USA > Pennsylvania > The Register of Pennsylvania : devoted to the preservation of facts and documents and every other kind of useful information respecting the state of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 111
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Upon hearing, in one of her visits to Philadelphia, that a merchant once affluent in his circumstances, was sud- denly thrown into jail by his creditors, and was suffer- ing from the want of many of the usual comforts of his life, she sent him a bed, and afterwards procured ad- mission into his apartment, and put twenty dollars into his hands. He asked for the name of his benefactress. She refused to make herself known to him, and sudden- ly left him. This humane and charitable act would not have been made known, had not the gentleman's de- scription of her person and dress discovered it. At this time her annual income was reduced to the small sum of one hundred and sixty dollars a year, which had been saved by the friendship of the late Mr. George Meade, out of the wreck of her estate. Many such secret acts of charity, exercised at the expense of her personal and habitual comforts, might be mentioned. They will all be made known elsewhere. In these acts she obeyed the gospel commandment of loving her neighbors better than herself. Her sympathy was not only active, but passive in a high degree. In the extent of this species of sensibility, she seemed to be all nerve. She partook of the minutest sorrows of her friends, and even a news- paper that contained a detail of public or private wo, did not pass through her hands without being bedev- ed with a tear. Nor did her sympathy with misery end. here. The sufferings of the brute creation often drew sighs from her bosom, and led her to express a hope that reparation would be made to them for those suffer- ings in a future state of existence.
I have said that Mrs. Ferguson possessed a talent for poetry. Some of her verses have been published, and many of them are in the hands of her friends. They discover a vigorous poetical imagination, but the want of a poetical ear. This will not surprise those who know there may be poetry without metre, and metre without poetry.
The prose writings of Mrs. Ferguson indicate strong marks of genius, taste, and knowledge. Nothing that came from her pen was common. Even her hasty notes to her friends placed the most trivial subjects in such a new and agreeable light, as not only secured them from destruction, but gave them a durable place among the most precious fragments of fancy and sentiment.
Several of her letters have been published in the Port Folio.
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Mrs. Ferguson was a stranger to the feelings of a mother, for she had no children, but she knew, and faithfully performed all the duties of that relation to the son and daughter of one of her sisters, who committed them to her care upon her death bed. They both pos- sessed hereditary talents and virtues. Her nephew, John Young, became under her direction, an accom- plished scholar and gentleman. He died a lieutenant in the British army, leaving behind him a record of his in- dustry and knowledge, in an elegant translation of d'- Argent's Ancient Geography, into the English lan- guage. A copy of this valuable work is to be seen in
the Philadelphia Library, with a tribute to the memory of the translator by Mrs. Ferguson .* The mind of her niece, Ann Young, was an elegant impression of her own: she married Dr. William Smith, of Philadelphia, and lived but a few years afterwards. She left a son and daughter; the latter followed her mother prematurely to the grave, in the year 1808, in the 30th year of her age; after exhibiting to a numerous and affectionate cir- cle of acquaintances, a rare instance of splendid talents and virtues, descending unimpaired through four suc- cessive generations.
'T'he virtues which have been ascribed to Mrs. Fer- guson, were not altogether the effects of education, nor of a happy moral texture of mind. They were impro- ved, invigorated, and directed in their exercises by the doctrines and precepts of Christianity. To impress the contents of the Bible more deeply upon her mind, she transcribed every chapter and verse in it, and hence arose the facility and success with which she frequent- ly selected its finest historical and moral passages to il- lustrate oradorn the subjects of her writings and con- versation.
She was well read in polemical divinity, and a firm believer in what are considered the mysteries of revela- tion. Although educated in the forms, and devoted to the doctrines of the church of England, she worshipped devoutly with other sects, when she resided among them, by all of whom she was with a singular unanimity believed to be a sincere and pious Christian.
