The first settlement in the Lower Delaware Colonies was at Lewes in 1631 and is called the “First Town in the First State. Cedar Creek Hundred was located between Cedar Creek and Slaughter Creek and was formed in 1664 when English rule prevailed over earlier Dutch and Swedish settlements at New Castle and Wilmington. The counties of Delaware were originally divided into Hundreds based on the English use of dividing up counties. October 25, 1682, William Penn directed that Delaware be divided into hundreds for the purposes of taxation. A “hundred” is an old English Saxon land division which is smaller than a one hundred families. county or shire and larger than a tithing. It comprised ten tithings of ten freeholder families each – one hundred families.

Around 1681, Alexander Draper began to acquire land in Sussex County, Delaware. Originally from England, most settlers were accustomed to the cities of that time, overcrowded and disease-infested streets. According to the Draper Family History, he was thrilled at the unspoiled land he viewed in the Cedar Creek Hundred, where he built his new home. All kinds of virgin vegetation abounded; forests stretching seemingly forever, and such a wide variety of strong trees for timber. Rivers and marshes served as routes to the ocean, while wildlife like bears, wolves, deer, rabbits, and squirrels provided food and clothing. The land itself was rich with promises of diverse agricultural bounty. And in the brackish waters along the coast were all varieties of aquatic life: clams, crabs, fish, and fowl. It was a paradise, just waiting for the right man to farm.

Most early Cedar Creek settlers originally lived at the settlement of Manokin, near Crisfield, MD, prior to moving to Delaware in 1677-1685. Delaware gained many settlers from Maryland during this time because in 1660 that colony had declared the Anglican Church as their official church and could impose taxes on all residents for the benefit of the church. Religious tolerance seemed more available in Delaware, where Quaker, Episcopal and Methodist meetings were starting to become established in the 1700s. Once again, the country that was to become the United States was a beacon for religious freedom.

While it appears from history there may have been earlier grants or “patents” in the area, the date of 1681 is the generally accepted date of the founding of Slaughter Beach. This was the date of William Penn’s first grant in the area to Alexander Draper. After that original grant and for many years afterward, the grants, which originally became farms, were actively inherited, sold, split, and otherwise changed owners. A record keeping system had been established based on English law about the time of the founding of Lewes in 1631. The original name of Sussex County was Deale, and the original name of Kent was St. Jones. Fortunately, these records have been preserved in a book by C.H.B. Turner “Some Records of Sussex County Delaware”, Allen, Lane & Scott, 1909. This is a great resource for researching the early development of Sussex County. It was customary to name farms then and that custom continues to this day. The names were reminiscent of places in the settlers’ history, or just the last name of the owner. Many of the original settlers still have descendants living in the area, and some properties are still in the ownership of those descendants. Draper, Bennett, Davis, Watson, Campbell and other early families lived here after their emigration to Delaware.

The 1868 Beers Atlas shows landowners that are descendants of the earlier patentees who settled in Cedar Creek near Slaughter Beach. These settlers were, to name a few:
• 1681 (Surveyed in 1680) : Alexander Draper (1630-1691) 1000 acres, the oldest settled and called “Little Bolton”.
• 1684-88: Luke Watson, Sr.: 2094 acres called “Marsh Patent”
• 1685: Henry Bowman 3000 acres, left to descendants, then his estate sold a large part to Thomas Davis.
• 1700: John Bennett Sr. (1660-1745) 300 acres purchased from Rebecca Milnor Draper, Alexander Draper’s widow.
• 1737: James Reed, Jr. (1701-1737) 200 acres purchased from John Loughland (Lofland)
• 1772: John Campbell (1722-1775) 1210 acres, which was handed down to heirs until John Simpson Campbell (1770-1848) died intestate and the land was subdivided and disposed of by Orphans Court. It was later purchased by William I. Simpson who later transferrred it to I. Thomas Simpson, his son. Thomas Simpson later sold 450 acres to Charles E. Reed January 2, 1923. Ownership is still held by the heirs of Charles E. Reed.

The American Revolution also played out among the local inhabitants, and in 1776, delegates from Delaware and later, in 1789, were the first signers on the Declaration of Independence. Sussex County was growing, the area was developing and involved in pre- and post-Revolutionary War activities as can be seen in other SBHS articles. While the town of Slaughter Beach only began development in the mid-1800s, it wasn’t until 1931, however, that the town was incorporated. In December 1981, the town celebrated 300 years of existence with parades, picnics, and costumes. In 2026, the town will celebrate its 345th birthday!

Information was compiled by Linda Bennett White, Diane McFaul Hindman, and Joanne Plescia from numerous sources, including Ancestry.com and family histories.