Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-02-07
LOCAL SKETCHES.
tion-A sketch Of its History.


The Old SMesles. thurch-lts Founds-
tion-A sketch Of its History.
Down in the business portion Of our city.
bounded on one side by manufactures and work
shops which emit the sounds OF the buzzing saw,
the ringing hammer, and the rearing forge; and
on the other by neightorhooi where dirt ami
hIthine-s reign almost supreme, like an oasis in
the desert stands THE OLp SwEpE, CmuRcn ASD
CEMETERY.
No one can enter this city of the dead without
being impressed with feelings Of the utmost
lemnity. Here. scattered around. lie those who
long since have ioHud resting place forever;
father and son, mother and daughter, SISTER and
brother. friend and Toe all claiming the earth
Us their common tomb Here lie some 10 whom.
after lingering llness, death was glad relief. I
and others to whom his visit was very sudden. 4
Here stand monuments erected by loving hearts \
10 the memory Of friends who went before them;
and here lie those-perhaps not less beloved +
with nothing TO mark their remains.
The Old Church stand. in the middle Of the 1
enclosure, and seems TO look down with mother /
ly love upon her children who am gathered To
the shelter Of her wing.
With the history of this venerable edfce we
presume all are familiar; but in this sketch it
may not be inappropriate to mention few facts
concerning il. In the course Of the progress Of
the swedish settlement at this point il was found
nconyenent for the colonies to worship at the
church at Crane Hook, aud in the year lds,
Hans Peterson. John stallcop and Charles
Springer entered into q contract with John Yard,
mason OF Philadelphia, for the sum of eighty
six pounds Silver money, to erect the stone
work OF suitable place Of worship on the ground
then used as a burial place.
The corner stone was laid at the north corner on
the 2sth Of May, l69s, and the building was consc-
Grated on Trinity Sunday In the following year
and received the name OF Trinity Church. The
Rev. Andrew Rndman otiiciated on this occasion
and preached from the text - The Lord hath done
great things for Us, whereof We are glad" Psalm
cxNiII Q.
The church then presented far different APP
pearance from iis present one. Ii was of oblong
form, the interior being sixty feet wide ana the
walls twenty feet high.
| In 1862 the church was discovered to be in
dlnpidated condition, and 10 strengthen it, in
in that year three porticoes were added to it !;
| TWO On tut HoTtH sue, anu unt un tnt sDutil
These additions project al right angles from the
original building, and are built in an arclied
form One of these arches on the north side is
used as vestry room, and the other as a tool
house. Tie one on the south side forms the
| south door.
In is02 the belfry Was added, which now
owing to its ivy covering, presents venerable
appearance. but stands little to the credit Of its
architect. In this structure was placed the old
bell cast in London in l772, which had formerly
rested on the east end Of the church.
The first clergyman Of this parish was the Rev.
Ericus Biork. who ofiiciated here until 1910
when he returned to Sweden, and died there al
an advanced age. The parish was then under iii,
care OF various other Swedish cergymen, unit
the last one from the fatherland, Lawrenc,
Girclius, also returned 10 Sweden 1890.
Some Of the numerous graves which meet TIT
visitors eye in this quiet resting place are YER
ancient The Oldest Of these lie on the west an,
south Of the church, and In its Immediate vicinity
Here lie those who gave birth to our beautiful
and thriving city, men and women who live,
and died subjects OF different governments tn
Swedish, the Dutch and English.
About fifty feet from the south door OF Ii
, church stands the oldest stone In the yard. Tn
inscription is almost illcgible, but the writer {
this, after patient labor, was enabled to deciphe
the following =" Here lieth the body of Wi
liam vandevere; who was born 4. ID. 1856 h
died sth Of October, 17l5.n con the reverse
Bon-67s" :" He that is dead is freed froi
. sin; now If we be dead with Christ we belie'
I that we shall also live with him." Though tn
is the Oldest legbe stone in the cemetery, 1t do
not mark the oldest grave as there are man
bearing no inscription, whose occupants wei
: laid here ere it was consecrated ground. Amor
these unknown graves is that Of Peter Miniut Il
fret and wisest governor OF the Swedish colonist
he was buried here before the ground was e
closed and 1t may be said of him as Of the graz
! prophet; mo man knoweth of his grave un
:. this day."
On the brow ofa little hill toward the railro'
side stands the tomb Of Major Jaquctt, Del
ware officer in the Continental Army. From Il
/. inscription on his tomb we Cleaned this ~
Joined the Delaware Regiment in 1116, and "
with 1t until 1880. He participated with it in eve
!, general engagement, under Washington, In Del
ware, New York, Pennsylvania New Jersey, al
Eastern States; lie was in General Gates arm
: | at the battle Of Camden, and various other c
| gagcments, in which the Delaware Regiment "
: reduced from eight companies to two, of ninet
= six men each he was in the battle Of Eata
| Springs. and the siege and capture of Ninct
a Six and in every other engagement under &c
eral Greene until the surrender Of Lord Cor
!, wallis at Yorktown; when he returned 10
= farm near this city, and died there August 13t
1884, in the s0th year of his age" OF the mel
:. Dry OF this officer, and the regiment he comman
:, ed, Delaware has just cause to be proud.
The last time visited this spot was in the q
" rious sunset Of an autumn evening. lean
upon the low wall surrounding the yard, a
= while the lingering rays Of the departing um
~ AIRY glanced athwart the sward, Iii up the spire
'e the old belfry, and bathcd the lonely mounds
- meath with mellow tenderness, an indiscribal
feeling stole over me, and ! knew something
III the inspiration which wrote Gray's Elegy.
ie ARGYLL.
2 Morn BY TIE EDiToR. The Old Swcd
II Church mentioned above was not the first pli
=. Of worship on this site, although sbe history
=, the former one is rather involved in obscurit.
~ A PLEASANT Wednesday
ternoon handsome testimonial was presented
John p McLcar, Esq, late Assessor Of U. 5.
Gu ternal Revenue in this State, by the Assistant
T. SCISSORS Clerks and Inspectors, in that depa
ment, and recently under his supervision.
er present was a very handsome and costly g
80 hunting-case watch aud chain of American inal
&c. facture. The affair took place at Mr.. Melee
ID residence, where the presentation was made
err A. T. Hall. ESD, in a brief and appropri
Ike speech, TO which Mr.. McLear responded with
lid feeling natural to the occasion. Further rema
were made by James Riddle. ESQ., and ii.
m Jenkins, after which the party partook Of ha
mt some collation..
he The inscription on the inside of the watch il
nut follows: Presented to John p. McLear FL
ng by the officers and clerks If the Assessors
partment Of internal Revenue, District of ID
to ware, as a token Of regard, January 3Oth, 1s6