Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1874-10-09

UttAWHFe hhlNtoFtcAt SOEteEI.
iiILHEsnNa MEETING, LAST EvESINd--pREaRN-
TATIoN OF NUMEROUS ARTICLES 70 THE socr
ETY-TlIE CHAIR OF DANIEL DEfnE-''noBINsoN
oRUsoE' REVIVED.
The Delaware Historical Society held theii
regular meeting, last evening, DR.. Askew In the
chair.
In view OF the fact that the late James Riddle
and Jesse Sharpe. Eaqs., had each contributed q
short time before their death the amount reuuis-
lte 10 secure life memberships in the Society,
1t was voted that their certlieaies be sent 10
their representatives i'll the hope of their being
valued as memorials.
On m ton Of jos. \. Walter, ESQ,
samuel q. Drake A. nj. OF Boston, and John
[angdon sebey, A. NJ, Librarian of Har-
yard University, wore elected cores
ponding members. Henry II. Dupont, Esq.,,
and NJ. H. Ochelhee were elected active mem
bers
number of interesting and valuable dona-
lions were received, among them the follow
ing
From Henry Feldmer, q half brown note con-
tinental currency, 1913, and sundry coins
Through Capelle u Bro, all antique CHAIR for
llerlyin the study OF the celebrated Daniel Defoe
author of Robinson Crusoe, and now donated to
the Historical Society of Delaware by Jas. Trim
be, of Fairville, Chester county, Pennsylvania.
Accompanying the chair was the following letter
which was read and, on motion of DR.. ]. p
LETTER OF JAMES TRIaTBLE
Agroeably to my promise year ago present
through thee TO the Historical Society of Della
ware, ono of the two antique chairs remaining
imong the effects of my brother, the late Joseph
lrllnble, which authentic tradition in our family
7lows to have once comprised part of the fulni-
tute Of the private study of Daniel Defoe. Their
history has been household subject among us
from the earost periods of my recollection
In the year 1905 there lived in the city of Lon
ion widow lady of the name of Maxwell, a sis
Tor OF Daniel Defoe, who had at that time an only
laughter five years old, named after herself
Elizabeth. They were members of the Society
Of Friends and attended meeting, designated
by the singular name of the 'Bull and Mouth"
which has often been mentioned in the early an
nails of the Society.
Daniel Defoe was almost continually halassed
IN consequence of ls persistent writing on the
exciting subjects Of the times, and during tho
greater part of his life his sisters house afford
ed INN and his family refuge from the clutch
Is Of his pecuuiary and political assailants. A
small room i'll the rear of tho building was fitted
mp for his individual accommodation, from
which ''masked battery" he sent his barbed
shafts with impunity. These circumstances
continued till the year 1913, when Elizabeth
Maxwell, young lady educated under the per-
sonal instruction of her Uncle Daniel, contract
ed matrimonial engagement which was peremp-
f0nly broken off by her mother. Tho event
'QIlsed nh alienation from all her friends, and
america, stpuating with the captain to be sold
On her arrival to reimburse him for her passage
Accordingly, in tho Autumn of that year
-he and anumber of others were offered for Aale
IN Pmadelpiia. My neutrality-suspicious.
Anirew Job, happening ut that time in the city
hought her for term Of years and carried her
VIII him to Cecil county, Maryland, where III
li0i he had taken up tract of land now incud
ng the "i'lue Ball tavern, seven miles north of
flkton.
Coming now within the range of recorded his
tory, we find thut in the year 1928 Elizabeth
Maxwell became the wife of Thomas job non of
lndrew Being now happily settled, she wrote
to her mother and uncle giving them the first
information of what had become of her.
Ia due time an answer came from her uncle
7lAInS that her mother was dead, and that
handsome dividend in addition TO her mothers
lunhture accrued to her by will if she was ever
found alive. Accompanying tins letter was an
Inventory OF the goods sent, and special atten-
lion solicited to the preservation of such articles
~ he had used in his private study az they lad
descended to the family from their Flemish an
'eslDis who had sought refuge under the ipgis
ol Elizabeth from the tyranny of Philippe" and
SpnogRn8 for the condition of n certain rock
lhG chalr and two others the wicker seats of
which he had worn ont and replaced with wood
rn ones.
This and other letters subsequently received
were carefully preserved by Elizabeth till her
aeath which occurred on the 7th OF 9Th mo-,
'iS :. have conversed with number of her
grand children, who well remember those let
,piT' hut after exhaustng all available means ]
nave heen unable to discover any trace of them
since. Thomas and Elizabeth job on the mar
iiase of their son Archibald, about the year 1850
.,"lh9yed to Il small house on the premises. and
pAhel d. dob, his son, who died at an advanced
age IN 1893, vol remembered by the older in
nAplNants OF Cecil county, grew up comparative.
~ w ule iect of his grandmother. She delight
'u 70 have him with her. filling his mind with
Iehhi1cences of her early life, how she FUSED
10 Dother her uncle meddling with his papers
"'gll she was finally expelled the dormitory."
Ily mother being sister to this latter Daniel,
,lie" me much into his company towards the
ef 'Iief period of his life He retained vivid rec
"npGllOh OF the accounts narrated by his grand
molnerand from him and others have obtained
Te iis OF the present history. He spoke of his
woman, fond of flowers and retaining her ac-
u'ltl 0l m mind and body till near the close of her
Ile % Tho generation Immediately preceding me
anew lhomas Job and his wife we'll, often see
Nig l''ehi at Friends meeting in East Nothing
lne TWO chairs in question were among the
9 SmSls inherited by my mother (who died in 1900
s M'u aIe tle only remaining relics of tho furni-
,I "nI9 mat came from England, as above stated,
li nav .ANe reason TO believe arc now, notwth-
,,II,'uiliS their dilapidated appearance in about
r r1 same condition i'll which they left tho study
" PANEL Defoe in London in 1725.
ho d.ls dals thought it lifting that this relic should
,an loni,eu IN q city III which the last thirty
vas vs'e OIL the business part of my brothers life
(SignedJ JAMES TntMBLE.
,'oseph IL. Walter, Esq, made large number
interesting contributions, including rare
ppnnt.piels reports, addresses, &c., and also re-
Tnitaua si snat he was preparing collection of
'V" states coins for the Society.
Sori..,i D. ocheltree, Esq, presented TO the
'rhan, nn original grant of land from VIM Markham,
et,alt tollah Ellis, John Goodson, commissioners, by
noS;. patent from William Penn, to Philip
0avis, AYE, dated 18th August, 1855
.tosnst aisp parchment deed from John Read TO
Hlpm. Hpm iaamage, of date 10th March, 1881.
taar;aSu v. Chandler presented copper South
,oenh specimen copy of the certificate of life
erva,;oa was ordered to be framed for pres
and ITN ~ +; Z, Israel, Doctors Wales and johnson
matn '', waite. walter were appointed committee to
~bio, arrangements for the annual meeting
ia" ~, -, ~ 70 take place December 4th, 1874.
rtar,, inotlon Of DR.. johnson the Recording Sec
locai was was requested to confer with prominent
Socist,o potahists with view to obtaining for the
serva " sueh i papers and other materials as will
Varin,,il Illustrate the Flora of Delaware.
agemaDa aes otner business pertinent to the man
MOI uene ~, OF the Society was transacted, where
krsn ene meeting Adinurna ad IN taik sneahlv on