There was a peculiarity in her disposition, which would seem, at first sight, to cast a shade over the reli- . gious part of her character. After the reduction of her income, she constantly refused to accept of the least pecuniary assistance, and even of a present, from any of her friends. Let such persons who are disposed to ascribe this conduct to unchristian pride, recollect, there is a great difference between that sense of pover- ty, which is induced by adverse dispensations of Provi- dence, and that which is brought on by voluntary chari- ties. Mrs. Ferguson conformed, in the place, and man- ner of her living, to the narrowness of her resources,- She knew no want that could make a wise or good wo- man unhappy, and she was a stranger to the "real evil" of debt. Her charities, moreover, would not have been her own, had they been replaced by the charities of her friends.
The afflictions of this excellent woman from all the causes that have been mentioned, did not fill up the measure of her sufferings. Her passage out of life was accompanied with great and protracted pain. This welcome event took place on the 23d of February, in the year 1801, in the 62d year of her age, at the house of Seneca Lukins, a member of the Society of Friends, near Græme Park. Her body was interred, agreeably to her request by the side of her parents in the enclosure of Christ Church, in Philadelphia.
Should this attempt to rescue the name and charac- ter of this illustrious woman from oblivion, fall into the the hands of any of the female readers of the Port Folio, who have been accustomed to feel an elevation of soul in contemplating the honor which Madame Dasier, Ma- dame Sevigne, Lady Rachel Russel, and Mrs. Rowe, have conferred upon their respective countries; let them exult not less in reflecting, that a similar honour has been conferred upon the United States, by the singular attainments and virtues of Mrs. Elizabeth Fer- guson.
*A singular incident laid the foundation for the lite.' rary acquirements of this young gentleman. Before his 12th year he was an idle boy; about this time, his aunt locked him in her father's library, for four and twenty hours, as a punishment for some offence. In this situa, tion, he picked up a book to relieve himself, from tlie uneasiness of his solitude. This book arrested and fix, ed his attention. He read it through, and from that I time he became devoted to books and study.
397
CHARTER OF LANCASTER.
1829.]
THE CHARTER OF THE BOROUGH OF LANCASTER.
GEORGE the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great- Britain, France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greet- ing. WHEREAS our loving Subject, JAMES HAM- IL I'ON of the City of Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylvania, Esq. Owner of a Tract of Land whereon the 'Town of Lancaster, in the same Province, is erect- ed, HATH, on the Behalf of the Inhabitants of the said Town, represented unto our trusty and well-belov- ed THOMAS PENN, Esq; one of the Proprietors of the said Province, and George Thomas, Esq; with our Royal Approbation Lieut. Gov. thereof, under JOHN PENN, the said THOMAS PENN, and RICHARD PENN, Esquires, true and absolute Proprietors of the said Province, and the Counties of New-Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware, the great Improvements and Buildings made, and continuing to be made in the said Town by the great Increase of the Inhabitants thereof, and hatlı humbly besought them for our Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the said Province, to erect the said Town of Lancaster into a Borough, according to cer- tain Limits and Bounds hereinafter described, and to incorporate the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the same with perpetual Succession, and to grant them such Im- munities and Priviledges as might be thought necessary for the well ordering and governing thereof.
THEREFORE KNOW YE, That we favouring the Application of the said JAMES HAMILTON, on be- half of the said Freeholders and Inhabitants, and willing to promote Trade, Industry, Rule and good Order amongst all our Subjects, of our special Grace, certain Knowledge and mere Motion, have erected, and by these Presents do erect the said Town of Lancaster into a Borough for ever hereafter, to be called by the name LANCASTER; which said Borough shall extend, be lim- ited and bounded in the Manner it is now laid out, pur- suant to the Plan thercof hereunto annexed.
AND we further grant and ordain, That the Streets of the said Borough shall forever continue as they are now laid out and regulated.
AND we do nominate and appoint Thomas Cookson and Sebastian Grooffe to be the present Burgesses; and the said Thomas Cookson shall be called the Chief Bur- gess within the said Borough, and Michael Byerly, Ma- thias Young, Jolin Dehoffe John Folkes, Abraham John- son, and Peter Worrall, assistants for advising, aiding and assisting the said Burgesses in the execution of the. power and authorities herein given them: and Alexan- der Gibłony to be High-constable; and George Sander- son to be Town-clerk: To continue Burgesses, Assis- tants, High-constable and Town-clerk until the fif- teenth Day of September which will be in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty- four, and from thence until others shall be duly elected or appointed in their Places as is herein after directed.
