Wilmington, Delaware - History (part 7 of 7)

In the year 182S the congregation which had met for worship at the old Swedes' Church was divided. One part of it united in the proposal to build a church in a more convenient situation. They accordingly erected a handsome building at the west corner of Shipley and Eighth streets, which they named St. Andrew's church. In the year 1839 they built at the easterly end of it, on Shipley street, a handsome steeple, one hundred and twenty feet high to the top of the spire. A bell, weighing 1450 pounds, was placed in it, and first sent forth its fine tones into the surrounding city and country, on the 24th of the Twelfth month, (December,) 1839. In a few days afterwards, by some accident, the house took fire and was wholly consumed, with all its contents, including the steeple and bell. In the year following the congregation rebuilt and greatly enlarged the church, at the same time they prepared for another steeple, by erecting the mason-work of it, rising high above the main building.

The other part of the congregation, who consider themselves the more immediate successors of the old Swedish Church, erected a church, or chapel, at the east corner of King and Fifth streets. It is a handsome brick building, and was bui 1

1737. Bricks, the run of the kiln, per 1000, Best cedar shingles, per 1000j River sand, per bushel, at the wharf, - Lime, per bushel, .... Wheat flour, (middlings) per 112 lbs, - Mutton, per lb, 1 Quarter of veal, - - -

1738. Butter from the Country in pots, per lb. Hailing wood, per cord, Horse hire, per day, ... Labour, per day, Hailing stone, per load, Indian com, per bushel, - . - Fire wood, delivered, per cord, Side of beef, per lb., .... Mollasses, per gallon,

. The first bridge on the Brandywine, within the present limits of Wilmington, stood at a short distance above the place where the rail road now crosses it. This bridge, which was built nearly one hundred years ago, landed at Yandever's point, on what was formerly called " Timber Island." The road from thence towards Philadelphia, led over Shelpot hill, nearer the river Delaware than the present one, coining out into it near the three mile stone. It passed eastward of, but close to an old brick house on that hill.

Canby. It stood near the side of the creek just below the north-easterly termination of Orange street. At the time it was built,. ho value was supposed to belong to the navigation of the Brandywine above the old bridge, except for small row-boats. The Swedes and other settlers used to bring their grain to be ground at that mill from New Jersey, and from the inlets along the Delaware, Christeen, and other places, in such boats. So late as the year 1762, when the plan of making a long race, and building overshot mills, was under consideration,0 Thomas Shipley, who owned part of the old water power, in a grant to the projectors of that scheme, reserved to himself the sole right to grind all the grist brought from any place within thirty miles of his mill. This circumstance, with other well known facts, go to show that, at that time, he did not consider the navigation of the creek, for large vessels, of any value, and indeed it was then of no value, for the old bridge below effectually prevented the passage of any such vessels to the old mill. After the longrace was completed, and overshot mills erected, the old bridge was taken away, the obstructions in the creek removed, and the navigation for sloops opened as high up the stream as the present mills.

Of the precise time when a bridge was built over Brandywine at the site of the present one, near the north-easterly termination of King street, the writer has no authentic information, but it was not long after the year 1770. For some time before that bridge was erected, there was a ferry over the creek from a slip near the present termination of French street, landing on the other side, at the upper end of Edward TatnalPs lower mill . The old road from that ferry is still open, coming out into the Philadelphia road near the present residence of William Lea.

There was formerly an old mill, with a hip roof, one story high, standing on the ground occupied by a large mill, built by the late Thomas Lea, on the north-east side of the creek at the upper side of the old ferry landing. Such was the imperfection and Hour ground on the Wilmington side of the creek, were sent over to that mill in boats to be boiled. The old building was taken down within thirty or forty years.

An old saw mill formerly stood in Wilmington on the southeast side of the road leading over the Brandywine bridge, nearly opposite Hollingsworth & Harvey's machine shop. It was sometimes used for sawing mahogany. It was taken down about fifty years since.

The following " List of the Swedish families residing in New Sweden in 1693, with the number of individuals in each family," has been referred to in the preceding narrative, page 146. Some of the names are evidently Dutch, as Van der Weer, Starke, Meyer, Sic. These were probably reckoned as Swedes, on account of their descent from them, on the female side, and from having adopted the language and customs of that people. The Swedish and Dutch names are so very similar that it is perhaps impossible to distinguish them with certainty. Many in the list may be Dutch with Swedish forms, owing to the mode of spelling them.

