The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-10-21
Plymouth and
St. mary's City


the Catholic Historical Review, a
quarterly publication issued by the
Catholic University of America, Wash
ington, D. c., for the study of the
Church History of the United States,
gives us an interesting account of his
visit to Plymouth and st. Mary's City
the one, the first settlement of the
English Puritans (1620), and the 9TH
er, the first settlement of the English
Catholics (16S4). Although but four
teen years apart, these two coloniz-
ing efforts showed marked difference
from the beginning. The first, the
town of Plymouth, remains today a
busy port of Massachusetts, while the
other, the town of st. Mary's, is as
though it had never been.
IA contrast-a sad and pathetic con.
trast-it was: Plymouth and St.
Mary's City," he writes. 1--WE had had
the opportunity Of visiting and study.
ing the old home of the Puritan col.
onists; and although there were but
few relics remaining-the Rock, the
Cemetery, two old houses, and the col
lections in the Museum, nevertheless
the old Massachusetts, town still held
fascination for the wayfarer. The
boys who cried out eagerly as the visi-
tors came near, Offering themselves as
guides, knew the local history we'll
and told it with evident pride. 1t was
with the impression of Plymouth still
fresh upon us that we set out for st,
Mary's City-the first town in Cath.
Ole Maryland. Leaving Washington,
by way of Pennsylvania Avenue, we
passed out on the State road which
leads directly to the coast of Mary.
land to st. Mary's City, some seventy
miles away. Passing through Bryan.
town, an old Catholic center, the road
swept on to Leonardtown, and thence
to the shore of the Potomac, where
scarcely one hundred yards from the
cliff, sign told us we were at St.
Mary's City. City-there was none
A Female Academy, built about 1S43,
single house-the home of the Epis.
copal minister, the Episcopal GENE.
terry, and Trinity Church-a small
brick building in the midst of the
graves, made up the present settle
ment. In the cemetery, another wood
en- sign marked the spot of the first
State House, and another the place
of the Copley vault. That was ALL
Not trace remained of this first Eng.
fish Catholic city of the New World
A little room at the east end of the
Seminary had been set apart as a
Postoff1ce, and the Postmistress, to
whom we applied for information, adj
vised us to call on the Episcopal min.
lister or at the Bromes. The minister
being away, we walked to the Bronze
residence about mile away, and
through the courtesy of Miss Bronze
we had pointed out to us the location
of the different places which once
made up st. Mary's City. Miss Bronze
is the niece of James Walter Thomas
whose volume, Chronicles of Colonial
Maryland has helped greatly to 10
cate the old landmarks With Thorn
as volume in our hand we traced OUT
the old Fortress, the spot where Leon
ard Calvert's home once stood, the
grist mill, the Jail, and the plot where
the Catholic Church and cemetery
were once established. Not a trace
OF anything remains. The Chapel was
situated in the center of one of the
Bronze farms, but no relics have beer
found there. AS is we'll known, it was
closed out of bigotry, by order of the
Provincial Government, September 10
1904 and the bricks were removed t.
build the Chapel at St. Inigoes
Treacy in his old Catholic Marv
land speaks of this lonely God.
Acre. Of which not a stone remains
and Mcmahon, Historical View of tn.
Government Of Maryland strikingl,
says: Should the memory of suct
people pass away from their de
scendants as an idle dream? Eigh