The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-07-20

us VI Ihe loWn. ne annual rent IOr lnlS
tract, which contained one hundred and
fifty six acres, was 15s. cd. sterling and
two fat capons. The rent for Vulcan
Trial, which was still further down the
for this tract, which contained thirty seven
acres, contained covenant obliging the
company (which, at that time consisted of
Stephen Onion and Thomas and William
RusselD to plant an orchard of forty apple
trees. Two days after this, on the 31st of
May, 1922 they leased tract of two hun
bred acres in Susquehanna Manor, called
/" Ditfdence." 1t was on the north side of
the main branch of the North East. In
this tract they were to plant an orchard of
two hundred apple trees. The annual rent
was 2Os. and two capons. This seems to
indicate that the proprietors of the North
Principle Company, though Onion is men
toned as one of the latter company in the
purchase of a mill on Back creek now
Principle creek the same year, and Joshua
Gee, Joseph Farmer, William Russell, and
John Ruston are mentioned as the other
members of the Principle Company. The
large tract of GeOf1arison, which was no
doubt SO called in honor of Mr.. Gee, was
purchased in 1922 by Onion & Co., it hav-
ing been patented in 1921. The probable
ity is that Onion was a member of each
company, and that they were afterward
united. The Principle Company was one
of the first companies organized in the
county for the manufacture of iron. The
father and brother of Gen. Washington
afterwards had an interest in this company,
which some of the family retained till after
the close of the Revolutionary war. At
what time the Washingtons first became
connected with the company is uncertain,
but it was probably after the settlement of
Samuel Gilpin at Gilpin's Rocks, which
was in 1888. The Gilpin and Washington
families had intermarried in England and
to explain why the Washingtons became
| interested in an enterprise of this kind in
Cecil county. For a long time after the
erection of these works, they are said to
few miles northwest of the forge. AS
late as 1907, it is stated in history of
Maryland published in Philadelphia, that
| there was an almost inexhaustible supply
of iron ore near the iron works at North
East.
The FORCES used at that time, and till a
comparatively recent period, were very
rude affairs. The blast was made by means
of curious circular bellows, which was
operated by means of a water wheel, very
little machinery or gearing being used. So
rude were these FORCES that there was a
water wheel for each bellows and hammer,
consequently one forge building often con-
tanned several water wheels.
Let us now take a glance at the aspect of
the religious affairs of this part Of the
county. Probably owing to the increase
of population in the county the General
! Assembly at the session of 1706 passed an
act erecting the parish Of North Elk, which
embraced all that part of the county north
of the Elk and east of Susquehanna river
! Though the legal name Of this parish is
| North Elk, it has been called St. Mary
AIMS Parish since the erection of the
| church ut North East which is called by
that name.
OF the history of this parish for nine
years after it was created we know nothing
except what is derived from a petition
which Dr. Allen inserts in his manuscript
history of this parish. This petition was
sent to the Bishop of London, under whose
care the established church in Maryland
had been placed. 1t contained request
for the services of minister and dona-
ton of books for the use of the parish.
We learn from it that they had erected
church and that the revenue of the parish
was about $40 per annum; that the popu-
lation was a mixed one, and all sorts of
religion prevailed among the people. The
petition was signed by Nicholas Hyand,
Joseph Young, Samuel Vans. Samson,
George Francis Mauldn, and John Curer.
1t was probably in response to this petition
that Queen Anne presented the vestry with
a large Bible. which is used in the church
at this Tina. The good Bishop was unable
to comply with their request and it was
not till 1929 that they obtained the regular
service of a minister. In this year we find
that the vestry presented a petition to the
court praying for levy of tobacco "to
HniS no oh
relating to it, This petition was signed
on beha If of the vestry by William Howell,
who was the first clerk of this parish that
is alluded to in the records of the county.
In 1924, the vestry, by Richard Dobson,
who was register of the Parish petitioned
the court for a levy of five pounds of to-
bacco per poll to enable them to finish an
addition to the parish church. There being
no rector for number of years after the
organization of the parish there seems to
have been no legal method of obtaining
the much sought for tobacco, only to levy
it for the repair of the church, and year
after year the same old petition appears
upon the records and the same old story of
needed repairs is rehearsed, and never re-
hearsed in vain-for the tobacco was al,
ways granted.
The churchmen of that time seem to
have been very Jealous, for we find petit
ton of John Ham to the court, in 1921,
stating that he had stood godfather to
child whose father had since died and the
child was then kept among Roman Catho-
lies "contrary to the Intention of his Bap-
tism;" he therefore prayed that he might
be removed to where he might be brought
up in the Church of England religion"
The court ordered the child's mother to
bring it into court-but the record tells
nothing more of the case.
The Req. Walter Ross appears to have
been the first Episcopal minister that regu-
larly labored in this parish. He was
missionary of the Society for the Propaga-
ton of the Gospels and had been at New
Castle some time previous to the year 1922,
when he commenced his labors here still