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Griffin s
Journal.
VOL. XXIT.
RERTYO'S HHURBAL
711 Sansom STREET,
PHILADELPHIA.
Devoted to
Church and Country.
TERMS:
50Cents a Year im advance.
OOOO
NORTH OABOLINA OATHOLIO OFFICE
HOLDERS.
‘To THE EpIToR oF THE PUBLIC
RI
“Personal Facts and Fancies” this
morning says, “Itis said” that Judge
Robinson is *‘the first Roman Catholic
tohold aState officeof any kind in
North Carolina.”
Those who say so don’t know that
North Carolina has been more liberal
minded than Pennsylyania, even when
‘under Democratic rule. North Carelina
bas bad Catholies in office from constable
to Governor—to Judge of its Supreme
Court and Representative in Congress,
“It is not known to have ever defeated a
Catholic for office by an outcry or secret
work against him because of his religion,
Pennsyly. nia is not so clear,
Richard Caswell, President of the Con-
yention of 1776, which adopted its State
Constitution, ‘twas offspring of
Catholic parents, and _ ad been
brought up in the religious faith of his
He was Governor of North
urke, a
Catholic was one of the framers of the
Constitution of 1776, and was_ the State
delegate in Congress ; from 1777 to June,
1730. He “fought the battles of the
cer of North Caro-
Chiet Justice of South Oarolina, ‘It isa
long time between drinks,”
That famous expression wasn’t said to
the Governor of South Carolina, but to
its Chief . ustice.
dear LepGer, that both
Carolinas were in advance of our own
Pennsylvania in giving political offices to
Catholics, S
Catholic who. was Governor, nor of its
apreme Court. Even the Democrats
would not elect the late Judge Campbell
to its highest Court, simply because he
was a Catholic, every other nominee for
office being elected but Judge Campbell.
I supposed every intelligent American
knew that Judge Gaston, ot North
Carolina, was a Catholic. Our country
has had no purer and nobler man than
e was, is father was murdered by
the British during the Revolution, He
‘was one of the State’s Reprezentatives in
Congress, as well as being on its Supreme
Catholics held office the Constitution of
76 declared: ‘*No person who denies
the truth of the Protestant religion shall
be capable of holding any office or place
* of trust in the civil department of this
State.”
Catholies do not deny the truth of the
Protestant religion, Jt is the errors they
deny, So Catholics were not excluded
under the Constitutioa of 1776. The
Convention of 1835 struck out ‘*Protest-
ant” and inserted ‘*Christian.””
What makes ita ‘remarkable thing”
that Judge Robinsor dida’t rua a vote
behind his ticket ? Being on the Repub-
lican ticket don’t make it so. Repub
licans are less disposed to cut Catholics
than Democrats, Republicans want
Catholic voters. Democrats have so
many that bigoted Democrats don’t
want Catholics to get the offices, put
simply to vote them into the good places,
The ‘remarkable thing’? would have
been if Judge Robinson had been on the
Democratic ticket and bad not run be-
hind,
Martin I, J. GRIFFIN,
Philadelphia, December 3.
lA Raleigh dispatch to the New York
Evening Post was the basis of the para-
graph referred to,—Editor Lepcer. |
~ PHILADELPHIA JANUARY, 1895.
THE FIRST MASS IN PHILADELPHIA. ;
‘
On February 14th, 1707-8, Rev. John Talbot, Episcopal minister of St.
Mary’s Church, Burlington, N. J., then at Westchester, N.¥., wrote to
Rev. George Keith, then{in Connecticut : ** I saw Mr. Bradford in New
York. He tells me that Mass is set up and read publicly in Philadelphia, and
several people are turned to it, amongst which Lionell Brittin, the church
warden, is ona and his son is another. I thought Popery would come in
amongst Friends, the Quakers, as soon as any way—Doc. His, Pi 2, Church,
U. 8. Church Documents, CONNECTICUT, Vol. I. p. 137, (Jas. Potts, Pub-
lisher, 1863.) ca
On the 10th January he had written the (London) Society for the Pro-
Pagation of the Gospel ;—‘* Arise, O Lord Jesus Christ, and help us and de-
liver us for Thine honor . + . There’s an Independency at Elizabeth-
town, Anabaptism at Burlington, and the Popish Mass at Philadelphia. I
thought the Quakers would be the first to let it in, particularly Mr. Penn,
for if he has any religion ’tis that. But thus to tolerate all without con-
trol is to have none at all,”’—( Hili’s His. Ch. Burlington.)
This is the earliest direct evidence of the celebration of Mass in Phila-
delphia. I doubt not but that Mass nad been frequently celebrated in Phil-
adelphia prior to this, as priests had passed to and from New York and
Maryland, but no direct evidence of a prior public ministcy has yet been
obtained. In 1693 Peter Debue, of Philadelphia, willed £50 to Father Smith,
“ now or late of Talbot Co., Md.” This seems to prove that this priest
was the one who served the Catholics of Philadelphia two centuries ago.
