The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-28
GILPIN MANOR OF MARYLAND.
The Abode of m Ancient Family in
Cecil County.


On the bank of the Big Elk. about one
| mile north of the town of Elkton, Cecil
| county, Md, in a part OF the original
| tract of Belleconnell and almost hidden in
a park of trees is the historic old home
! stead "Gilpin Manor where for genera
| tion9 have lived the descendants o. Sam
| uel Gilpiu. founder of the Cecil branch of
| one of the oldest and most aristocratic
| families in America. whose long line of
| distinguished ancestors dates back to the
year 1900.
| The mansion house is of stone. large
and spacious. The arched doorway of the
| main entrance. fashioned after Kentmere
| Hall. one of the ancestral homes of the
| Gilpins in England, is an attractive fea-
| ture. Built in 1l40 and remodeled in later
years. Ii stands today tnir and finely
preserved type of the architecture of the
| Colonial period. Stands also as a remind
| er of the good old DAYS Cf open house +"
| when the latchstring hung outside. The
grounds surrounding the house, carefully
| laid out many years ago, retain much of
| their former beauty. The trees and shrub
| berry bear evidence of great age.
Crossing the threshold it is easy to
| fancy visions Of fair women and noble
men-silVer snuff boxes, powdered wigs
| labyrinth. Even the Kitchen ''befo de
wah.' with It's huge fireplace. where many
a ghost was seen" Leading down from
| 1t is the staircase, undoubtedly conceal
ing mysterious panels to the cellar.
which If one had but the courage to pene-
trate further. would disclose the usual
underground paSSageways
on the whole, 'Gipin Manor is most
picturesque. most romantic. overlooking,
as it does, ON the one side the Big Elk
stream. on another the last resting
place" OF departed ancestors. for "Gllpin
Manor too, has its family burying
ground. guarded by solid granite walls,
its mounds marked bs substantial grave
stones bearing odd Inscriptions, many of
which came from England
In the year 1905 Joseph Gilpln with
his wife, Hannah Clover. and two small
children. emigrate to America from Eng
land, and settled In Birmingham, Chester
county. Pa Joseph-was Quaker, and
the persecution OF ;lfh Friends in Eng
land led him to seek another country.
With his family, he landed at New Castle
and set out afOOt through the forests for
their new home-then a wilderness. While
some distance from it darkness came on
and they were compelled to remain over
night in an Indian wigwam.
Reaching their tract of land one OF Jo-
sephs first considerations was to provide
temporary shelter for his family. TO ac-
complish this he constructed cave by
the side of rock. In it they continued
to live for considerable time. The first
house he built was burned. In 1870 he
built another, 'Kentmere," which is still
standing. 1t was at this same farmhouse
General Howe made his Headquarters af-
ter the battle of Brandywine.
Joseph Gilpin was sole agent and
Friend in settling all Of one township in
Chester county, to wit: New Garden, and
a part of Kennel and Marlborough, for
which he had only the reward of well
done good and faithful servant - He
was lineally descended from Richard de
Guylpyn, of England, a man eminent in
his time, both in a civil and military ca
pacity. To this Richard the Baron of
Kendall granted the Manor of KentIlere
in Westmoreland county. for mis- achieve
ments in staying a wild boar which in
tested the forests of WestmOreland and
Cumberland. Thereupon he took for his
arms: In field or a Laughter or Boar,
Stalant sable, languid and tusked gules."
his posterity have ever since borne the
same.
Joseph's eldest son. Samuel. born in
England. June Z. 1893 emigrated from Bir-
mingham TO Concord and subsequently,
in 1893, removed to Cecil coupty. Md. and
settled at Gilpin's Falls. IN the Great
Northeast. on a tract OF 100 heres, pre-
yiously purchased He married Jane
daughter of John Parker, of Philadelphia
Pa. Their son, Thomas. a Quaker de-
cltned to Go military service during the
Revolutionary war, was, with twenty 9TH
ers likewise situated, exiled from Phila-
delphta, September II, IN. and taken to
Winchegter: Va, where he died March 2.
l1lS. His brother, George. was at the
same time colonel of the Fairfax Militia |
and underworld, Intellectually, to inter
cede for his liberation. He was also a
close friend of General Washington, their
Intimacy owing to the fact that the
Nashingtons and Gilpins had intermar-
ried IN England.
Joseph Gilpin CNo. 81. eldest son of
Samuel, was a patriotic and public-spirit- |
ed citizen. He represented Cecil county
in the Provincial Conventions of the early |
days, ana for years was Chief Justice of |
the Court. He married Elizabeth Read |
November 8. 176i. Died March 80 1890,
leaving large landed estate in Cecil |
county. Maryland, also In Western Penn |
sylvania and Virginia.
His son. John, to whom he willed GIL |
pin Manor married May, daughter of !
Col. Henry Hollingsworth. of Revolution !
airy fame. He was a Presidential electOr |
for John Adams, also for Jeffersons two |
terms He represented Cecil county in the /
Assembly for several years.
Most of the descendants of Samuel Gil !
pin reside in Maryland. One exception. /
however. is the case of the present owner |
of "Gipin Manor" Oliver W. Gilpin. of /
Kittanning, Pa, who inherited the prop
erty from his grandfather, the late DR..
John Gilpin.