AND we do by these Presents, for us, our Heirs and Successors, further give, grant and declare, That, the said Burgesses, Freeholders and Inhabitants within the Borough aforesaid, and their Successors for ever here- after, shall be one Body corporate and politick in Deed and in Name; and them by the Name of the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the Borough of Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, one Body politick and corporate in Deed and in Name, We do for us, our Heirs and Successors, fully create, constitute and confirm by these Presents; and by the same Name of the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the Borough of Lancaster, that they may have Perpetual Succession; and that they and their Successors, by the Name of the Burgesses and Inhabi- ants of the borough of Lancaster be, and at all times for ever hereafter shall be, persons able and capable in law, to have, get, receive and possess lands, tenements, rents, liberties, jurisdictions, franchizes and hereditaments, to them and their successors in fee-simple, or for term of life, lives, years or otherwise; and also goods, chattles,
and other things of what nature or kind soever; and also give, grant, lett, sell and assign the same lands, tene- ments, hereditaments, goods and chattles, and to do and execute all other things about the same by the name aforesaid: and also, that they be, and shall be for ever hereafter, persons able and capable in law, to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be an- swered unto, defend and be defended, in all or any of our courts or other places, and before any Judges, Jus- tices, and other persons whatsoever within the province aforesaid, in all manner of actions, suits, complaints, pleas, causes and matters whatsoever. And that it shall and may be lawful to and for the Burgesses and inhabit- ants of Lancaster aforesaid, and their successors for ever bereafter, to have and use one common seal for the sealing of all business whatsoever touching the said cor- poration, and the same from time to time at their will to change and alter.
And we do for us, our heirs and successors, further by these presents, grant full power and authority for the Burgesses, Constahle, assistants and freeholders, togeth- er with such inhabitants, house-keepers within the said borough, as shall have resided therein at least for the space of one whole year next preceeding any such elec- tion as is herein after directed, and hired a house and ground within the said borough of the yearly value of five pounds or upwards, on the fifteenth day of Septem- ber which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty-four, and on that day yearly for ever thereafter, unless it happen to fall on Sunday, and then on the next day following, publickly to meet in some convenient place within the said borough, to be appointed by the chief Constable, and then and there to nominate, elect and choose by the ballot, two able men of the inhabitants of the said borough to be Bur- gesses, one to be high Constable, one to be town clerk, and six to be assistants within the same, for assisting the Burgesses in the managing the affairs of the said borough, and of keeping of peace and good order therein: which election shall be taken from time to time by the high Constable of the year preceeding: and the names of the persons so elected shall be certified under his seal to the Governor for the time being within ten days next after such election; and the Burgess who shall have the majority of votes shall be called the chief Burgess of the said borough. But in case it shall so happen that the said freeholders and inhabitants, house-keepers afore- said, shall neglect or refuse to elect or chuse Burgesses and other the officers in manner aforesaid, that then it shall and may be lawful for the Governor for the time being to nominate, appoint and commissionate Burges- ses, Constable, town clerk and assistants for that year; to hold and continue in their respective offices until the next time of annual election appointed as aforesaid, and so as often as occasion shall require.
And we further will and ordain, that the said Burges- ses for the time being shall be, and are hereby impow- ered and authorized to be conservators of the peace within the said borough; and shall have power by them- selves and upon theirown view, or in other lawful man- ner, to remove all nuisances and incroachments on the said streets and high ways within the borough aforesaid as they shall see occasion: with power also to arrest, im- prison and punish rioters and other breakers of the peace or good behaviour, award process, bind to the peace or behaviour, commit to prison, and to make Ka- lendars of the prisoners by them committed; and the same to return, together with such recognizances and examinations as shall be by them taken, to the next court of Quarter-sessions of the County of Lancaster, there to be proceeded on as occasion may or shall re- quire; and to do all and singular other matters and things within the said borough as fully and effectually, to all in- tents and purposes, as Justices of the peace in their respective counties can or may lawfully do.
But before any of the said Burgesses, Constable, Town clerk or other officers, shall take upon them the execu-
398
MISCELLANEOUS.
