The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-04-24

from the Lower Cross Roads to Sidney Park.
AS said before, l have never been able to as
certain the precise locality of the glebe land
1t was resolved that f125 more be loan
ed to the Rector for the purchase of the
Robertson farm. 1t is noted that "the exc
cutors of the late John Lee Webster have a
mortgage on Raley for f275," which was
about one-fourth the amount of the sale.
} believe the farm purchased by Mr.. Allen was
very near the Hartford Furnace Certainly
the Seminary which he kept at that time was
in that vicinity. Among the papers left by
the late Ohio Scott, Esq, is "the assessment
of the property OF Rev. John Allen in the
LIST Election District, 200 acres of land with q
dwelling house of wood of two stories, 16 by
81 feet, a barn of wood, seven old outhouses,
at $40 an acre, $4,000. Also one female
years of age, 1884"
On the 23d January, 1905, "the vacancy in
the vestry caused by the death of Alexander
Lawson Smith was filed" Col. Alexander
Lawson Smith had been a gallant officer in
the old Maryland Line. August, 1905.
The account shows funds on hand amounting
to Fl ,202.13.3." About this time absent ees
are fined 81 and So.
Nov. 4, 1905. Rev. John Allen is permit
ed to stand candidate for the Parish of ST.
Paul's, in Baltimore" His candidacy must
|
DIR. Bend was rector of St. Paul's continuous
ly from 1871 to 1912, during which period he
had successfully four associates to assist him.
MIR. Allen was not chosen to the position he
sought, and still remained in charge of St.
Georges. In May, 1907. it was resolved
that the Rector may attend at other churches
on the first Sunday in July, August, Septem-
Der and October-twO of which at the Chap
ell and the other two at such churches as he
may deem expedent." Accounts amounting
to $4S were rendered for roofing the Church
and repairing the yard.
On the 18th Oct, 1908, "the inhabitants of
Havre de Grace ask permission to employ
minister; which is refused, as it may tend 10
divide the Parish. But when any part of the
parish can raise funds, the Rector may offici-
ate every other Sunday in the morning for
them, beginning three months hence; and the
Rector may arrange with the Rev. Mr. Handy
to assist him in the parish" am inclined
to think that he was the same Rev. Mr..
Handy who, about that time, resided near
Emmorton, on the farm for many years in pos
session of the Magness family, but now be-
longing tc Mr.. Spencer, and in a house which
had been used in the latter part of the last
century as an inoculating hospital From
1903 to 1919 Mr.. Handy was rector of st.
Johns. l neglected 10 say in the proper
| place that Rev. James JOINS Wilmer, who
was rector of st. Georges from 1881 to g,
was, during that time also rector of st. Johns,
and SO continued two years longer, and that
he again oficiated at St. Johns from 1901 TO
| 3. Of his whereabouts during the interval
l have not been able to learn anything.
In May, 1909, it was resolved that the
Rector may attend at the Chapel on the first
Sunday in July and September next. At
this meeting of the vestry the rector and del
egates were instructed to oppose division
OF the parish in the next Convention" These
instructions were, no doubt, strictly followed,
but they proved futile, as on the 4th Septem-
Der it is recorded that "Paca Smith was
thrown out of the vestry by the division of
the parish at the late Convention"-he being
resident of the new Havre de Grace parish.
The record for 1910 shows that the rector
oficiated at the Chapel every other Sunday.
May 9th, 1911, it was resolved that each
of the vestrymen is authorized to invite any
Clergyman of moral character, of any profess
sion of Christians, TO officiate in St. Georges
Parish Church on the intermediate Sunday
that the Rector was absent" The vestrymen
present on this occasion were Rev. Jno. Allen,
Rector, Josias Hall, j. Perryman, John Jolly,
and Jacob W. Giles. The word leach" in
the. above resolution was, on Sd August,
changed to "any three"-obviously to pre-
vent the inviting Of several clergymen for the
same Sunday. 1t would be interesting to
know what clergymen, if any, awaited them
selves of invitations that may have been ex-
tended them under the fraternal resolution,
and also whether or not those extending the
invitation were in those old times, "disciplin-
ed" for the attempt to fraternize. But on
these points the records are silent
At the same meeting it was ordered that
tn evestry-house be rented to school-master
OF moral character, at one dollar a month,
the vestry to have the use of the house when
needed" 1t is evident that the vestry were
hard pressed for funds at this time and very
commercially made every effort to meet the
difficulty.
Nov. 1912, we read that Robert Jones is
now teaching in the vestry-room, and the one
dollar per month ls RENTED"
Robert Jones seems to have been the sex
ton at this date-hence the favor. He GER
tainly was the sexton in 1904, during which |
year he was paid one dollar for digging the
graves of Thomas Hall and his brother John
and the like amount afterwards for dressing
and soddng them.
May 20, 1915, Rev. Mr.. Allen this day
agrees to resign the care of st. Georges Par
sh, and his resignation is accepted" This
wording necessarily implies a mild sort of
dissatisfaction on the part of the vestry with |
their, rector. If there was really any such |
feeling it probably arose from the worthy |
rectors constitutional inaptitude for the man
agement of affairs purely temporal, of which |
the sequel will presently appear. This flnan- |
cial untitness was, no doubt, largely the re- |
suit of his extreme absent mindedness, con-
corning which many amusing accounts have |
been handed down TO us along with the old |
rector's many virtues, which have been, in
a great measure, neutralized by the undue |
prominence given to the ludicrous side of his
character.
Whatever the cause of his departure from
st. Georges, however, he was not long in &C.
curing more lucrative and possibly, in view |
of his wonderful mathematical bent, quite as |
congenisl position-for he was soon chosen |
to fill the chair of Mathematics in the Univer-
sity of Maryland.
During the early part of his rectorship Mr..
Allen probably lived on the glebe (Raley)
where he kept school, as shown by the fol-
lowing entry in the dsy-book of Benedict |
Edward Hall, of Shandy Hall:
1.-THE same, no doubt who afterwards
taught in the vestry -house TO 60 as
French teacher TO Rev. Mr.. Allen,
at Els per annum, which I am TO pay
him. He is to be under Mr.. Aliens di.
rections and Mr.. Allen is to take my son Ed
ward for Jones services, and am further to
lay in for Mr.. Allen as much meat and meal
as Edward may be supposed to consume in
year, so that the Els paid Jones. and Ed
wards provisions, is all ] have to pay for Ed
wards board and tuition" There is also in
the day-book receipt in full from Jones of
date 1899, and signed Robert Jones, of Ber-
muda." He was probably the man who ia Of
ten entered in the same day-book as capt
Robert JONES'" commanding a bay-craft in
1889 and 80, and making frequent trips in the
vicinity of Spesutis Island. So that. be-
tween blowing the waters, digging and dec
Grating graves, and teaching the young idea
how to shoot, the humble pedagogue of the
westinghouse seems to have had varied life.
In Mr.. Aliens seminary, which was subse
quently removed to the vicinity of Hartford
Furnace, were taught many youths some of
whom became prominent in county affairs,
while few of them were known throughout
the State Mr.. Allen held the chair 10 the
University of Maryland until his death on
10th March, 1880, in his SEVENTEEN year. An
obituary notice by one who seems to have
known him well, states that "he had probab-
ly no superior in mathematical learning" and
that "he had an extensive acquaintance with
other branches of scholastic lore" He pub
lished a work on Mathematics, copy of
which is to be seen in the library of the His
tnrioal Soniatu IF Horford nounty-o dopo |