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THE 
 
 PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES 
 
WORKS BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Some facts about Alsace and Lorraine, 1895. 
 
 The Brooke Family of Whitchurch, Hampshire, England, 
 
 together with an account of Acting-Governor Robert Brooke 
 
 of Maryland and Colonel Ninian Beall of Maryland, 1899. 
 The Alabama Arbitration, 1900. 
 fimeric Cruc6, 1900. 
 The Alasko-Canadian Frontier, 1902. 
 The Alaska Frontier, 1903. 
 The English Ancestors of the Shippens and Edward Shippen 
 
 of Philadelphia, 1904. 
 The Swift Family of Philadelphia, 1906. 
 Balch Genealogica, 1907. 
 L'fivolution de I'Arbitrage International, 19.08. 
 La Baie d'Hudson, est elle une mer libre ou ime mer ferm^e? 
 
 1911. 
 La Baie d'Hudson est une grande mer ouverte, 1913. 
 Diff^rends juridiques et politiques dans les rapports des 
 
 Nations, 1914. 
 "Arbitration" as a term of International Law, 1915. 
 The Influence of the United States on the Development of the 
 
 Law between Nations, 1915. 
 Legal and Political International Questions and the Recurrence 
 
 of War, 1916. 
 
THE 
 
 PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES 
 
 THOMAS WILLING BALCH 
 
 A Manager of the Assemblies 1909-1912 
 A Vice-President of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania 
 
 FIRST EDITION 
 
 Philadelphia 
 
 ALLEN, LANE AND SCOTT 
 
 1916 
 
Copyright, 1916, by 
 THOMAS WILLING BALCH. 
 
 
 
TO THE MEMORY 
 
 of 
 
 The Treasurer and the Managers 
 of the 
 First Assemblies 
 I 748-1 749 
 John Swift, Treasurer, 
 John Inglis, 
 John Wallace, 
 Lynford Lardner. 
 
Having heard, by fame, 
 Of this so noble, and so fair assembly, 
 This night to meet here, they could do no less. 
 Out of the great respect that they bear to beauty. 
 Shakespeare, Henry the Eighth. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 AT an Assembly some twenty years ago in the 
 - Foyer of the Academy of Music, it occurred 
 to the writer that it would be interesting to 
 collect what available material there might be in 
 existence that would cast light upon those balls in 
 the days when Pennsylvania was still a colony. 
 The quest for facts resulted in revealing more 
 manuscript information than had been hoped for. 
 Gradually, year by year, new items of information 
 turned up or were communicated now by one 
 friend, now by another. The writer read a short 
 paper on April i8th, 1902, before the American 
 Philosophical Society upon the First Assembly Ac- 
 count Book, kept by John Swift in 1748-49. Sub- 
 sequently, in 1906, he wrote briefly about the 
 Assemblies in the Pennsylvania Magazine, and 
 again on October 21st, 1914 in a paper read at the 
 annual meeting of the American Antiquarian Society 
 of Worcester, Massachusetts, he had something to 
 say about the Assembly Balls in the past. Mean- 
 while, in answer to a breif appeal for facts printed 
 in January, 1906, in the Pennsylvania Magazine 
 and the following mention by Mr. Perrine in the 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 Evening Bulletin, February 17, in 1906, new infor- 
 mation gradually drifted in. The accomplished 
 editor of the Bulletin said: 
 
 "Mr. Thomas Willing Balch has addressed him- 
 self to the task — somewhat difficult by reason of 
 the fragmentary character of the information now 
 available — of preparing a history of the Philadel- 
 phia Assembly. Such a narrative as he has in 
 mind will embody in large part the social life of 
 the city in its best estate during a period of four 
 or five generations. The annual gatherings during 
 the past generation are of cotu"se well known, but 
 in their early, more interesting and perhaps more 
 significant periods, they have been seldom described, 
 as what is known of them is more traditional than 
 authentic, or concerns a few bare facts here and 
 there. How many of the descendants of the mem- 
 bers of the old Assemblies when Philadelphia was the 
 capital of the republic, are aware of the fact, for ex- 
 ample, that one or more of the historic balls were given 
 where The Bulletin office now stands [612 Chestnut 
 Street], or of the nature of the rivalries which at that 
 time engendered a Second Assembly. The opportu- 
 nity imdoubtedly exists, for the production of a de- 
 lightful series of descriptions and reminiscences, and 
 Mr. Balch, who undertakes the work solely as a 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. XI 
 
 labor of love and who finds that the co-operation 
 of all Philadelphians who have letters, diaries or 
 manuscripts that may throw light on any phase or 
 period of the subject, will be necessary to the com- 
 pleteness of his plans, has submitted the following 
 communication for reproduction from the Penn- 
 sylvania Magazine of History and Biography: 
 
 '"Dtiring the winter of 1748-9 nine AssembKes 
 were given in Philadelphia. They were under the 
 management of Lynford Lardner, John Inglis, 
 John Wallace and John Swift. There were fifty- 
 nine subscribers, and the entertainment was simple. 
 John Swift, who acted as secretary and treasurer, 
 had arranged, about 1740, a ntimber of small dances 
 or "assemblies," as they were called at that time, 
 at his own house and that of some of his young 
 friends. Since Colonial days the Assemblies have 
 been given with fair regularity except when pre- 
 vented by war or other interruptions, and yearly 
 beginning with 1866. With the purpose of writing 
 the history of these historic balls, the oldest in the 
 country, I shall be much obliged for the communi- 
 cation of any facts or items relating to them.'" 
 
 The author put off writing at length on the 
 subject, partly owing to his interest in the study of 
 International Law, and partly owing to the hope 
 
Xll PREFACE. 
 
 and desire to collect in his drag net more facts. 
 Having an hereditary interest in the balls from 
 their very inception, the author decided in the past 
 summer to write an essay on the historic develop- 
 ment of the balls which would be printed as a 
 iirst edition, his purpose being to add to and develop 
 the work for a second edition. 
 
 The author will be thankful for any fresh facts 
 relating to the Assemblies: also if he has made 
 any mistakes of dates or names or anything else, 
 he will be glad to have them pointed out to him. 
 It may be safely asserted that probably never was 
 a genealogical work published without mistakes 
 creeping into it, and there is much of a genealogical 
 character in the present book. 
 
 He has given more or less information concerning 
 a nimiber of the subscribers to the first Assembly 
 Season of 1748-49; he wotdd be glad for informa- 
 tion concerning the other worthies whose signatures 
 appear on that list, as well as additional facts 
 about those of whose doings something has already 
 been said. Likewise, he would be grateful especially 
 for any facts that may narrow down the period of 
 years between which the list of graces, whose 
 names will be found at page 70, attended the 
 Assemblies or some other social function. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. XUl 
 
 The writer still has some unused information 
 poked away in odd comers, which he has not had 
 time to round up: and he is on several trails which 
 he hopes will eventually add additional facts. 
 
 It may be advisable to point out here, that every 
 social gathering in past times which was called an 
 "Assembly" was not of necessity the historic 
 Dancing Assembly. Also the Legislative Assembly 
 should not be confused, as sometimes happens, 
 with the Dancing Assembly. 
 
 In the collecting of the material for this book, 
 the writer has received help from many friends; 
 Mrs. Thomas Balch, Charles Norris, Esq., the late 
 Mrs. Isaac Starr (who was Miss Lardner), the late 
 Miss Elise Willing Balch, the late Charles Morton 
 Smith, Esq., Mrs. George McCall, Mrs. Cornelius 
 Stevenson, Edward Swift Buckley, Esq., to men- 
 tion only a few. Dr. I. Minis Hays, the Secretary 
 of the American Philosophical Society has helped 
 the author with the information in the archives of 
 that venerable society. And in looking over the 
 collections of the Historical Society of Pennsyl- 
 vania (often times erroneously called by strangers 
 the Pennsylvania Historical Society) and the Ridg- 
 way Library, he has at all times been aided by 
 Messrs. John W. Jordan and Ernest Spofford, respect- 
 
XIV PREFACE. 
 
 ively Librarian and Assistant Librarian of the former 
 institution, and Mr. Bunford Samuel, Librarian of 
 the latter corporation. To them, as to every one 
 else, he begs to offer his sincere thanks. 
 
 As the present work has not been undertaken 
 as a commercial venture, but as a small contribu- 
 tion to the public knowledge of the history of 
 both City and State, any profits that may ac- 
 crue from the sale of this book, will be given 
 to the binding fund of the Historical Society of 
 Pennsylvania, a fund which sorely needs to be 
 enlarged. 
 
 This book has been written not in a spirit of 
 fanciful imagination, but with a due appreciation 
 that Clio, the muse of history, is a jealous mistress, 
 who when offended by a careless or willful misstate- 
 ment of fact, is sure sooner or later to exact an 
 accounting by the light which some future devotee 
 of hers will eventually turn upon such misdeeds as 
 have been done to her injury. 
 
 Finally, the author begs to say, that he hopes 
 perhaps that this small book h propos of the Assem- 
 bly Balls in the days before the Civil War, an 
 almost forgotten bit of history in our time, may 
 serve to recall to the possessors of an old set of bureau 
 drawers or an ancient well worn trunk in the attic, 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. XV 
 
 the possibility of finding something relating to the 
 Assemblies of the past. For as Herrick says: 
 
 " Attempt the end, and never stand to doubt, 
 Nothing's so hard, but search will find it out." 
 
 T. W. B. 
 
 Philadelphia, 
 September 30th, 1916. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA and Pennsylvania as City and 
 State respectively have both played important 
 and leading parts, alike in the time of the colonies 
 as well as since the Declaration of Independence, 
 in the building and development of otir country. 
 
 In colonial days Philadelphia was the largest city 
 of the Keystone Colony as to-day she is the largest 
 city of the Keystone State, and it was within her 
 gates that the First and the Second Continental 
 Congresses met and took counsel together, that the 
 Constitutional Convention which framed the present 
 Constitution of the United States sat and deliberated, 
 that Washington lived during the greater part 
 of his presidency, and that the Supreme Cotirt 
 of the United States organized and began to sit 
 to hear cases. Philadelphia can justly glory in 
 having contributed to the material development and 
 culture of the Nation through the acts of her indi- 
 vidual citizens, and by the establishment of institu- 
 tions which have served as a model to other parts 
 of the country. The Contributionship Society, 
 
 (1) 
 
2 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 better known as the Hand in Hand, was started 
 in 1752 to insure its contributors against loss from 
 fire : it is the oldest fire insurance company founded 
 in America. Another similar institution, the Mutual 
 Assurance Company, also known as the Green Tree, 
 was organized in 1784, and is the second oldest fire 
 insurance company established in the country. In 
 the Bank of North America, chartered by the Govern- 
 ment in 1782, Philadelphia possesses the oldest bank 
 chartered in the United States. The Philadelphia 
 Club, begun in 1 834, is the first gentlemen's club in the 
 covmtry, and likewise, the Philadelphia Cricket Club, 
 started in 1854, is the oldest cricket club in the 
 United States. In the Shakespeare Society of Phila- 
 delphia, started in 1 85 1 , the city founded by Penn has 
 the oldest Shakespeare Society in existence. The 
 Pennsylvania Hospital on Spruce and Pine Streets, 
 started in 1 75 1 , is the oldest hospital within the Union. 
 And in the American Philosophical Society, founded 
 in 1727 by Franklin, Philadelphia is forttmate in 
 possessing not only the oldest learned society 
 within the United States, but also in the new world. 
 Philadelphia is rich also in the number of her 
 historical monimients. Besides possessing the Old 
 Colonial State House of Pennsylvania, begun in 1732, 
 in which the Pennsylvania Legislative Assembly 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 3 
 
 began to sit in 1736,' and in one of whose halls 
 the Declaration of Independence was voted by the 
 Second Continental Congress, Philadelphia has in 
 the two buildings close to that old State House, 
 the buildings where the First Congress and the 
 Federal Supreme Court under the Constitution of 
 1787-89 respectively met, the former at Sixth, the 
 latter at Fifth and Chestnut Streets. All that is 
 well known throughout the length and breadth of the 
 land. It is not so well known, however, that 
 Philadelphia possesses also Old Swedes' s Church, 
 built from 1698 to 1700 on the site where the Swedes 
 began to hold worship in 1677 in a log block house; 
 and perhaps for historical accuracy, it may be well 
 to remember that the Swedes built within the 
 territory of what is now the State of Pennsylvania, 
 their first church at Nya Goteborg on Great Tena- 
 kongh or Tinicum Island, just outside the present 
 city limits, at least as early as September, 1646. 
 Philadelphia also has Christ Church built in the 
 early part of the eighteenth century, where Wash- 
 ington attended; Carpenter's Hall built from 1770 
 to 1774 where the Provincial Congress of Pennsyl- 
 vania was held in 1774 and the First Continental 
 
 * Frank M. Etting: The Old State House of Pennsylvania, known 
 now as the Hall of Independence, 1876, pages 15-16. 
 
4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Congress sat in 1775; the btiilding that was the 
 home of the First Bank of the United States (1791- 
 181 1) of which Thomas Willing was President, now 
 occupied by the Girard National Bank; likewise 
 the building which housed the Second Bank of the 
 United States (18 16-1836) of which Nicholas Biddle 
 was President, now serving as the Philadelphia 
 Customs House; the house of John Bartram, built 
 in 1 73 1 and now surrounded by his botanical garden 
 as a public park; and other buildings of historic 
 importance. 
 
 Three of the greatest military achievements in 
 the annals of North America occiured within the 
 bounds of Pennsylvania. It was from Philadelphia 
 that a miHtary expedition, made up in good part 
 of Pennsylvania troops started, during the struggle 
 known in Europe as the Seven Years' War and in 
 this country as the French and Indian War, to 
 cross the Allegheny Mountains and the virgin wilder- 
 ness beyond them and successfully captured in 1758 
 Fort Du Quesne. BuUt where the Allegheny and 
 the Monongahela Rivers join in forming the Ohio, 
 which after coursing westward for several hundred 
 miles merges its waters into the Mississippi or 
 Father of Waters, Fort Du Quesne was a place of 
 commanding importance, and until its capture by 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 5 
 
 the English a barrier to their progress beyond the 
 AUeghenies into the prairie lands of the Ohio. 
 On the site of Fort Du Quesne, at the western end 
 of the Commonwealth, by the energy and skill 
 of Pennsylvanians the great city of Pittsburgh 
 rose, a fitting memorial of the wisdom and skill of 
 a British statesman who successfully led the British 
 Empire through times of stress and peril. At the 
 eastern end of the State, not far from Philadelphia, 
 only a score of years later, our fathers, under 
 Washington, Wayne, Muhlenburg, and other able 
 captains, kept watch along the banks of the Schuyl- 
 kill, during the bleak winter of 1777-78, in the 
 encampment at Valley Forge. A little more than 
 three quarters of a century later to the westward 
 of the Susquehanna River and near the southern 
 boundary of our State, the famous Mason and 
 Dixon Line, at Gettysburg on the first three days 
 of July, 1863, the Union Army under Meade, a son 
 of Pennsylvania and also a Philadelphian, and his 
 two lieutenants, Reynolds and Hancock, likewise 
 both sons of Pennsylvania, defeated the Confederate 
 Army tinder Robert E. Lee and so rolled back the 
 high wave of the Confederacy. 
 
 It was at Germantown that Pastorius, its founder 
 and three other burghers of that settlement, made 
 
O INTRODUCTION. 
 
 in 1688 the first public protest in America against 
 slavery. 
 
 Philadelphia through her individual citizens has 
 made notable contributions to civilization. Ben- 
 jamin Franklin, founder and President of the 
 American Philosophical Society, besides being a 
 statesman, added much to the scientific knowledge 
 of mankind and to American literature. Of him 
 Turgot wrote the inscription: Eripuit coslo fulmen, 
 mox sceptra Tyrannis.^ He was one of those who 
 subscribed funds to send out about 1754 the first 
 American exploring expedition to the Arctic regions. 
 It started from Philadelphia. Rittenhouse observed 
 the transit of Venus of J-une 3rd, 1769, at his private 
 observatory at Norriton;^ and calculated the ele- 
 ments of the future transit of December 8th, 1774. 
 In 1 79 1 he succeeded Franklin as President of the 
 American Philosophical Society. In recognition of 
 his contributions to the knowledge of the world, 
 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. 
 
 ^ This is the version given by Condorcet on the title page of his 
 £loge de M. Franklin, lu h la seance puhlique de I'Academie des 
 Sciences, le 13 Nov. 1790, published at Paris in 1791. Condorcet 
 ascribes it to Turgot under the date of 1775. The more generally 
 known version is, Eripuit coelo fulmen sceptrumque tyrannis. 
 
 * Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, 
 1771, Volume I., page 8. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 7 
 
 Fitch, a Pennsylvanian by adoption, built a steam- 
 boat which he navigated as a commercial venture 
 on the Delaware River in 1792.* 
 
 The poets. Bayard Taylor and Thomas Buchanan 
 Reed, have added to the poetic treasures of the 
 world. The former, who was bom at Kennett 
 Square in Chester County, not far from Philadel- 
 phia, was a world wide traveller. He attended 
 in 1874 "the millennial celebration in Iceland, when 
 an Icelandic translation of a poem he had written 
 for the occasion was read. Besides his poetical 
 works, he wrote Hannah Thurston and other novels. 
 And he added a classic to the English language by 
 his translation of both parts of Goethe's Faust. 
 Reed, who was a painter of no mean ability, painted 
 the historic picture, Sheridan's Ride, and also 
 wrote the poem of the same name as well as The 
 Wagoner of the Alleghenies. George H. Boker was 
 the author of the well known play, Francesca di 
 Rimini. Benjamin West, who attained a high 
 renown as a portrait painter and eventually was 
 president of the Royal Academy in London, an 
 honor not often conferred on a stranger, was born 
 
 * To guard against any possible misunderstanding, it may be well 
 to remember that Rittenhouse was not the first to observe the transit 
 of Venus, nor Fitch the first to invent the steamboat. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 in a house which now belongs to Swarthmore 
 College just outside of Philadelphia. He obtained 
 his early education as a painter here in Philadelphia 
 and the many genuine portraits by him in this 
 country give ample proof of the ability of this 
 distinguished son of Pennsylvania. And a tablet 
 on the house at the southwest comer of Spruce 
 and South Sixth Streets tells both native and 
 stranger that there was bom the best actor of the 
 American comic stage, Joseph Jefferson. 
 
 If Philadelphia, when called upon, has done her 
 share in times of war, she has contributed sub- 
 stantially also to the maintenance of peace between 
 the Nations by means of judicial settlements. 
 
 In 1693, after the statesman whose name the 
 Commonwealth bears, had tried for a dozen years 
 in Pennsylvania his theories of government, he 
 pubHshed at London, An Essay towards the present 
 and future peace of Europe, by the establishment of 
 an European Dyet or Estates. A second edition of 
 this notable publication was printed at London in 
 1696, it was reprinted at London in 1726 in the 
 collected works of Penn, and again here in Phila- 
 delphia in 1858 in the Publications of the Historical 
 Society of Pennsylvania, He advocated the estab- 
 lishment of a Central Parliament for Europe to 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. V 
 
 which the European States should send representa- 
 tives, and urged strongly that aU causes of difference 
 which two States could not adjust by diplomatic 
 means, should be referred to the central Par- 
 Hamentary body for judicial action. In case any 
 State which joined the federation failed to bow before 
 the judgment of the European Parliament and 
 shotild take up arms, then "all the other Sovereign- 
 ties, United as one Strength, shall compel the 
 submission and Performance of the Sentence, with 
 Damages to the Sviffering Party, and Charges to 
 the Sovereignties that obliged their Submission." 
 In the various plans for world peace which since 
 Penn's time have been urged upon the world, not 
 a great deal that is new has been devised in the 
 manner of compelling Nations to keep the peace. 
 And with that rare gift which seems to belong 
 only to the highest scholarship, Penn towards the 
 end of his essay acknowledged his indebtedness to 
 the Grand dessein of Henry the Fourth of France, 
 though Penn, no more than other men of his time, 
 reaHzed that Henry's plan really was an attempt 
 to displace the House of Hapsburg from the first 
 place of power in Europe, and that the Grand 
 dessein probably was the work of the Due de Sully. 
 But Penn, who truly aimed to do away with war, 
 
10 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 did much then and since by his essay to place for 
 consideration before the EngUsh speaking world, the 
 possibility of doing away with war between Nations, 
 always supposing that that is an attainable end. 
 
