CHESWOLD
KENT COUNTY, DELAWARE


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JoAnne Sammons (jsammbird@comcast.net) 5 Jun 2006 -- addresses the origins of Cheswold and the name Sammons:

Cheswold background - The original settlement was located at Seven Hickories (at the intersection of state route 42 and Brenford Rd., west of Cheswold) consisting of an inn and several farmhouses. This was a colonial stopping-off place on the east-west side that ran between Chesapeake Bay and the ports of Smyrna Landing and Leipsic on Delaware Bay.

In 1856 a north-south railroad was completed which crossed the road a mile or so east of Seven Hickories. Here, at the railroad stop, a crossroad town grew up which was named Moorton in honor of John S. Moore, a white landowner.

The town was incorporated April 18, 1889 and reincorporated on March 19, 1903

Reference - History of Delaware 1609 - 1888 by J. Thomas Scharf published 1888:

Page 1128 - Shortly after the railroad was completed in 1856, John S. Moore, who owned all the land upon which this town is located, opened a store in the building now occupied by James Brown and was appointed postmaster.

From Mr. Moore the new town was called Moorton and continued under this name until 1888 when it was changed to Chesswold (the original name had 2 s's)

Page 1124 - West of the town of Moorton are a class of people called Moors. At one time they owned over a 1000 acres between Seven Hickories and Moorton. They claim to have settled here about 1710. In 1785, there were several families owning quite large estates, among them were John and Israel Durham.

Some where in my research is the story of how the name Chesswold was chosen. It has been about ten years since I have done any real research and right now I can't put my hands on those notes - There was constant confusion between Moorton, DE and a town in Pennsylvania in reference to mail delivery. Each town was getting the other town's mail so the decision was made to change the name. Names were dropped in a hat and drawn and Chesswold was the winner. Now I am trying to recall from memory but I think the name stood for a large group of trees but this is only from memory.

Indian origin - Delaware's Forgotten Folk - Indians belonging to the Delaware Nation lived along Duck Creek and Appoquinimink Creek. The original tribes of Kent County were of Lenni Lenape affiliation.

Everyone who has done any type of research knows that they intermarried with the Nanticokes of Sussex County and also know that the Indians of Sussex County, Kent County and Southern New Jersey are related through this intermarriage and migration. My husband has relatives in Millsboro and Bridgeton.

I will tell you that when my husband and I was in Oklahoma about 10 years ago during a symposium with the Delawares (Lenni-Lenape) they do consider the eastern shore as their home land, their original roots before migration.

As far as the origin of the Sammons name, I have never ran across any research or spoke to anyone who ties the name in with Jewish ancestory but that doesn't mean that it does not.

Sammons is said by some members of the family to be of French derivation but this is NOT CERTAIN. Reference - Delaware's Forgotten Folk, C. A. Weslager, 1943.

Three tribes - Nanticoke from Millsboro, Lenni-Lenape from Cheswold and Nanticoke, Lenni-Lenape from Bridgeton, NJ.

 

 

Responses are welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

KUSKARAWOAK & MITSAWOKETT

"The History and Genealogy of the
Native American Isolate Communities
of Kent County, Delaware, and
Surrounding Areas on the Delmarva Peninsula
and Southern New Jersey"

 

 


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