The herald., 1894-08-26
TOWNLEY'S HEIR.

Ing who Sti9l remember the Fourteen
Chimneys, % noted city landmark dat
ing back to the Revolution. They were
recognized in the old directories thus:
"SaIn. May, oysterman, No. Fourteen
Chi1nneys." They stood ON the west
side Of Fifth street, above Race, and ex.
tended from the southwest corner Of
Mulberry afaey south to the present No.
222, now an ink factory. In fact, the
back part Of this establishment is the
only portion of the building left, and
this was part of the Ettris mansion,
belonging to acnrious family who owned
much Of the land thereabputs and noted
for eccentricfties in dress and opinions.
There were in all eight houses, and they
had been built to fit the chimneys, as
these were much higher than the two
story dwellings,. These stood back from
the street and had gardens in front from
which the neighbors were supplied with
vegetables.
The principal industry here in early
times must have been butchering, as
layers of bones, cattle horns and heads
are turned up when the street has been
opened. In 1918 one of the most re-
spected residents of the Fourteen
Chimneys' was a Miss Rachel Barron,
a bright naulatto who had been left
small fortune by a member of the Bid
die family, whose servant she had been
for 90 years.
Miss Barron was very charitable and
did much good in aiding the poor, who
were plenty enough in the numerous
courts and alleys Of that vicinity, and
1t is in this connection that our story
begins.
In 1909 man named Richard Vane
Townley was living in Philadelphia.
He was en- Englishman, handsome in
appearance, with polished manners and
pleasing address. he had many friends,
as it WAS rnFRted that he came from an
excellent family at home, but there was
a mystery about his means of living.
He alwayshad plenty of money, dressed
and lived expensively, so it was sup
posed thathe had an income from prop
erty in England, but all this was dissi-
pated by the report that he had been
principal dn dnel at Saratoga Springs;
that the alleged carse was quarrel at
the card table, and that the courteous,
stately Englishman was in effect pro-
fessional gambler.
When this was known, it affected
Mr. TOwnley's position in society ad-
versely. but card playing was a reoog-
nized industry in those times and carried
no popular oaiun with it, and that gen
tleman stSll seemed to prosper.
When be came to Philadelphia, his
companion was q boy about Is, who
was his only child, the mother being
dead. James was delicate lad, but
gentle, and he was put in private
school and much liked by his associates,
but his father, mindful Of the vicissi-
tudes OF his profession, bound James to
Benjamin Jones, at the southeast corner
of Second and Chestnut streets, to learn
engraving, and this he did. becoming a
good workman. His father, however,
supplied him with too much money,
and he ceased to work, became unsteady
and finally dissipated. When left with
out resources by the death of the elder
ToWnley, he was forced to go to work
at his trade.
Richard Townley left nothing to his
son, but before dying he oonfided to
well known member of the old bar Ger
tain4papers and told that gentleman the
story of his wasted life.
In the latter part of the eighteenth
century Apley Park, in Shropshire, now
one of the show places of England, was
owned by Sir Edmund Foster. 1t had
once belonged to the Lucys Of Charli
cote and came to the Fosters by mar
riaga Sir Edmund had two sisters.
One married Deyonshire rector named
Chi]ds the other Philip Maley Town
Icy of Shrewsbury. Both Mr.. and Mrs.
Townley died early, leaving an only son
Richard Vane Towniey.
Richard was adopted by his bachelor
uncle, Sir Edmund, and was sure to
enter on an inheritance of e12, 900 per
annum, but he was wild and reckless
and was sent away from Oxford in dis
grace, and for o time forbidden to ap-
pear at Apley Park. Sir Edmund was
getting quite infirm and much controll-
ed and influenced by his housekeeper,
Mrs. Darby, who had been in the fam
ilyhfrom girlhood. She interceded for
Richard, and he was finally restored to
faypr and Game back to the park, only
to get into fresh scrape. Mrs. Darby
had niece staying with her, a very
beautiful and good girl, and with her
Riehard foil madly in love, and failing
to get her on less honorable terms per-
suaded her to elops and get married.
The aunt had been away on a visit
and returned to find her niece gone.
Suspecting the worst, she at once in
formed Sir Edmund of his nephew's
now delinquency and had him send for
his lawyer. A new will was made and
no mention therein of Richard Townley.
Shortly afterward Mrs. Darby learned
the truth and found that she had sue
ceeded in disinheriting her on-in-law,
but was too shrewd to let the master
know the real facts, as he was intense
ly proud and would regard the misalli-
ance as more hagitious than the sup
posed seduction.
Mr.. Scrope Of Shrewsbury was the
family solicitor, an upright gentleman,
who had known Townley's father, and
he persuaded the haronet to make his
will rs follows: Mrs. Childs, his niece,
had the property for life; then her chill
drop bv sanoritv inheritad and then