desire to "see all the children." On Tuesday forenoon, Nov. 2, 1789, the president, on foot, visited the Lear Mansion, situated in the southerly part of the town, near the Piscataqua, almost at the east end of Hunking street, and the house in which Col. Lear was born. It is a commodious wooden structure, well built, two storied, hip roof, with Luthern or dormer windows. The house was considered "handsome" in its day, and is still an object of interest in our quaint old town, the lovely old city by the sea. This ancient mansion was in good order and repair, not many years ago. When I last visited it, I remained some time in the parlor, at the west end, where Washington was introduced to each member of the family, "the venerable mother, her children and her grand-children." Miss Mary Lear Storer, whom I well remember, occupied the house at the time I visited it. She was born April 17, 1785, and died Nov. 27, 1870. In 1789 she was four years of age, and received Washington's blessing, as did her two brothers, John Langdon Storer, who died Sept. 28, 1830, aged forty-two, and Admiral Storer, who was born May 4, 1789, and died Jan. 8, 1864.[1] The room, since that memorable visit, had remained almost unchanged.
"The same paper on the walls, the same chairs (made of cherry wood, raised in the garden), and other furniture, except the carpet," were the furnishings of the parlor as of yore.
"There were also in the room three China mantel ornaments, a bird on a branch, a peasant with a bouquet, and a lass in a basque of modern cut, with flowers. These ornaments were taken from Washington's own mantel and forwarded by Martha Washington for the children." There was also suspended from the wall another valuable relic, which must be highly prized from the associations connected with it. "A piece of black satin, of eight by ten inches, framed and glazed, on which is worked, with the hair of General and Mrs. Washington, in Roman letters, the following couplets, composed by the mother of Col. Lear, sometime about the commencement of the present century:
"This is work'd with our illustrious and beloved General George Washington's hair.
Which covered his exalted head, But now em'olled among the dead, Yet wears a crown above the skies, In realms of bliss which never dies.
This is work'd with Lady Martha Washington's hair. Relict of our beloved General.
I pray her honor'd head. May long survive the dead; And when she doth her breath resign, May she in heaven her consort join.
This hair was sent to Mrs. Lear by her good friend, Lady Washington."
There was also suspended from the ceiling in the center of the room, a glass globe, which has since been accidentally broken. The other articles are now in the possession of Mrs. Mary Washington Jones, the only daughter of the late Admiral Storer, and the widow of the lamented Col. Albert L. Jones, of Portsmouth. She has, at her spacious and beautiful home, corner of Middle street and Richards avenue, a large number of interesting relics, portraits, letters, &c., belonging to the family, which will be described in the November number of the "Granite Monthly," together with other interesting items in relation to the Lear and Storer families. President Washington, with Col. Lear, occupied the "warden's pew," in the Episcopal church, during morning service, and in the afternoon of the same day, Sunday, Nov. 1, 1789, listened to a sermon by Rev. Dr. Buckminster, at the Congregational church, North Parish.
August 2, 1798, in a letter to Col. Lear, Washington, from Mount Vernon, wrote in reference to the proposed resignation by Col. Lear of the presidency of the Potomac Company, and also informed him that he had an in-
- ↑ Mary Lear Blunt, wife of Admiral Storer, was born Feb. 23, 1798, and died Feb. 10, 1868.