(JUST
tion of their respective offices, they shall take and sub- scribe the oaths or affirmations of allegiance, and such other oaths and affirmations as are by the laws of our government in such cases provided, together with the oaths or affirmations for the due execution of their res- pective offices. And every chef Burgess so elected or appointed from year to year as aforesaid, shall within ten days immediately after his election, present him- self to be qualified, by taking the oaths or affirmations aforesaid, before the Governor for the time being, or be- fore such other persons as the Governor shall think fit to appoint for that purpose: and on failure of his so present ing himself, unless disabled by sickness or other reason- able cause, such as shall be allowed of by the Governor forthe time being, another chief Burgess shall from time to time, and as often as occasion shall require, be appoint- ed in the stead of such person so failing to appear and qualify himself as before directed: which Burgess so to be appointed by the Governor for the time being, shall and niay enjoy his office until the day of election next ensuing such his appointment, And the chief Burgess having qualified himselfin a manner aforesaid, shall and may enter upon his office; and the other Burgesses, Con- stable, town clerk, or other officers shall and may qualify themselves for their respective offices by taking & sub- scribing the oaths or affirmations aforesaid before the said chief Burgess, or before any of the Justices of the peace of the said County of Lancaster for the time being, who, are hereby authorized and impowered to administer the same.
And we do further grant for us, our heirs and succes- sors, to the Burgesses, freeholders and inhabitants, bouse-keepers aforesaid, and their successors, to have, hold and keep within the said borough two markets in each week, that is to say, one market on Wednesday, and one market on Saturday in every week of the year for ever in the lot of ground already agreed upon for that purpose and granted for that use by Andrew Ham- ilton, Esq. late of Philadelphia, deceased, as by the deeds thereof to John Wright, and other Trustees for the said County of Lancaster, may appear. And also two fairs therein every year, the first to begin on the first day of June next ensuing, and to continue that day and the next day following; and the other of the said fairs to begin on the twenty-fifth day of October follow- ing, and to continue that day and the next day after. And when either of those days shall happen to fall on Sunday, then the said fairs to be kept the next day or two days following together, with the free liberties, customs, profits and emolument, to the said markets and fairs belonging, and in any-wise appertaining, for- ever.
And we do hereby further grant and ordain, that > there shall be a clerk of the market for the said borough, who shall have the assize of bread, wine, beer, wood and all other, provisions brought for the use of the said inhabitants, who shall and may perform all things be- longing to the office of a clerk of the market within the said borough: and that John Morris shall be the present clerk of the market, who shall be removable for any Malfeazance in his office by the Burgesses and assistants aforesaid, and another from time to time ap- pointed and removed as they shall find it necessary.
And we do further grant unto the said Burgesses,high Constable and assistants, and their successors, as much as in us is, That if any of the inhabitants of the said bo- rough shall be hereafter elected to the office of Bur- gesses, high Constable or assistants, and having notice of his or their election, shall refuse to undertake and ex- ecute that office to which he is chosen, it shall and may be lawful for the Burgesses, high Constable and assist- ants then acting to impose such moderate fines on the person or persons so refusing as to them shall seem meet; so always that such fine imposed on a Burgess elect do not exceed ten pounds, and the Fine on the high Constable or an assistant elect do not exceed five pounds, each to be levied by distress and sale of the goods of the party refusing, by warrant under the hand
and seal of one of the said Burgesses, or any otherlaw- ful way or means whatsoever, for the use of the said Corporation. And in any such case, it shall and may be lawful for the said inhabitants to proceed to the choice of some other fit person or persons in the stead of such who shall so refuse.
And it shall and may be lawful for the said burgesses high constable and assistants for the time being to a>sem- ble town meetings as often as they shall find occasion: At which meetings they may make such ordinances and rules, not repugnant to, or inconsistent with the laws of the said province, as to the greatest part of the inhabit- ants shall seem necessary and convenient for the gocd government of the said Borough. And the same rules and orders to put in execution; and the same to revoke, and alter and make anew as occasion shall require .- And also to impose such mulcts and amerciaments upon breakers of the said ordinances as to the makers thereof shall be thought reasonable; to be levied as above is di- rected in case of fines, for the use of the said borough, without rendering any account thereof to us, our suc- cessors, or to the proprietors aforesaid, their heirs or successors. Also at the said meetings to mitigate or release the said fines and mulcts, upon the submission of the parties.