 That great philosopher and many-sided man 
 already mentioned above, to whom Philadelphia is 
 much indebted for having promoted and in some 
 cases originated many of her most valued institu- 
 tions, and who added vastly to the knowledge of 
 mankind, the author of Poor Richard's Almanack 
 was ever eager, while in favor of all needful de- 
 fensive measures, to advance any sane plan that 
 would help to make war less frequent, or curtail its 
 area once it had broken forth. 
 
 It was from a member of the Philadelphia Bar 
 that came the proposal to submit the Alabama 
 claims to an International Court for judicial settle- 
 ment; and that proposal ripened into the great 
 International Tribunal that, sitting in the Swiss 
 city of Geneva in 1871-72, pronounced judgment 
 between the United States of America and Great 
 Britain concerning those claims, and by its decision 
 based upon legal justice ended, by a judicial settle- 
 ment, in peace and concord, that dispute which 
 had arisen between two of the great powers of the 
 world. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. H 
 
 It was with Pennsylvania money, too, made in 
 Pittsburgh, that the Palais de la Paix at The 
 Hague was built. 
 
 It is to the credit of Philadelphia, that, under 
 the leadership of John Welsh, later on our Minister 
 to England, she successfully inaugurated and carried 
 through in 1876 the Centennial Exposition that was 
 held in Fairmount Park, probably the finest city 
 park in the world, even the Bois de Boulogne not 
 excepted, in memory of the events of a century 
 before. That great undertaking — to which not only 
 all the States of the Union, but also all the Nations 
 of the world, sent splendid exhibits of their in- 
 dustry — she successfully carried through single hand- 
 ed, with the exception of a small loan of five millions 
 of dollars from Congress which the city subsequently 
 repaid to the National Government. 
 
 In founding in 1805 the Pennsylvania Academy 
 of the Fine Arts with George Clymer as first presi- 
 dent, Philadelphia established the first school in 
 the cotmtry for the teaching of the Fine Arts, 
 
 When away from home, however, it is an unusual 
 thing to hear a Philadelphian praise the city, or 
 her great citizens, whether past or present. In 1866, 
 Horace Binney, who added to the luster of the city 
 by attaining to the leadership of the United States 
 
12 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Bar and did many things for the advancement of 
 Philadelphia, commented on the lack of apprecia- 
 tion by Philadelphia of her own. He said® that 
 Philadelphia "is wanting in civic personality, or, 
 what is perhaps a better phrase for the thought, 
 a family unity or identity. She does not take, 
 and she never has taken, satisfaction in habitually 
 honoring her distinguished men as her men, as men 
 of her own family. It is the city that is referred 
 to, as distingtiished, perhaps, from the rest of the 
 State. She has never done it, in the face of the 
 world, as Charleston has done it, as Richmond has 
 done it, as Baltimore has done it, as New York 
 has done it, or at least, did it in former times, 
 and as Boston has done it and will do it forever. 
 She is more indifferent to her own sons than she is to 
 strangers." 
 
 Binney tells us that this comment upon the 
 city was not new, when he made it in 1866, for it 
 had been made off and on before that for at least 
 sixty years earlier. The accomplished editor of 
 the Evening Bulletin, who writes under the name 
 of "Penn" has suggested that one reason for this 
 
 * Horace Binney: The Leaders of the Old Bar of Philadelphia; Phila- 
 delphia, 1866, page III. This quotation was communicated by 
 S. Emlen Meigs, Esq. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 13 
 
 lack of civic pride by the city founded by Penn 
 in the deeds of her own may be accounted for in 
 part by the fact that until 1854 the city as we 
 know it to-day was really divided into a number 
 of separate communities. 
 
 The failure of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania to 
 properly herald the contributions of their sons and 
 daughters to the civilization of the world may be 
 due in part, too, to the fact that of the original 
 thirteen colonies, Pennsylvania was settled in the 
 beginning by a greater diversity of races than any 
 of the other twelve colonies. That diversity in the 
 population of Pennsylvania, and the consequent 
 difficulty of fusing the various races into one 
 homogeneous people, was long intensified by the 
 AUeghenies. Those mountains running from south- 
 west to northeast across the State, geographically 
 cut the Commonwealth into two parts, until the 
 Pennsylvania RaUroad was built and thereby joined 
 the settlements on the two sides of the mountains 
 commercially as well as politically. Consequently, 
 in the beginning in colonial times and afterwards 
 even into the first part of the nineteenth centtiry, 
 Pennsylvania did not have that unity of political 
 thought and ideal which commonly belongs to a 
 Commonwealth whose people all speak one and the 
 same language. 
 
14 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 I. 
 
 Among the things with a historic past of which 
 the city founded by Penn in 1682 on the shores 
 of the Delaware and the Schuylkill Rivers can be 
 proud, are the Philadelphia Assemblies. Dating 
 from the winter of 1748-49, when they were organ- 
 ized and first given, they far outstrip in the remote- 
 ness of their origin any other series of balls which 
 are given in this country with the one exception 
 of balls given by the Saint Cecilia Society of Charles- 
 ton in South Carolina. And even the beginnings of 
 that venerable southern society, the Assemblies of 
 Philadelphia antedate by fourteen years. For the 
 Saint Cecilia Society was founded in 1762, and in- 
 corporated on March lOth, 1784.® 
 
 The word "Assembly" when used in a social 
 way, meant in the eighteenth century that people 
 who attended an Assembly gathered together in a 
 social way upon a plane of equality. 
 
 In the later years of the colonies, and the early 
 days of the Republic, "Dancing Assemblies" were 
 
 * Information communicated by Thomas Wright Bacot, Esqr., of 
 Charleston, S. C, whose great-great-grandfather was one of the 
 founders of the Saint Cecilia Society. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 15 
 
 not peculiar to Philadelphia. Assemblies were held 
 in many of the important centers near the Atlantic 
 seaboard. Thus, for example, two cards still extant 
 of the "Dancing Assembly," held in Savannah, 
 Georgia, for the season of 1786-87 are the invita- 
 tions to attend those Assemblies sent respectively 
 to Miss Lawrence of Mulberry Hill, Monmouth 
 County, New Jersey, of the family of "Don't give 
 up the ship" Lawrence, and to Mrs. Le Conte, a 
 member of a Savannah family.'^ 
 
 The Washington Dancing Assembly began in 
 December, 1796, almost a half century after the 
 Dancing Assembly of Philadelphia was started.* 
 The Rev. Manasseh Cutler — a graduate of Yale, 
 a distinguished botanist, a leader in forming the 
 future State of Ohio and who has been credited 
 with having drafted the "Ordinance of 1787" — 
 when a Federalist member of Congress from Massa- 
 chusetts, makes a reference in his correspondence 
 with his daughter, Mrs. Poole, "to the Assembly" 
 held in the District of Columbia during his stay in 
 the city of Washington. Writing from the city of 
 
 ^ In the possession of Mrs. Howard Gardiner. 
 
 * Wilhelmus Bogart Bryan: A History of The National Capital; 
 New York, 1914, Volume I., page 292. 
 
16 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Washington, Feby. 21st, 1803, to his daughter, he 
 says: — ^ 
 
 "Some little time ago I dined at Mr, Balch's 
 at Georgetown. Our company was large, mostly 
 members of Congress. Miss Anna [King] was there. 
 She is the most intimate friend and companion of 
 Miss Harriet Balch. They attend together the 
 boarding-school, dancing-school, and Assembly. Mr. 
 and Mrs. King were invited, but unable to attend. 
 My health did not permit me, as the weather was, 
 to stay to tea." 
 
 The yotmg Harriet Balch of whom the Massa- 
 chusetts divine and congressman speaks in his letter, 
 was the eldest child of the notable Rev. Dr. Balch 
 of Georgetown, a graduate of Princeton, who was 
 even a notable figure in the days before Georgetown 
 had been taken from Maryland in 1790 by the 
 creation of the District of Columbia. The yovmg 
 lady in question, even though the daughter of a 
 clergyman, was fond of society and dancing, and 
 in after life, when she had married Major-General 
 Alexander Macomb, the victor on September nth, 
 1 8 14, of the battle of Plattsburg, and subsequently 
 
 * Life, Journals and Correspodence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler, LL.D. 
 by his grandchildren William Parker Cutler and Julia Perkins Cutler, 
 Cincinnati, 1888, Volume II., page 132. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 17 
 
 the commander-in-chief of the army of the United 
 States, she was, at their house at the northwest 
 comer of Farragut Square and I Street, one of 
 the leading hostesses of Washington until her death 
 in 1869. 
 
 Assemblies were given also in the city of New 
 York. An invitation card to a New York Assembly, 
 dated January 29th, 1841, addressed to the father 
 and mother of Mrs. Gouverneur, gives the names of 
 the managers, twelve in all: 
 
 "Abm. Schermerhom, J. Swift Livingston, 
 
 Edmd. Pendleton Jacob R. Le Roy, 
 
 James W. Otis, Thos. W. Ludlow, 
 
 Wm. Douglas, Chas. McEvers, Jr., 
 
 Henry Delafield, WiUiam S. Miller, 
 
 Henry W. Hicks, Charles C. King." 
 
 II. 
 
 Like most things which have started from small 
 beginnings and, after the passage of some time, have 
 grown to great proportions, the Philadelphia As- 
 semblies were much smaller and less sumptuous at 
 first than they are to-day: but there is every reason 
 to think that they were just as pleasant and enjoy- 
 able then as now. 
 
18 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 During the winter season of 1748-49, nine Assem- 
 blies were given in Philadelphia under the manage- 
 ment of four "Directors," as the managing board was 
 then called: John Swift, John Inglis, John Wallace 
 and Lynford Lardner. Three manuscript relics of 
 those gay and time honored festivities have come 
 down to us : — the rules to govern the dances, the list of 
 original subscribers and the treasurer's account book. 
 
 All three of these manuscripts, except the signa- 
 tures of the signers, are in the handwriting of John 
 Swift, then a young man of twenty-eight. There 
 is a tradition in the Swift family that the first 
 meeting at which the Assemblies originated was 
 held some time in 1748 at John Swift's house. 
 
 The first of these three early manuscripts, Charles 
 Swift Riche Hildeburn, a noted antiquary and a 
 descendant of John Swift the treasurer and man- 
 ager of 1748-49, presented in 1879 to the Histori- 
 cal Society of Pennsylvania, an institution that was 
 established in 1824. 
 
 At the same time that Mr. Hildeburn presented 
 the original set of rules governing the Assemblies, 
 Richard Penn Lardner, a descendant of the first 
 Lynford Lardner, who was a manager the first 
 season the Assemblies were given, gave to the 
 Historical Society the list of original subscribers. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 19 
 
 Concerning the presentation of these two precious 
 manuscripts to the Historical Society of Penn- 
 sylvania, the following letter now in the possession 
 of the author, which was addressed almost forty 
 years ago by the then President of that learned 
 society to a gentleman who not only had been a 
 manager of the Assemblies himself, but also in addi- 
 tion, like the writer of the letter, had a hereditary 
 interest in those balls from their inception, is of 
 such interest that it is given here in fidl. 
 
 "728 Spruce St., Feb. 26, 1878. 
 "My Dear Mr. Swift: 
 
 "Many years ago you were good enough to give 
 to me a copy made, I believe, at your cost, in litho- 
 graph of the subscribers to the 1st City Dancing 
 Assembly of this city, A. D. 1748. The original, 
 as I think I understood at the time, was in the 
 possession of Mr. Richard Penn Lardner. I had 
 the fac-simile which you gave me — or one of 
 them, rather, for you gave me more than one 
 — ^handsomely framed, and hung up in the Hall 
 of our Society. Mr. Lardner's ancestor was 
 one of the managers of the Assembly; as was 
 John Swift, who I believe was yotu- great-great- 
 uncle. 
 
20 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "Now singtilarly enough, a few days ago, in the 
 possession of a descendant of the said John Swift, 
 turns up the original rules and regulations of this 
 Assembly — ^made like the list of Subscribers in 1748. 
 They are rather amusing in this day. The assem- 
 blies must begin at 6, and by no means last longer 
 than 12. Card tables, lights and a card room are 
 to be provided for those who wish to play at cards. 
 The regulations about tickets, partners, minuets, 
 etc. etc. are minute and strict. A part of the 
 paper which contained certain prohibitions is un- 
 fortunately destroyed; but a great part of the 
 Rules & Regulations are yet legible. 
 
 "The possessor of the document brought it to our 
 Society's Hall; and I urged him strongly to give it 
 to us. He is willing to do so provided Mr, Lardner 
 will give us the counterpart, of the Subscribers. If 
 it had both the Society would have them framed 
 and htmg as companion pieces. Our Society is, by 
 degrees, getting to be a State Institution. Under 
 the care of men like Mr. Jordan — and its present 
 librarian, Mr. Frederick Stone, — ^it is making great 
 and sure progress. Things sent there are sure to 
 be preserved and displayed to the best advantage. 
 
 "I write all this that if you think it worth while 
 to bring the matter before Mr. Lardner, — ^with 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 21 
 
 whom I suppose that your relations are ancient and 
 intimate — ^you may do so; & I'wd be obhged by yr 
 doing so. 
 
 "I may add that I have given or am giving most 
 things of the same sort as I invite Mr. Lardner to 
 give — of my own — to the Society as the best and 
 surest place to preserve them. I may add also 
 that if Mr. Lardner does not care to part with the 
 property in the paper, he can deposit it in the 
 Society's fire-proof vaults; and can re-demand it 
 when he likes. 
 
 "I remain 
 
 "Dear Sir, 
 
 "With sincere respect and regard 
 Your friend & Kinsman 
 
 JOHN W". WALLACE 
 
 "Joseph Swift, Esq., 
 "Philada. 
 "Walnut St." 
 
 In 1902 Mr. Edwin Swift Balch and Mr. Thomas 
 Willing Balch, descendants of Charles Willing and 
 Samuel McCall, Junior, both among the original 
 subscribers to the balls in 1748-49, presented to the 
 American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned 
 
22 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 society in the new world, the third manuscript 
 relating to the first Dancing Assembly, the account 
 book kept by their great-great-granduncle, John 
 Swift, the treasurer and a manager. Thus these 
 three manuscript relics of colonial Philadelphia are 
 now housed in the buildings of two of the most 
 notable learned societies of the cotuitry, where they 
 are reasonably secure against the ravages of time 
 or injury by heedless hands. By looking over these 
 three manuscripts and comparing them together, 
 much light is thrown upon the early Philadelphia 
 Assemblies. 
 
 III. 
 
 The subscription list begins in the handwriting 
 of John Swift by saying: 
 
 "A List of Subscribers for an Assembly under 
 the direction of John Inglis, Linford Lardner, John 
 Wallace & John Swift: each Subscription forty 
 shillings, to be paid to any of the Directors at Sub- 
 scribing." 
 
 Then follows the list of subscribers, only fifty- 
 nine all told: 
 "Alex.'' Hamilton, Thomas White, 
 
 Tho. Lawrence, Jr., John Lawrence, 
 
 John Wallace, Thos. Graems, 
 
 Phineas Bond, John Cottenham, 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 23 
 
 Ch^ Willing, 
 Joseph Shippen, 
 Sam. McCall, Jtin'., 
 George McCall, 
 Edw. Jones, 
 Samuel McCall, Sen' 
 Redm. Conyngham, 
 Jos. Sims, 
 
 Thomas Lawrence, Sen'' 
 David Mcllvaine, 
 John Wilcocks, 
 Charles Stedman, 
 John Kidd, 
 W" Bingham, 
 Buckridge Sims, 
 John Swift, 
 John Kearsley, jun^, 
 W" Plumstead, 
 Andrew Elliot, 
 James Burd, 
 W"^ Peters, 
 James Polyceen, 
 Wm. Franklen, 
 Hen Harrison, 
 John Heuston, 
 Daniel Boiles 
 
 John Moland, 
 Wm. Cussens, 
 James Hamilton, 
 Ro. Mackinen, 
 Wm. Allen, 
 Arch-i McCall, 
 Jos. Turner, 
 Thos. Hopkinson, 
 Rich"^ Peters, 
 Adam Thompson, 
 Alex'' Stedman, 
 Patrick Baird, 
 John Sober, 
 David Franks, 
 John Inglis, 
 Ninian Wischeart, 
 Abram Taylor, 
 James Trotter, 
 Samson Levy, 
 Lynford Lardner, 
 Rich*^ Hill, Jr., 
 Benj. Frill, 
 Jn°. Francis, 
 William M" Ilvaine, 
 Will-". Humphreys." 
 
24 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 In looking at the above list, any one conversant 
 with the members of the Assemblies now, is im- 
 pressed with the fact that most of those old names 
 have passed away. Thus of the above family 
 names only those of Willing, McCall, Peters, White, 
 Lardner and Hopkinson seem to be still represented 
 on the Assemblies by male descendants bearing the 
 original names. Of course many of those original 
 subscribers are still represented on the Assembly list 
 to-day by descendants through female lines. That 
 is true, for instance, of three of the managers for the 
 season of 1748-49. A comparison of the first 
 Assembly list with that of to-day is a forceful 
 reminder of that rule of nature which Sir Henry 
 Sumner Maine stated so clearly, that families of 
 great prominence tend, after a few generations, 
 to become extinct in the male lines, and to repro- 
 duce themselves only through the female lines. 
 
 Of the four managers of the first Assemblies, 
 two were of English and two of Scottish descent. 
 
 John Swift, the treasurer, was the eldest child of 
 John Swift of a family that came from Bristol, 
 England, and his wife, Mary White. John Swift, the 
 treasurer, who was bom in 1720, about 1740 
 organized some dancing parties, "assemblies" as 
 they were then called, at his own house and those 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 25 
 
 of some of his yoting friends. In 1743 he went 
 over to England together with his younger brother, 
 Joseph Swift, where they visited their uncle John 
 White at Croydon, in Surrey. Returning to Phila- 
 delphia in 1746, he became a successful merchant. 
 In 1757 he was elected to the Common Council of 
 the city. He was appointed by the Crown, Col- 
 lector of the Port of Philadelphia from 1762 to 
 1772, and was afterwards known as the "Old 
 Collector." During the latter part of his life, he 
 lived at "Croyden Lodge," in Bucks Coxmty, 
 where he died in 1802, and was buried in Christ 
 Church burying ground, Philadelphia, January 14, 
 1803.1" 
 
 John Inglis, a Scotchman, settled in Philadelphia, 
 and married on October i6th, 1736, Catherine 
 McCall, of a prominent Philadelphia family. He 
 engaged in business, with his wife's brother-in-law 
 and cousin, Samuel McCall, Senior, who was a 
 subscriber to the First Philadelphia Assemblies. Mr. 
 Inglis was elected to the City Common Council in 
 
 ^° Thomas Balch: Letters and Papers relating chiefly to the Provincial 
 History of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1855, page LXXXIII et seq. 
 This work is often spoken of as The Shippen Papers. — Thomas Willing 
 Balch: The Swift Family of Philadelphia: The Pennsylvania Magazine 
 of History and Biography, Philadelphia, 1906, page 130 et seq. 
 
26 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 October, 1745, in which he served many years. He 
 was commissioned a Captain of a company of the 
 Associated Regiment of Foot of Philadelphia. He 
 signed the Non-Importation Resolutions of 1765. 
 His portrait was painted by Peale about 1770." 
 
 John Wallace, also a director or manager of the 
 First Assemblies, came from Drumellier, Scotland, 
 to Newport, Rhode Island in 1742; a few years 
 afterwards he settled in Philadelphia and became a 
 prosperous merchant. He was a founder of the Saint 
 Andrew's Society of this city and served in the City 
 Coimcils from 1755 to 1776.*^ His portrait was 
 painted by a Swede, Hessehus. 
 
 Lynford Lardner, the other manager of the first 
 Assemblies, was bom in London, July i8th, 1715, 
 sailed from Gravesend, May 5th, 1740, and arrived 
 early in the following September and settled in 
 Philadelphia. In 1746 he was made Keeper of the 
 Great Seal of the Province, in 1752 Justice of the 
 Peace for Lancaster and in 1755 he was appointed 
 to the Provincial Council. He was a member of the 
 
 '' Gregory B. Keen: The Descendants of J or an Kyn, the founder of 
 Uplands: The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 
 1881, Volume v., page 335. 
 