‘** Smith”? was an alias for Harrison or Harvey. :
The statement made by many and appearing in our school histories and
other Catholic works that Mass was said in Philadelphia in 1686 is founced
on a misunderstanding by aunalist Watson, of the word “ Priest” in a let-
ter of William Penn to his steward, James Harrison, ia which he said when
writing from London for specimens of the product of the Province :
* You can get fine shad from the old priest.” This shad-gelling ‘© priest?”
was Fabricus, the Lutheran Minister of the Swedish Church, The Quakers
call all ministers of any denomination ‘* priests,” as there are innumerable
examples to prove, i
This Mass at which Lionell Brittin was received into the Church was,
most probably, celebrated about Christmas 1707, for the datinre January
- Bahn wie Mt dey
10th, 1707-8 shows it was but a recent occurrence,
It was this Mass and its circumstances which the Episcopalians report-
ed to London against Penn, who was then in prison for debt oa account of
the Province and was endeavouring to arrange with the government terms
of transfer of his proprietory rights so as to gain relief,
On 7th month (then September) 29th, 1708, Penn wrote to James Logan
his confidential agent and friend : ‘* Here is a complaint against your goy-
ernment that you suffer public Mass in a scandalous manner. Pray send
the matter of fact, for ill use is made of it here.”—(Penn aud Logan Cor-
respondence, Vol. II., p, 294.) .
Watson, the annalistof Philadelphia, adds to this extract the following:
‘* And in a subsequent letter he (Penn) returns to it in these terms: ‘ It
has become a reproach to we here with the officers of the Crown that you
have suffered the scandal of the Mass to be publicly celebrated.’ »”
Since Watson so wrote the Pennsylvania Historical Society has publish-
edthe correspondence and no such letteris given. I have made search among
Penn’s unpublished letters in the Society and found no such letter, (See
William Penn, the Friend of Catholics ; Records Am, Cath. His, Society,
Vol. I. p. 70 et seg.) When Penn wrote the letter, 7th, 29, 1708, he was in
Fieet Street jail, London, for debt on suit of the Fords,—(Janney’s Penn,
506-8.)
This event of the conversion of Lionell Brittin and the ‘several others,’
was an important one. The Church of England people were Tenn’s
enemies, They had no favor to show to this new-fangled notion of grant-
ing toleration to all for that was the way to have no religion at all if was
claimed. . -
At the time of the conversion of Lionell Brittin and others, the public
celebration of Mass was not permitted in England or in any other American
colony. It is worthy of note that at that time Pennsylvania was tbe only
place in all North or South America where a Christian was allowed or did
publicly worship, God in the manner he believed proper. In Catholic-
founded Marylaad this was not permitted to Catholics after 1692, and afte
1704, priests were only permitted to celebrate Mass in private houses.
Protestants were not permitted to publicly worship in the immense terri-
tory of Canada, Louisiana or Florida,-nor in South America. Thus one
bundred and eighty-seven years ago Philadelphia alone was the home of
Religious Toleration in all North and South America ; perhaps in the
world,
This was Pennsylvania's proud position when Lionell Brittin and
several others became couverts to Catbolicity, and in such a public manner
that the news of the conversion became the topic of the colonies, and the
special news to England to damage Penn,
Brittin was a well-to-do and a well-known citizen.
‘© Of the arrivals in the Delaware in 1680, several made their homes in
Bucks county, among whom were Lionell Brittin, Samuel and William
Dark, and George Brown. Brittin, a Friend, and a blacksmith from Alny,
in Bucks, England, the first to arrive, settled on 200 acres in the bend of
the river, at the upper corner of the manor which Penn patented to him in
1684, A daughter died on the way up the river and was buried at Burling-
iton. Another daughter, Mary, born the 13th June, 1680, was, as far aa”
8 known, the first child of English parents born in Bucks county, or probs
ably in the State, His name is on the panel of the first grand jury drawn
in Bucks county, June 10th, 1685, THe probably left this county and ree
moved to Philadelohia in 1633, which year he”conveyed his real estate in
Falls (township) to Stephen Beakes, for £100. He is noted in our early
annals as the first convert to Catholicism in the State. He assisted to read
Mass in Philadelphia in 1708, and was a church warden in the same year.
He died in 1721, and his widow in 1741.°*—(His. of Bucks Co. Pa., by Davis,
Pp. 37-38, ed. 1870.)
The first to arrive, father of the sirst child, on the first panel of jurors
and the first convert to the Church,
Brittin arrived in the ship ** Owner's Advice,”’ George Bond, Master,
and settled in Bucks county, June 4th, 1680.—(Hazard's Annals, p, 483.)
