Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05


to several members of the Duckett family be-
side Jacob; to the Lyles and the Weightman
families, and some are beyond deciphering.
Mr.. Anderson kindly showed the writer
through the venerable structure, and pointed
out the organ, which, he said, was formerly at
Rock Creek Church; also the altar, which was
formerly the late Bishop Harding's desk, and
other interesting things in and about the
church, including some Of the timbers saved
from the original frame church, which are
stored in the gallery. He particularly asked the
writer to say that the church was not open
after o'clock in the afterfnoon as visitors
were in the habit of coming there at a later
hour.
CPEAKING of the erection Of the chapel Of
- which 70. merly stood where Rock Greek
Church now stands, Miss Helen W. Ridgely
says:
''Ou September IT, 1719 the rector of Piscata-
way Parish called meeting of the inhabitants
of Prince Georges County to consider ways and
means for the erection OF a chapel in the loca-
ton where his nine years of ministry had
drawn together a congregation sufficiently large
to need meeting place of its own. It was in
response to his appeal that John Bradford a
vestryman Of the parent church Of st. Johns
contributed 900 pounds of tobacco, the staple
of that period, and 100 acres of land The
latter constitutes what is known today as the
glebe Of Rock Greek Parish. About one half of
composing perhaps the largest churchyard in
existence, the usual number Of acres allowed to
. church being one, known simply as Gods
acre. Here the walls Of the present church
have stood since the beginning OF the Revolu-
ton, the completion Of the structure having
been interrupted at that time. In the first
quarter OF the next century 1t was rooted I'm and
became a place Of worship and later still It took
the form in which 1t now appears
"All OF the old parish records that have been
rescued from oblivion probable destruction
are now kept at the diocesan library In Bati-
more. and to make their ultimate preservation
doubly sure the Maryland Historical Society has
procured copies of them. From these records
and from other sources, principally the re-
searches OF Rev. James A. Buck . late rector
who served here for 40 years outline Of the
church's history may be gathered"
D BOARDING John Bradford who donated the
~ land for Rock Creek Church. Miss Ridgely
tells us:
las early as 1904 we find him owning q por-
ton OF Twiver a tract of 440 acres in Malta
pony Hundred and also q tract Of 800 acres
called Essex Lodge, west side of Pat,xent $50
OF which he had purchased from the Widow
Bagby. In 17l4 and in IT'S he takes I'D land
with others in Mount Calvert Hundred. These
tracts were called respectively, Good Luck, But
terwick and Haddock Hills. The latter con-
sisted of 500 acres, 100 of which were In DOS
session of John DeakinS whose surname is one
Of those associated later with the history of
Georgetown. The ownership of Butterwick was
confirmed TO John Bradford by patent on May
IL, IT'S, and that of Bradfords Rest on June
OF the same year and here he is designated
by the name of captain Ere this time he had
become one of the leading men of Prince
Georges County appearing on st. John Church
records as vestryman in 1872. where the baptism
OF his Sor, William, is recorded in 1913 He is
next alluded to Maj. John Bradford and
finally Col. John Bradford, late of Prince
Georges County deceased. June %, 1926. His
wife. Joyce, and his son, John, are named as
executors in his will. and Henry Darnall and
Daniel Carroll of the same county went on their
bond to the amount of SO, 900.
"PiScataway Parish, to which Rock Creek
owed Its origin, was one OF the first four laid
out in Charles County in 1892 BY the creation
OF Prince Georges County in 1895 it fell within
the boundaries Of the new county, extending
from the Mattawoman Greek. an estuary Of the
Potomac, to the Pennsylvania border. An the
parishes, therefore, since erected in the north
western section OF Maryland are direct descend
ants Of the Piscataway Parish, and ST. Johns
the quaint old brick church which stands on
Broad Greek, within easy access of Washington
Is its most venerable monument"
Some day the writer hopes to visit another
old Maryland church and include in his story
what he believes to be some original and I'M
published records which he has lately come in
possession Of. It is a pamphlet of early births,
combinations marriages and deaths performed
by connection Of the Washington family and
which will be especially interesting to the people
OF the southern part OF the State and the de-
Scendants Of the earlier settlers from there
about who reside in the District Of Columbia.
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