The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-11-30

Interesting and Valuable Gifts TO The
Society.
The Hartford Historical Society met at the
Court House, on Saturday morning, Nov. oath.
DIR. w. Stump Forwood, President, was in the
chair. The following donations were received (:
Daniel Scott, copies of Duff Green's Weekly
Telegraph and Niles National Register. From
Rev. E. d. Finney.-A copy of Rev. A. Is.
Cross's History of Bethel Church.
DIR. Archer also presented large number of
cd pamphlets found by him among the papers
of the late Thomas Archer, Esq, and number
of relics, consisting of old bricks, mortar, an
old lock, part of hinge, and mineral speci-
mems found by him on the site OF Joppa. The
lock was said to have belonged to the prison,
but the letters V. X. upon IL denoted that II
was made during Queen Victoria's reign. Dr.
Archer also presented some pieces OF brick
from the ruins of Cokesbury College, Aiding
don.
Through the President.-From Mrs. Elijah
Is. Rogers, OF Baltimore, framed sampler,
worked by her in 1918, at the age of nine years.
1t contains her maiden name, Elizabeth VI.
Brown, in neat letters, and this verse:
my care, my hope, my first request
Are all comprised In this,
To follow where thy saints have led,
And then partake their bliss"
Mrs. Rogers, in a note, stated that the mater
ialS were all bought In Bel Air and the work
done there.
Mrs; Rogers also presented to the society a
a handsomely bound Bible, with a very old
lead-work marker, and an Episcopal Prayer
Book and Hymna.
Through Mr.. A. p. silyer.-From Mr.. Isaac
Wilson, curious Justification, said by some tc
be q part of the back of very large turtle az
by others supposed to be part Of the side of some
large animal, which has become ossitied. 1t
was found by Mr.. Wilson on one of the timbers
of his barn, where it is thought to have been
placed many years ago.
Through the secTetary.-From DR.. William
Dalam, parchment patent for IL acres Of
land on "Bnam's" run, granted to John Beaver
May Both, 1853. From DR.. d. P. Wysong, a
ten dollar note Of the Commercial Bank of
Philadelphia, payable to II. Clay or bearer. 1t
Is dated Jan. O. 1924.
The thanks of tie society were voted to the
donors.
THE SITE OF OLD JoPPA.
Dr. Archer, in his paper ACCOMPANYING HE
donations, gave an interesting description of
visit he made TO Joppa, in September last, with
DIR. j. Holmes Smith. By the aid of a copy
court house and the old as well as the more re-
cent prison. The first was built In l7l2, the
town being laid out in l724. The remains of
the church are near the middle of the twenty
acre tract, which was laid off into forty lots,
besides an acre reserved for the church. The
only building now standing that was erected
during the time of JOppa's glory, is large
brick house near the water. 1t was probably
built by one of the Rumsey family, as in 1725
1t was the residence of Mrs. Eleanor Rumscy,
and afterwards Of Benjamin Rumsey, q mem
Der of the Continental Congress- and who died
In the house in 1908. 1t is in a good state of
preservation, and is now the property of Miss
Charlotte Day, who owns the entire Joppa farm,
which embraces the site OF the town.
The ruins of the warehouse, from which so
many thousands OF hogsheads of tobacco, in
those days, were shipped TO foreign ports,
stands on the waters edge, and measure As by
20 feet, the wall, which is Of stone, being 211
feet thick.
Part OF the graveyard near the church Is en-
closed by a substantial stone wall, apparently
built long time after the houses were erected.
Ii contains but few graves that are marked and
those few not very old Several tomb-stones
stand unencIosed very near the ruins of the
church. The Oldest marks the grave of David
McCullo, Merchant in Joppa; died II Sep
1865, aged 4S years" The whole site of the
ancient town Is embraced in field of about fifty
acres 1t luxuriant growth OF trees shows great
fertility. The immediate site OF the town is
occupied mostly by very old apple trees, pro-
badly planted soon after the houses were
abandoned. Such of the ruins as have not been
plowed over land there are a dozen such spots,)
are overrun with rampant growth of saplings,
brlers and weeds, forming almost impenetra6le
thickets, at very irregular intervals over the
field, and giving the whole a rather desolate ap-
pearance
Some remains of the old wharf are still vsi-
Bile at Tow tide. The once capacious harbor 10
rapidly filling up, and some cattle were grazing
on firm earth where once the chanDel ran and
where stately ships rode at anchor one hundred
and fifty years ago.
Judging from the ruins all the buildings were
mainly of stone, brick being comparatively
scarce, having been used, perhaps, only in the
chimneys. On the other hand, however, il is
by no means impossible that great quantities of
them may have been hauled away for use In
building elsewhere.
DIR. Archer showed some specimens of mortar,
which he said was evidently made of oyster
shells. The stone, be thought, was RATED down
the Gunpowder, being similar to that quarried
out by the B. and o. Railroad, a mile or two
above. The bricks, he ALEC thought, were
made In this country.
Mr. JOHN Beale, Rumsey, who lives near
Franklinville, Is a descendant of Benjamin
Rumsey, who owned the old house which is
yet standing at Joppa.
DR.. Archer's. remarks about English bricks
ELECTED some discussion. Rev. James b. Craig
hill said he was familiar with many colonial
churches in Tidewater Virginia, which were said
to have been built of English bricks but in the
vicinity OF each, except one, there is large
excavation out of which clay had evidently
been taken for the purpose Of making brick.
He therefore doubted whether many bricks
were brought over here from England.
Mr.. W. T. L. Taliaferro said he had also OBJ
served such excavations near old colonial houses
In Virginia, and the bricks made In that part
of the country now are precisely like those Of
which the old houses are built
SPELL 1T ANN ARUNDEL.
The President, DR.. Forwood, read valuable
paper on the subject of the life, name and char
acter of Lady Ann Arundel, the patron saint of
the Maryland county bearing her name, writ
ten BY MIR. Daniel X. Randall, Of the Ann
Arundel County Historical Society. Mr.. Ran
dalps researches led him TO conclude that the
name should be spelled Ann Arundel, not Anne
Arundel.
The thanks of the society were voted to Mr..
Randall for his excellent paper.
DR.. Forwood also read some remarks on the
same subject, contained in letter to him from
DIR. John r. Quinan, of Baltimore.
The following officers were reelected for the
ensuing year, President, DR.. w. stump For
wood; Vice.P President, Rev. L. A. Colburn
Secretary, +. w. Baker; Treasurer, N. N Mock
Librarian, W. Beatty Harlan; committee on
literary records and genealogical materials OF
the county, Benjamin Sive, ST., chairman, DR..
Benjamin Smith and Henry q. Hall committee
on natural history of the county, W. Beatty
Harlan, chairman, DR.. q. W. Archer and James
McCurdy; committee on political and general
history Of the people of the county, Charles
w. Michael, chairman, DR.. Il. W. Archer and
A. Finuey Ga breath; committee on member
ship N N. Mock, chairman, Geo. Y. Magma
dier aud willard q. Rouse committee on pub
locations, +. W. Baker, chairman, Rev. f. A
Colbuin and A. P. Silver.