 ^^ Henry Flanders: Commemorative Address, The Pennsylvania Maga- 
 zine of History and Biography, 1884, Volume VIIL, pages xiii-xiv. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 27 
 
 Library Company of Philadelphia, and was elected 
 to the American Philosophical Society, January 
 26th, 1768.^* He died October 6th, 1774, at 
 "Somerset," at Tacony on the Delaware River. 
 John Swift and Lynford Lardner were very 
 intimate and the following letter of introduction 
 given by the former to the latter to Grosvenor 
 Bedford in London when Lardner was about to 
 revisit his native land, may not be without interest 
 for the relatives of both managers. 
 
 "To 
 
 "Grosvenor Bedford Esqr 
 "att the General Excise Office 
 "London 
 
 Philadelphia June 29th 1762 
 "Dear Sir 
 
 " This will be handed you by my very good Friend 
 Mr. Linford Lardner, who is going to pay a short 
 Visit to his Friends and native Country after an 
 absence of about twenty years. He is a gentleman 
 I have been long intimately acquainted with, and 
 have a great regard for; consequently he must 
 often have heard of you, which makes him desirous 
 
 ** List of the members of the American Philosophical Society, Phila- 
 delphia, January 17, 1890, page S- 
 
28 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 of being acquainted with you. Any Civilities you 
 show him will be thankfully acknowledged by 
 ' ' Your Affectionate 
 
 "Hum Servt 
 
 "JOHN SWIFT" 
 
 Of the subscribers to the first Philadelphia Assem- 
 blies, the most influential man in the community 
 was undoubtedly Charles Willing, who in that year 
 of 1 748 was Mayor of the City. Sprung from a family 
 originally from County Somerset, England, that was 
 established as successful merchants for two genera- 
 tions at Bristol in Gloucestershire, Charles Willing, 
 about the year 1729 caijie over to Philadelphia to 
 join his uncle Thomas Willing who had settled here 
 a number of years earlier. After some years the 
 latter returned to Bristol, leaving his nephew in 
 sole charge of the business in America. Charles 
 Willing married Ann Shippen, a granddaughter of 
 Edward Shippen, the emigrant. In 1748 he was 
 elected by the non-Quaker element Mayor of the 
 City and again in 1754, in which later year he died 
 of yellow fever. A copy of his portrait is in the 
 Mayor's room in the City Hall. Of him the Rev. Dr. 
 William Smith, the first Provost of the University 
 of Pennsylvania wrote : 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 29 
 
 "If to be all the wise and good commend, 
 The tender husband, father and the friend ; 
 At home belov'd and blest, esteem'd abroad ; 
 Studious to serve mankind, and please his God ; 
 If this from death one useful life could save. 
 Thou hadst not read that Willing fills this grave! " 
 
 On the list of the First Assemblies, the Shippen 
 family was represented by Joseph Shippen. Prob- 
 ably he was that Joseph who was bom at Philadel- 
 phia, November 26, 1706, and died in June, 1793. 
 He married Mary Kearney. In October, 1742, he 
 Was elected to the City Council, in which he served 
 some years. He was known in the Shippen family 
 by the name of "Gentleman Joe," by reason of the 
 gay, luxurious life which he led, and which, as ap- 
 pears from the letters of his brother, Edward Shippen 
 "of Lancaster," wasted his patrimony. He sub- 
 sequently removed to Germantown, where he died. 
 
 As the Shippens played an important part in 
 shaping the colonial history of Pennsylvania, and 
 the blood of Edward Shippen, the immigrant, runs 
 in the veins of so many prominent Philadelphia 
 families, it will not be without interest to say some- 
 thing about the Shippens, both in England and 
 colonial Pennsylvania. 
 
30 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 The Shippens were settled in Yorkshire at least 
 as early as the middle of the thirteenth century, 
 where they were a prosperous yeoman family. 
 In the register of Monk Fryston in the County of 
 York, the christening of Tenet Shippen is recorded 
 on September 22nd, 1539, and on September 15th, 
 1540, the burial of Robert Shippen is noted. In 
 subsequent years some forty Shippen entries are 
 recorded ia the Monk Fryston Register. On July 
 1 8th, 1626, the marriage of William Shippen and 
 Mary Nunes or Nunns is recorded in the neighboring 
 parish of Methley. It is possible that this William 
 Shippen came to Methley from Hillom which is in 
 the parish of Monk Fryston, to which confirmation 
 is given by the fact that a William Shippen was 
 living at Hillom in 161 2." William Shippen 's wife, 
 Mary Nunes, was a member of a substantial yeoman 
 family long established at Methley. 
 
 ** Francis Labume of Methley, yeoman, in his will dated August 
 13th, 161 2, says inter Ma, "Also whereas Thomas Quare of Methley, 
 is indebted and doth owe unto me the sum of xjU. due to be paid 
 upon Martin the bushopp in winter next following, I do give and 
 bequeath it unto WiUm Shippone of HiUom, in the prsh of Mimk- 
 frieston." The Registers of the Parish Church of Methley in the County 
 of York from 1560 to 181 2. Transcribed and edited by George 
 Denison Lumb one of the Hon. Secretaries of the Thoresby Society 
 and the Yorkshire Parish Register Society: Leeds, 1903. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 31 
 
 William and Mary Shippen had six children, 
 four daughters and two sons. The latter, who were 
 the youngest members of the family, were baptized 
 respectively July 2nd, 1637 and March 5th, 1639, 
 William and Edward. Of these two brothers, the 
 elder remained in England and the younger came to 
 America. Of William's children, his second son, 
 also a William Shippen, was a member of Parliament 
 and a famous leader of the Jacobites. In his 
 speeches he spoke his mind clearly and fearlessly, 
 and to such purpose that on one occasion for reflect- 
 ing on the policy of the King, he was confined to 
 the Tower of London; and it was of him that Pope 
 wrote, 
 
 "I love to pour out all myself, as plain 
 As downright Shippen, or as old Montaigne. ' ' 
 
 Edward Shippen, the emigrant from Methley, 
 came over to New England in 1668 not to escape 
 political or religious persecutions but to better his 
 fortune. He soon amassed a considerable fortune in 
 Boston. But owing to his having become a Quaker, 
 he foimd it advisable to move to Providence, that 
 haven of liberty founded by Roger Williams. From 
 there in a few years Shippen moved on to the city 
 founded by Penn on the right bank of the Delaware 
 
32 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 River. In his new home he soon rose to high posi- 
 tion in both City and State, and began those oft 
 repeated services rendered by the Shippen family 
 for several generations to the State through all 
 of the colonial period and even into the days of the 
 Republic. Like the Brooke family of Maryland, 
 the Van Rensselaer and the Livingston families of 
 New York, and the Lee family of Virginia in the 
 colonial period, and the Adams family of Massachu- 
 setts at a later period, the Shippens of Pennsylvania 
 showed the true basis upon which all aristocracies 
 have been founded, to wit, long and continued 
 services rendered through several generations to 
 the State. In 1695 Edward Shippen became speaker 
 of the Provincial Assembly, in 1699 he was chosen 
 Chief Justice of the Province, ^^ and in 1701 Perm 
 named him the mayor of the city in the charter 
 that the Proprietor gave to the city of Philadelphia. 
 To quote from Thomas Balch's Shippen Papers-}^ 
 "Perm, as is well known, gave the most anxious 
 consideration to his selection of officers to govern 
 the new city. He thoroughly appreciated the im- 
 
 ^® Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, edited by John B. Linn 
 and Wm. H. Egle, Harrisburg, 1880, Volume IX., page 629. 
 
 ** Thomas Balch: Letters and Papers, etc., Philadelphia, 1855, pages 
 xvii-xviii. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 33 
 
 portance of a correct choice. It was, to borrow a 
 military phrase, the base-Hne of his operations. 
 The success of his whole enterprise turned upon 
 it: * * * In Shippen he found a man of courage, 
 energy, integrity, intelligence and sagacity; whose 
 unspotted moral character was ample earnest to 
 the citizens that the executive power would be 
 exercised with the strictest justice and fidelity; 
 whose active business habits and bravery equally 
 assured them of the chief magistrate's resolution 
 and promptness; whilst his high social position 
 gave dignity to the office. * * * ]SJo one could 
 wish to detract in the slightest degree from Penn's 
 merits; but we are taught to render 'honor to whom, 
 honor is due. ' In doing so, we must need say that 
 a great portion of the glory of building up the 
 Commonwealth which was 'founded by deeds of 
 peace' is due to Shippen, Norris and Logan, and 
 men like them; the men who here, in the new; 
 country itself, fostered commerce, developed the 
 resources of the Province, set the best of examples 
 by disdaining no proper toil in their respective voca- 
 tions, yet neglected not the refinement and graces 
 of letters and polite society." 
 
 The McCall family was represented more largely 
 on the First Assembly list than any other^ four of 
 
34 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 its members signing their names to that now notable 
 social paper. 
 
 One of these was Samuel McCall, Junior, who 
 was bom October 5th, 1721, and died in 1762. He 
 was a merchant, and served for a time in the City 
 Cotmcils, to which he was elected October 6, 1747. 
 He married Ann Searle. Of their children, Ann 
 McCall married Thomas Willing in 1763. 
 
 Then there was Samuel McCall, Senior, who 
 was a cousin of Samuel McCall, Junior. He was 
 bom in Scotland in 17 10. In 1747-8 he became 
 Major of the Associated Regiment for the defense 
 of Philadelphia. 
 
 George McCall was another subscriber to the 
 first Assemblies. He was bom April 16, 1724 and 
 died in 1758. 
 
 The fourth McCall to subscribe to the Assemblies 
 of 1748-49 was Archibald McCall, who was bom 
 Jime 28, 1727 and died in 1799. He lived at the 
 comer of Union and Second Streets. He was the 
 leading East India merchant of his day. He married 
 in 1762 Judith Kemble, of Motmt Kemble, New 
 Jersey. Of their children Mary McCall married 
 Lambert Cadwalader, Colonel in the American 
 Army during the Revolution, and Archibald McCall 
 was the father of General McCall of the United States 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 35 
 
 Army, and grandfather of Peter McCall, Mayor of 
 Philadelphia, a leader of the Philadelphia Bar, and 
 a manager of the Assemblies in 1851. 
 
 Thomas White came from England to Maryland 
 in the first decade of the eighteenth century, became 
 a lawyer in Maryland, and was a colonel of militia. 
 In 1745 he moved to Philadelphia and resided on 
 Walnut Street near Third Street. 
 
 William Plumstead, son of Clement Plumstead, 
 well known in the early annals of the Province, was 
 repeatedly elected mayor of the city in 1750 and 
 afterwards; he married Mary McCall, daughter of 
 George McCall. She was bom March 31st, 1725, 
 and was in her twenty-fourth year when she attended 
 the first Assemblies. 
 
 Andrew Elliot, a son of Lord Minto of Scotland, 
 came over to Pennsylvania in 1746 with John Swift, 
 and they lived together for the next two years. 
 Andrew Elliot married Eleanor McCall, bom in 
 1732, daughter of George McCall and his wife, Ann 
 Yeates, daughter of the first Jasper Yeates. Andrew 
 Elliot was afterwards Lieutenant Governor of New 
 York. Their only child, Eleanor Elliot,^'' married 
 first in 1774 James Jancey, Jr. of New York, and 
 
 " Her portrait by Benjamin West is now in the possession of Mrs. 
 Thomas Balch. 
 
36 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 secondly, Admiral Digby of the English navy. 
 While Andrew Elliot was on a visit to London, his 
 intimate friend, John Swift in a letter to Grosvenor 
 Bedford, dated October 25th, 1749, said: "If you 
 frequent the Pennsylvania Coffee House, you will 
 probably riieet with a tall, thin Scots gentleman, 
 with a pimply face. He answers to the name of 
 Elliot, and is an intimate friend of mine, one for 
 whom I have a particular regard, on accoimt of 
 several valuable qualities I have discovered in him, 
 we have lived in the same house for nearly two 
 years. ' ' ^^ Mr. Elliot was elected to the City Councils 
 October 7th, 1755, and served in that body for several 
 years. 
 
 Among the subscribers to the first Assemblies were 
 two Jews. One of them, David Franks, was the son 
 of David Franks, who emigrated to New York as 
 early as, or before 171 1, and a grandson of Aaron 
 Franks of Germany, who was described as "the com- 
 panion and friend of King George of Hanover, and 
 as having loaned him the most valuable jewels in 
 his crown at his coronation." Of David Franks, 
 Rosenbach says : " David Franks was quite a promi- 
 nent citizen of Philadelphia, both socially and in busi- 
 
 1* Thomas Balch's Letters and Papers, etc., page xciii, foot-note. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 37 
 
 ness. He was a member of the Mount Regale 
 Fishing Company, which met at Peter Robinson's 
 tavern, at the Falls of Schuylkill, where fisheries 
 were in full operation. " 
 
 The other Jewish subscriber was Samson Levy, 
 who was a signer of the Non-Importation Resolu- 
 tions of 1765. 
 
 John Francis was probably the John Francis 
 who was bom in 1725, and died unmarried. He was 
 a son of Tench Francis, Attorney General of the 
 Province from 1744 to 1752, who was a first cousin 
 of Sir Phillip Francis, now generally believed to have 
 written the Letters of Junius}^ 
 
 James Btird who signed the first Assembly list 
 was doubtless Colonel James Burd of the Revolution. 
 He married Sarah, daughter of Edward Shippen, 
 Mayor of Philadelphia in 1744 (whose portrait hangs 
 in the Mayor's room in the City Hall), but who upon 
 his removal in 1752 to Lancaster came to be known 
 as "Edward Shippen of Lancaster." Colonel Burd 
 and his wife eventually settled on the colonel's 
 estate of Tinian, near Harrisburg. 
 
 Redmond Conyngham was bom at Letterkenny, 
 Ireland, in 17 19 of a family that came originally from 
 
 ^* Thomas Balch's Letters and Papers, etc., pages xliii-xliv. 
 
38 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Scotland.^" He crossed the Atlantic in 1740, and 
 settled in Philadelphia, where he became a merchant, 
 and was one of the signers of the Non-Importation 
 Agreement of October 25, 1765. He was a vestry- 
 man of Christ Church, 1 754-1 766, and a warden, 
 1754-1759. In 1761, as a vestryman, he took part 
 in the opening of St. Peter's Chtirch at Third and 
 Pine Streets. In a list published by Watson, 
 Conyngham's name appears as a manager of the 
 Dancing Assembly for the season of 1749-50. 
 
 William Bingham, senior, a self made man, married 
 Mary Stamper, a daughter of Mayor John Stamper. 
 His chief claim to fame is that he was the father of 
 his far more celebrated son of the same name. 
 
 William Allen, was bom in Philadelphia, August 
 5th, 1704, and baptized at the First Presbyterian 
 Church, August 7th. He went to London to study 
 law in the Temple. After his return to Philadelphia, 
 he filled many important positions. In 1735, he 
 was chosen mayor of the city; and in 1750 he was 
 appointed Chief Justice of the Province. Mr. 
 Keith, writing in 1883, says^^ that he was "the 
 
 ^^ Proceedings and Collections of the Wyoming Historical and Geologi- 
 cal Society, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 1904, Volume VIII., page 
 187 et seq. 
 
 ^^ Charles Penrose Keith: The Provincial Councillors of Pennsyl- 
 vania, Philadelphia, 1883, page 142. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 39 
 
 only Chief Justice before the Revolution who was 
 a native of Pennsylvania, and the only one before 
 or since excepting Shippen or Sharswood who has 
 been a native of Pennsylvania." William Allen 
 was elected to membership in the American Philo- 
 sophical Society, January 19th, 1768. 
 
 Joseph Turner was mayor of Philadelphia in 1745. 
 
 James Hamilton was mayor of the city in 1746. 
 
 Thomas Lawrence Jr. was mayor of the city in 
 1749 and 1758-59- 
 
 Abram Taylor refused the mayoralty in 1745. 
 
 IV. 
 
 An examination of the early Assembly rules shows 
 that the colonial dances of the middle of the eigh- 
 teenth century from which the present large and 
 handsome balls descend, were very different from the 
 present day Assembly balls. 
 
 The rules, which are in the collections of the 
 Historical Society of Pennsylvania, provided, in 
 quaint language, strict regulations as to the manner 
 of conducting the dances. 
 
 "Rules to be [Observed at the Phi]ladelphia 
 
 Assembly. 
 "i. The Assembly to be held every Thursday 
 Night from the first Jan'y 1748/9 to the first Day 
 
40 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 of May in every Year, and begin precisely at six 
 in the Evening, and not by any Means to exceed 
 twelve, the same Night. 
 
 "2d. The Subscribers, consisting of Gentlemen to 
 chuse by a Majority four of their Number to act as 
 Directors tmder whose Management the whole 
 Assembly is to be during the Season. 
 
 "3d. The Directors are to furnish the Ladies 
 with Tickets for the Season, which must admit only 
 the Lady whose Name is first wrote on the Ticket 
 by one of the Directors. 
 
 "4th. On AppUcation made to the Directors by 
 any Subscriber, for the Admission of any Stranger, 
 A Ticket is to be given out for every such Stranger 
 particularly the Subscriber who shall apply for such 
 Ticket, paying imediately on the Delivery of it for 
 a strange Gentleman Seven Shillings and six Pence, 
 for a Lady nothing. 
 
 "5th. None are to be admitted without Tickets 
 which are to be received at the Door, by one of 
 the Directors every Assembly Night, and returned 
 again except the Strangers Tickets, before the Com- 
 pany are dismissed. 
 
 "6th. The Directors are to order every Thing 
 necessary for the Entertainment of the Company 
 as well as those who incline to dance, as those 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 41 
 
 who are disposed to play cards; for the Accom- 
 modation of the Latter Rooms are to be 
 provided and fiimished with Fire, Candles, Tables, 
 Chairs, Cards, etc. All which with 
 the Subscribers. 
 
 to be allowed No 
 
 Night, nor as I " 
 
 Next follow directions for the management of 
 the dances at the balls. 
 
 "To Regulate the Dances. 
 
 "[i. Each set] to consist of ten Couples. Such 
 Ladies as come first to form the first Set, after 
 which other Sets are to be composed, that is in the 
 order wherein they come to the Assembly. 
 
 "2. Every Set of Ladies to draw for their Places 
 only the first Ticket of each Set is to be reserved 
 by the Directors to present to a Stranger if any, 
 or any other Lady who is thereby entitled to lead 
 up that set for the night. 
 
 "3. The Director who has the composing of the 
 Sets is whilst the Minuets are dancing, to couple 
 those disposed for Coimtry Dances and provide 
 Partners for such Gentlemen Strangers who come in 
 Unprovided. 
 
42 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "4th. If -there should be any odd Couples above 
 a Set but not exceeding four Couples, they are to be 
 distributed by the ^Directors among the- compleat 
 Sets, if above four Couples they are to be composed 
 into a Set by taking some out of the other Sets. " 
 
 V. 
 
 According to these early Rules of the Assemblies, 
 an Assembly was to be held every two weeks during 
 the first foior months of the year; but as a matter 
 of fact John Swift's account book shows that nine 
 Assemblies were held dtuing the winter of 1748-49. 
 It is a small, thin book, and Mr. Swift used' it 
 originally, for some of his own accounts, and for 
 some land transactions for his younger . brother 
 Joseph. On one cover he wrote: "Account book 
 1746." When the Assemblies were instituted and 
 his fellow-managers chose him the Treasurer, he 
 turned to the other end of this little book and there 
 kept the " Assembly - Account." Owing to age 
 and neglect the Account Book is very much worn 
 and somewhat injured. Of the names of the 4fty- 
 nine subscribers written down by John Swift in his 
 book, only fifty-three have been preserved, the 
 remaining six having been destroyed by mutilation 
 of the manuscript by Father Time. But the book 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 43 
 
 ^ a/. Jz^^-i- 
 
 J 
 
 
 *\^ «^ 
 
 'PrxA^Kt' - 
 
 ^^'Tt^ltj'^^ — 
 
 Extract from John Swift's Account Book. 
 
