The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-05-26

columns of THE WING. Mr.. Kirk was
appointed to this position by Judge
| Frederick Stump in 1886 and his conduct
! of the duties of the position, has thor
| oughly justified the wisdom of his selec-
ton. Although a Republican, and the
only one upon the Board, his absolutely
noI-paTtiZan CHARACTER, has reflected
additional credit upon the Board, which
in tho past has been above the suspicion
of allowing politics in the remotest
degree to influence its acts or proceed
ings. Mr.. Kinks official career as School
Commissioner, has been marked by the
exercise OF matured business judgment,
a courteous and affable manner, and a
conscientious desire to improve the
schools of Cecil county.
Mr.. Kirk is direct descendant of
Roger Kirk the progenitor of the large
and widely extended family of that name
in this county and the adjoining counties
| of Pennsylvania, who came to this
county from the North of Ireland in 1712,
East Nottingham, Chester county, Pa,
on the North East creek. After the
establishment OF the Pennsylvania and
| Maryland line by Mason and Dixon, in
of Cecil county, Maryland. IL is an
interesting historical TACT, that portion
of brick house that Roger Kirk lived
| in at the time of his death, is still stand
ing and tenantable, it being located on
the farm belonging to the heirs of the
late Horace Duyckiuck.
The Kirk family were originally
Friends, and al oue time constituted a
large proportion Of that denomination at,
and in the vicinity of TIE Brick Meeting
! House in this county, now known as
Calvert, near which the original Kirk
homestead above referred to IS located.
Jesse A. Kinks parents were Allen
Kirk and Martha Mccullough; his grand
parents Elisha Kirk and Mary Allen,
his great grand parents William Kirk
and Mary Richards; his great great grand
parents Timothy Kirk aud Ann Gatchel II,
and his great, great, great grand parents
Roger Kirk and Elizabeth Richards.
The subject of this sketch was born on
June %, 1922, on farm located auout
one mile East OF Rising Sun IN this
county. This farm was inherit by
his father Allen Kirk from William ALE q,
| liz =. do
This property which is now owned and
occupied By Mr.. George G. Hopkins ad
been in the Allen and Kirk families for
over one hundred and fifty years.
Like most boys of his time who were
born upon the farm, Jesse A. Kirk grew
I'D and worked on it for his father until
he attained his majority.
For ia youth Of good intellectual
endowment the transition from the farm
house 20 the school house was natural
one, and for two years he taught school
THIS vocation he abandoned in 1916 to
engage in general merchandising at
Rising Sun. Two years later, in 1S4S, he
was appointed post Master at Rising
Sun, and the contrast between the office
then and now indicates the growth Of
population in Cecil county. His salary
as post master was then $75 per annum
aud Rising Sun was served with two
mails per week, carried on horseback
from Elkton via Rising Sun to Chestnut
Level. Pennsylvania, by Thomas McCrerl
: of Elktou, more mail matter being
received now at the town in one day
than was delivered then in six months.
On March 2lst, 1856, Jesse A. K irl
was married to Miss Hannah Mount, whC
died on August Gosh, 1885, and by whom
, he had one son, Mr.. Mount E. Kirk, ;
, we'll known hard ware merchant at Rising
Sun. On March 14th, 1887, he contracted
a second marriage, his second wife being
Mrs, Mary J. Truman, whose nader
name was Warner, and whose first hus
I band was the late Azariah Rittenhouse
a successful merchant at Rising Sun, b,
whom she had four children: Mrs. DR.
Heston, Mrs. D. NJ. Taylor, Of Oxford
Pa, Mrs. Violet Haines, wife of Mr.. II
II. Haines, president OF che Nationa
y Bank of Rising Sun, and Thomas Ritter
$ house, now deceased.
$ In the fall of 1864, Mr.. Kirk wa
elected to the Maryland House of Dele
t. gates, his colleagues being jaime
If McCauley, Esq, now Chief Judge of tn
IL Orphans Court, the late Jethro McCul
g Tough, president Of the Mccullough Iro
o Company, and George B. Pennington.
!, MIR. Kirk was one of the original stool
8 holders of the National Bank of Risin
Sun, which was established in 1871, an
, is now director and vice president @
, that institution.
h Although Mr.. Kirk will have com
n pleted his seventy second year in June
d vet having been always temperate in hi
IS habits he is still hearty and vigorou
[. man physically, with his mental power
IA unimpaired.
Without fulsomeness it eau be trut
y fully said of him, that in all the multi
it piled relations of life, he is a man c
1t integrity and an exemplary citizen, tina
l. whom no one in a higher measure share
Ia the esteem of the community,