Greenbelt cooperator. (Greenbelt, Md.) 1937-1954, 1940-07-11
THE REBEL. In ART
BY Anne Arundel

Charles Wilson Peale Is OF Maryland who has
received little of the attention he deserved
man, patriot, and artist. Eight months be fore he
born, his father, Charles Peale, school master at
Kent School, ANNAPOLIS, was quietly married to the
widow, Margaret Tri ggs, ~othewise EathewsH, at the
Rectory of St. Margaret's, Wesmini ster The BRIDE
groom resigned from his teaching post and took his
wife to q new neighoorhood on the Eastern Shore.
Charles Wilson Peale born IN Queen Anne's County,
April IS, It'll. The parish registry of St. Pau1's
Church contains lengthy, curious record Of his
births"son of Charles Pea1e V Margaret born April
the 18th I'LL which said Charles as he says is
the Eldest of the Reverend Charles Pea1e Rector
Of Edi tn Weston in the County of Rutland and heir
in Tail to TIE Manor of Wotton in oxford Shire the
Estate Of Charles wilson Doctor Of Physics who died
at Stamford in Lincolnshire, March 1724." (The
spelling and punctuation is the registering clerk's.)
The expectation of a fortune had become a gentle
mania with Father Charles Pea1e and he 1ostp chance
to lay claim to 1t. For many years 1t was to be
Will OF the wisp to his
The hasty marriage was not the only shadow of the
past that lowered the great portrait painter at
his birth. His father had escaped being hung for
the Of funds when he under-clerk in
Of this crime reads like farce. The amount he had
stolen was 1913 pounds and Is shil1ings. Quietly
his superior officers interviewed and obtained first
a delay in carrying out the sentence and then the
penalty of life exile to the Colonies. year later
Peale's Immediate superior arrested for embezz
ling twice that amount. His political hackers helped
him escape any punt sment except the loss of his
position. TWO years later the Receiver General
dismissed from office for augmenting his income from
the same source to the tune OF ten Thousand pounds,
vast in those days.
But In the Colonies the embezzler Peale settled
down Gentleman Tutor and gained friends and
spect. His to have learned of his
fathers past. Tt has been related that when Artist
Charles was writing his autobiography, his family
had difficulty in restraining him from relating
few affairs of the heart that his father had enjoyed
after his marriage. For Charles the younger,
honest and frank that he often suffered from his vir
tues He would have hidden his father's crime
if he had known of ito
In 1742 Charles, the father, moved to Chestertom
to be the Master of the Kent County School. Burden
with ill-hea1th and the problems of bringing up
ton In life their legacy would entit1e them to, the
teacher at with life. His re1axations
from work acting as lay-reader in the parish
church and foxhunting Unless remember the tales
of handwriting 1usty foxhunting Colonial rectors
coming booted and in riding habit to don their robes
before Divine Service, apt to be startled by
such seeming gap between his pleasures. But such
di sparit y would not be sensed in his day.
Charles Peale, the elder, died in 1850. He had
riculm until 1T outstanding in the Colonies.
After the Revolution, Kent School reorganized
Washington College.
The teacher left his family many debts, shining
reputation, memories of kindly understanding
father, and q friendship with pupil which
to bring financial aid to them in hours of stress.
ito be continued