Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-12-22
PERTH AMBOY IN HISTORY
DIR. ROBERT McKEAN
By IL. e.

history of New Jersey. He was not
only ordained to heal the spiritual
woes of mankind, but was also
licensed to treat them for physical
ailments and infirmities. He prac-
tieed both callings while resident in
Amboy and in each attained a last
ing place in the written records of
the times. When, on July 23, 1866,
the Medical Society of New Jersey
was formed, Robert McKean's name
was the first placed beneath the
written Instruments of Association
and Constitutions and he was made
It's first president. That meeting
was held in New Brunswick. Not
far down on the list of signers, there
were seventeen of them, appears the
name of that patriotic Woodbridge
physician, DIR. Moses Bloomfield,
and another was DIR. Jonathan
Dayton, of Elizabeth Town, destined
to great eminence in the Revolution
airy War that broke out ten years
later.
This was the first provincial, or
state, medical society in America,
although there were before its or
ganization a number of associations
or societies of medical men, one OF
them dating back to 1886, when a
paper was read before a society of
medical men in Boston. The second
meeting of the newly formed state
society was held in Perth Amboy.
DIR. Mexican was the brother of
Governor Thomas Mexican and when
the former ended his earthly labors
in Perth Amboy the governor caused
to be erected over his grave the
monument now there, upon which
the following inscription appears:
In memory of
The Rev. Robert Mexican, M. A.,
: Practitioner in Physic, &c,
and Missionary from the Society
for the Propagation of
the Gospel in Foreign Parts,
to the City of Perth Amboy:-
Who was born
July 18th, 1892, N. S.
and died October 18th, 1867,
An mistaken Friend,
An Agreeable Companion,
A rational divine,
A Skilful physician,
and in every relation of life
a truly benevolent and
honest man.
Fraternal love hath erected
this monument.
AS a feature of the celebration of
st. Peters 225th anniversary in
November Of this year, there was
announced the presentation of a
bronze tablet to the memory of DIR.
Mexican as its first president by the
Medical Society Of New Jersey. The
inscription upon this reads as fol-
lows:
In Memory of
The Rev. Robert Mexican, AM, MD.
Founder and First President
of
The Medical Society of New Jersey
Organized in the City of
New Brunswick
July 23, 1866
This Tablet is Erected
by the Society
1923
In spite of the feeling that DIR.
Mexican should give all his time to
Perth Amboy, during a part of the
time that he was here he went once
in three weeks to Woodbridge to
minister unto the people there.
In 1865 the preacher-physician
figured in the school question of the
day. The vestry records of the day
show that he informed that body
that a schoolhouse was Immediately
necessary, as the Barracks could nc
longer be had without paying rent,
The vestry, probably falling in with
Recommendations of the rector, i'm
mediately adopted plans for a build
ing, asked for and secured subscrip-
tions and erected a building or
church lands near the intersection
, of Rector and Gordon streets. The
latter was then known as Gully
street. AS long ago as 1856 it is re-
corded that mo remains of the
|, school house are now visible"
!. = . . .
, Students Of New Jersey history
. frequently bemoan the fact that al
|. of the good items that collectors
; cherish were disposed Of before thel
became interested in the subject
, That is not true and very frequent!
there come new opportunities to Sc
0 cure items of compelling interes
: land of supreme ir ,portance, as wit
: ness the catalogue of a sale to b.
8 held in January in New York. Wit
S several other very rare New Jerse,
items there is a manuscript NAL
: showing a plan of the situation o
1.-THE American and British armies