Evening star., 1927-10-23
TAX ON BACHELORS
AIDED old CHURCH
Tobacco Also Helped Keep Up
st. Barnabas, Iceland, Md,
C. c. Magruder Says.

Tobacco and a tax on bachelors
above the age OF Is years in the days
before the American Revolution aid
ed In the uplSeep of st. Barnabas'
Episcopal Church, at Iceland, Prime"
Georges County, Md. Caleb Clarke
Magruder, Washington lawyer, told
the American Clan Gregor Society
Friday in an address, during the pre-
sentation of a tablet to the historic
church, honoring members of the
Magruder family who held church
Offices there in the early DAYS.
One of the interesting things about
the red brick edifice, Mr.. Magruder
said, was the mysterious disappear
ance and finding of the painting of
Christ and the Apostles at the Last
Supper, especially painted for the
church by GuStavus HeSSelius,
Swede, who came to America in 1711
and married a daughter of rector
OF st. Barnahas, who served the
church during the war of 1872. In
some unknown way, the painting was
removed from the church and ap.
peared later at Georgetown, where 1t
was sold at public auction about 1S4S.
Otho z. Muncaster was the purchas-
er and he gaveat to his daughter, Mrs.
Helen GaSsaway, now of Baltimore,
and a sister of DIR. S. B. Muncaster
of Washington. Mrs. Gassaway still
owns the painting.
'The pastor at st. Barnabas just
before the American Revolution was
Rev. Jonathan Boucher, friend of
George Washington, and sometime
pastor of st. Anne's Church, Anna
polls, and while there, tutor to John
Parke Gusts, son Of Daniel Parke
Gusts and Martha cambridge, who
as a widow became the wife of George
Washington" said Mr.. Magruder.
mir. Boucher was Tory, and in de-
fiance Of his congregation, he preached
allegiance to King George with cooked
pistols on his pulpit until 1775, when
he returned to England"
Parish Dates From 1892.
Citing the antiquity of the church.
Mr.. Magruder said: "St. Paul's is the
oldest parish in Prince Georges, dat
ing from 1892, and the mother parish
of Queen Anne parish of which st.
Barnabas' is the parish church, dating
from I704."
Defining the boundaries of the par
ish by the law passed December g.
1904, Mr.. Magruder quoted the statute
which said the parish would begin
and shall be adjudged and taken to
begin with the dividing branches Of
Puttuxent River and to run with the
Western branch to a branch called
Cabin branch by the plantation OF
certain Capt. Edward Willett, and SO
with the Cabin branch to the head
thereof and the southernmost part to
be adjudged to be st. Pauls parish.
John Duvall and Mary, his wife, Mr..
Magruder asserted, donated the two
acres of land on which the church
and graveyard stand Ito be her ma
jestie's Queen Anne, her heirs and
successors, for the use of the parish
for a church and churchyard for
ever"
Service Traced to Queen Anne.
OF the communion service, which
members of the church say was
donated by Queen Anne herself, Mr..
Magruder said: THE service at st.
Barnabas' consists Of four pieces--the
chalice and the small paten, or plate,
the fiagon and the larger plate. The
words and date engraved on each are:
st Barnabas Church of Merreland,
171S.' They are of solid silver plate,
hand hammered into shape, and
technically called beaten silver"
The present St. Barnabas' Church,
Mr.. Magruder said. is the third bear
ing this name in Queen Anne parish.
MT. Magrlder SAID MS ADDRESS was
based on information taken from a
copy of the Queen Anne parish
register. now in possession of the
Maryland Historical Society. 8
The tablet was unveiled by Florence
Hall Magruder, a five times great.
granddaughter of James Magruder
and of John Magruder, whose names
appear on the tablet, and was dedi.
Gated by Rev. Enoch Magruder
Thompson. chaplain of the American
Clan Gregor Society, greatigrand-
son Of Enoch Magruder and a great
great grandson of James Magruder,
whose names also appeared on the
tablet