The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-07-15


much as in us lies suspicious persons from COM
ing into or carrying any of the goods out of the
shall constantly attend at the door until all goods
and effects as can be saved are packed up and
carried to some safe place to be appointed by the
owner or such of number as shall be present.
where more of us shall attend them until
they can be delivered or secured for the owner.p
Besides the buckets the apparatus consisted of
tour latherS and four ire hooks in common at
che expense of the company, each in proportion
to his number of buckets. Upon our first hearing
the cry of fire in the night, we will Immediately
cause two or more lights to be set up in our win
dows and such of our company whose houses may
be thought in danger, shall likewise place lights
in every room to prevent confusion, and that
their friends may be able to give them the more
speedy aud effectual assistance" They imposed
hue OF five shillings for nou-atteudance at a
hre. Their meetings were held sin the evening
OF the first Seventh-day in October, January,
April and July" Absentees from the meetings
were lined one shilling. Section V mentions
about the selection of "some fit person of our
company for president and treasurer who shall
serve the company in that Office for three months,
and ri any person chosen for the company S
president and treasurer shall refuse to serve in
the said office, he shall forfeit and pay to the
clerk for the time being for the use of the COM
pany the of five shillings."
Section vi says that leach member shall serve
in turn Tor procure another) clerk for three
months" whose duty it was ito inspect the order
of our buckets, fathers and fire hooks at least
once in every month and report thereof at every
meeting; to collect fines and forfeiture accruing
by virtue thereof; to notify members in writing
OF the meetings at least six hours before hand
and to keep fair minutes of the proceedings OF
the meetings."
There does not seem to have been any salary
attached to the office until 1909, but there were
fines varying from one to five sh1lings.
Article VII obligated them to render to the
widow equal attention in fire matters, as though
the husband were living.
Article VIII says that our fathers and fire hooks
shal be kept ready at the town hall in Bridgetown
and inflicted fine of ten shillings upon any
member taking them for any purpose other than
fire duty.
Article TX fixed the majority rule and the hour
OF meeting to be one hour after the time appoint
ed for meeting aforesaid. The original signers
were thirty-four in number as follows John
Burr, Jr., Peter Bard, Henry Paxson, Alexander
Ross, Benjamin Bispham, Patrick Reynolds,
Thomas Atkinson lmilerl, Nathan Watson, JOS
eph Burr, Jr., John Budd, Nicholas Toy, John
Evan, Edward Mullin, Job Haiues, Thomas
Shiun, Jr., Thomas Atkinson Quu holderl, John
Clark, Samuel Clark, James McE1hago, Thomas
Atkinson, Josiah White, Abraham Brian, James
Lippincott, Zachariah Rossell, Jr., John West,
Peter Atkinson, Josiah Foster, Thomas Conorro,
Joseph Humphreys, Hearn Bryan, Samuel
Cripps, Joseph Bispham, John Forker, John
Their first minutes are as follows, verbatim ct
literatim:
"July nth I7sz The Britannia Fire COMPANY
set at the town hall in Bridgetown and chose Peter
Bard the company's president and treasurer and
appointed to meet at the town hall aforesaid on
the first Seventh day in October next at three
O'Clock in the aft rnoon.
By order of the company,
JOHN BURR, JR., Clerk
sketches of most of these original members; how
ever, must crave youi kind permission to intro
second son of Peter Bard and grandson of Ben
nett Bard, of Montpelier, France. Peter Bard ST.
came to this country about the year 1900 to escape
religious persecution, being Huguenot and set
tied at Burlington. He a man of decided
prominence, find him.iu I726 lone of his
Majesty's Council and second Judge for the Prov
ince OF New Jersey in America" The subject OF
our sketch merchant in Philadelpl ia until
after the death of his father in 1874. 1t
is rather a singular coincidence that one Of the
witnesses to his fathers will made in 1884, was
Cowgirl, Edmund, Jr.) The time of his coming
to Bridgetown Mount Holly) permanently was
probably in the Spring of 1851, in .7sI he adj
ministered to the estate of Thomas Carroll. He
died on the goth of November, 1869, aged So. He
was at one time part owner of the iron works as
will be seen by the following advertisement in
The Pennsylvania Gazette OF August 10th, U.s.. run
away from Peter Bard & Company, owners of the
Holly iron works. an Irish servant man named
John Mclaughlin about IS years of age, of mid
die stature Had when he went away half
worn beaver hat, check shirt, red jacket without
sleeves, silk handkerchief, new Shoes and blue
worsted or yarn stockings. Whoever takes up and
secures the said servant, his masters may
have him again and gives notice to Peter Bard a,
Mount Holly shall have thirty shillings reward
and all reasonable charges. Ills supposed he has
gone to New York .
If there is any one thing more than another that
impresses the reader of the minutes it is the per
sistence with which they followed and punished
any derelcton of duty by the clerk; for instance
the first omission to meet we find in January 1888
This neglect was found to have been the fault OF
Samuel Cripps or John Forker. In July, 1850, we
find them both threatened with expulsion if they
do not attend and settle the dispute between them
This crime was finally fixed on Cripps. They kept
this matter going until finally in July, 1901, he
excluded. In this year we lind Thomas Shinu
fined five shillings for the same offence. In 1865
John Burr refused to pay his fine for like offence
and he was fired. This year memorable one
to the company at the October meeting it was
agreed by the company that fire engine be pur
chased for the company's use" At special meet
ing held on the I'D day of November, 1865, we find
f4of eaA
cost of E34, agreeable to the minutes of last meet
ing
I'm 1862 one of the wheels of the engine being
now broke, it is left to the of John Clark 10
get set fixt thereto with two iron axle-trees
and brass boxes and the house is be alter ed su
f1cent to receive the engine when altered: Joseph
Murrel1 to do the work.
This is the first mention we find of engine
house, Why getting new wheels and iron axle
trees should necessitate charging the house we
are left in ignorance, well TO the location Of
| the house. In April, I7S5, Aaron Smith and Ma
thaniel Lewis are empowered to send the engine
to Philadelphia and sell it to the best advantage
| for the use of the said company. At a special
meeting Smith is requested to inquire the prices
and judge the size most proper of another engine
At the July meeting he reports that he finds an en-
| CINE most suitable for 60. They ordered the en-
| CINE to be made as speedy as possible.
April 9TH, 1857, a motion being made and second
| ed for altering the name Britannia Fire Company
| into the Mount Holly Fire Company, the question
was 95at putt When Il was as
and called by the name of the Mount Holly Fire
/ Company"
We have now reviewed the first thirty Eve year,
| of our existence. In 1857 Northampton township
then a county for size containing 3Isro acre.
of unimproved, and ISIS of improved land
contained only ass householders, 90 single men,
merchants, of horses there were $50, cattle 1907
grist mills S, fuling mills 3, furnaces l. FORCES
taverns 6, tan yards g. saw mills S, slaves I
The county consisted of II townships with North
ampton number one for unimproved land ant
number two for improved. Not only is the yea
| 1857 of local interest, but it is of national in
| tereSt of he adj iOI
\ of the Federal Constitution, the convention meet
| ing in Philadelphia from May 4th to Septembe
| 18th. and discussed, debated, modified amended
resolved. and then after signing it was presentet
to the people the best their representative
| could do. Then followed discussions as to it
ratification, and while Delaware and Pennsyl
| vania preceded us, yet New Jersey was a goo,
| third. all three ratifying the same month (De
| cemberj. We feel that we have right to b.
proud of the fact that our company was repre-