And we do further will and grant, that where any doubts shall happen to arise touching this present char- ter, that the same shall in all courts of law and equity be construed and taken most favourably and beneficially for the said corporation.
In testimony whereof, we have caused these our let- ters to be made patent. Witness George Thomas, Esq .; with our royal approbation Lieutenant Governor of the province aforesaid under John Penn, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esquires, true and absolute proprietaries of the province aforesaid, and of the counties Newcastle Kent and Sussex, on Delaware, the first day of May, in the fifteenth year of our reign, Anno Domini, 1742. GEORGE THOMAS.
Lancaster Borough, ss.
(L.S. )
This is to certify, that the above is a true copy of the Charter granted to the inhabitants of the town of Lancaster, in the county of Lancas- ter and province of Pennsylvania. IN-TES, TIMONY Whereof, I have hereto set my hand, and caused the seal of the Borough - aforesaid to be hereunto affixed the first Day of December, in the year of our Lord one thou- sand seven hundred and sixty.
JOHN HOPSON, Chief Burgess.
READING, May 23.
On Tuesday evening last, we had heavy and repeated showers of rain accompanied by sharp flashes of light- ning and loud claps of thunder. At about 4 o'clock the county jail was struck, the fluid decending through the roof and chimney near the eastern end of the edifice, tearing a hole in the former about 9 inches in diameter, descending a rafter from the point to the end, complete- ly shattering and splintering it, and finally taking the wall to the bottom, where it evaporated. That portion of the fluid which was conducted by the chimney, en- tered a room in the second story, perforated the floor close to the hearth of the fire-place, and descended in- to the family sitting room of Sheriff Bickel,in which were his daughter & two grand-children the one 5 the other 2 years of age. The oldest child was lying on the carpet asleep, and the youngest on Mrs. B.'s lap. The room was represented as being illuminated, and fears were entertained from the circumstance that the child on the carpet did not move, although the clap of thunder shook the building to the foundation, it had been struck. It was lifted up and carried by a neighbor to his own house and did not become perfectly reanimated for several minutes. We are glad to state that the child sustained no injury, and was in a few hours after as lively as usual For several hours, a strong sulphurous smell pervaded
1829.]
MISCELLANEOUS.
399
the whole building. It is conjectured that had the fluid not been divided, by a portion, and no doubt the great- est, taking the rafier as 'a conductor, all in the room would have perished. - Journal.
READING, Penn. June 6.
Our enterprising fellow-citizens, Messrs. Lane and . Orrick, have introduced here among the blacksmiths, the bituminous coal from Clearfield county, via the U- nion Canal. We yesterday examined a cargo recently received; but claiming no credit as mineralogists, we of course are not prepared to expatiate upon the quality of this newly introduced fuel. As far as our judgment goes, however, we deem it in no particular inferior to the Liverpool or Virginia coal .- Berks Journal.
The York, Pa. Recorder states that damage was done in crops, fences, and other property, in the south eastern section of that county, by an excessive fall of rain on Tuesday week. The oldest inhabitants in the neighbor- hood assert, that they never before witnessed such an out-pouring of the waters. It appears also that much injury was done by the storm, on the same day, in Lan- caster county. The Journal states that six barns were consumed by lightening, several mill dams destroyed, and one or two mill houses injured. The' Conestoga rose with great rapidity, and several arks and rafis from near Safe Harbour, were carried down the Susquehan- na; their fate not yet ascertained.
The York, Pa. Recorder, says-"The jail of this coun- ty is at present empty-not an individual being confined therein for crime or debt. The like bas not occurred before for nearly two years."
YORK, June 2.
During the past week young wild pigeons were abun- dant in this neighbourhood. A considerable number were bagged, but instead of | eing 'as fat as butter' most of them proved to be particularly lean. They are not yet full fledged, and are comparatively tame. It is said that in some places they have done much injury to ap- ple orchards by eating the young fruit.
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