44 
 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 
 ,^^^^lM'^t<nay?7'u>-rt-^ t, Jif », 
 
 '^ftl^OL'^n^ _ 
 
 ''O-c^^^rxy 
 
 
 S^A^ >_ /* ^ 
 
 f/ 7yl^4^c.^^^^jp 
 
 
 ^if /fit ^ 
 
 -M 
 
 U 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 'uy- 
 
 
 
 Extract from John Swift's Account Book. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 45 
 
 is how in the keeping of the American Philosophical 
 Society and has been treated by an expert, and every 
 sheet covered with silk so as to guard it against any 
 futtire weathering of time. 
 
 An examination of the account book shows that 
 the nine Assemblies of 1748-49 were far less costly 
 than the two large balls that are now given annually 
 at the Bellevue-Stratford and before that at the 
 Academy of Music; or for that matter, even the 
 three balls that were held each season about fifty 
 years and more ago at Musical Fund HaU. In one 
 respect, however, those old worthies were not behind 
 thie present generation, for taking aU things in pro- 
 portion they provided rum liberally. The record 
 kept by Mr. Swift is somewhat injured, so that it 
 is impossible to state exactly how much he disbursed, 
 but the whole cost of the nine dances seems to 
 have amotmted to a little more than £130. 
 As there were only fifty-nine subscribers at 
 forty shillings each, which gave a total of 
 £118, the Managers doubtless, as so often 
 happens nowadays in all sorts of social and 
 philanthropic undertakings, had to put their 
 hands into their own pockets. A few extracts 
 from the expenses show the ihodest and simple 
 character of the entertainments. 
 
46 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "I Stick Wax 
 
 
 
 
 5 Gallons Rum & Cask 
 
 2 
 
 - 
 
 ■ - 
 
 I Hhd Wine 
 
 15 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 Porterage 
 
 -■ 
 
 I 
 
 6 
 
 Gash for Ditto 
 
 - 
 
 6 
 
 - 
 
 Scrubbing Brush "» 
 Broom & house Gloth/ 
 
 - 
 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 . 3 Decanters 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 
 - 
 
 2 *° Goffee 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 . 4 
 
 Ghairs 3 dozen 
 
 7 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 Porterage etc. 
 
 - 
 
 2 
 
 - 
 
 200 Limes ■ 
 
 - 
 
 14 
 
 - 
 
 18 *° Milk Bisket 
 
 - 
 
 9 
 
 • - 
 
 14 Bisket 
 
 - 
 
 4 
 
 2 
 
 Spice 
 
 - - 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 Ditto 
 
 — 
 
 I 
 
 — 
 
 1: 
 
 "pd. Musick 
 
 I 
 
 10 
 
 _^ 
 
 pd. for Snuffers 
 
 - 
 
 4 
 
 - 
 
 pd. Scotts boy for his attend 
 
 - ■ 
 
 7 ■ 
 
 6 
 
 pd. Jack Error 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 7th 2 doz. Bottles 
 
 - 
 
 12 
 
 - 
 
 Bisket 
 
 - 
 
 10 
 
 - 
 
 I doz. Knives & Forks 
 
 - 
 
 9 
 
 6 
 
 150 Limes 
 
 - 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 47 
 
 
 £ 
 
 s 
 
 d 
 
 pd. Archer for attendance 
 
 - . 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 pd. for Musick 
 
 I 
 
 ID 
 
 - 
 
 Porterage of Wine 
 
 - 
 
 I 
 
 - 
 
 pd. Diana for attendance 
 
 - 
 
 15 
 
 - 
 
 And again : 
 
 
 
 
 "Ap. 20 p'^ Musick 
 
 I 
 
 10 
 
 - 
 
 p^ Diana for Attendance^ 
 7 nights / 
 
 I 
 
 15 
 
 - 
 
 p^, for Limes 
 
 I 
 
 -7 
 
 6 
 
 p"^ for Mugg Beer 
 
 o 
 
 - 
 
 4 
 
 p*^ Archer for Attendance 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 p"* Capt° Wischeats Man|^ 
 for Attendance / 
 
 I 
 
 7 
 
 - 
 
 "p"* for 2 Gallon Spirit - 15 - 
 
 p** Sharper 5 nights Attend - 18 9 
 
 p*^ Greek for Attendance - 7 6 
 
 p*^ Mr. Inglis for rent 20 - -" 
 
 . The -Managers of the first Assemblies had to pay a 
 tax, both to the city and to the county, as may be 
 seen by turning to Mr. Swift's Account Book; but 
 as the book is there somewhat torn, it is impossible 
 to know how much. 
 
 In a letter dated at New Castle May 3d, 1749, 
 and addressed to Thomas .Penn, Richard Petersy 
 
48 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBUES. 
 
 writing h propos of one of the Assembly dances 
 the first season they were given, says: — 
 
 "By the Governors encouragement there has 
 been a very handsome Assembly once a fortnight 
 at Andrew Hamiltons House & Stores wch are 
 tenanted by Mr. Inglis — make a Set of good Rooms 
 for such a ptupose: It consists of Eighty Ladies & 
 as many Gentlemen, one half appearing every 
 Assembly night, Mr, Inglis had the Conduct of the 
 whole & managed exceeding well. There happened 
 a Httle mistake at the beginning, which at some 
 other times might have produced disturbances. 
 The Governor would have opened the Assembly 
 
 with Mrs. but she refused him, I suppose 
 
 because he had not been to visit her. After Mrs, 
 
 refusal, two or three Ladies out of modesty & 
 
 from no manner of ill design excused themselves 
 so that the Governor was put a little to his Shifts, 
 when Mrs, Willing now Mrs, Mayoress in a most 
 genteel manner put herself into his way & on the 
 Governor seeing this instance of her good nature 
 he jumped at the Occasion & they danced the 
 first Minuet," 
 
 From this letter of Richard Peters, as well as the 
 comment of Chastellux, which will be fotind further 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 49 
 
 on, it would seem that in the eighteenth century, 
 the directors or managers of the Philadelphia 
 Assemblies took turns to manage the dances, that is, 
 each directed an Assembly night h tour-de-role. 
 
 In colonial days only the gentlemen and not 
 the ladies, or had we better not say, only the men 
 and not the women subscribed, since those two 
 pairs of words have in recent years largely changed 
 places and have come to mean in large measure 
 to-day exactly the reverse of what they meant in 
 colonial days. And this change in the meaning of 
 the words is the more true that in the best society 
 in this country now, the participants almost in- 
 variably refer to one another as women and men. 
 
 At the present time, on the contrary, both men 
 and women subscribe to the balls. In those early 
 days too, the managers of the Assemblies were 
 elected each year by the votes of all the subscribers. 
 Also at the first Assemblies provision was made for 
 those members who wished to play cards instead of 
 dancing or only talking. 
 
 In colonial days the invitations to the Philadelphia 
 Assemblies were printed on the back of playing cards, 
 because in those times it was impossible to obtain 
 any others. Thus the invitation card of Mrs. 
 Jeykill, Jekyll or Jekyl, a granddaughter of Edward 
 
50 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Shippen, the emigrant of that name, was printed 
 
 on the back of the ace of diamonds. The card reads : 
 
 "Philadelphia Assembly, No. 6 
 
 "Admit for the Season 
 
 "Mrs. JeykiU 
 "January 2^, 1748/9 
 "John Inglis |Di,,,,v, 
 
 Lynford Lardner J 
 
 VI. 
 
 For the second Assembly season, that of 1 749-50' 
 Mrs. Jeykill's invitation was likewise "No. 6." 
 It was printed on the back of the fovtr of hearts,, 
 and reads : 
 
 " Philadelphia Assembly, No. 6 
 "Admit for the Season 
 
 "Mrs. JeykiU 
 to begin Oct'. 5th, 1749 
 "Joseph Shippen ^^^^^^^„ 
 James Burd ) 
 
 Upon becoming a widow Mrs. JeykiU or Jekyll 
 lived in Philadelphia on "Second Street, just below 
 the Shippen or Government House, in a house still 
 standing [1855]; after her death the residence of 
 Thomas Fisher.'"^' 
 
 ^* Thomas Balch: Letters and Papers, etc., page XIX, foot-note. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 51 
 
 For the second Assembly season, in 1749-50, there 
 were sixty-five subscribers, six more than for the 
 previous season. Thus at its inception almost, the Ust 
 of subscribers not only changed, but as in modern 
 days, new names were added to it, some by inherit- 
 ance, and some as entirely new subscribers. In addi- 
 tion to- Joseph Shippen and James Burd mentioned 
 above, the other directors or managers for the 
 second Assembly season were Redm"^, Cunyngham 
 and Joseph Sims. The subscription also for the 
 second season was increased, something not unknown 
 to present day subscribers, from forty shillings to 
 three pounds. The second Assembly subscription 
 list, as given by Watson is as follows: 
 
 "The Governor paid Charles Stedman.. . .paid 
 
 William Allen paid John Kidd paid 
 
 Archibald McCall . . paid William Bingham . . . paid 
 
 Joseph Turner Backridge Sims 
 
 Richard Peters paid John Swift J. B. 
 
 Adam Thompson paid John Kears'y, Jan''. . . 
 
 Alexander Stedman. paid William Plumstead.. paid 
 
 Patrick Baird paid James Burd paid 
 
 John Sober William Franklin. . . . paid 
 
 David Franks J. B. Henry Harrison paid 
 
 John Inglis Daniel Bayles paid 
 
 Abram Taylor ...... paid Thomas White paid 
 
52 
 
 THE PHILAPELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 James Trotter J. B. 
 
 Samson Levy J. B. 
 
 Lynford Lardner 
 
 Benjamin Price paid 
 
 John Francis paid 
 
 William Humphrys. . paid 
 Alexander Hamilton. paid 
 Thomas Lawrence 
 
 Jun paid 
 
 John Wallace paid 
 
 Phinias Bond 
 
 Joseph Shippen 
 
 Samuel McCall Jun. J. B. 
 
 George McCall 
 
 Edward Jones 
 
 Samuel McCall Sen . paid 
 Redm*^ Cunyngham. 
 
 Jo. Sims paid 
 
 Thomas Lawrence 
 
 Sen paid 
 
 David Mcllvaine. . . .paid 
 John Wilcocks paid 
 
 John Lawrence 
 
 Thomas Grame 
 
 John Moland paid 
 
 Alexander Barclay, .paid 
 
 James Young J. B. 
 
 Peter Bard 
 
 Venables 
 
 Thomas Cross paid 
 
 George Smith ... paid 
 
 Thomas Bond paid 
 
 Thomas Willing. .J. 
 
 Shippen 
 
 John Ross paid 
 
 Hugh Dancy paid 
 
 Daniel Roberdau. . .paid 
 
 Joseph Marks J. B. 
 
 Christopher Caman.paid 
 
 John Hisselius paid 
 
 Robert Warren paid 
 
 Lawrence Din(?)dy.paid 
 William Mcllvaine. . 
 John Nelson J. B." 
 
 Forty-two of the above subscribers had subscribed 
 the previous season; consequently the names of 
 twenty-three new subscribers were on the list. Of 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 53 
 
 the latter, some were relatives of the other sub- 
 scribers. Thus for example, among the subscribers 
 to the second season, the name of Thomas Willing 
 is found, but not that of his father, Charles Willing, 
 who had subscribed the first season. 
 
 The following notice, published as an advertise- 
 ment in the Pennsylvania Gazette for September 27th, 
 1750, shows that the Assemblies were given dur- 
 ing the winter of 1750-51. The notice says: — 
 "The Philadelphia Assembly begins Thursday eve- 
 ning, the 4th of October; and this is to give notice 
 that no gentlemen (not a subscriber) can be ad- 
 mitted, without a ticket, first obtained from the 
 directors, by the application of a subscriber, before 
 the time of meeting. " 
 
 Likewise the dances were given the next season, 
 that of 1751-52, as the following notice, which gives 
 us the names of two of the Directors, shows.^^ 
 
 "Philadelphia, October i, 1751. 
 "The Philadelphia assembly opens on Thursday, 
 the 3d inst. at 6 a clock in the evening, and notice 
 is hereby given, that no resident, who has not 
 subscrib'd, can be admitted, nor any person for the 
 night without a ticket, which may be had on the 
 
 ^^Pennsylvania Gazette, no. 1190. October 3, 1751. 
 
54 
 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 application of a subscriber to the directors, before 
 the time of meeting. RICHARD HILL, jtinior, 
 ANDREW ELLIOT, Directors. " 
 
 A curious anecdote d propos of the Assemblies 
 during the winter of 1755, is related in this "extract 
 of a letter from Trent Town," New Jersey, dated 
 April 1 8th, 1755:^ 
 
 " The antient King of the Mohawks, (the same who 
 was in England in Queen Anne's Time) came down 
 with some of his Warriors this Winter to Philadel- 
 phia, and assured them of his friendship, though 
 he own'd many of the young Mohawks were gone 
 over to the Enemy; they were entertain 'd at the 
 Stadthouse, and made their Appearance also among 
 the Ladies on the Assembly Night, where they 
 danced the Scalping Dance with all its Horrors, and 
 almost terrified the Company out of their Wits. 
 I must tell you they brought with them a beautiful 
 young Lady, who in publick made the Indian 
 Compliment, a Tender of her Person to the Governor; 
 as gallant a Man as he is, he was quite confotmded 
 at the Time. I know not if he accepted her." 
 
 ^* Documents relating to the Colonial History of New Jersey, Volume 
 XIX, Paterson, New Jersey, 1897, page 488. This item was com- 
 municated by the Boston antiquary, Albert Matthews, Esqr. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 55 
 
 An invitation card for the year 1755 is here 
 reproduced. It was addressed for that season to 
 Mrs. Jekyll, wife of John Jekyll, younger brother of 
 Sir Joseph Jekyll, Master of the Rolls and Secretary 
 of State to Queen Anne. Mrs. Jekyll was Margaret 
 Shippen, a granddaughter of the first Edward 
 Shippen, whom Penn in the city charter of 1701 
 named Mayor of Philadelphia. Watson says that 
 she was "the then leading lady of the town" and 
 that "she dwelt in and owned the house next 
 southward of 'Edward Shippen 's house' in south 
 Second Street, where is now Nicholas Wain's 
 row." This card belonged many years since to 
 Winthrop Sargent of Philadelphia, from whom it 
 passed to his sister, Mrs. Butler Duncan of New 
 York. The present reproduction of this card 
 was made from a photographic copy in the col- 
 lections of the University of Pennsylvania taken 
 from the original. 
 
 "Philadelphia Assembly 
 
 for the year 1755 
 
 "Admit for the Season Mrs. Jekyl 
 
 "T. Willing)^ 
 ^ ^ >Drs. 
 
 J. Trotter/ 
 
 "No. 99." 
 
56 
 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 JPhUadelphla ASSEMBLY, 
 for the Year 1755. 
 2 Admit;^^tAf^^^^^4^ W 
 
 ^^^^^^^@@@^@@^^@@@|^ 
 
 Reprint of an Assembly card for the year 1755. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 57 
 
 Another invitation card of the latter part of 
 the year 1755, also addressed to Mrs. Jekyll, is 
 extant. It reads: 
 
 "The Gentlemen of the Army present their 
 compliments to Mrs. Jekyll and beg the favour of 
 her company to a Ball at the State House on Monday 
 next. 
 
 "Saturday Sept. 20, 1755." 
 
 It must not too readily be inferred because the 
 officers of the army of the King gave a ball in the 
 State House, now popularly known as Independence 
 Hall, that the Assemblies were also held in that 
 building of precious memory to all the Nation for 
 events of a later date, and also of reverent memory 
 to Pennsylvania because it was the State House for 
 the last forty years of the Provincial Government. 
 
 The following short notice of the Assemblies for 
 the winter of 1755-56 was printed for the benefit of 
 the subscribers:^^ 
 
 "NOTICE is hereby given, that the PHILA- 
 DELPHIA SUBSCRIPTION ASSEMBLY com- 
 mences on Thursday, the Ninth of this instant 
 October." 
 
 25 
 
 Pennsylvania Gazette, no. 1397. October 2, 1755. 
 
58 
 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Watson gives the following "List of Belles and 
 Dames of Philadelphia fashionables, of about the 
 year 1757. An original list for the ball of the City- 
 Assembly. " 
 
 "Mrs. Allen, 
 
 Mrs. Taylor, 
 
 Mrs. Hamilton, 
 
 Mrs. Brotherson, 
 
 Mrs. Inglis, 
 
 Mrs. Jeykell, 
 
 Mrs. Franks, 
 
 Mrs. Lydia M'Call, 
 
 Mrs. Saml. M'Call, senr. 
 
 Mrs. Saml. M'Call, junr. 
 
 Mrs. Swift, 
 
 Mrs. Sims, 
 
 Mrs. Willcocks, 
 
 Mrs. Lawrence, senr. 
 
 Mrs. Lawrence, junr. 
 
 Mrs. Robertson, 
 
 Mrs. Francis, 
 
 Mrs. Graeme, 
 
 Mrs. Joseph Shippen, 
 
 Mrs. Dolgreen, 
 
 Mrs. Phins. Bond, 
 
 Miss Isabella Caimie, 
 
 Miss Pennjrfaither, 
 
 Miss Jeany Richardson, 
 
 Mrs. Reily, 
 
 Mrs. Grydon, 
 
 Mrs. Ross, 
 
 Mrs. Peter Bard, 
 
 Mrs. Franklin, 
 
 Miss Lucy De Normondie, 
 
 Miss Phebe Winecoop, 
 
 Mrs. Harkly, 
 
 Mrs. Clymer, 
 
 Mrs. Wallace, 
 
 Mrs. Ellis, 
 
 Mrs. Alexr. Steadman, 
 
 Mrs. Hopkinson, 
 
 Mrs. Hockley, 
 
 Mrs. Marks, 
 
 Miss Molly Francis, 
 
 Miss Betty Francis, 
 
 Miss Osbom, 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 59 
 
 Mrs. Burd, 
 
 Mrs. Chars. Steadman, 
 
 Mrs. Thos. White, 
 
 Mrs. Jones, 
 
 Mrs. Warren, 
 
 Mrs. Oswald, 
 
 Mrs. Thos. Bond, 
 
 Mrs. Davey, 
 
 Miss Sober, 
 Miss Molly Lawrence, 
 Miss Kitty Lawrence, 
 Mrs. George Smith, 
 Miss Nancy Hickman, 
 Miss Sally Hunlock, 
 Miss Peggy Harding, 
 Miss Molly M'Call, 
 
 Mrs. Willm. Htmiphreys, Miss Peggy M'Call, 
 
 Mrs. Pennery, 
 Mrs. Henry Harrison, 
 Mrs. Bingham, 
 Miss Peggy Oswald, 
 Miss Betty Oswald, 
 Miss Sally Woodrop, 
 Miss Molly Oswald, 
 Mrs. Willing, 
 Miss Nancy Willing, 
 Miss Dolly Willing, 
 Mrs. M'llvaine, 
 Miss Betty Gryden, 
 Miss Sally Fishbourn, 
 Miss Fumell, 
 
 Mrs. Lardner, 
 Miss Patty EUis, 
 Miss Betty Plumstead, 
 Miss Rebecca Davis, 
 Miss Jeany Greame, 
 Miss Nelly M'Call, 
 Miss Randolph, 
 Miss Sophia White, 
 Mrs. Venables, 
 Miss Hyatt, 
 Miss Betty Clifften, 
 Miss Molly Dick, 
 Miss Fanny Jeykell, 
 
 Miss Fanny Marks." 
 
 In the Pennsylvania Gazette of January I2th, 1758, 
 there is a slight mention of the Assemblies, 
 which would seem to show that they were 
 
60 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 given during the winter of 1757-58. The item is 
 as follows: 
 
 "Notice is hereby given to all gentlemen and 
 others, that John Beals from London, at the Sign 
 of the Nets in Fourth Street * * * makes and 
 mends all sorts of nets. * * * He also plays 
 on the violin at the Assembly Balls and all other 
 entertainments. * * *" 
 
 In the same paper of October 12th, 1758, occurs 
 the following advertisement, showing the balls were 
 given in 1758-59: "No strangers will be ad- 
 mitted to the Philadelphia Assembly during this 
 Season, but by Tickets from the Directors." 
 
