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354 St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, 1753-1783. the New Rector, William White, Was a National Figure and Probably Was One of Th

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354 St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, 1753-1783. the New Rector, William White, Was a National Figure and Probably Was One of Th 354 St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, 1753-1783. THE PEOVINCIAL AND KEVOLUTIONAKY HISTORY OP ST. PETER'S CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA, 1753-1783. BY C. P. B. JEFFERYS. (Continued from page 269.) XIII. EECTOBSHIP OF WILLIAM WHITE (1779-1785). The new Rector, William White, was a national figure and probably was one of the most respected men of his day. He lived at this period in a fine old house on Front Street, one door south of Pine, on the bluff overlooking the Delaware. The respect which every- one had for White drew to his churches both Whig and Tory, who soon buried their grievances.287 When St. Peter's was built it was planned to have the ministers officiate alternately at the two churches.288 When White was in sole charge (1778-1781) he had services in both churches each Sunday. "The Vestry taking into consideration the necessity of having devine service performed in both churches on Sundays in the forenoon and afternoon" decided to call Rev. Robert Blackwell as assistant.289 Blackwell had been ordained by the Bishop of London and became a missionary of the S. P. G. at their mission in Gloucester across the Delaware from Philadelphia. During the Revolution he entered the army at Valley Forge as Chaplain. The certification of General Anthony Wayne, that he had "subscribed the Oath as directed by Congress" is in the Pennsylvania Historical Society. He was the m Wilson, 61. 888 Sturgeon to Secretary of S. P. G., 21 Aug., 1761. Perry. II, 332, and Minutes 19 Aug., 1761. 289 Minutes 26 Mar., 1781. St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, 1753-1783. 355 great-grandson of Eobert Blackwell for whom " Black- well's Island" is named. His father, Colonel Jacob Blackwell, inherited the island. Eobert Blackwell was tried out first as assistant to White and finally elected in September, 1781.290 Among the interesting personages who were pew- holders in St. Peter's at this time were Charles Wilson Peale, the artist, Robert Morris, the Financier, and Dr. Benjamin Rush, another signer of the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Chew, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (1774-1777), Edward Shippen, Chief Justice (1799-1806), Colonel John Nixon, who first proclaimed the Declaration of Inde- pendence before the people, Judge Richard Peters, General John Cadwalader, Tench Coxe, Tench Francis, Thomas Willing, Samuel Powel, all holders of so many public offices it would take pages to list them.291 Gen- eral George Washington was a regular attendant at St. Peter's during the winter of 1781-82. William White wrote to an inquirer: "The father of our country whenever in the city, as well as during the revolutionary war, as in his Presidency, attended de- vine Service in Christ Church of this city, excepting during one winter [1781-2] when being here for the taking of measures with Congress towards the open- ing of the next campaign, he rented a house near St. Peter's Church,292 then in parochial union with Christ Church. During that season he attended regularly St. Peter's. His behavior was always serious and atten- tive; but as your letter seems to intend an inquiry on the point of kneeling during the Service I owe it to the truth to disclose, that I never saw him in that atti- tude. "293 To another inquirer he wrote: "In 290 Minutes 19 Sept., 1781. 291 Some of these names do not appear before the Pew Book of 1782. ^Benjamin Chew House, 110 So. 3rd St. 293 Bishop White to B. B. C. Parker, 28 Nov., 1832. Baker: Washing- ton after the Revolution, 297 /. 356 St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, 1753-1783. regard to the subject of your inquiry truth requires me to say that General Washington never received the communion in the churches of which I am the parochial minister. Mrs. Washington was an habitual communi- cant before the general left his seat in Congress to take command of the Army. Afterwards during the war, whenever he was in this city and since, having rented a house near my other church (St. Peter's) he attended there. He was an antipode to those who are in the habit of changing the places of their attendance. "294 It is not definitely established what pew he sat in during this winter, but it was very likely pew No. 36 (now 41). This belonged to the Willing-Powel-Francis Families.295 As Washington was a close friend of Samuel Powel, spending much of his time at his house296 at 112 South Third Street (now 224), next door to his own home, he was, without doubt, made welcome in their large double pew at St. Peter's. XIV. ST. PETER'S WAR RECORD AND CONCLUSION. While their rector, Duche, and assistant minister, Coombe, were steering their inconsistent course during the Eevolution, St. Peter's congregation was decidedly Whig in sentiment. As we have seen it was partly due to fear of losing influence with their patriotic congre- gations that these men took such an active part in favor of the Colonies before July 4,1776. Many of her pew- holders won glory on land and sea. m Bishop White to Col. Mercer, Phila., 15 Aug., 1835, Scharf and Westcott, II, 1347. 