Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-03-06
Women sClubHears
Judge Pickersgill

his own ininitable manner gave
most interesting and instructive
talk on The Early History of
Perth Amboy'' before the Woman's
Club at their meeting in the Pres
Dyterian chopel yesterday after
noon. Mrs. Frank Dorsey, presi-
dent of the club. introduced the
speaker Of the afternoon, who said
in part:
Perth Amboy is day older than
New York" How often do we hear
that statement made but is it? On
the 22nd of April. 1886. Governor
Dongan presented the city of New
York with it's charter and twelve
days three months and thirty-two
years later, Perth Amboy received
its charter, so that is one of our
idols upset.
First mention of Perth Amboy
was made In 1850 and it has been
a city since" continued the speaker.
1T was called Emboyle, then AM
bole and finally Amboy."
Judge Pickersgill showed the first
seal of Perth Amboy. 1t is Of Ger
man silver beautiful in design. the
foundation of which is the coat of
arms of Governor Hunters family,
there is also a f1eur de lis the sig
nificance of which he did not know,
but said that it may have some
connection with Mrs. Hunters
family. The seal has only recently
come into Judge Pickersgill's pos
session, he having found it in an
| office in this city hall where it was
used as an ink well cover.
Continuing Mr.. Pickersgill said:
THE first settlement was made in
1880 by the Scots who made many
plans in 1883 these plans were pro-
nnulgated, the streets laid out ana
Perth Anboy began to be the rap
idly growing city which it is today.
In 1854 the people began to move
to Woodbridge and they are still
moving" the speaker said. ''The
most important event in that cen
tury was the establishing of ST. Pc
ter's parish in 1898 the only parish
established in the state before
1900"
The speaker continuing said:
'In st. Peters cemetery lies the
missionary physician. William Dun
lap the first American playwright,
and one of the greatest men in the
country during the seventeenth CEN
tury. We also have the remains of
Thomas Peterson the first negro
voter to cast his ballot in this
country. He voted between 6 ana
o'clock, at special election. tn"
grst day of the amendment. Patrick
Convery was on the election board
at that time. A. coIored man voted
in Princeton on tnat day. but mt
until o'clock in the afternoon"
Judge Pickersgill spoke of the
many landmarks in Perth Anboy
and deplored the destruction of the
Barracks where the grammar school
now stands. To think every year
thousands of people go to Trenton
to see the Barracks there, and our
Barracks that represented the
cradle days of Perth Amboy gone.
Realizing the loss of that historical
shame, the speaker said to let the
little old building at Smith and
Water streets constructed SO long
before the Revolutionary days that
no one knows when it was built,
clumble away. 1t is a small
building and will not involve much
money to preserve. 1t was the
home of Cortlandt Skinner. an EN-
inent lawyer. When war broke out
he had two students with him, An
drew Bell. who lived where Miss
Emily Patterson now resides in
Kearny avenue and who became a
most important man in our city.
Joseph Bloomfield was the other
student, who became a major gen.
eral during the war. In the war
of 1912, he was in command of
brigade. After the Revolutionary
period it was the Office of Captain
James Parker. and Judge Patterson.
1a6 III
profession as a profession.
One has to go away from Perth
Amboy to realize what a wonderful
old town it is when we remember the
men who lived here and the part
they played in the country's history.
To think we can walk down High
street to the kearny homestead and
say Philip Freneau was entertained
there, and on to Kearny avenue,
where Judge Patterson. the grandson
of one of the signers of the Declara-
| tion of Independence, and to the
| Westminster where Franklin lived.
| People may say Perth Amboy is not
what it was because of immigration,
ETC., but men may come and men
| may go, but they cannot rob us Of
/ our historic interests.
In concluding Judge Pickersgill
said, II hope the few things have
| spoken of will in some may secure
the sympathy and interest OF you
club women of the town in which
you live"
Mrs. Joseph Brimlow, soprano.
| whose singing is always a source OF
unusual pleasure, gave two numbers,
| Holiday" by Scott and Like a Rose
| Bud" by Frank LaForge, graciously
responding to applause with 1.-The
Lilac Tree" Mrs. nj. MacMichael at
the piano delightfully."- accompanied
Mrs. BrimloW.
At the short business session
which preceded the program reports
were heard from the different de-
partmental chairmen. Mrs. A. c.
Clark, chairman of the literature de-
partment, urged that more members
attend the lenten lectures on "The
Bible as Literature" The next lee
ture will be held in the high school
library ON Friday afternoon and is
open to the public.
Mrs. Emil X. Roos, chairman OF
the practical finance department, an
nounced that $156 had been collect
ed by the Woman's Club team for
the Student Loan Fund. Mrs. Frank
Dorsey announced that at the next
meeting the art department would
present Famous Pictures in Tab
leaux," and each member would be
privileged to bring guest under the