Sadsbury Township, formerly written Sudbury, possibly after Sudbury, Suffolk County, England, lies in the middle western part of the county, bordering on Lancaster County. The township was organized in 1717, through the name Sadsbury appears as early as 1708. This township lies in the Great Valley and to the northward thereof, that part lying in the valley being taken up at an early day, in right of purchase made in England, and that north of it at a somewhat later period. In 1718 the taxable were nine in number, William Grimson, James Hamer, Thomas Hayward, John Musgrave, William Smith, John Whitesides, and John Moore. The first township officer mentioned was William Marsh, November 26, 1717. In 1728 a petition was presented to the court, asking for the definite location of the boundaries of the township, which on November 27 of that year was granted. In 1813 the line between Sadsbury and West Caln Townships, was relocated and settled. In 1852 Sadsbury was reduced in size by the formation of Valley Township, previous to which time it extended eastward to the Brandywine at Coatesville. By an act of Assemby passed on March 1, 1872, the borough of Parkesburg was erected, thus reducing the township in size, and by a decree of the court on December 20, 1875, the borough of Atglen was established, thus further reducing the size of Sadsbury. In 1878 the township was divided into East and West Sadsbury. The early settlers of this or these townships were Friends from England and Scotch-Irish Presbyterians.
Among the noted citizens of this part of the county in the olden time was Colonel Andrew Boyd, son of Rev. Adam Boyd, who was lieutenant of Chester County during a part of the Revolutionary War. John Fleming, Sr., another prominent citizen of this part of the county was a member of the convention that framed the State Constitution in 1776, and he was a member of the Assemby in 1778. Dr. Joseph Gardner was an active Revolutionary patriot, was three years a member of the Assembly, and was a member of the Continental Congress in 1784-85, and John Gardner, son of the former, was sheriff of Chester County from 1781 to 1783.
from Chester County and Its People, edited by W.W. Thomson, (Chicago and New York:The Union History Company, 1898), pp. 926-927.
