The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-14

pont. The Edwards family was cnnmeCteu oN
marriage, In the flv days OF Yale College, win
the rierponts. Her brother had always been
very iucredulous-he would believe nothing thlt
did not appeal to hiS understanding; ana sue
would not credit thai n hid written the letter
to Mmv Wortley MOniagu with the exp.ctnllnn
of rer.iyinr A reply from tho dead. He had
done /. she thought, out of curiosity, and a. "a
method II Investigating Iints claims - me-
diumship betwc'n the livns nni We d.p.'s,u, ,y
1t IN print md knew nothing ot any reuly 10 ~
In u comfortable home. Al Grand and OilVe
streets. New Haven, Mr.. Elias iierpont' tne
early friend and tutor u Edwards pierrepont'
WAS found. He ls a venerable. dignineu seh"c-
Mmnsnn," he said. used to come to my
school In North Haven. He was then eleven
ycars I aee. and was tNenty-9ne, s,a. ! az now
months wh u he tlrst wen to college, anu was
af,erward, during ni' college DAYS a. irspn9,ss ,s
nd welcome visitor, but siuce his rise 70 hlsn
official position he has almost entireiy ignored
his New Haven friends. have visited bls 9mce s,
twenty umcs, wien In New York city, and left
my card with a req cat for him to call. Not
that h We cared snap whether ne IGNORED me
The m IN OF whom l had 40 many pleasant re-
tnsmb brauces had become. IN plain words, such
an asa as TO avoid hts old friends. When he
made eech at the gathering of the Yale
Alumni. met him as he was coming out, and
offered my hand. lie took Il very cordially,
passed a few words, and sid that he was very
busy couldn't stop minute. He afterward
sent ms two printed copies. II an address. As
son. though when he first called himself Mum
son f. IierI ont cannot remember. of course
he is a flet ont, tue son OF Glles, reopcCtaoe
"in regard TO the clim OF the dukedom Of
Kingston" added Mr.. Pierpont. lit Is probably
well founded, but. for my pait, take no pride
In a descent from Norman chieftains. though l
do consider 1t creditable to be descended from
such uan as the Rev. James Pierpont of New
Haven, wno did so much for his Commonwealth
and for the cause Of religion ana education.
Munson's mind must have become strangely
affected II he has teen consulting the dead IN
order TO trace a connection with Norman
Mr. Plerpont showed a photograph OF a coat
| OF arms taken from an old Boston tombstone,
and Offering from that In the possession OF Mrs.
| Harriet PierpOnt OF North Haven. 1t consists
OF lion rampant among flowers. Above the
| lion Is a helmet with the visor closed, and
| above II fox. The motto Is, Pie repone te. y
| The inquirer next visited wealthy citizen of
| New Haven whose mother was Pierpont.
| lie showed another Pierpont coat Of arms Oh a
| seal made IN London many years ago. lion Ia
| rampant among flowers, and over II another
lion ,ampant but no Visor or fox. me mo.to ct.
the Pi,rreponts Of Brooklyn, we're descendants
of the New Haven Pierp0nts, ana moved to
Brooklyn only two generations a4o. there they
hecame rich IN u distillery, and the purchase OF
thirty acres OF land In what Is now the most
fashiD naOle part OF brooklyn. lie said that
some Of the Pierponts changed their nam. to
PeUepOnt many years ago, becoming convinc-
ed that that was tho proper spelling. The in-
quirer was uuable. however, 10 learn OF any
such cnange except IN the case Ot the brooklyn
Pierreponts, one gentleman In New Haven. aud
the Hon. MunsOn Pierpont That the change
to Pierrepont Is not recognized IN New Haven
ls shown oy the case OF gentleman who claims
Lady Mary pattern. The directory makers per
sist In spelling the name Pisrpont.
Hearing that Edwards Pierpont was the au-
thor OF pamphlet on his own genealogv, the
| inquirer visited lady who was supposed TO
be in possession Of copy. The lady. herself a
| descendant Of the Reverend James and with a
mien worthy of any duchess, said tbAt Mr.. Pierre
| point bad written and printed very small
pamphlet containing nothing more than simple
gene slosical record OF his descent from John
Of Roxbury. to which Was appended note to
| this effect " Edwards Pierrepont Is u descend
AM OF Jcseph, son of the Reverend James Pier
"Nr. Pierrepont," she added ia now. and
has been for some years engaged on an exten-
sive Renealogy Of the PierpOnt family. and haa
frequently sent for Information on the tject
In early years, when he was com moaraivsy
without means. Mr.. Pierrepont had unerei to
| prosecute the claims OF tue Rev. Hezekiah Pier
pont for the estates OF Kingston, provided that
means be furnished. Lawyers were now no
,Mey ensog.d 10 pusnixs ne clans m ana Minis
| 1he inquirer was shown the portraits OF the
ltev James Perpont aud Hannah. his wife.
Tue uortait of Hannah had teen pierced 10y
bayonct Or bullet by q British soldier during the
ReNOiutiu unaiy war.
| Ihc Yale catalogue OF 1884 shows that Mum
son PierDont, II North Haven. entered the col
ege In 1884. ln 1857 the nsme appears as Mum
son Edwards Pierpont in lSti as Edwards PIER
| POM, aud IN le5O as Edwards Pierfepont.
| As to Munson Plerponts motive for changing
| his name, oil who knew him IN youth sueak OF
hun as an amo tous, precocious boy, snd
| be became convinced, no DOUBT, at an
early age, that the name Of Edwards
| was more distinguished aud hristucratic than
Munson. Besides Munson Is a name which col
| lege boys could twist into all sorts Of uncom-
Portable aooreSiatons, such as Nun, Munzy, OF
| N.unse.
YER serious iisht by tho respectable Tier
points. Iney lauSn at the N ar Lady Mary
letter, but the raoical change from Munson &c
! Edwards hai, enough II done according 10 the
| roi,.. OF law, Is regarded as almost uIshonor
able. and as u reflection on the pare nts who be.
slowed Tue original name.