295 Held today by George Harrison Fisher, a descendant. It has never been out of those families whose connection through marriage is very close. 286Baker: Itinerary of Gen. Washington, 1775-1783. St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, 1753-1783. 357 General John Cadwalader, has already been men- tioned as a member of St. Peter's He was colonel of the famous "Silk Stocking" Battalion and later colonel of the Three Battalions of the City and Liber- ties of Philadelphia, finally becoming a Brigadier-Gen- eral. General Joseph Eeed in a letter dated 24 Janu- ary, 1777, to Washington commended him very highly for his conspicuous bravery at the battle of Princeton. Cadwalader was a staunch supporter of the Com- mander-in-chief and severely wounded General Thomas Conway in a duel occasioned by a remark of the latter in connection with the well-known "Conway Cabal." The Cadwalader family have always been closely con- nected with the prosperity of St. Peter's. The pres- ent John Cadwalader, Senior, has been a vestryman for forty years. In his pew three generations of John Cadwaladers are represented each Sunday. The gallant Captain William Shippin,297 who fell at Princeton January 3rd, 1777, was buried in St. Peter's Church-yard on the 17th. On March 22nd, 1776, Con- gress at the request of the owner of a privateer gave him a Captain's commission "to cruise off the coast of Virginia,' '29S and in May he became Captain of Marines on the privateer "Hancock." The Hancock sailed from Philadelphia in June and returned about the first of December 1776, having a list of at least nine prizes to her credit.299 Sometime during December the marines "joined General Washington's Army and at the battle of Prince Town Captain Shippin was killed."300 His widow continued to go to St. Peter's, holding pew No. 43 (o. n.). mNo relation to Dr. William Shippen, Surgeon General of Military Hospitals. 808 Journals, IV, 225. m Pennsylvania Evening Post, Aug. 6, 10, 20, 17, Oct. 31. Pennsyl- vania Gazette, Sept. 4, Oct. 23, 1776. goo "Philadelphia Orphan's Court Docket," Book XIII, 225. 358 St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, 1753-1783. The grave of Captain Gustavus Conyngham in St. Peter's Churchyard marks the end of a brilliant career. Unfortunately little is known of the details of his life. Conyngham came of a very ancient Scottish family, being the seventh in descent from William Conyngham, 4th Earl of Glencairn. He was a first cousin of Red- mond Conyngham, a petitioner for St. Peter's lot, a member of the building committee, and a vestryman until his return to Scotland in 1766.301 Captain Conyngham received a commission from Congress dated Baltimore, March 1st, 1779, to command the " armed vessel called the Surprise in the service of the Thirteen United Colonies.' '302 What little is known of his career,—his orders from the American Commis- sioners in Paris, his capture by the British and escape, the terror he brought to England Merchantmen in the English Channel, and his long list of prizes, makes a story more thrilling than Cooper's "Pilot." By a French print published in 1779 he is represented on the deck of his ship, standing in clouds of smoke, five pistols in his belt and a drawn sword in his right hand. Under this is the legend " Augustatus Kuningam, Fameux Marin Comodore au Service des Etas unis de VAmerique et la terreur des Anglois."soz He died No- vember 27th, 1819. The stone which marks his tomb, in which his wife is also buried, bears a stanza of eight lines, the initial letters of which spell "GUS- TAVUS."304 Not far from Conyngham's tomb is the grave of Sharp Delaney, a pew-holder at St. Peter's from the earliest record (1779) to his death. He was a deputy to the Provincial Convention and Provincial Confer- 801 Genealogy in Jordan: Colonial Families of Philadelphia, I, 770- 772. 802 Facsimile in Jones: Captain Gustavus Conyngham, op. p. 8. 803 Facsimile ibid., op. p. 4. •°*Bronson, 136. St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, 1753-1783. 359 enee in 1775. The following year he was chosen cap- tain of a militia company which he had raised, and in 1779 was colonel of the 2nd Battalion of Pennsylvania militia. Besides being a signer of the Bills of Credit, 1775; a commissioner "to seize the Personal Effects of Traitors" in 1777, an "Agent for Forfeited Es- tates" in 1778, he was appointed Collector of the Port of Philadelphia in 1784 and reappointed by Washing- ton in 1789.
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