THORNBURY TOWNSHIP

Thornbury Township was named from Thornbury in Gloucestershire, England. One of the earliest and most influential inhabitants of this township was George Peirce, whose wife was a native of Thornbury, in England, and the township was named in compliment to her. It was organized in the year 1687 by the appointment of Hugh Durborrow as constable, when not more than 5 or 6 families had settled within its limits. It was surveyed in right of the first purchasers. This township, and Birmingham and Westtown are the only townships within the present limits of Chester County which were organized before 1704.

When Delaware County was erected in the year 1789, the townships of Thornbury and Birmingham were divided. Thornbury in Chester county contains all but about 1/4 of the territory of the original township, and is one of the smallest townships in the county.

This page was updated on March 1, 2009