AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY PARSON

Evening Star, Issue 15073, 3 January 1913, Page 6

AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY PARSON

In Lady Edgar's recently-published history of Governor Share's rule in the State of Maryland 11760-1773) she says: Governor Sharpe's chief correspondent was the proprietary's uncle and secretary, Caecilius Calvert. Between these two woithies all the doings of Maryland were discussed and the "virulence" of the Assembly deplored. Calvert at one time sends a long plan for systematically buying all the Opposition with places,' -which was only rejected by Sharpe on the ground of impracticability. One of Sharpe's most disagreeable duties, which he loyally fulfilled, was to dispose of Lord Baltimore's favorites by finding them livings in Maryland. The clergy in the province were generally of deplorable character, a state of affairs which excites no wonder when Lord Baltimore could write to Sharpe, as he did in 1766, announcing that his particular friend, Mr Bennett Allen, was to have one of tha best livings. Mr Allen duly arrived, and was appointed, till better' vacancies occurred, to a small Jiving in Annapolis, where he promptly caused a scandal. In the vestry of St. .James lie had a grievous quarrel with Mr Samuel Chew, who opposed his appointment, in which Mr Allen permitted himself to doubt Mr Chew's word, and Mr Chew tried to break Mr Alien's bald pate, but hit the door instead. The result was a challenge from the parson, which was burned unread,, though tl» turbulent cleric marched alone to the field oi battle with two pistols. Finding no adversary, he "went to the church with his pistols and a cane with a dirk in it, and preached a mast insolent sermon."' In a few months lie was inducted into All Saints'. Frederick Town, the richest living in the colony. He read his induction sen-ice with a pistol in his hand, till forced to retreat by volleys of stones. Subsequently Mr Allen returned to London, and served a term in Newgate lot killing aMr Dulany in a duel. Patronage certainly gave Governor Sharpe a deal of trouble, and finally cau«d his retirement, for on Lord * Baltimore's sister's marrying an officer in the Coldstream Guards the claims of a, brother-in-law. became of paramount importance. So tha loyal Sharpe, freely admitting that Hia Lordship's reasons were "very sufficient and satisfactory," gave up the reins to Ca.pta.in Eden,"and retired to Whitehall, the beautiful country residence which he had built. Here he gave -himself' up' to agriculture, and improving local industriee, till in 1773 family affairs called him back to soon enough to prevent his seeing with his own eyes the dispersal' of all his former employer's rights in Maryland. " . .