 From a letter of Colonel Joseph Shippen written 
 from Philadelphia May 23rd, 1759, to his brother- 
 in-law, Colonel James Burd at Lancaster, we learn 
 that at the time he wrote there existed in Philadel- 
 phia an "Assembly Room." He says:^® 
 
 "Yesterday the General gave a public breakfast 
 at the Assembly Room; there were forty-two 
 ladies there, and many more gentlemen; all danced 
 after breakfast till near 2 o'clock, and then formed 
 parties with the ladies to Schuylkill and Springetts- 
 berry. " 
 
 ^® Thomas Balch: Letters and Papers, etc., Philadelphia, 1855, 
 page 158. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 61 
 
 Writing from Lancaster on February 28, 1760, 
 to Miss Nancy Willing in Philadelphia, Brigadier- 
 General Henry Bouquet asks "Why did you not go 
 to the Assembly? upon such a brilUant night. 
 I am afraid you were not well, tell me I am mis- 
 taken. "^^ 
 
 Edward Burd, says in a letter, dated November 
 27th, 1767, and addressed either to his sister or his 
 grandfather:^* 
 
 "Some yotmg Gentlemen have subscribed to an 
 Assembly for this Season. Among the Principal 
 Managers are Billy Allen & Jemmy Willing. The 
 Subscribers may send a Tickett to any Young Lady 
 for the Evening; Notwithstanding which Priviledge 
 J. Willing tells me that He is almost tired of it 
 because the Girls are so little." 
 
 In another letter of "Neddy" Burd, dated De- 
 cember 15, 1768, he says:^® 
 
 ^^ George Harrison Fisher: Brigadier General Henry Bouquet; The 
 Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Philadelphia, 1879, 
 Volume III., page 139. 
 
 ** Lewis Burd Walker: Life of Margaret Shippen, wife of Benedict 
 Arnold; The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 
 Philadelphia, igoo. Volume XXIV., page 410. 
 
 ^^ Lewis Burd Walker: Life of Margaret Shippen, wife of Benedict 
 Arnold; The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 
 Philadelphia, 1900, Volume XXIV., page 410. 
 
62 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "The Dutchess of Gordon is to appear to Night 
 at the Assembly & is to be richly deckt with Dia- 
 monds & other Jewels & dressed most splendidly 
 in Silver Silk. Neither She or Coll. Morris chuse 
 to dance whenever they can avoid it, and therefore 
 the Company will be deprived of the Honour of 
 dancing with a Dutchess. She has nothing to 
 boast of with Regard to her Face or Person. Yet 
 she is well esteemed as She is pretty sociable and 
 dont seem to require that Preeminence over other 
 Ladies which the York Ladies are so ambitious of." 
 
 VIII. 
 
 We have seen that in the year 1755 one of the 
 Assembly managers was Thomas Willing. He was 
 not a subscriber the first year the dances were 
 given. He was then only eighteen and would have 
 come in tinder the subscription of his father, had 
 the son been of sufficient age to attend. But he 
 was a subscriber during the season of 1749-50. 
 In the year 1755, when only twenty-four years of 
 age, Thomas Willing had just begun on his career 
 of oft repeated services to the commonwealth. 
 Having been sent in his youth to England where he 
 studied law in the Temple, he had become recently, 
 upon the death of his father from yellow fever 
 while as mayor the latter was fighting that then 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 63 
 
 terrible disease, the head of the firm of Willing 
 and Morris.^" In the previous year he had served 
 as secretary to the congress of delegates which was 
 held at Albany. In 1763 he was mayor of Phila- 
 delphia. In 1765 his name headed the list of 
 signers of the Non-Importation Resolutions, in 
 which the signers declared the Stamp Act uncon- 
 stitutional and against the best interests both of 
 the colonies and Great Britain. In 1767 he was 
 appointed a justice of the Supreme Court of the 
 Province of Pennsylvania, and in that judicial 
 office he was one of the last to act under the 
 colonial form of government. He presided in 1774 
 in Carpenter's Hall over the Provincial Congress 
 of Pennsylvania, and was elected by Pennsylvania 
 as one of her representatives in the First and Second 
 Continental Congresses. When the vote for independ- 
 ence upon Richard Henry Lee's resolution came up, 
 he voted fearlessly until the end in accordance with 
 the instructions which Pennsylvania had given to 
 her delegates. The growth of the movement for in- 
 dependence was a gradual one.^^ In the beginning, 
 
 *" Occasionally this firm is erroneously referred to by modern 
 writers and orators under the name of Morris and Willing. 
 
 ^* The Examination of Joseph Galloway, Esq., by a committee of the 
 House of Commons, edited by Thomas Balch, Philadelphia, 1855, passim. 
 
64 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 however, the leading men of the colonies were not 
 in favor of a separation from Great Britain. 
 
 Nor were the mass of the people, either, in most 
 of the colonies at first desirous of breaking with 
 the mother land. But as event after event fol- 
 lowed one another, owing partly to the stupidity 
 of the men who ruled England, the movement for 
 independence, fanned by ambitious agitators who 
 had everj^hing to gain from any sort of a change, 
 and nothing to lose, suddenly began to forge ahead. 
 As a restdt, as happens now-a-days about other 
 questions, one important politician after another, in 
 spite of himself, was won over to the idea of cut- 
 ting the bonds that united the thirteen colonies 
 with the mother land. In that way the delegation 
 of colony after colony was won over in favor of 
 independence. But the opposition to a final and 
 absolute break with Great Britain found its chief 
 resistance in Pennsylvania and, as on account of 
 her wealth and geographical position, Pennsylvania 
 was the most influential of the colonies, her favorable 
 action was most necessary to the movement for 
 independence. 
 
 Much unfavorable criticism has been aimed at 
 Pennsylvania because she was so slow in favoring 
 a final severance of the political ties uniting the 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 65 
 
 colonies with the motherland. But her critics 
 shoxdd not forget that when she did finally join 
 in the movement for independence, not only did 
 Pennsylvania remain firmly loyal to her sister 
 States during the War of Independence but also 
 later on Pennsylvania was equally faithful to the 
 Union during all of the War of 1812 and the Civil 
 War of 1861-65. 
 
 A propos of a dinner at Thomas Willing's, at 
 which were present Washington, Jay, Livingston, 
 Patrick Henry, Peyton Randolph, William Paca 
 and Samuel Chase, John Adams in his Diary says : 
 
 "Sunday, ii October, 1774. 
 
 "There is such a quick and constant succession 
 of new scenes, characters, persons and events 
 turning up before me, that I can't keep any regular 
 account * * * Dined at Mr. Willing's, who is 
 Judge of the Supreme Court here, and the gentle- 
 men from Virginia, Maryland and New York, a 
 most splendid feast again; turtle and everything 
 else. Mr. Willing is the most sociable, agreeable 
 man of all." 
 
 Willing in his Autobiography says: "I voted 
 against the Declaration in Congress, not only 
 because I thought America at that time tmequal 
 to such a conflict, as must ensue, having neither 
 
66 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Arms, Ammunition or Military Experience, but 
 chiefly because the Delegates of Pennsylvania were 
 not then authorized by their instructions from the 
 Assembly, or the voice of the People at large to 
 join in such a vote." During the occupation of 
 Philadelphia by the British Army, he remained in 
 the city. But when Sir William Howe sent a 
 person to administer to him the oath of allegiance 
 to George the Third, he refused to take it. "For 
 all this no one ever questioned his political integrity; 
 though many did that of men about him who 
 were vigorous in declaring their devotion to the 
 cause of independence."^^ 
 
 That he was not alone in his belief that a final 
 break with Great Britain was not then opportune, 
 is shown by the following extracts from a letter 
 written by his partner, Robert Morris, on July 
 20th, 1776, to Colonel Joseph Reed. Morris said: 
 "I am not for making any sacrifice of dignity 
 but still I would hear them [the British Com- 
 missioners] if possible; because, if they can offer 
 peace on admissible terms, I believe the great 
 majority of America would still be for accepting 
 
 ^^ Life and Correspondence of the Rev. William Smith, D.D., by his 
 Great Grandson, Horace Wemyss Smith, Philadelphia, 1880, Vol. II., 
 page sii. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 67 
 
 it."^^ Further on in the same letter he says: "I 
 have uniformly voted against and opposed the 
 Declaration of Independence, because in my poor 
 opinion, it was an improper time, and will neither 
 promote the interest nor redound to the honour 
 of America; for it has caused division when we 
 wanted union, and will be ascribed to very different 
 principles than those which ought to give rise 
 to such an important measure." 
 
 Though Thomas Willing, because doubtless he 
 was the leading active representative of the conser- 
 vative and aristocratic party in the City and the State, 
 and also on account of the way he voted, was not 
 reelected to the Continental Congress in 1776, yet 
 such was the esteem in which he was held, not 
 only in Philadelphia, but also through the country 
 at large, that when the Bank of North America 
 was chartered in 1782, he was chosen its first Presi- 
 dent.^ That office he continued to hold until he 
 was taken from it in 1791 to be appointed President 
 of the First Bank of the United States. And when, 
 as a restilt of political opposition, in spite of the strong 
 
 '^ Peter Force: American Archives, Fifth Series, Washington, 1848, 
 Volume I., page 468. 
 
 ^ Lawrence Lewis, Jr. : A History of the Bank of North America, 
 the First Bank chartered in the United States; Philadelphia, 1882, 
 page 34. 
 
68 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 advocacy by the Secretary of the Treasury of the 
 United States, Albert Gallatin, of the renewal of 
 the charter of the bank, "its charter ceased 
 and its affairs were wound up, it paid in gold, 
 during the prevalence of a paper currency which 
 placed gold at a high premium, $ii6 for each $ioo 
 of its capital. "^^ 
 
 Among the many honors that came to Thomas 
 Willing, it should not be forgotten that he was 
 elected on January 19th, 1768, to the American 
 Philosophical Society. His portrait, copied after 
 Stuart, hangs in the mayor's room in the City 
 Hall. 
 
 He married in 1762 Ann McCall, daughter of 
 Samuel McCall, and his wife, Ann Searle. In the 
 latter years of his life, many people knew when 
 it was twelve o'clock owing to the regularity with 
 which he returned home for lunch. He was in the 
 habit of wearing shoes with broad toes, with the 
 result that among his relatives and intimate friends 
 he was often referred to as "square toes." In 
 his later years, too, he had served in the parlor 
 every evening for those that were there at nine 
 o'clock, cup custard and Madeira wine; and if his 
 
 '^ Horace Wemyss Smith: Life and Correspondence of the Rev. 
 William Smith, D.D., Philadelphia, 1880, Volume II., page 513. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 69 
 
 children stayed beyond ten o'clock he would wind 
 up the evening by saying to them that there was 
 " a welcome to come and a welcome to go. " 
 
 IX. 
 
 Among the manuscripts in the collections of the 
 Historical Society of Pennsylvania, there is an 
 undated list of ladies who attended undoubtedly 
 some important social function in colonial days. 
 Judging by their names it was probably the As- 
 semblies one season, but there is no evidence to 
 establish this surmise beyond doubt. In order to 
 arrive approximately at the date of this list; the 
 following suggestions are offered.' This list would 
 seem to have been prepared between the years 
 1763, when Ann McCall became Mrs. Thomas 
 Willing, and 1781, the year she died. Further, 
 judging by many of the names on the list, it 
 apparently antedates the beginning of the Revolu- 
 tion; and in addition it wotild seem that it was 
 written as early as 1774, the year that Polly 
 Franks died. In that case Abigail Willing whose 
 name is on the list was the daughter of Charles 
 Willing the immigrant, she having been bom 
 in 1747 and died in 1791. Mrs. Charles Will- 
 ing mentioned in the list was probably the wife 
 
70 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 of Charles Willing, a son of Charles Willing who 
 died of yellow fever while fighting that scourge 
 in 1754. In that case she was before her marriage 
 Elizabeth H. Carrington of Barbadoes. Lydia 
 McCall, Miss McCall, and Polly McCall were 
 doubtless the daughters of George McCall, who was 
 bom in April, 1 724 and died in 1 758, and whose ' ' wife 
 was the Mrs. Lydia McCall in Watson's list of 
 belles."^'' Miss "N. Chew" was doubtless Anna 
 Maria Chew, who was bom in 1749 and died in 
 1 812. "Miss Chew" in that case referred either 
 to her older sister, Mary Chew or the youngest, 
 Elizabeth Chew. Perhaps some of the readers 
 of these pages will lend a hand to the author to 
 narrow down more exactly the year when this list 
 was written. The list is as follows: 
 
 "Miss Allen [in another hand] ahas Governess. 
 Miss Allen 
 Mrs. Hamilton 
 Miss Oswald 
 Mrs. Oswald 
 Mrs. Franklin 
 Miss Franklin 
 Mrs. Barclay 
 
 '8 Thomas Balch's Letters and Papers, etc., page Ixxxviii. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 71 
 
 Mrs. Plumsted 
 
 Mrs. Francis Sen' 
 
 Mrs. Francis Jun'' 
 
 Mrs. Arch'' McCall. 
 
 Mrs. Saml. Mifflin 
 
 Miss Galloway. 
 
 Mrs. Mifflin. 
 
 Mrs. Dowell. 
 
 Mrs. Ellis 
 
 Mrs. Doct. Shippen. 
 
 Miss Shippen 
 
 Miss Blair 
 
 Mrs. Franks. 
 
 Miss Franks. 
 
 Miss Polly Franks. 
 
 Mrs. White. 
 
 Miss White. 
 
 Mrs. Purviance 
 
 Miss Purviance. 
 
 Miss Polly Purviance. 
 
 Miss Johanna Purviance. 
 
 Mrs. Bond. 
 
 Mrs. Thomas Bond. 
 
 Miss Bond [in another hand] alias Mrs. Martin. 
 
 Miss B. Bond. 
 
 Miss Wayman [in another hand] alias Smith. 
 
72 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Mrs. Gilbert. 
 
 Mrs. Cox. 
 
 Miss Wikoff . 
 
 Mrs. Shippen. 
 
 Mrs. Nixon. 
 
 Miss Davis. 
 
 Mrs. Lawrence [in another hand] Thomas. 
 
 Mrs. Shee [in another hand]. 
 
 Miss Lawrence. 
 
 Mrs. Masters. 
 
 Mrs. Lamey. 
 
 Miss Kitty Lawrence. 
 
 Miss P. McCall at Arc^ 
 
 Miss McCall & her sister, 
 
 Mrs. John Lawrence. 
 
 Miss Lawrence. 
 
 Mrs. Duchi. 
 
 Mrs. Swift. 
 
 Mrs. Jos. Swift. 
 
 Mrs. Col. White. 
 
 Miss White. 
 
 Miss T. J. White. 
 
 Mrs. Wilcocks. 
 
 Mrs. Baths. 
 
 Miss Franks. 
 
 Miss Marks. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 73 
 
 Miss Stedman (daughter of Mrs. Charles Sted- 
 
 man?) 
 Mrs. Alex^ Stedman. 
 Miss Stedman. 
 Miss Clifton. 
 Miss Nancy Clifton. 
 Miss Nelly Clifton. 
 Mrs. Turner. 
 Miss Bird. 
 Mrs. Sims. 
 Miss Sims. 
 
 Mrs. Wikoff & Miss Ally Cox, 
 Mrs. Stephens. 
 Miss Flowers. . 
 
 Mrs. Hopkinson. 
 Miss Hopkinson [in another hand] Mrs. Morgan. 
 
 Miss Hopkinson. 
 
 Miss Hopkinson. 
 
 Mrs. Wood. . 
 
 Mrs. Relfe. 
 
 Mrs. Bell. 
 
 Mrs. Cadwalader. 
 
 Miss Cadwalader. 
 
 Miss Polly Cadwalader [in another hand] & 
 
 her sister. 
 Mrs. Richards. 
 
74 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Mrs. Levy. 
 
 Miss Levy. 
 
 Mrs. Dickinson. 
 
 Mrs. Cox [in another hand] Charles Cox. 
 
 Miss Paxton. 
 
 Miss Inglis. 
 
 Mrs. Chew. 
 
 Miss Chew [in another hand] & her sister N. 
 
 Chew? 
 Mrs. Ross 
 Miss Ross. 
 Mrs. Willing. 
 Mrs. Thos. Willing. 
 Mrs. Chas. Willing. 
 Miss Willing. 
 Miss Abigail Willing. 
 Mrs. Searle. 
 Miss Smith, at Searles. 
 Mrs. Lydia McCall. 
 Miss McCall. 
 Miss Polly McCall. 
 Mrs. Gilbert Barclay. 
 Miss Pearson. 
 Mrs. Tilhnan. 
 Miss Tilknan. 
 Mrs. Walling. 
 Miss Shippen. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 75 
 
 Miss Shippen. 
 
 Mrs. Shippen. 
 
 Miss Abbey Shippen. 
 
 Mrs. Cljnner [in another hand]. 
 
 Miss Meredith. 
 
 Mrs, Legay. 
 
 Miss Hockley. 
 
 Mrs. Morgan. 
 
 Miss North. 
 
 Mrs. "West. 
 
 Mrs. Hoops. 
 
 Mrs. Mease. 
 
 Mrs. Glentworth. 
 
 Miss P. Hoops. 
 
 Miss Kitty McCall^' Major's Daughter." 
 
 X. 
 
 Among those who attended the Assemblies in 
 colonial days and showed by his life that social 
 amusement and sterling public acts were not in- 
 compatible, was Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Shippen, 
 the second son of Edward Shippen "of Lancaster," 
 and grandson of Joseph Shippen, the latter a son of 
 Edward Shippen, the first Mayor of the city. 
 Colonel Shippen who was bom October 30, 1732, 
 and graduated at Princeton in 1753, entered the 
 
76 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 army and served in the expedition that captured 
 in 1758 Fort Du Quesne. 
 
 He was interested in many usefvil subjects, was 
 elected a member of the American Philosophical 
 Society January 19th, 1768, and was a generous 
 patron and benefactor of Benjamin West. On the 
 occasion of Colonel Shippen's visit to Italy, he 
 and West were crossing the Abruzzi Mountains 
 together on horseback late one day, 'when two 
 banditti rushed out from their place of conceal- 
 ment. Each bandit seized the bridle of one of the 
 horses, and demanded of Colonel Shippen and 
 West their money. After parleying a little. Colonel 
 Shippen put his hand in his pocket, drew out his 
 money wallet, and threw it on the ground, saying, 
 "Well there, damn you, take it." As the man 
 picked it up, the Colonel drew one of his pistols, 
 fired and killed the fellow. Then the other bandit 
 fled. 
 
 Colonel Shippen was appointed in 1789 Judge of 
 Lancaster Cotmty, and died February loth, 18 10, 
 after having served his country, and filled with 
 honor many reputable stations, esteemed by all 
 who knew him as an eminently just and upright 
 man. In his career he truly embodied the prin- 
 ciples of noblesse oblige. To his services as a soldier. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 77 
 
 he added the accomplishments of a scholar and a 
 man of taste; and in the following lines that he 
 wrote possibly about the year 1767, he has preserved 
 for us the names of some of the ladies who were 
 the belles in his day. 
 
 "Lines Written in an Assembly Room. 
 
 "In lovely White's most pleasing form, 
 
 What various graces meet ! 
 How blest with every striking charm! 
 
 How languishingly sweet! 
 
 "With just such elegance and ease, 
 
 Fair, Charming Swift appears; 
 Thus Willing, whilst she awes, can please. 
 
 Thus Polly Franks endears. 
 
 "A female softness, manly sense, 
 
 And conduct free from art. 
 With every pleasing excellence. 
 
 In Inglis charm the heart. 
 
 "But see! another fair advance, 
 
 With love commanding all; 
 See! happy in the sprightly dance. 
 
 Sweet, smiling, fair M'Call. 
 
78 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "Each blessinig which indulgent Heaven 
 
 On mortals can bestow, 
 To thee, enchanting maid, is given. 
 
 Its masterpiece below. 
 
 "In SaUy Coxe's form and face, 
 
 True index of her mind. 
 The most exact of human race 
 
 Not one defect can find, 
 
 "Thy beauty every breast alarms, 
 
 And many a swain can prove 
 That he who views your conquering charms. 
 
 Must soon submit to love. 
 
 "With either Chew such beauties dwell, 
 
 Such charms by each are shared, 
 No critic's judging eye can tell 
 
 Which merits most regard. 
 
