The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-02-01
rs acknowledgement
Ir, Md, February 1, 1859.
|BD HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

II. L. III.
q copy OF a work on Astronomy, published IN
London In 1850. 1t is especially interesting from
the fact that 4 once belonged TO Bep1ami 10
FrankIins hand wrting: Benjamin franklin 8
Book, u present from bis most esteemed friend.
The Inscriptiou since erased: ''Seraphm Belle,
his book Philadelphia" Richard jackson, who
presented the book to Franklin, was an ances-
tor of Richard |. Jackson. The book was lost
but was recovered by Mr.. Jackson ats public
from Mrs. Ellis Tucker, of Darlington, a num-
Der OF copies OF the Iadependent Citizen, a news
paper published in Bel AR in 1929.
Through 4. W. Baker. Secretary.-From Mr..
Henry Mdcatee-A mahogany ruler, said TO have
belonged to james Smith, of Pennsylvania, one
of the signers Of the Declaration OF lndepend-
ence II was given TO MIR. Macatee By his step
mother, who was Il relative OF james johnson, the
son-in,l law OF James smith Having been loaned
ole refractory pupil aud mended by Mr.. Macatee.
Copy of II letter written by Mr. Henry Macs-
tee to his wife, Teresa Macatee, dated Baltimore.
September 18th, 1914. The writer was a soldier
OF the war OF lsI2H. He beongei TO Cap.
Of Gen. John Eager Towards brigade.
Warrant, On parchm mt, for 2SS Acres OF Land
called 'Websters Discovery, situated Ia har-
ford (then Baltimorel county, on the north side
Of Deer Creek. granted 10 Isaac Webster by
Governor Samuel Ogls, November 18th, l!49
called "websters Intention" adjoining a tract
called Fathers Request" issued by Governor
Thomas sharpe to william Bennett OF Bait
more county, dated December 18th, 1859.
Deed, on parchment. from Isaac Webster to
Nathaniel Giles fer S5 OF and on Deer Deer
is dated August 9th, 1875. ami was acknowledged
before Thomas warren and Nat. Rigbie Justices
of the Peace. The price paid for this land was
sixteen pounds and four shiiDgs.
The Oldest OF these papers is an original parch-
ment patent for 30 acres Of land. called Wei
come, in Charles county. Md, TO Edmund Lind
say, "for tram porting Mary White, Jane Thigh
man. Sarah Bowes ana John johnson" into the
''Ihe forth day Of May" l6GS 1t bears the sigma
ture Of Charles Calvert, Governor Of Maryland.
A copy OF the report or 1913 or the directors
n the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb.
Mr. James McCurdy said that on the farm Of
Hugh Jones, Dublin district. is the grave OF
Eleanor Clark, who died 1868, as appears from an
inscription on her slate ombstone. The latter has
been br' ken by cattle and he had obtained
piece of II. Experts say 1t is different from our
slate aud is evidently foreign. H. also brought
Hartford for identification.
Through DR.. Forwood, the President,-From
from the FSderd Gazette Of 1877. being advertise
ments Of Deer Creek land for sale, marriages and
deaths in Hartford county, &c;
Through Dr. George w .Archer.-From Messrs.
Henry ID. Farnandls and Daniel Scott, number
OF old deeds and other papers, as follows:
An indenture original on parchmenU between
Gerard Hopkins. sr., of Anne Arundel county.
and his son. Joseph, OF said county. Gerard
TO SgsfP eer OF es p
in consideration Of 1872 acres y Joseph Dwelling"
Plantation a. 1Is;o in Anne Arundel County Dated
Indenture Original on parchment John Haw-
kins of Baltimore county, March ed, 1876, in con-
sideratiOn of &5OsterIinE, conveys to Joseph Hop
klns, OF said county, a tract called Hawkins
Choice
Indenture Original on parchment,) Rebecca
Hawkins, Oct 3, 1875, conveys all her claim
Hawkins'Choice to Joseph Hopkins, for $40 ster
ing: II had been willed TO her by her husband
Certified copy OF the will of DIR. Josias Middle
more, March "a, l755, bequeathing various egacies
to friends In London and several tracts OF land
MiddlemOre came from England 10 l120, and set
tied in the lower. part OF what Is now Hartford
county, where he married. but left no children.
Patent issued Nov. 3D. 1898. for island in the
SusQuehanna, containg 3x acres. to John Archer.
of Hartford. and Philip Thomas, OF Cecil county,
appeared before floods and icegorges and not a
trace 10 now to be seem. though II was once oc-
cupied. II was situated near Palmer's Island
From W. Beatty Harlan, aS5 note OF the Havre
de Grace Bank, dated 1916. signed by Thomas L.
Hopkins. president; 4. Clellan Cashier.
City Council, of Baltimore, 1875. containing the
DR.. David Harlan. David E. Thomas and Jere-
miah p. Silver were proposed as active members
and Hon. Hugh J. Jewett as corresponding
member.