The daughter buried in Burlington, N, J., was Elizabeth,
On November, 12th, 1720, Lionell Brittin made his will. He died be-
fore January 21st, 1721, when the will was recorded.
The time of his reception into the Church is the earliest date known as
the time when ** Mass was set up and read publicly in Philadelphia” snd
the time when ‘*Popery came in” by a public manifestation of its existence
by the reception of Lionell Brittin,
The time of his death was about the time that Rey. Joseph Greaton,
the Founder of the Faith in Philadelphia, first visited the city. It is not
improbable that his coming yas for the spiritual consolation of the First
Convert,
There is a doubt as to the correctness of the extract from Rev. John
Talbot’s letter where it reads “amongst which Lionell Brittin, the church
warden, is one, and his son isan other.”
Was Brittin, “the church warden.” If so 1t was of Christ Church,
Second above Market. I haveexamined its records, There is no mention
of church wardens prior to 1708, .
“Is one and his son is another.” There is no evidence that Brittin
had a son,
Though but two children are mentioned in Brittin’s will, it is known
he was the father of Mary. born December 13th, (O. 8.) 1680, in Bucks
..county, She was the first born of English parents ’in Pennsylvania, + A ~
register of this fact is in the register’s office, at Doylestown, in the hand-_
writing of Phineas Pemberton, register of that county ; but Mary’ died
young it would seem.
Her daughter Rebecca married Philip Kearney, a merchant of Phila-
delphia. Their daughter Rebecca married William Plumsted, April 19th,
1733. She died January 20th, 1741, of whose children four died young,
One daughter, Rebecca, married Charles Gore, lieutenant of 5 5th regiment
of British Army. The marriage settlement is dated March 4th, 1760,
Lieutenant Gore contributed £2 tothe purchase of St. Mary’s burial ground,
Fourth, nearSpruce. He died before January 29th, 1763. His widow re
sided in Philadelphia, and died July ist, 1809. The issue of this marriage
were two children, who died young.
Thomas, son of Rebecca and William Plumsted, born April 28th, 1740,
married Mary Coats, August 13th, 1762, at Old St, Peter’s, and died Octo-
ber 29th, 1776. Their daughter, Rebecca Plumsted, married Bevjamin
Hatton, at Christ Church, July 27th, 1780. A daughter of this marriage,
Mary Hutton, married September 22d, 1799, John Devereaux, a sea captain
and merchant, He died at Island of Grand Cayman, W. I, April, 1820,
(Keithis Penna, Councilors, p. 173.) Their son, John Devereaux, born
Augut 10th, 1800, was for many years treasurer and trustee of St. Mary’s
church, and president of the Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company. He
died in 1892, His son, Colonel Eugene Devereaux, may be known by his
services in the late war,
Lionell Brittin’s daughter, Rebecca, who married Philip Kearney, had
a daughter Susanna, who married Thomas Lloyd, son of Thomas Lioyd,
and grandson of Thomas Lloyd, president of councilors, 1684-88 and 1690-
93. The daughter Susanna married at Christ chureh, Noy, 4th, 1762,
Thomas Wharton, Jt., who was Governor of Pennsy lvania during the Re-
volution, (The Wharton Family Pa, Mag., vol. 1, p. 327.)
Under date Ang. 7th, 1775, it is recorded—last Monday, July 30th, at
an advanced age, at his seat at Amboy, Philip Kearney, Esq., many years
an eminent lawyer, at that place. His death is universally lamented.
Lionel! Brittin’s daughter, Elizabeth, second of the name,
Michael Kearney, a prominent man in East Jersey, from whom descended
General Phil. Kearney, famous in onr late war, and J. Kearney Rogers, a
well-known citizen of New York. Brittin’s granddaughter, Elizabeth
Kearney, married James Morris, son of Anthony Morris, second mayor of
Philadelphia, at Burlington meeting, about 1730. A daughter Mary, by
this marriage, married Colonel Blathwaite Jones, of the line of the Revol-
utionary army ; and their daughter, Lusanna Budd Jones, married Dr
Samuel Shober. Their son, Samuel Lieber Kuhn Shober, ,
Bedford, and their son is Samuel L. Shober, now of Philadelphia,
As far as I have been able to discover. ii
the only Catholic descendants of the first voueere ‘to the faith oe am
who was received into the Chureh at the frst known public celebration of
Mass in Philadelphia, Elizabeth, wife of Lionel! Erittin, made her wil]
June 5th, 1782. . It was recorded January 2\st, 1741. She died in a hozse
Second street, below Market, near the Baptist church, ~
MARTIN I. J. GRIFFIN,
married
matried Mary
NO. 392