The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
CHILDREN OF THE BARONS.
NEW YoRK FULL OF DESCENDANTS
or THE 80 OF RUM MEDE.

q Nasio Karen t-You,re Aimost sure 60 No
EiIEibie Unless You Are Ope OF Those New
England Descendants OF the saxon Kings
The Order Of Runnymedc, or, as some Of its
mombors prefer to call 1t, the Noble Order OF
the Barons Of Runnymode, has elected officers.
They were elected at the meeting held at the
house of DR.. Charles e. Cadwalader IN Philadel-
phia on jan. 8, NJ which THE Sun told on Mon
day morning. Tho list of officers was furnished
for THE sun reporter yesterday by the Keeper
of the Signet. whose name is withheld because
he especially wished It withheld Tho Marshal
Is Edward Clinton Lee OF philadelphia. He
performs the duties which fall to tho President
in moro humble organizations. lie Is called
Marshal because, rs tho Keeper OF the SiBnot
explained,S tho Chief OF tho twenty-five barons
who at Runnymede wrostcd Magma ChnTta
from tho sinful King John. was called Marshal.
The Dean, who fulfils the duties that In moro
regular and less glorious organizations fall
to n Vicc-Presdcnt, Is George Il. Schiefelin,
and the: Keeper Of tho Purse, or Treasurer, Is
Anthony ]. Blocker of New York. Tho Keep
or of tho Rolls, Henry ]. hancock Of New York,
is a Recording Secretary. The Chancellor is
+. H.. Belts of New York. 1t is his duty to act
as the legal adviser Of the organization.
What legal advice will the organization
ncedf' tho Keeper of the Signet was asked.
"Oh, we'll" he said, there arc q great many
important matters that must DO passed upon.
We arc going to be Incorporated by and by, for
instance. If anybody should bring suit against
us. hc would take charge of it."
Libel suitsi" suggested the reporter.
Now. here said tho Keeper Of the Signet,
"if you have been sent up here to roast us, you
might rs well stop right there. l suppose you
are going to insinuatc that II man will sue us
for libel If we elect him a member without his
parp,iaaiop This thing iap't my iokC Mt pn.
1t is serious, and unless you can takc 1t seri.
ously, there is no use in my talking to YOU
about it,"
He then continued the enumeration of tho
officers. 1.-THE Herald" he said, 'is C. s.
Throckmorton Of New York. His duties are
genealogical. The Gencalogist is c. II. Brown.
ing Of Ardmore, Pa. How do his duties differ
from those CT tho Hcraidi Welt will tell
you." He hesitatcd for a moment and then said
in a burst of frankncss, REALLY, l can't say that
they differ at all. We had to have two gcnealo-
gists, you know, so that the one could verify
the work of tho other, and of course we couldn't
give them both the same title. Then there are
twenty five Surctios. Of whom we have already
elected fifteen. The Sureties are the Govern
ing Board. They are called Surctics because
Of the Barons. you know. The Suretios OF our
order are the officers ! have already named. in
Guiding myself, Keeper o. the SiEnet but If you
for Gods sake call me the Secretary and not by
any such bunco title as that. and cX.Gov, Nor;
OF Bridgeport: ]. j.. Rikcr Of New York, Mel
vile II. Bigelow, of Cambridge. Mass; G. c:
Pomcroy of New York, DR.. +. c. Cadwuladcr of
Philadelphia nov | see the newspapers have
that no married Bridget Mary Ryan. his cham
bermaid. every time they mention his name.
She Is Irish. OF course. but for all you or l know
she may be able to trace her line back as far as
the doctor that wayl; Schuyler L. Parsons Of
Now York, Robert C. Lawrence of New York
and ten others to be elected when we are more
fully organized.
"The members Of the order are to be Of two
classes, First. those who can trace their de-
scent directly to one or more of the TWENTY-FIVE
s~ureties of Magma .Charta. Tho second class
will be made up Of those who can trace their
descent to any one of the barons or knights or
soldiers who took part in the battles that led
up to the obtaining of the charter. So far tho
members are all OF the first class. find That l
am descended from ten of the Surcties. What's
your name7"
The reporter told what his name was.
ly descended from a half dozen Of those peo-
e ele' was He Tem nf &c Of Sef fSc s Sie With T nsia TSSp ser.
tain sophomorcs in his college days approached
hin hin. IN b the } w interests soio of onisc society xay t known Sp1,o as
tion Of dues TO be expended in the purchase
sir" said the Keeper of the sisnct. II have
the honor TO offer you the privilege Of mem
bership in the Order of Runnymede."
~ thought, said the reporter: thar it. was
mcde.'"
Ths Keeper Of the sienet seemed to be an,
Browning's doings. He wanted some such
name as that. but folks didn't take to it: We
I IS%p" us S open sq to ridicaSl e' somehow ansRRoSy and nc W 3Sl"di don't
want to be ridiculcd., and we arc sure that no
reasonable and thinking person would be will
no sense n ridiculous institution. Our object
is patriotic. We care nothing for the fact that
Keeper of the Signet thrust his hand into tho
breast Of his coat, and raised his eyebrows sig.
niiica nntdIyy,s IN IN TINS county there are nmmer;
our ancestors for the cause of liberty in this
country. There. are the Sons Of the Revolu.
DnmghterS of both kinds, the Society Of the
C Z nj Wars Of the h Var VA Of ISL, and all TINT
business and q number of his friends re-
marked that there was no society or order in
memopate the firs t" stroke ar5 C'H for ei"i' iifbcrtyctho
fight for the Magma Charta. In looking up tho
have given you-Gen. F.. Z. Earle Of this city
were descended from the Barons of Runny.
modo; md hno i seemed d 2 perfectly PERT proper or and
1T is "A matter of some interest that there are
twice as many descendants, of tho Surctics in
SNnntIltN hs lHtIC ~ III nplnHl hllCr MI. "
is perfectly natural. They killed Off that stock
over, there. They, belieadcd them. They
stabbed them. and chased them ont of the cOun-
try. to Now England. and this is the place in
which such nm order can be formed. Why,
New York is full of them. The society is not
m exclusive ono in any sense. Any man who
can provo his descent we welcome provided
he is not n really objectionable character. We
are going to make 1t more generally understood
that nearly all OF the people of the New England
colonies can trace their descent right straight
back into the twelfth century. OF course. many
of them have royal descent. Those We don't
caro- for. Those VIC don't want. 1t Is n thing to
be ashamed. of from the point of view with
which we regard the Order of Runnymcdc.
IAN that - necessary for one who wishes TO
Join our order Is to send in his name. and II will
DO looked up and his descent will he looked over
by the Herald. Yes. dcsccnts in tho female limo
arc allowed, hut they don't cut much OF n fig
urc. Now look at mine"
The Keeper Of tho Signct took down two big
volumes and opening one of them, ran his finger
airily up his ancestral line. counting the steps
in his descent. He got mp 10 twenty-five. then
he went back and counted the women. OF whom
there were seven. Hc laughed triumphantly.
There" he said, you may say that one OF tho
mentors of tho order don't mention my name.
please found that in twenty-five steps back to