THE GREAT SEAL OF MARYLAND.
DIR. George W. Archer read 40 amusing cor
tween Mr.. Edward I. Dickey, Of Indianapolis.
Ind, and State Treasurer Stevenson Archer,
new Interpretation Is given to IL.
Mr.. Dickey wrote to Treasurer Archer. saying
he had bill issued by Maryland in ITO, in which
dollar In gold or silver. He then humorously
describes the bill which he says has on the left
hand end OF II, two men one has a dead fish in
his hand and the other a spade-probably intend
ing to plant the fish. as he infers from tho words
under the picture, 'Crescte ct multpcamini
The letters 1T. :. In the upper margin, he in
terprets to mean its so - that is, that what is
said below viii be done. Mr.. Archers CORES
pnndent concludes that since he has been in
dulgeut with Maryland, having carried her paper
over lis year., he begs that the Treasurer VIII
take up the bill and pay fair interest.
State VTpa6llFtF hap1
already hed with other things, one of his
friends. whose name modesty forbade Dr.
Archer to mention, volunteered to answer the
indianapolis claimant.
In his reply the writer thanks Mr. Dlckoy for
his lis years indulgence and says that no ad.
wees have teen received from the trustees II
the bank stock in London, on whom the State
was To draw for the payment OF the note. Five
or elk years after the note was drawn, George
Washington Thomas Jefferson and about half
amiilion tmore or lessD of other hot headed fol-
lows got up deuce of a row and permanently
cut of al communication between this office and
that IN London. The writer goes on to say:
"As regards the meaning of the embe shments
&c, on the face of the indenture, which give
you so much concern, | have not only studied
them closely myself, but have interested several
connOiseeurs In heraldry. devices, &C., concern
ing them, end regret to say that there ia a great
diversity of opinion on the subject. With all
the fish which one of the men in The picture
holds by string is dead The picture is prOba-
bly, INTENDED 10 represent very common scene
at That day, and by no means rare even now
OF weil-to-do Chesapeake Bay farmer taking
shad out Of the water on his own shore, land
was going to say, on his own hook. hut that, for
obvious reasons, would have been a technical
blunderJ aud transferring 1t, alive and kicking,
to the Rridiron to which, as you see he is point
ing. Il beg 10 be excused for saying lust here
for 1t bears but remotely upon the subject Of the
lndenture-that you Hoosier folks who neces-
sarily eat your shad a day or two out of the
water, can know nothing at all OF the flavor OF
that delicious fsh fresh from his native elementD
But TO return 10 the subject proper: you will
observe that the man with the fish has on a pair
OF wading boots, which fact strongly corrobo-
rates my view OF the picture. The intended re-,
from being grdiron merely by the fact that
Lord baltimore designated II as our 'paternal
coat-ot arms, TO wit, impaled with bend dexter
counterchanged, quartered with another coat of
arms belonging to our family 2 Avery good
description, by the by, of the old fashioned Mary,
land Rridiron which modern appliances have SO
enectualy and suiciday banished from our
kitchen. Lord Baltimore was most excelleu,
gentleman. but having been in many brOils (nota
bly,, about his ooundaries) he was probably pre-
JUDGED and therefore not infallible, In the mat.
Another view (Which contravenes In part, the
one Just given is that the FISH is not molly dead
you surmise, but gone beyond the reach OF dis
lnfectants; and that the men, one OF them bear
ing the spade. are about to dispose OF the re-
mains, not to plant them. however, as you say
but To bury them beneath the soil. This may ht
designed to represent Il practice once very prev.
alent land not yet gone entirely out of vogue.
among the farmers who lived near the bay OF
using their surplus fish manure for their crops
Indeed, the aborigines hereabouts were wont tC
the result was Amazing!
still another conjecture IT, that the Maryland
ers of the olden time being proverbially fond o
q game OF cards. the man holding the ace o.
spades Qor Of course, 1t is the ace-t can be M
otherO Is intended to commemorate that promin
ent feature OF colonial times. A spade was pro
badly selected from the four suits out Of com
pliment to the tobacco growers. whose name wal
legion and whose influence was paramount, anC
IT was no doubt furnished with handle for the
convenience. Tobacco was really more of a X inI
hereabouts in those days than any of the mon
archs OF England, one of whom, by the by, be
a famous
which he entitled, "A Counterblast Agains
Tobacco. One prominent device on the Bill
evidently overlooked by youD which confirm
the sovereignty Of tho weed is the gracious d is
play of its broad leaves on the back, a sort of en-
dorsement by His Nicotine Majesty, as VIII
should say, BY Our Leaves
Il differ wit you In toto as to the nterpreta
ton OF the mysterious II. s. at toe top OF III
Blll. While II is barely possible that It may IN a
Spades are rrumps, or Tobacco is Sovereign
or Take Smoke, l strongly incline to thin
that In those thirsty old days when alcohol dis