Evening star., 1936-02-02
PORTRAIT LINKS FAMILY
TO OEPOCH.MAKINC DECREE
william Marbury's Defense Of Justice OF
Peace Commission Brought First
Great Decision.

tutional, is q resident Of Georgetown,
occupying the old Curtis house but .
short distance removed from the one
time home Of the stalwart William
Marbury, sustained in his contention
for his constitutional rights by the
court of that older time.
Soon Resigned a. Justice.
Having been upheld in his case. Mr..
Marbury did not long continue his
duties as justice Of the peace. resign
ing them to become first president
of the Farmers d Mechanics Bank
upon its organization on February IS.
1914. This bank was merged with
the Riggs in 1928 and is now its
Georgetown branch. william Mar.
bury's portrait appears upon many
Of the banks old checks and bank
notes.
Mrs. Ecker, whose delightful volume
PORTRAITS of Old Georgetown" Is
every modern Georgetonian's Bible.
tells two anecdotes concerning the
children of Mr.. Marbury's descend.
ants. Some years ago, one Of these
youngsters after hearing discussion
concerning the pronounced Bourbon
nose Of his ancestor as shown in the
Sully portrait, was found engrossed
in study Of it. When questioned as
to the cause of his intentness his reply
was, well I am trying to find that
burb on his nose"
The other has to do with the little
granddaughter of Mr.. Marbury's son
William, who also lived in Georgetown
until his death in 1875. During the
Civil War the little girl was arrested
in Oak Hill Cemetery for placing some
flowers on the grave Of dearly be-
loved deceased playmate. the daughter
Of jefferson Davis. When the little
Marbury girls identity was ascer-
tanned, a searching party was sent to
the Marbury home on N street near
Thirty-third to 60 over 1t for possible
treasonable papers. Her mother hear
ing in advance of their approach,
hurriedly sewed up number OF let
tiers recently received from nephews
with Lees army in the cushion of q
chair. Years later three childish de-
scendants ripped these same letters
out of their long forgotten hiding
place in an attic in country home
near Leesburg. Va.
Have Never Married.
William and Miss Mary H. Mar
bury, who today are the proud joint
owners of Sully's portrait of their an
cestor, have never married. being the
only surviving members Of family
OF eight children. Their father was
business man in Georgetown. In
his early boyhood he was detected
from following either the profession OF
law or medicine in which descendants
OF William Marbury the first have
greatly distinguished themselves, be-
cause he left school on account OF
what he thought was great injustice
meted out to him by his school master.
The present William Marbury is the
immediate namesake OF an uncle, Will
liam Marbury. also bachelor. AS his
sister, Miss Lucy Marbury, a charm
ing spinster, quainty puts it, I'VE
Marburys seem to rotate between
bachelorhood and spinsterhood and
very large families on our family tree,
with law and medicine claiming most
Of the menfolks.
Our grandfather" she adds, had
IL children by his first wife, Elizabeth
Somervelle, who died while still very
young. This large family was later
reared by our grandfather's second
wife, the widowed sister of w. w. Cor
coran, beloved of the whole family
and worthy substitute for the lovely,
youthful mother of whom death de-
prived them"
Mr.. Marbury and his sister are the
great grandchildren Of William Mar
bury by his second wife, Martha. and
are proud of the host of nieces,
nephews and cousins. first, second and
third removed. in the present genera
ton of Marburys. Worthy descend
ants all, they have just cause to be
proud of their stalwart ancestor who
had the courage to defy the great
Jefferson and Secretary Of State Madi-
son and was sustained by Chief JUS
tice Marshall in the decision which is
still echoing down the legal corridors
of time.