 " 'Tis far beyond the painter's skill 
 
 To set their charms to view; 
 As far beyond the poet's quill 
 
 To give the praise that's due. " 
 
 The young ladies mentioned in Colonel Ship- 
 pen's Lines were the belles of Philadelphia at 
 that time, and as some further notice of them 
 will be of interest, the present writer ventures to 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 79 
 
 identify them as follows. Of the first of these 
 youthful beauties who is mentioned as "lovely 
 White," the reference is to Miss Mary White, 
 sister of Bishop White, and a daughter of Colonel 
 Thomas White, one of the subscribers in the list of 
 1748-49, She was, bom in 1748 and was about 
 nineteen when the verses were written. She married 
 Robert Morris the next year. The Prince de 
 Broglie describing, in his Narrative of his visit to 
 this country in 1782, how the French Minister, 
 the Chevalier de la Luzerne, took him to tea at 
 her house, says:^'' 
 
 "The house is simple but well furnished and 
 very neat. The doors and table are of a superb 
 mahogany and beautifully polished. The locks and 
 hinges of brass were curiously bright. The porcelain 
 were arranged with great precision. The mistress 
 of the house had an agreeable expression and was 
 dressed entirely in white; in fact everything ap- 
 peared charming to me. 
 
 "I partook of most excellent tea and I shotdd 
 even now be stiU drinking it, I believe, if the Am- 
 bassador had not charitably notified me at the 
 
 '^ Narrative by the Prince de Broglie of a visit to America, 1782: 
 translated from an unpublished manuscript by Elise Willing Balch; 
 reprinted from The Magazine oj American History, 1877. 
 
80 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 twelfth cup, that I must put my spoon across it 
 when I wished to finish with this sort of warm 
 water. He said to me, 'It is ahnost as ill-bred to 
 refuse a cup of tea when it is offered to you, as it 
 would be for the mistress of the house to propose 
 a fresh one, when the ceremony of the spoon ha.d 
 notified her that we no longer wish to partake of 
 it.'" 
 
 "Fair, charming Swift," refers to Miss Alice 
 Swift, eldest daughter of John Swift and his first 
 wife, Magdalen Kellock. She was bom at Phila? 
 delphia, on February 20th, 1750-51 and baptized 
 at Christ Church on April 20, J752. She married 
 at "Croydon Lodge," Bucks Co., Pa., on Noveniber 
 22, 1778, Robert Cambridge Livingston,^ son of 
 Robert Livingston, Third Proprietor of the Manor 
 of Livingston. . 
 
 "Willing, whilst she awes, can please," means 
 Miss Abigail Willing, daughter of Charles Willing 
 and his wife, Anne Shippen, She was bom Jun^ 
 17th, 1747, and died unmarried, August iQth, 1791. 
 
 Polly Franks was the daughter of David Franks. 
 She was bom January 25th, 1747-8, and died August 
 26th, 1774. 
 
 The next of the fair charmers that Colonel 
 Shippen presents to our view was Miss. Katherine 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 81 
 
 Inglis, daughter of John Inglis and his wife, Catherine 
 McCall. She was baptized October 26th, 1749, and 
 lived with her cousin, Miss Margaret McCall, 
 daughter of Samuel and Anne (Searle) McCall 
 about fifty years, the greater portion of the time 
 on Pine Street, opposite St. Peter's Church. Miss 
 McCall died July loth, 1821, and Miss Inglis in 
 January, 1842. Neither ever married, and they 
 are both buried in the same tomb with the legend 
 upon it "United through life; united in the grave. " 
 
 "Sweet, smiling, fair M ' Call, " refers to Miss 
 Mary McCall, daughter of Samuel McCall, Junior; 
 she was bom March 13th, 1746-7, and died tm- 
 married at Philadelphia, May nth, 1773, and was 
 buried in Christ Church ground. 
 
 The next belle that Colonel Shippen described, 
 "Sally Coxe, " was the daughter of Mary Francis 
 and WiUiam Coxe of New Jersey. She married 
 Andrew AUen, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the 
 Province of Pennsylvania. 
 
 By "Either Chew," Colonel Shippen undoubtedly 
 referred to the three oldest daughters of Benjamin 
 Chew and his first wife, Mary Galloway, Miss 
 Mary Chew, bom March loth, 1747-8, who married 
 May 8th, 1768, Alexander Wilcocks; Miss Anna 
 Maria Chew, bom November 7, 1749, and died 
 
82 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 unmarried in 1812, and Miss Elizabeth Chew, bom 
 September loth, 1751, who married May 26th, 
 1774, Edward Tilghman. 
 
 Colonel Shippen married in 1768 the beautiful 
 Jane Galloway of Maryland. Her portrait by West 
 now hangs in the hall of the Historical Society of 
 Pennsylvania. It is a splendid example of West 
 and signed all over the canvas by the artist's brush. 
 She was a cousin of Joseph Galloway, who was 
 speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Pennsyl- 
 vania and one of the early members of the American 
 Philosophical Society.^* 
 
 XI. 
 
 During the War for Independence some attempts 
 were made to keep up the Assembly Dances. 
 Watson says that he saw written upon a "parch- 
 ment," a Ust of about seventy names, subscribers 
 to the Assemblies for the winter of 1779-80. The 
 list is preceded by a short statement: "We, the 
 sub°" do respectfully promise to pay to C. Pettitt, 
 I. M. Nesbitt, I. Mitchell and T. Lawrence, Man- 
 agers, and T. Patten, Treasurer of the Philad*. 
 
 ^* The Examination oj Joseph Galloway, Esq., late Speaker of the 
 House of Assembly of Pennsylvania, by a committee of the Hottse of 
 Commons, originally published at London in 1779. Edited by Thomas 
 Balch for the Seventy-Six Society, Philadelphia, 1855. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 83 
 
 Assembly L 112 ^7 towards the support of the 
 same, the ensuing year 
 
 "Philad\ Dec^ 31, 1779." 
 As Watson remarks, the large sum of the sub- 
 scription was due to the fact that it was payable in 
 Continental money, which was very much de- 
 preciated. 
 
 A couple who took a leading part in the social 
 life of Philadelphia toward the close of the War 
 for Independence and in the early years of the 
 Republic were Mr. and Mrs. William Bingham, 
 Junior. He was a son of that William Bingham 
 who was a subscriber to the First Dancing As- 
 sembly, and was bom at Philadelphia March 8th, 
 1752. He received the A. B. degree from the 
 University of Pennsylvania in 1768. On January 
 19th, 1787, he was elected to the American Philo- 
 sophical Society. In 1795 he was chosen one of the 
 United States Senators from Pennsylvania and for 
 a time served as President pro tern of that body. 
 He also served his Alma Mater as trustee from 1791 
 to the day of his death, which occurred at Bath, 
 England, February 7th, 1804. He married Anne, a 
 daughter of Thomas Willing. Miss Anne Rawle, 
 writing on November 4th, 1780, to her mother, 
 Mrs. Samuel Shoemaker in New York, mentions 
 
84 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Mrs. Bingham. She writes :^^ " Speaking of hand- 
 some women brings Nancy Willing to mind. She 
 might set for the queen of Beauty, and is lately 
 married to Bingham who returned from the West 
 Indies, with an immense fortune. They have set 
 out in highest style; nobody here will be able 
 to make the figure they do, equepage, house, clothes, 
 are all in the newest taste." 
 
 One of their daughters, Anne Louise Bingham, 
 married August 23rd, 1798, the Right Hon. Alex- 
 ander Baring, afterwards Lord Ashburton. A trus- 
 tee of the British Museum, a member of the Privy 
 Coimcil, and D. C. L. of Oxford University, he 
 was one of the negotiators of the Webster- Ashburton 
 Treaty, which, among other things, settled part of 
 the boundary between the United States of America 
 and the Dominion of Canada. 
 
 From the Chevalier de Chastelliix, who had seen 
 active service during the Seven Years' War and was 
 elected in 1775 for his literary labors one of the 
 forty immortals of VAcad^mie Frangaise, we have, 
 during his time of service in America under Rocham- 
 beau, some glimpses of Philadelphia society.*" He 
 
 '* Rawle-Shoemaker Papers, Volume II., page 38. 
 
 *" Thomas Balch: The French in America during the War of Inde- 
 pendence of the United States, 1777-1783; Philadelphia, Volume II., 
 189s, pages 77-79- 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 85 
 
 was elected to the American Philosophical Society 
 on the same day as his famous compatriot, the 
 Marquis de la Fayette, January 19th, 1781. 
 
 Chastellux gives an account of a dance or ball 
 at the chevalier de la Luzerne's which he attended.*^ 
 It was "a very agreeable assembly," he says, "for 
 it was given to a private society, on the occasion 
 of a marriage. There were about twenty women, 
 of whom twelve or fourteen danced; each of them 
 having her partner according to the custom in 
 America. Dancing is said to be at once the em- 
 blem of gaiety and love: here it seems to be the 
 emblem of legislation and marriage; of legislation 
 inasmuch as the places are marked out, the quad- 
 rilles chosen, every proceeding provided for, cal- 
 culated and submitted to regulation: of marriage, 
 as to every lady a partner is given with whom she 
 must dance the whole evening without taking 
 another. It is true that every severe law requires 
 mitigation, and that it often happens, that a young 
 lady, after dancing two or three first dances with 
 her partner, may make a fresh choice or accept 
 
 ** Le Marquis de Chastellux : Voyages dans I 'AfiUrique septentrionale 
 dans les ann6es 1780, 1781 &° 1782; Paris, 1786. Volume I., page 
 233; Travels in North America in the years 1780, 178 1 and 1782: 
 London, 1787, Volume I., page 276. 
 
86 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 the invitations which she receives: but the com- 
 parison still holds good, for it is a marriage in the 
 European fashion. Strangers have generally the 
 privilege of being complimented with the hand- 
 somest ladies as partners. The Comte de Damas 
 had Mrs. Bingham for his partner, and the Vicomte 
 de Noailles, Miss Shippen. " Then after mentioning 
 the "chief Justice of Carolina," Mr. Pendleton, 
 and Mr. Duane, a member of Congress, among 
 those who were present, the Marquis continues, 
 "The ball was suspended, towards midnight, by a 
 supper, served in the manner of coffee on several 
 different tables. On passing into the supper room, 
 the Chevalier de la Liizeme gave his hand to Mrs. 
 Morris and gave her the precedence, an honour 
 pretty generally bestowed on her, as she is the 
 richest woman in the city, and all ranks here being 
 equal, men follow their natural bent, by giving the 
 preference to riches." The ball, he tells us, lasted 
 until two o'clock in the morning. 
 
 The Marquis de Chastelliox in his Travels, says:*^ 
 
 "In the afternoon we drank tea with Miss 
 
 Shippen. This was the first time, since my arrival 
 
 in America, that I had seen music introduced into 
 
 society, and mix with its amusements. Miss Rut- 
 
 *^ Chastellux; Travels, Volume I., page 293. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 87 
 
 ledge played on the harpsichord, and played very 
 well. Miss Shippen sang with timidity, but with 
 a pretty voice. M. Ottaw, secretary to the Chevalier 
 de la Luzerne, sent for his harp; he accompanied 
 Miss Shippen and played also several pieces. Music 
 naturally leads to dancing; the Vicomte de Noailles 
 took down a violin, which was mounted with harp 
 strings, and he made the young ladies dance, whilst 
 their mothers and other grave personages chatted 
 in another room. If music and the fine arts prosper 
 in Philadelphia, if society once becomes easy and 
 gay there, and if they learn to accept pleasure 
 when it presents itself without a formal invitation, 
 then it will be possible to enjoy all the advantages 
 pecuHar to their manners and government, without 
 need of envying Europe anything." 
 
 Speaking of the subscription Assembly, he says :*^ 
 "The Assembly, or subscription ball, of which I 
 must give an account, comes in here most appro- 
 priately. At Philadelphia, as at London, Bath, Spa, 
 etc., there are spaces where the young people 
 dance, and others where those to whom that sort 
 of amusement does not suit, play different games of 
 cards; but at Philadelphia only games of commerce 
 
 *^ Chastellux, French edition, 1786, Volume I., pages 262-3, English 
 edition, 1787, Volume I., page 314. 
 
88 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 are allowed. A manager, or master of ceremonies 
 presides at these methodical amusements: he pre- 
 sents to the danseurs and the danseuses, folded 
 billets which each contain a number; thus it is 
 fate which decides the partner which one is to have 
 for the whole evening. All the dances are arranged 
 before hand, and the dancers are called each in 
 turn. These dances, like the toasts which we drink 
 at table, have some relation to politics: one is 
 called the success of the campaign, another, the 
 defeat of Burgoyne, and a third, Clinton's retreat. 
 The managers are generally chosen from among 
 the most distinguished officers of the army; at 
 present this important place is held by Colonel 
 Wilkinson, who is also Clothier general of the 
 army. Colonel Mitchell, a small stout man, fifty 
 years of age, a great judge of horses and who lately 
 was contractor for carriages {qui avoit derniiremeni 
 I'entreprise des voitures) both for the American and 
 the French armies, was formerly the manager; but 
 when I saw him he had descended from the magis- 
 tracy and danced like any private citizen. It is 
 said that he exercised his office with much severity, 
 and it is related that a yotmg lady who was taking 
 part in a quadrille, having forgotten her turn, 
 because she talked with a friend, he came up and 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 89 
 
 said to her aloud: comme Miss, take care what 
 you are about, do you think you are here for your 
 pleasure? 
 
 "The assembly to which I was taken upon 
 leaving Mr. Wilson's, was the second of the winter. 
 I was apprized that it would be neither numerous 
 nor brilliant, for at Philadelphia as at Paris, the 
 best society {la bonne compagnie) seldom go to 
 balls before Christmas, Nevertheless, upon enter- 
 ing the room, I found twenty, or twenty-five women 
 dancing. It was whispered to me, that having 
 heard a great deal of the Vicomte de Noailles and 
 the Comte de Damas, they were come with the 
 hope of seeing and dancing with theni; but the 
 ladies were entirely disappointed, for those gentle- 
 men had left that morning." Chastelltix mentions 
 among those present Miss Footman, as being "a 
 little contraband, that is to say, suspected of not 
 being a very good Whig; for the Tories have been 
 publicly excluded from this assembly." 
 
 XII. 
 
 Shortly after the War of Independence was 
 brought to a successfiil conclusion by the Treaty 
 of Paris in 1783, the fashionable people of Phila- 
 
90' THE PHILAD'ELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 delphia revived the ' ' Assemblies. ' ' The City Tavern 
 where they were then held was not approved by 
 many of the subscribers, owing to lack of space 
 to give the dances. Accordingly, a fund was 
 started to build a more commodious . hall where 
 the "Assemblies" might be held. This "City 
 Dancing Assembly F\md" begins with a subscrip- 
 tion list dated October the 19th, 1786. The preamble 
 of this paper reads: "The ladies and gentlemen 
 of this city, having of late repeatedly testified their 
 disapprobation of the present Assembly room a,t 
 the City Tavern as being in every way inadequate 
 to the purpose, it is proposed to open a subscription 
 for procuring a suitable lot of ground and erecting 
 thereon a convenient building, containing a spacious 
 ball room." The "City Tavern" referred to in 
 this paper, where the Assembly Balls were given, 
 stood on Second Street, above Walnut Street. It 
 was built and opened shortly before the Revolution, 
 and superseded the old London Coffee House as a 
 principal place of resort. At the City Tavern 
 many dinners, receptions and dances were given. 
 A number of people signed the above paper either 
 as subscribers of money or as givers of shares of 
 stock in the tavern. The plan, however, languished 
 for several years. 
 
THE- PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 91 
 
 While the subscription apparently did not grow 
 very fast, the balls seemed to thrive. Among those 
 to attend the Assemblies in 1788 was Mrs. Collins. 
 The Managers that year were J. M. Nesbitt, G. 
 Meade, T. L. Moore and John Craig. 
 
 In the year 1790, Colonel Joseph Shippen, who 
 was then living in the country, brought his daughter 
 Mary^ — ^better known as "Polly" Shippen— then a 
 young lady of seventeen to the Assenibliiss. On her 
 inyitatiori card for that year, now in .the author's 
 p6ssession, she is addressed not by her given name 
 but by the initial of her nickname, the phraseology 
 on the card reading: 
 
 "Philadelphia Assembly, 17190. 
 
 The Favour of Miss P. Shippen's 
 
 Company is requested for the Season., 
 
 J. M. Nesbitt, W. Stewart, 
 
 Geo. Meade, Jos. Redman, 
 
 John Swanwick, Geo. Harrison, 
 
 "Managers." 
 
 "PoUy" Shippen married in 177 1 Samuel Swift, 
 a nephew of John Swift who was a member of the 
 first Board of Managers of the Assemblies, and son 
 of Joseph Swift. She died Jtme 2nd, 1809, and is 
 bioried with her husband at Old Trinity Church, 
 
92 
 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 _» 
 
 .«' 
 
 Ht 
 
 »** 
 
 
 1790. 
 
 72^ Fa vour 4^^^/^«^^^;^2*.,^ ^ 
 ^ . Company is requefiedfor the Seafon, 
 
 J. M. Nesbitt, W.Stewart, 
 Geo. Meadb, Jos. Redman, 
 
 John Sw>vnwick, Geo. Harrison. 
 MANAGERS. 
 
 Reprint of a card^^of 1790. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 93 
 
 Oxford, Philadelphia." He graduated at the Uni- 
 versity of Pennsylvania in 1786. 
 
 "Polly" Shippen was a favorite in society. A 
 few of the invitation cards from the many which 
 she received have been preserved. At this late 
 date they may not be without some interest, for they 
 were sent by members of some of the notable 
 families of Philadelphia in the past; and one 
 serves as a connecting link with New York. One, 
 probably all of these invitations were sent in the 
 winter of 1791-92, dtuing the first Presidency of 
 Washington. 
 
 "Mrs. Mifflin requests the favor of Miss Polly 
 Shippen's company at Tea and Cards on Wednesday 
 next. 
 
 "Wednesday." 
 
 "Mrs. Livingston requests the honor of Miss 
 Shippen's company at Tea and Cards next Tuesday 
 evening. 
 
 "Tuesday." 
 
 ** There is a bronze tablet in Trinity Church, Oxford, put up at 
 the suggestion of Edward Swift Buckley, Jr., Esq., in memory of 
 Samuel and Mary Shippen Swift. The congregation of Trinity 
 Church was formed in 1698; the present handsome little church was 
 biiilt in 171J. 
 
94 
 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 
 
 ie4'«-*>»*^ 
 
 ^ ^ .>?5^ ..^ ^;^^ **^*^ 
 
 y 'yL^ /C^/^'^ c^^^ ^^p^^ ^ 
 
 d9*t*-iJ 
 
 ^>*»'-^> ^►^ ^^i^^g^ ^ -b/i^ 4^.J^^JL 
 
 Reprints of two in*vitation cards addressed in 1792 to Miss Shippen. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 95 
 
 "Mrs. Powel requests the'Favor of Miss Shippen's- 
 company to spend the Evening on Saturday next. 
 "Wednesday iitli January 1792." ' ;' 
 
 "Mrs. and the Miss Chews request the pleasure 
 of -Miss Shippen's company to spend the evening 
 on Tuesday, the 31st of Jany. 
 " Monday, Jany. 23d. " 
 
 ■ XIII. 
 
 In December 1791, another effort was made to 
 erect a suitable dancing hall for the Assemblies 
 by starting a new subscription list. 
 
 In the new subscription agreement it was said : 
 
 "Proposals for Obtaining Subscriptions to Building 
 a Dancing Assembly 'Room, " etc. 
 
 "I. The stim subscribed shall constitute stock 
 entitled to receive not less than sik per cent, per 
 annum, to be paid annually; the same to arise 
 out of the subscriptions to the Dancing Assembly 
 ' and of the rents received for all other uses to which 
 the building shall be applied. 
 
 "II. The stock shaU be divided into shares of 
 twenty pounds each. 
 
 "III. When one hundred and fifty shares are 
 subscribed, the subscribers shall be required to 
 
96 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 meet for the ptirpose of choosing a Treasurer and 
 Trustees to carry the design into execution." 
 
