The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-09-19
miscellaneous.
History OF st. Georges Parish, Hartford
County.
BY DIR. G. W. ARCHER.

BY DIR. q. W. ARCHER.
For the Egis and Intelligencer.
Meanwhile new church had been built
on the site of the present Spesutie Church, as
shown by the following certified copy of a
deed of gift, from the Baltimore county
records:
James Phillips To st. George Parish Gift.
"To all Christian people TO whom these pres
ents shall come: l, James Phillips, of Balti-
moro county, in the province of Maryland,
Esq, send greeting:
know We therefore the said James Phillips,
for the true love that / have for the Protest
ant Religion as it stands established by the
law of England and for the desire have for
the welfare of the same, more especially in
St. Georges Parish, in Baltimore county
aforefaid, doe therefore hereby give, grant,
enfeotf and ALLEVIATE and confirm two acres
of land wherein st. Georges Church doth
now stand, being part of larger tract of
land called James Park, the said two acres
of land 30 given and granted as aforesaid,
surveyed and laid out as follows, viz:
Beginning at bounded or marked Red Oak
standing by Mr.. John Halls landing road
and running thence east eighteen perches,
teen perches, with straight line to the first
bounded tree, containing and laid out for
two acres of LAND, more or less. To have and
to hold the aforesaid two acres Of land so
given and granted as aforesaid, with the
church and other the premises thereon now
standing, and all other the right and benefits
which unto the said two acres of land doth
appertain unto the parishioners of the afore-
said st. Georges Parish and their successors
forever, together with all the right, title, in
terest, property, claim and demand of me,
the said James Phillips, my heirs, executors,
&C., of, in and to the same two acres of land,
church, churchyard, or any other the appur-
tenances thereunto belonging or appertaining,
without any restriction, limitation or reser-
walton whatsoever, given freely and absolutely
to all intents and purposes for tue use and
service aforesaid forever.
"In witness thereofI have hereto set my
hand and affixed my seal this - day OF
--, in the year of the reign of our
sovereign Lord George, by the Grace of God
King of Great Britain, France and Ireland.
Defender of the faith, and in the year of our
Lord God one thousand seven hundred and
eighteen.
JAMES PHILLIPS. SEAL.
"Signed, sealed and delivered in presence
of u.s.
ROGER MATTHEWS,
JOHN l. WEBSTER
Mem: That on the 18th day of March, A.
D., 1718, came Coll James Phillips, party to
the within deed, and acknowledged the same
according to the law, before US, two of his
Lordship's Justices for Baltimore county.
ROGER MATTHEWS,
JOHN ISRAEL.
MEM: That on the 4th day of Nov, Ammo
171S, Madam Johanna Phillips being examin-
ed according to law, acknowledged she gave
her free consent to the Gift of the two within
mentioned acres of land and premises for the
use and good purpose within mentioned, and
freely acknowledged r. all her right and title
of Dover of, 10 and to the same.
ROGER MATHEWS"
There seems to be something at fault in
these dates The exact date Designing is moi
given, but it will be seen that since all the
dates were, of course, "old style," the wife's
acknowledgment preceded that of the husband
four months. The matter is still further COM
plcated by the fact that the date of the deed
in the land Office at Annapolis, as given me
by the chief clerk, is 1921, instead of 171S as
it stands in the Baltimore county records
Fortunately, however, the parish records ex-
tant begin about this time, and they confirm
The two earliest entries in the Vestry Pro-
ceedings run as follows: "1719, April 9th
by the vestry, to Joshua Wood, for laying
plank and making benches in the church. ~
;'By ditto. to Mr.. James Presbury, for his ser
vice as Reader, three months, AT lbs. tobac
CO." T"Three months" should probably be
three quarters, which would be about the
usual rate allowed to reader.
1t would thus appear that the church had
been covered in Though but roughly, as will
presently be seen) prior to this date, mos'
probably in the previous fall, for protection
from the weather; and that the floor was
laid and the benches were made in the
spring of IT'S. This is, no doubt, the veal
in which the old church at Gravelly was su
perseded by the new one at Spesutie.
A few words about the vestry and theil
functions will be appropriate, and indeed, tt
the general reader, necessary for the full un
derstanding of some of the quotations to b.
made from the vestry book. We have al
ready seen how the vestry were chosen. Fol
the rest, all freeholders were eligible. TIT
least number that could be elected was six
which was almost universally the number
fixed upon, two were to be dropped every year
While there was at first no fine for refusing
to serve, such refusal was regarded as dis
grace-of so mild sort, however, that an in
convenient number were found willing tt
face it; and 80, in 1870, fine of 900 lbs o
tobacco was imposed for refusal. The vestry
were virtually the agents of the government
in managing the temporal machinery OF thu
establishment within their Misunderstanding
repairing and taking care of the churcl
buildings, and so on. When, in their judg
ment, funds were required for any of thes'
purposes they had only to notify the count,
court of the amount needed-which, how
ever could not exceed 10 pounds per pol
annually. The court at once laid the levy
and the sheriff was required to collect ant
hold it as fund subject to the vestrys order
as needed. The persons thus taxed, list o
whom it was one of the duties OF the consta
bles to make out every year for the sheriff
convenience-consisted of "all males abov
sixteen years ofage-except benefited clergy
men, paupers, and aged slaves, together witt
all females, negroes and mulattocs."
An early law empowered the vestry to lev,
directly upon the parish without reference t.
J the Court but as being liable to abuse, it wa
soon changed That tribunal, however, seldom
refused, or even cut down a levy asked fol
On rare occasions of importance the vestry
called the psrishoners together to decid
upon the amount as well as upon the mod
of its disbursement. The church wardens
usually two in number. and elected by tn
| vestry, were, from the very first, subject t
penalty of 1000 pounds of tobacco in cas-
| of their refusal to serve. Their chief function
was under the direction of the vestry, +
preserve peace and order in and about tn
church AT first view it seems strange t
fine man for declining the less honorabl
and in every way less desirable position {
warden, while imposing no penalty upon th
one who refused to serve as vestryman.
was, however, probably supposed that th
honor of q seat in the vestry would be stuff
Gent guarantee for its acceptance in all case
For obvious reasons the law imposed no fin