This list is very interesting and valuable. It leaves nothing to conjecture in relation to the amount of the Swedish population on the Delaware, at a period of fifty-five years after the arrival of the first colony under Minuit. That amount is 945, which of course includes all coming into the country both from emigration and by natural increase. .The number appears very small when we consider how many ships arrived in the colonies during the first ten years of their existence, and the time that had elapsed before the list was made. But new countries to new comers are always sickly, and the locations chosen by the Swedes were the most unfavourable to health that could % have been selected. They settled along the tide waters, on the banks of rivers and marshy creeks, often in the neighborhood of low swamps, and the means of preventing and curing diseases were probably little understood among them at that day. Under all these unfavourable circumstances, there is little cause to wonder that their number was so small. A great many of the colonists under William Penn, with superior advantages in every respect, suffered severely from sickness during the early periods of their settlement in Philadelphia' and its vicinity. Many of their family records which have come down to us, show a dreadful mortality among them, within the space of ten or fifteen years after their arrival.

This list is dated 1693. It was probably made out in the spring of that year, and sent to Sweden with the interesting letter written by Charles Springer, and signed by thirty of the principal men in the colony, giving an account of their situation, and soliciting the means of religious instruction. That letter was dated the 31st of May, 1693. See pp. 151 152 of this work.

- The list is copied from " Campanius's description of New Sweden," printed in 1702 at Stockholm. Many of the names have, since that day, undergone great changes in their orthography, and in some cases so great, as to destroy the resemblance. The following short list will give some idea of the transformation to which they have been subjected.

In a preceding part of this work, some views have been given in relation to the healthfulness oi' Wilmington. From a long residence in the neighbourhood, the author has entertained the opinion that our city is an unusually heaUJful one. In order to ascertain from higher authority than his own, the facts in the case, he applied to the Wilmington Medical Society for their views on the subject, and they kindly furnished him with a certificate on the subject, signed by Dr. Henry F. Askew and Dr. L. P. Bush. It informs us that during a " period of twenty months, in the years 1835 and 1836, all the deaths occurring from disease, or other causes, amounted only to 228, and at that time the city contained a population of about 7000 persons." " It cannot be said that there is now, or has been for many years, any disease which is endemic among us. The typlwid fever ', which has prevailed extensively through the country, from six to ten or twelve miles to the west and north- west of us, has not been known in Wilmington or its immediate vicinity, except sporadically, for at least fifteen years."

By the. above statement, it appears that, from all causes, the yearly number of deaths in Wilmington, out of a population of 7000, was 136, or 2T65 persons per week. During the twenty months above mentioned, there was an accurate account kept, which, we regret to say, was afterwards discontinued. It is out of our power to give the whole of the above interesting certificate, as i<- came into our hands too late for insertion entire.

Original Settlements On The Delaware. 30 9

Since the last pages of this work were in type, we have received an interesting communication from Judge James Booth of New Castle, containing many particulars of an historical character, in relation to the Old Church at that place, and other ancient places of worship in the vicinity. We have also received a valuable communication from William T. Read, Counsellor at Law, inclosing copies of the monumental inscriptions found on some of the tomb-stones standing in the cemetery of the church at New Castle. It is with regret that we cannot avail ourselves of the very interesting information contained in these communications. Coming at the last and closing period of the work, neither time nor room was allowed to insert them. We shall, however, use the very small space left us, to make such extracts from them in a condensed form as circumstances will now admit.

The Old Church at New Castle is called Immanuel Church, and was erected between the years 1702 and 1704.* A congregation has statedly assembled there since 1705, except perhaps during a part of the Revolutionary war. For one hundred and forty years they have had but ten clergymen, chosen as ministers or rectors. The first was George Ross, who was appointed in 1705, and remained until 170S. Robert Saint Clare, appointed 1710 ; succeeded by George Ross, who returned in 1714. He was succeeded by Clement Brooke, in 1755, who officiated two years. A clergyman named Cleaveland was appointed in 1757, but died before he entered on his parochial charge. In 175S, Eneas Ross, son of the aforesaid George Ross, was appointed their rector, and was succeeded by Charles Henry Wharton in 1784 He remained until 1788, when Robert Clay was appointed to take his place, which he retained until 1824. Stephen Wilson Prcstman succeeded him, and remained their pastor until his death in 1813. George W. Freeman was his successor, and officiated one year, when he left them on his appointment as Missionary Bishop for the south-west. On that event -Thomas Billopp was appointed, and is their present rector.

The church at Appoquinimink, near Middletown, called St. Ann's church, was erected in 1705, but has been rebuilt since that time. St. James's church, situated westwardly from Stanton, about two miles, was originally a frame building, built in 1716, which is now gone, and a brick one stands in its place. Christ church, .'Dover, was built in 1707, but is now in a dilapidated condition. St. Peter's church, at Lewes, was built in 17-20.

In the burying ground of the church at New Castle is a pedestal of pure white marble, erected to die memory of George Read, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, from which the following inscription is copied:

"George Read, bom 1732, died 21st December, 179S. Member of the Congress of the Revolution, of the Convention that formed the Constitution of the United States, and of the first Senate under it; Judge of Admiralty; President, and Chief Justice of Delaware, and a Signer of the Declaration of Independence,"