 A meeting of the Assembly subscribers was held 
 February 2, 1792, and the minutes of that meeting 
 read as follows: 
 
 "At a meeting held, pursuant to Public Notice, 
 of the Subscribers to the proposals for Building 
 a Dancing Assembly Room, etc., Mr. John M. 
 Nesbit being voted into the chair, it was resolved: — 
 
 "I. That seven Trustees shall be chosen by 
 ballot, a majority of whom to be a quorum. 
 
 "II. That the said Trustees shall fix upon and 
 procure a lot or lots for the purpose of erecting the 
 building thereon. 
 
 "III. That the said Trustees shall determine on 
 a plan for said btulding, contract for the materials 
 and erection thereof, and rent the same, when 
 completed, for the purpose of concerts, or such 
 other ptirposes not injurious thereto as they may 
 think fit, subject, however, to the use of the City 
 Dancing Assembly forever, the managers for the 
 time being paying a reasonable annual rent for the 
 same. 
 
 "IV. That the said Trustees shall cause the 
 money subscribed to be collected and lodged in 
 the Bank of the United States, subject to the orders 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 97 
 
 of a quorum of their number, and shall issue receipts 
 for the same in the following form: — 
 
 "'Received, Philadelphia, , 
 
 1792, of A. B., Pounds, being for 
 
 shares subscribed to the Proposals for Build- 
 ing a Dancing Assembly Room, etc., on which 
 sum the said A. B. or the assigns of the said A. B. 
 shaU be entitled to receive such annual Dividends 
 as may arise out of the net profits of the institution. ' 
 
 "V. That in case of death, removal from the 
 State, or resignation of any of the Trustees, a 
 meeting of the subscribers shall be called (giving 
 at least three days' notice in two Daily papers) 
 to fill up such vacancy and that at all meetings, 
 whether for Elections, or other purposes, the sub- 
 scribers shall be entitled to a vote for every share 
 they then hold. 
 
 "VI. That the Trustees shall close the Annual 
 Accounts and declare the Dividend on the Stock 
 or Shares on the first day of July in every year, 
 and pay the same on demand. 
 
 "VII. That the number of Shares to be sub- 
 scribed to this institution shall not exceed four 
 hundred. 
 
 "The subscribers then proceeded to the election 
 of trustees, and the following gentlemen were dtily 
 
98 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 chosen: Mr. John M. Nesbit, Mr. Jaspar Moylan, 
 Mr. Walter Stewart, Mr. Henry Hill, Mr. Thomas 
 L. Moore, Mr. Thomas M. Willing, Mr. William 
 Bingham. 
 
 "Signed by order of the Subscribers, 
 
 "JOHN M. NESBIT, 
 
 "Chairman. 
 "Philadelphia, Feb. 2, 1792." 
 
 The list of subscribers to this building fund in 
 1792 and 1793 was as follows: 
 
 Thomas P. Anthony, Joseph Anthony, Jr., Joseph 
 Anthony, W. Bingham, Peter Blight, Clement 
 Biddle, B. L. Barende, Robert Bass, Charles Biddle, 
 Andrew Bayard, John Barclay, Charles Baring, 
 Edward Burd, Herman Baker, Benjamin F. Bache, 
 John Brown, William Cramond, Robert Correy, 
 B, Chew, Jr., James Crawford, D. H. Conyngham, 
 Theop. Cazenove, James Cramond, A, Clow & Co., 
 James Cox, John Craig, Henry Capper, Benjamin 
 Chew, Sharp Delaney, Samuel Dickinson, Philemon 
 Dickinson, Thomas Ewing, Christian Febiger, 
 Thomas Fitzsimmons, William Gibbs, John Guier, 
 Thomas Geisse, Henry Hill, George Harrison, Is. 
 Hazlehtirst, Benjamin Holland, Jared IngersoU, 
 Samuel Jackson, D. Jackson, L. Jacoby, Thomas 
 Ketland, John Kean, Stephen Kingston, Frederick 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 99 
 
 Kuhl, George Latimer, Moses Levy, P. L. Lemaigre, 
 James Lyle, Thomas Lea, Thomas Learning, John 
 Leamy, Robert Morris, George Meade, Archibald 
 McCall, WiUiam Miller, John Miller, Jr., John 
 Montgomery, James McCurrach, John Morrell, 
 William McKensie, T. L. Moore, William Miller, 
 Jr., John F, Mifflin, Jasper Moylan, Archibald 
 McCall, Jr., Samuel Meredith, WiUiam Mont- 
 gomery, Joseph T. Miller, Alex. Murray, John 
 Nixon, John M. Nesbit, John Nicholson, Samuel 
 Powell, Charles Pettit, Michael Prager, C. G. 
 Paleske, Andrew Porter, Mark Prager, Jr., Thomas 
 Ruston, Richard Rundle, James Read, John Ross, 
 Robert Rainey, Walter Stewart, John Sitgreaves, 
 Robert Smith, John Swanwick, Charles Swift, An- 
 drew Stmimers, Thomas L. Shippen, George Swift, 
 Lawrence Seckel, John Travis, Thomas Tingey, 
 Edward Tilghman, John Vaughan, Vanuxem & 
 Lambert, Thomas Willing, Francis West, Jona. 
 Williams, Alex. Wilcocks, Philip Wager, Thomas M. 
 Willing, John West, John Waddington, John Wil- 
 cocks, James Yard. 
 
 XIV. 
 Assemblies were given on Washington's birthday 
 both in 1793 and 1794. A propos of the latter cele- 
 bration the notice read thus : 
 
100 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "City Dancing Assembly. 
 
 "The subscribers to the City Dancing Assembly 
 are informed that there will be a ball at Oeller's 
 Hotel on Saturday evening, the 22nd inst., being 
 the birth night of the President of the United 
 States. No tickets will be sold for that night. 
 Subscribers who wish tickets for strangers, wUl 
 please apply to one of the managers previous to the 
 night of the ball. 
 
 "February 18." 
 
 Wansey, in his Excursion to the United States, 
 1794, thus speaks of the "Philadelphia Assembly, 
 
 1794": 
 
 "The Assembly Room, at Oeller's Hotel, must 
 
 not pass undescribed; it is a most elegant room, 
 sixty feet square, with a handsome music gallery 
 at one end. It is papered after the French taste, 
 with the Pantheon figures in compartments, imi- 
 tating festoons, pillars and groups of antique 
 drawings, in the same style as lately introduced 
 in the most elegant houses in London. To help my 
 readers to form some idea of the state of polished 
 society there, I must subjoin the Rules for regu- 
 lating their Assemblies, which I copied from the 
 frame hung up in the room: 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 101 
 
 "Rtiles of Philadelphia Assembly, at Oeller's 
 Hotel, 
 "i. The Managers have the entire direction. 
 
 2. The ladies rank in sets,*® and draw for places 
 
 as they enter the Room. The Managers 
 have power to place strangers and brides 
 at the head of the Dances. 
 
 3. The ladies who lead, call the Dances al- 
 
 ternately. 
 
 4. No lady to dance out of her set without leave 
 
 of a Manager. 
 
 5. No lady to quit her place in the Dance, or 
 
 alter the figure. 
 
 6. No person to interrupt the view of the Dancers. 
 
 7. The Rooms to be opened at six o'clock every 
 
 Thursday evening during the season; the 
 Dances to commence at seven and end at 
 twelve precisely. 
 
 8. Each set having danced a Country Dance, 
 
 a Cotillion may be called, if at the desire 
 of eight ladies. 
 
 9. No stranger admissible, without a Ticket, 
 
 signed by one of the Managers previously 
 obtained. 
 
 *'■ "The Room, being so wide, will admit two, or even three sets 
 to dance at the same time." 
 
102 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 10. No gentleman admissible in boots, coloured 
 
 stockings, or undress. 
 
 11. No Citizen to be admissible unless he is a 
 
 Subscriber. 
 
 12. The Managers only are to give orders to the 
 
 Music. 
 
 13. If any dispute should unfortunately arise, the 
 
 Managers are to adjust and finally settle 
 the same; and any gentleman refusing to 
 comply, becomes inadmissible to the further 
 Assemblies of that season." 
 
 XV. 
 
 The money referred to above as having been 
 raised through subscription, in 1792 and 1793, 
 by a little over one hundred prominent citizens of 
 the city, was placed in the hands of trustees who 
 bought a lot of land;*® but a building apparently 
 was not built upon it for the Dancing Assembly. 
 From correspondence relating to this lot of ground, 
 we learn that in 1797 Henry Hill and William 
 Bingham were members of the Board of Managers 
 of the City Dancing Assembly and in 1798 Henry 
 
 ** Memorandum of Hemy Hill, October 26th, 1796 — ^Letter of 
 John Taylor to Jasper Moylan, February 13, 1798. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 103 
 
 Hill and Jasper Moylan.*^ Of the year 1797, an 
 Assembly card, belonging to the late William 
 Read Fisher, is inscribed: "Philadelphia, 1797. 
 City Assembly. Admit William Read to the City 
 Assembly." 
 
 A card sent to a member of the Swift family, 
 in the possession of the author, reads as follows: 
 
 "1798-9 
 
 "City Dancing Assembly, 
 
 " The Honor of M Company 
 
 is requested for the Season. 
 "Thomas W. Francis, g James Gibson 
 Thomas Ketland, Sj Jon° Williams 
 
 Co 
 
 Matthews Pearce, § Stephen Kingston 
 
 William McPherson ^ Sam' Murgatroyd. " 
 
 The following card in the collections of the 
 Historical Society of Pennsylvania not only tells 
 something about the balls for the next winter of 
 1 799-1 800, but also links a distinguished New York 
 colonial name with the Assemblies. 
 
 " Bill rendered by John Taylor to the Assembly Managers, March 
 8th, 1797; — ibid., March 12th, 1798; — ^John Taylor to Jasper Moylan, 
 February 13th, 1798. 
 
104 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 " I 799-1 800 
 
 "City Dancing Assembly 
 "The honor of Miss Livingston's Company 
 is requested for the Season 
 "Philip Nicklin w Stephen Kingston 
 
 John Travis S3 Henry WikoflE 
 
 Wm, Crammond § Richard Wilcox 
 
 Sam'. Murgatroyd ^ Daniel Cox" 
 
 Miss Livingston was possibly a daughter of 
 the "Fair, charming Swift," mentioned in Colonel 
 Shippen's Lines written in an Assembly Room, 
 who married a son of the Third Proprietor of the 
 Manor of Livingston. Miss Livingston attended the 
 Assemblies for several seasons, as is shown by two 
 other cards of invitation to the Assemblies in the 
 collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 
 Those two cards are also evidence that the As- 
 semblies continued to be given in Philadelphia in 
 the early years of the nineteenth century. The 
 cards read as foUows: 
 
 "1802 
 "City Dancing Assembly 
 
 "The honor of Miss Livingston's company 
 is requested for the Season. 
 
 "Thomas M. Willing ^ Stephen Kingston 
 Matt'' Pearce g Samuel Mifflin 
 
 Peter McCall § Henry Nixon." 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 105 
 
 "1804-5 
 
 "City Dancing Assembly 
 "The honor of Miss Livingston's company- 
 is requested for the Season 
 
 "Jasper Moylan ^ Edward Shippen Burd 
 
 Thomas Cadwalader g Robert Hare Junior 
 Charles Jared IngersoU >$ Nathaniel Chapman." 
 
 In this connection, too, it is of interest to men- 
 tion that another Miss Livingston, also a descendant 
 of "Fair, charming Swift" attended the Philadel- 
 phia Assemblies for several seasons off and on during 
 the early seventies of the nineteenth century. 
 
 XVL 
 
 Meanwhile some advance was made in the project 
 of building an Assembly Hall. In a letter of 
 February 4th, 1808, it is stated that two hundred 
 and two shares were subscribed for "and the residue 
 belonging to Mr. Ross and Mr. McCall in the 
 hands of Edward Shippen, Esq., arising from the 
 sale of the City Tavern." At that time about a 
 moiety of the subscriptions were paid. Among the 
 original subscribers to the Dancing Assembly Fund 
 were, William Bingham, Clement Biddle, Edward 
 
106 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Burd, Benjamin Chew, Archibald McCall, Archibald 
 McCall, Jr., Thomas L. Shippen, Charles Swift, 
 George Swift, Edward Tilghman, Thomas Willing 
 and Thomas Mayne Willing. 
 
 Although a considerable sum was subscribed 
 and over a hundred shares paid for, again the 
 project to build an Assembly Hall came to nothing, 
 as no building was erected. 
 
 During the season of 1 812-13, in spite of ovir war 
 with Great Britain over her attempt to impress 
 our seamen into her service, the AssembHes were 
 given. A set of the Assembly Rules for 1 812-13 
 are in the collections of the Historical Society of 
 Pennsylvania, and are as follows: 
 
 "Rules 
 
 "of the 
 
 "Philadelphia Assembly 
 
 "Season 1812 & 13. 
 
 "I. The Affembly fhall confift of forty fub- 
 fcribers. 
 
 "2. The fubfcribers fhall be under the direction 
 of five managers, who fhall have the entire manage- 
 ment of the affembly. 
 
 "3. Each fubfcriber will be entitled to two 
 ladies' tickets. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 107 
 
 "4. The treafurer fhall exhibit a regular account 
 of receipts and difburfements, which account fhall 
 be open to the infpection of the fubfcribers. 
 
 "5. No gentleman's ticket transferrable except 
 by confent of the managers. 
 
 "6. The affembly rooms to be open at fix o'clock, 
 and the dancing to commence at feven, and conclude 
 at one. 
 
 "7. No refrefhments admitted in the affembly 
 room, but by order of the managers. 
 
 "8. No fubfcriber admitted in boots. 
 
 "9. Ladies or gentlemen fhall not leave their 
 places after dancing down a country dance until 
 the end of the dance, except in cafes of abfolute 
 indispofition; and if they dance again during that 
 dance, they are to take their places at the 
 bottom. 
 
 "10. The managers, and the ladies who dance 
 with them, may stand up and take their places as 
 fecond couple, and may retire when at bottom. 
 
 "11. The managers will be diftinguifhed by a 
 white ribbon. 
 
 "12. Should any improper perfon be introduced, 
 they will be compelled to quit the room and the 
 fubfcriber introducing fuch perfon will be expelled 
 the affembly. 
 
108 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "Laftly. Thefe rules and regtilations fhall be 
 printed and placed in the rooms, and every fub- 
 fcriber is expected to fubfcribe his name in a book 
 prepared for that purpofe. Any member acting 
 contrary to them will render himfelf liable to be 
 expelled the affembly, and forfeit his fubf cription. " 
 
 In looking over the above list, one notices that 
 the list of subscribers is even smaller than the 
 lists of 1748-49 and 1749-50. In 1812-13 there 
 were only "forty subscribers" under the "Direction 
 of Five Managers." That reduced the subscription 
 list about one third in comparison with the first 
 list, a process just the opposite of the present day. 
 Perhaps the reduction in the number of subscribers 
 in 18 12 was due to the exigencies caused by the 
 war. It was provided that the Assembly rooms 
 were to be opened at six o'clock in the evening, 
 and that dancing was to begin at seven and end at 
 one the next morning. Also from the last rule, 
 it may be inferred that the Assembly had a set of 
 rooms where the subscribers and their invited 
 guests were accustomed to assemble. 
 
 At present it is not known whether the As- 
 semblies were given during the last two years of 
 the War of 1812, which was fought in behalf of the 
 neutral rights of the United States upon the high 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 109 
 
 seas. Nor is there proof at hand that the Assemblies 
 were held each season in the years immediately 
 following the cessation of that war. 
 
 It is well known from persons now living not 
 only that the Assemblies were not given during the 
 Civil War, but also not in every year of the fifties 
 of the past century. And from a comparison of 
 many manuscripts relating to the social life of the 
 city, it is safe to say that the Assemblies were 
 not held during every year of the first half of the 
 nineteenth century, and they probably were not 
 even given in every year of the latter half of the 
 eighteenth century. 
 
 During the winter of 1817-18 a brilliant military 
 ball was given at Washington Hall in honor of 
 Washington's birthday. The cards of invitation 
 read: 
 
 "Military 
 
 "Birth Night Ball 
 
 "the honor of the company of 
 
 'is requested at a Ball on the evening of 
 the 23rd instant in celebration of the 
 birth of Washington. 
 
no THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "Manageris. 
 "Col. C. C. Biddle Col. C. Raquet 
 
 Col. A. M. Prevost Majr. J. R. IngersoU 
 
 Majr. J. G. Biddle G. Fairman, Esqr. 
 
 R. Wharton, Esqr. Capt. W. Rawle, Junr. 
 
 "Capt.Jno. Swift Capt. J. M. Scott 
 
 Capt. C. Stevenson Capt. C. F. Roberts 
 
 Lieut. C. W. Morgan Lieut. E. S. Fullerton 
 
 "Washington Hall, 
 "February ii, 
 "1818." 
 The list of the managers of that ball contain 
 a number of surnames which have been notable 
 both in the history and social life of the city. 
 
 An Assembly card of the season of 181 7-18, 
 which is still extant, reads as follows:** 
 "Philadelphia Assembly. 
 "Library Street. 
 
 "The honour of 
 "Miss A. Coock's 
 "Company is requested at a Ball on Friday 
 "Evening the 8 of January 1818 
 
 "Introduced by Mr. E. Dutilh 
 Subscriber. 
 ' ' not transferable. ' ' 
 
 ** Copied from a card in possession of Mrs. Nicholas Thouron. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. Ill 
 
 XVII. 
 
 About 1824 the trustees of the Dancing Assembly- 
 Fund appear to have purchased a lot with a view of 
 building an Assembly Hall, but afterwards to have 
 sold it. And from a report of a committee appointed 
 February 7th, 1824, we learn "That a lot of ground 
 was taken upon lease from a Mr. John Taylor at 
 150 Pounds per annum; an attempt was made to 
 erect a building thereon for the above purpose 
 (an Assembly Hall) but was not finally carried into 
 execution, and that the plan has proved abortive." 
 
 Up to now it has not been possible to determine 
 with any accuracy the dates of the two Assembly 
 cards which immediately follow below. Possibly 
 one or both were of a date earlier than the year 
 1824 and perhaps they may have belonged to the 
 thirties. The author will be much obliged for any 
 facts that will help to determine their respective 
 dates. 
 
 An Assembly card that was sent to a member of 
 the Willing family, now in the possession of the 
 author, reads as follows: 
 
 "City Dancing Assembly 
 
 "The Honour of Company 
 
 is requested for the season. 
 
112 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 "R. W. Meade Jno. M. Read 
 
 Wm. Meredith Geo. C. McCall 
 
 E. S. Burd anagers ^^^^^^ Harris 
 
 C. J. IngersoU Thos Moore Willing." 
 
 A card of Mrs. William Rawle reads: 
 "City Dancing Assembly 
 "The Honoiar of Mrs. W. Rawle's Company- 
 is requested for the Season 
 "E. S. Burd Levett Harris 
 
 N. Biddle ,, Jno. M. Read 
 
 Managers 
 C. J. IngersoU Wm. M. Camac 
 
 Wm. Meredith Tho. Moore Willing" 
 
 Charles Jared IngersoU, whose name appears as 
 a manager on the invitation card just mentioned, 
 after studying law, became attache to the Ameri^ 
 can Embassy at Paris when Rufus King was 
 our Minister to France. On his return home, he 
 published Chiomara, a poem (1800) and Edwy and 
 Elgira, a tragedy (1801). In 18 13 he was elected 
 from Philadelphia to the lower House of Congress, 
 and served again in that body from 1841 to 1847. 
 He also wrote Julian, a poem (1831) and a His- 
 torical Sketch of the Second War between the United 
 States and Great Britain (4 vols.^ 1845-52), He 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 113 
 
 was elected a member of the American Philosophical 
 Society, April 21st, 1815. He died in January, 1862. 
 The Ridgway Library has among its manuscript 
 collections the following letter addressed to James 
 Rush by Joshua Francis Fisher: 
 
 "Dear Sir: 
 
 "I have been directed to inform you that you 
 have been elected a Manager of the City Dancing 
 Assembly and to request of you the favour to 
 permit your name to be placed on oiir card. We 
 know too well the value of your time to expect 
 from you any attention to the arrangements for 
 our Balls but we shall esteem it a particular honour 
 to be nominally associated with you. 
 
 "I inscribe myself 
 
 with the highest respect 
 "Y'ob. ser. 
 
