Page:Sketch of the old round church.djvu/8

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Sketch of the "Old Round Church," 1805–1825.
357

22, Samuel Roberts, Jr.; No. 23, John Bourke; No. 24, half to Sarah Mark and Sarah Donnolly, one-fourth to William Fearns, and one-fourth to Robert Towne; No. 25, Mrs. Sarah (Lowrey) Collins; No. 26, John Craig; No. 27, William Arthurs; No. 28, Charles Reno and Austin Drury; No. 29, Mrs. Sidney O. Gregg; No. 30, David Holmes; No. 31, Arnold Eichbaum; No. 32, Captain James R. Butler, who commanded the "Pittsburgh Blues" in the War of 1812; No. 33, John L. Glaser; No. 34, John Reno; No. 35, John K. McNickle; No. 36, Joseph Davis; No. 37, Campbell, Muller, Clayland, and Brown; No. 38, Dr. S. R. Holmes and A. L. Kerr; No. 39, Alexander Glass and Ralph Pittock; No. 40, George Connelly and Mrs. Patterson; No. 41, Walter Forward, the eminent lawyer, Secretary of the Treasury under Tyler, and afterwards President Judge of the District Court of Allegheny County; No. 42, Robert Elder and James Rutter. The pew rentals ranged from ten dollars to twenty-two and one-half dollars per year, and the total annual rentals were five hundred and fifty-five dollars. In truth, a day of small things.

The appearance of a fair bride of that period at church shortly after her marriage is recalled; what made the most impression on a youthful mind was the light-blue satin cape she wore, lined with white satin. And this brings to mind the funeral of a friend of the bride's mother, Mrs. Emily Morgan Simms, daughter of Colonel Presley Neville. Mrs. Simms died at the Kentucky and Ohio Hotel of Mrs. Kerr, on the northeast corner of Front Street, now First Avenue, and Market Street, on the 5th of February, 1821, when on a visit to her native city, her husband, Colonel W. D. Simms, being a resident of Washington City. The funeral was extremely imposing, and to persons of the present time would appear very singular; but at that time it was the custom to walk in procession following the bier which held the remains, and which was carried on the shoulders of the bearers. Walking, four on each side of the bier as honorary pall-bearers, were eight ladies dressed in white muslin, white stockings and slippers, their heads covered with long white

Vol. xix—24