the courts on South River (Delaware), embracing Upland, New Castle and the Whorekill, prior to 1676. Upon the reorganization of the courts by Gov. Andros, in 1676, Ephraim Herman was chosen, his commission bearing date September 23, 1676. He continued until January 1, 1684, when he was succeeded by John White, who served until March 15, 1689. James Claypoole was then appointed, and continued until August 6, 1694. The prothonotary held several offices, and his deputies transacted the business in several of them.

Prior to 1730 the names of the following persons appear as deputies: Joseph Fox, John Denny and Robert Robertson.

The names of a few of the clerks are gleaned from the records, as follows:

New Castle County

Source: History of Delaware, 1609-1888, Volume I, by J. Thomas Scharf, L. J. Richards & Company, Philadelphia, 1888.