 "JOSHUA F. FISHER 
 
 " In behalf of the Junior Managers. 
 "Thursday evening, Nov. 26 
 
 "Dr. rush." 
 
 Probably that note was written about 1829 or 
 1830. For it shows that Mr. Fisher was writing 
 
114 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 as an Assembly manager to D'. Rush, apprising 
 the latter of his election. From the Assembly 
 card of M". William Rawle for the winter of 
 1830-31, we know that James Rush was a manager 
 that season, and that card taken with the note of 
 Joshua Francis Fisher shows that the latter was a 
 manager before the winter of 1830-31, very likely 
 for that of 1829-30. James Rush, who was a 
 brother of the celebrated diplomat and statesman, 
 Richard Rush, one of the American negotiators of 
 the treaty of i8i8 with Great Britain, was a scientist 
 of distinction. Richard Rush was elected a member 
 of the American Philosophical Society January 17th, 
 1817' Joshua Francis Fisher, who was a prominent 
 citizen of Philadelphia, was elected a member of 
 the American Philosophical Society April 19th, 1833. 
 An Assembly account book kept by Henry 
 Ralston in 1830-31 shows that the total income 
 of the Assemblies that winter was $1480.25, and 
 after Mr. Ralston had paid the expenses of the 
 year, and also $475.82 for unpaid debts incurred 
 the previous season, he had still left on hand $182.33. 
 This book begins, "Henry Ralston's account with 
 the Assemblies, November 20, 1830," and at the 
 end is this endorsement, "Correct, Geo. N. Thom- 
 son, H. D. Gilpin. " From the card of Mrs. William 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 115 
 
 Rawle for that winter we know the names of the 
 managers at that time. This card reads : 
 
 "Assemblies 
 
 "The Honor of Mrs. W". Rawle's 
 
 "Company is requested for the Season 
 
 "H. Ralston James Markoe 
 
 James Rush H. D. Gilpin 
 
 J. P. Norris, Jr. anagers ^^^ ^ Thompson 
 
 Tho=. Rotch P. M. Nixon" 
 
 At the foot of this card there is engraved in 
 very small letters the name of the engraver, C. G. 
 Childs, and "Philadelphia, 1830-31." Upon the 
 back of James Rush's own individual invitation 
 card for the season of 1830-31, he noted the fact 
 that he was the oldest member of the board and 
 then he went on to say: "It was always found a 
 difficult matter to get persons to accept the office 
 [of manager], so I preserve this card as a mark 
 of the honor I received, to hand ladies to supper 
 and to talk nonsense to young girls. " 
 
 William Rawle, the husband of Mrs. Rawle, 
 was a member of a family that has given many 
 gifted men to the Philadelphia Bar and for more 
 than a century has looked after the legal interests 
 
116 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 of the Penn family on this side of the Atlantic. 
 William Rawle the elder was the first President of 
 the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, to which 
 position he was elected in 1825, the year after the 
 society was formed, and in which office he served 
 tmtil his death in 1836. He was elected to the 
 American Philosophical Society July 21st, 1786. 
 His son, William Rawle the younger, was elected 
 to the American Philosophical Society January 15th, 
 1 84 1, and died in 1858. The latter was also a 
 Vice-President of the Historical Society of Pennsyl- 
 vania and a trustee of the University of Pennsyl- 
 vania. It was probably to the latter's wife that the 
 several invitation cards referred to above were 
 sent. 
 
 The Joseph Parker Norris, whose name appears 
 as a manager on the above card, was a descendant 
 of Isaac Norris, the famous speaker of the Legislative 
 Assembly in the middle of the eighteenth century. 
 A Quaker, a statesman, and in addition a Hebrew, 
 Latin and French scholar, Isaac Norris it was who 
 proposed the inscription on the old State House 
 Bell, "Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto 
 all the inhabitants thereof." The Joseph Parker 
 Norris who was a manager of the Dancing As- 
 sembly in 1830-31, was President of the Bank of 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 117 
 
 Pennsylvania. He was elected a member of the 
 American Philosophical Society, July 21st, 181 5. 
 
 Here is another Assembly card whose date is 
 not accurately known. 
 
 "Assemblies 
 
 "The Honour of Company 
 
 "is requested for the Season 
 
 "N. Biddle G. C. McCall 
 
 J. Rush ^^ H. D. Gilpin 
 
 Manasfers 
 W. M. Camac Jas. Markoe 
 
 H. Ralston J. F. Fisher" 
 
 "N. Biddle" undoubtedly was Nicholas Biddle, 
 a PhUadelphian of much distinction. A graduate of 
 Princeton College, he became Secretary to the 
 American Legation at Paris when General Armstrong 
 was our minister to France, and then fiUed the 
 same place at London when Monroe was Minister 
 there. Returning to Philadelphia in 1807, Nicholas 
 Biddle began the practice of the Law. He edited 
 the "Port Folio," and compiled a Commercial 
 Digest. He represented Pennsylvania in the Lower 
 House of Congress in 1810-11; and was elected 
 a member of the American Philosophical Society, 
 
118 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 April 1 6th, 1813. He prepared the History of the 
 Expedition under the command of Captains Lewis 
 and Clark to the sources of the Missouri, which was 
 pubHshed at Philadelphia in 18 14. He was ap- 
 pointed in 1 8 19 by President Monroe a director of 
 the Second Bank of the United States, and was 
 made President of that institution in 1823, which 
 office he held until the existence of the bank was 
 terminated by the expiration of its charter in 
 1836. On April nth, 1827, he read before the 
 American Philosophical Society an eulogium on its 
 late president, Thomas Jefferson. 
 
 In 1839 a handsome Bachelors's Ball was given 
 in the hall of the Franklin Institute, an institution 
 founded in 1824 and which has proved of such 
 inestimable service to the manufacturing develop- 
 ment of our city. The managers of this dance 
 were, "Edmund S. Coxe, P. McCall, J. Murray 
 Rush, Richard Vaux, H. Cadwalader, Thos. W. 
 Francis, Jas. H. Blight, John T. Lewis, Fras. Peters, 
 W. Chancellor." The following account of the ball 
 appeared in one of the newspapers of the day. 
 
 "The Bachelors's Ball given at the Hall of the 
 Franklin Institute, Chestnut Street, on Wednesday 
 evening, was the most splendid entertainment of 
 the kind ever presented in this city. Its manage- 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 119 
 
 ment was confided to twelve gentlemen who exer- 
 cised ftilly their liberality and good taste in super- 
 vising the various details of its preparation, and 
 did, too, the honors of the evening to the satisfac- 
 tion of all the company. There were present from 
 four to five hundred persons, including a number 
 of strangers, and officers of the Army and Navy in 
 uniform. The ladies' dresses and general appear- 
 ance were of surpassing brilliancy, and distinguished 
 by the correct arrangement of colors and elegant 
 effects, which here are so particularly evident in 
 their costumes. There was much excellent dancing 
 and waltzing to Johnson's brass band, and were 
 we permitted we might indicate some remarkable 
 displays of graceful motion. The four comers of 
 the room were extensively decorated with flowers, 
 from the garden of Mr. Dry burgh, and Fletcher & 
 Bennett's shade lamps shed a soft light through 
 the foliage. At the east end of the room was the 
 orchestra, encircled by a selection of rare plants, 
 and above were figures of Venus and Cupid, sur- 
 rounded with evergreens. The west end contained 
 a decorated statue of Cupid, and two of Skirving's 
 peculiarly splendid and classic columns surmounted 
 with large vases filled with flowers. Over the 
 several figures were wax candles arranged in the 
 
120 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 form of hives, and candles were also interspersed 
 throughout the gas lights, A number of Natt's 
 large mirrors added to the radiance of the scene. 
 The supper room was divided from the dancing 
 hall by a large curtain formed of the American 
 flag. About half past one o'clock this was drawn, 
 and the company entered and enjoyed the richest 
 and fullest collation which has yet been prepared 
 in the assembly room. The table was of a horse- 
 shoe form — each lady had the comfort of a seat 
 and was supplied with carte du souper printed on 
 white satin. The supper was served up by Parkin- 
 son and Hutchinson, and was a remarkable evidence 
 of their increased skill in the sweetest of all callings. 
 Sugar was wrought in ntimerous neat and beautiful 
 designs, such as the graces supporting vases of 
 flowers, giving the appearance of elegant alabaster 
 figures; temples; gothic structures, pyramids and 
 so forth. There were plate; glass and china from 
 Mrs. Tyndal's elegant establishment; lamps of 
 Comelium's best fabric; large antique vases, and 
 in short, everything that adorned the table with 
 effect without an excess of display. At the north 
 end of the room were three flags, the English, 
 American and French interwoven, — ^the latter was 
 supplied by M. Hersant, the French Consul. The 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 121 
 
 party broke up about three o'clock, highly pleased 
 with a scene which had all the eclat of a public 
 fete with the domestic elegance of a private enter- 
 tainment." 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 In the middle of the last century, in the forties 
 and the fifties, many of the notable people of Phila- 
 delphia lived in Girard Row, that is the row of 
 houses on the north side of Chestnut Street be- 
 tween Eleventh and Twelfth Streets. It was so 
 called because it belonged to the Estate of Stephen 
 Girard, which he left to the city to found the 
 college which now bears his name. In that row, 
 at the comer of Eleventh and Chestnut Streets 
 lived Robert McCall and his three sisters. Next to 
 them was the Atherton family. At iio^ Joseph 
 Swift lived. Mrs. and Miss Bell lived next door. 
 William Piatt and his family also lived in that 
 row, as well as Lawrence Lewis and his family. 
 Mrs. George Blight and her daughter, Emily Blight, 
 who was the first wife of Dr. Carter, had a house 
 in that row. Another Miss Blight married Richard 
 Rush of the navy, and Ellen Blight married Mr. 
 Palmer of the army. Frank Peters and his family 
 lived in that block, and William and Wharton 
 Chancellor and their sister, Mrs. Twells and her 
 
122 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 family, had a house in that row. The Henry Paid 
 Becks were near Twelfth Street, and General 
 Thomas Cadwalader had the house at the comer 
 of Twelfth and Chestnut Streets. On the south 
 side of Chestnut Street near Eleventh Street, 
 Thomas Balch and Dr. Charles Frederick Beck 
 lived together. Further west on the same side of 
 Chestnut Street the Hartman Kxohns lived in a 
 large double house which still stood not so long 
 since. Next to them was Miss "Molly" Hamilton, 
 a cousin. Ftirther west in the same block the Isaac 
 Harveys lived, and John A. Brown and his family 
 had the house at the southeast comer of Chestnut 
 and Twelfth Streets. In those days the Cleemanns 
 lived in Girard Street, as also the Rev. Dr. 
 Ducachet of St. Stevens' Church. 
 
 Francis S. Lewis, a young man fond of society, 
 gives us in his Journal a few glimpses of the As- 
 semblies in the winter of 1849. 
 
 He writes, Jan. nth, 1849.*^ "Last night the 
 first of the Philadelphia Assemblies came off at 
 Musical Ftind HaU. It was well attended and 
 everything went off well. Broke up about 4 
 o'clock." 
 
 *® Communicated by Mrs, Edward F. Beale. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 123 
 
 Again, April 17th, he writes: "Last night the 
 3rd and last of the Assembly Balls came off at 
 Musical Fund Hall. It was a beautiftil night. 
 Since the last Assembly several deaths have oc- 
 curred and among those prevented from coming 
 were the Misses Smith, Miss Wharton, Miss Scott, 
 MockwUl, Lewis, etc., etc. The ball opened about 
 9 yi o'clk. and broke up about 2 % K. M., with 
 three cheers for the managers." 
 
 The next autumn, on October 24th, 1849, Mr. 
 Lewis makes this entry h propos of the Assemblies: 
 
 "Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the members 
 of the Assemblies of last winter was held at Musical 
 Fund Hall for the purpose of electing Managers 
 for this winter which resulted as follows: 
 
 
 "Married 
 
 
 Single 
 
 I. 
 
 John M. Scott 
 
 I. 
 
 W. W. Fisher 
 
 2. 
 
 Jos. Swift 
 
 2. 
 
 B. W. IngersoU 
 
 3- 
 
 Benj. Rush 
 
 3- 
 
 Alex. Biddle 
 
 4- 
 
 Man". G. Evans 
 
 4- 
 
 W. C. Twells 
 
 5. 
 
 Thos. Cadwalader 
 
 5. 
 
 Jim Blight 
 
 6. 
 
 Richard Vaux 
 
 6. 
 
 S. Morris Wain." 
 
 As we learn, however, from Joseph Swift's jour- 
 nal, as well as an invitation card for the season 
 
124 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 of 1849-50, there were some slight changes in this 
 list of managers before the invitations were sent 
 out and the balls were given. Mr. Swift on Novem- 
 ber 1 2th, 1849, makes this entry in his journal: 
 "Met the Managers of the Dancing Assembly at 
 the Musical Fund Hall in Locust Street. They 
 are, John M. Scott, Thomas Cadwalader, Joseph 
 Swift, Charles Willing, M. D., Richard Vaux, M. G. 
 Evans, James H. Blight, B. W. IngersoU, Wm. T. 
 Twells, Alexr. Biddle, Wm. W. Fisher and Ber- 
 nard Henry, Jr." And an Assembly card for the 
 season of 1849-50, when three Assemblies were 
 given at Musical Fund Hall, at Locust and South 
 Eighth Streets, is thus inscribed: 
 
 "Assemblies 
 
 "The Honor of Mr. Thomas Balch's 
 
 "Company is requested for the season. 
 
 "JohnM. Scott 
 Thomas Cadwalader 
 Joseph Swift 
 Charles Willing 
 Richard Vaux 
 M. G. Evans 
 
 : James H. Blight 
 : B. W. IngersoU 
 : William T. Twells 
 
 Managers 
 
 : Alexander Biddle 
 
 : William W. Fisher 
 : Bernard Henry, Jr. " 
 
 Among the list of managers for the season of 
 1 849-50, twelve in number or three times the num- 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 125 
 
 ber of managers of one hundred and one years 
 earlier, two of the names that were in the original 
 subscription Hst appear, those of Swift and Willing, 
 and the former of those two names was also among 
 the first Board of Managers. Of the managers 
 in 1849-50, Thomas Cadwalader was at the time 
 President of the Philadelphia Club, and Joseph 
 Swift and Richard Vaux subsequently filled that 
 distinguished position. On January i8th, 1884, 
 Richard Vaux was elected to membership in the 
 American Philosophical Society. 
 
 Mr. Balch, who had studied at Coltimbia College 
 and also had been admitted to the Bar in New 
 York City in 1845, upon coming in 1849 to live 
 in Philadelphia, was invited at once to subscribe 
 to the Assembly balls for the season of 1849-50. 
 A Virginian by birth, but a Mary lander by descent 
 and so belonging to a family that was divided 
 by the Civil War, Thomas Balch proposed in an 
 interview with President Lincoln in November, 
 1864, and then in an open letter which was printed 
 in the New York Tribune, May 13, 1865, that the 
 Alabama claims should be referred for judicial 
 settlement to an International Judicial Tribunal. 
 Thanks to the eminent British jurist, John West- 
 lake, that letter was reprinted two years later 
 
126 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 in England in the journal of the Social Science 
 Association, March 15, 1867, thereby placing the 
 idea of submitting the Alabama claims to the 
 judgment of an International Tribtmal squarely 
 before the men who, like Gladstone and Sir StafiEord 
 Northcote, governed Great Britain. And the latter, 
 it should not be forgotten, was one of the negotiators 
 in 1 87 1 of the Treaty of Washington. In that 
 way step by step, the acorn planted in the inter- 
 view with President Lincoln, gradually grew into 
 the oak or International Tribunal that sat at 
 Geneva in 1871-72, and decided the rights of the 
 United States of America with Great Britain in 
 the Alabama claims case by a judicial decision with- 
 out the shedding of a drop of blood.^" Those who 
 believe in the influence of heredity, may find some 
 interest in the fact that the original proposer of 
 the Geneva Tribunal not only was the son of a 
 judge, but also that through Robert Brooke of 
 England and Maryland, he descended from Sir 
 Thomas Forster, judge of the Court of Common 
 Pleas of England from 1607 to 161 2, and likewise 
 was a kinsman of the great Federal Chief Justice, 
 Roger Brooke Taney. In the words of Milton, truly 
 "Peace hath her victories 
 No less renowned than war. " 
 
 ^"Thomas Balch: International Courts of Arbitration, 1874: sixth 
 edition, Philadelphia, iqis- 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 127 
 
 Thomas Balch's history of the French expedi- 
 tionary force tinder Count Rochambeau in America 
 during the Revolutionary War, Les Frangais en 
 Amirigue,^^ made it possible over two score years 
 ago for the French to read in their own tongue 
 how their fathers aided Washington and his troops 
 to bring about the surrender of Yorktown. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Of the three balls given in the winter of 1849-50, 
 at Musical Fund Hall, Joseph Swift and Francis 
 L. Lewis give us short glimpses. Mr. Swift writes: 
 
 "December 19th, 1849. Wednesday. 
 
 "The first Assembly at the Musical Fund Hall. 
 I went at 9 J4 and remained until 3 A. M., a large 
 and brilliant party, very pleasant and a success." 
 Mr. Lewis says : 
 
 Dec. 20th, 1849. "Last night the first Assembly 
 came off at Musical Fund Hall. The ball opened 
 about 10 o'clock. I went with Miss Douglas and 
 handed her into the room with the Bridal party 
 [probably Mr. and Mrs. Lewis C. Norris (Miss 
 McKee) married Dec. 5th.] It certainly was the 
 handsomest ball ever given in this city. Breiter's 
 
 *' Thomas Balch: Les Frangais en Am^rique pendant la guerre 
 de I'Indipendance des ^tats-Unis, 1777-1783; Paris, 1872. 
 
128 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Band was engaged and played admirably. He 
 composed a new polka for the occasion. The 
 principal belles were Miss Douglas, to whom I 
 sent a bouquet, Miss Scott, Miss Coleman, Miss 
 McKnight and Miss Wilcox. I. Banker and Bill 
 Camac came home with me 'to smoke a cigar.'" 
 
 Mr. Swift makes this entry h propos of the second 
 assembly. 
 
 "1850, January i6th, Wednesday, 2d Assembly 
 at the Musical Fund. I went with Genl. T. Cad- 
 walder; home at 2 A. M. (17) ; a large and brilliant 
 party." 
 
 Of the same ball, Mr. Lewis writes: 
 
 January 17th, 1850. "Last night the second 
 Assembly came off at Musical Fund Hall. It was 
 the most magnificent Ball ever given in this city. 
 The room was decorated with real flowers, Breiter's 
 Band was engaged and there were a great ntimber 
 of strangers from Boston, New York and Baltimore. 
 I was introduced to Miss Lawrence of New York. 
 The supper was very good. After the Ball, Norris, 
 Cox, Camac and Willing went with Shober & I 
 to our Club, where we smoked a cigar." 
 
 Mr. Swift, who was one of the managers, barely 
 notes the third Ball as follows: 
 
 "1850, April 3rd, Wednesday, 3rd Assembly." 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 129 
 
 But Mr. Lewis, who was a younger man, and 
 fond of dancing, had more to say of the dance 
 than Mr. Swift. He writes: 
 
 April 4th, 1850. "Last night was held the last 
 Assembly Ball at Musical Fund Hall. The room 
 was magnificently decorated with natural flowers. 
 It was rather slim in attendance, but I danced 
 with Miss McKee, Miss Cochran, Miss Snelling, 
 Miss McKnight, etc. Had Breiter's Band who 
 played very well. This ball, like the last of last 
 year, was not well attended owing to a number 
 of deaths which prevented 35 or 40 ladies from 
 being present." 
 
 As the city grew in poptdation and the means of 
 communication improved, other forms of entertain- 
 ment grew up. As a result a smaller number of 
 "Assembly" dances gradually came to be given in 
 any one season. Thus, during the winter of 1849-50, 
 we have learnt from the journals of Joseph Swift, 
 a manager, and Mr. Lewis, that three Assemblies 
 were held in Musical Fund Hall, a building still 
 standing at the southwest comer of Eighth and 
 Locust Street. That was just one-third of the 
 number given one hundred and one years earlier. 
 
 The following letter, written in the autumn of 
 1850, tells something of the management for the 
 
/aW'T-^^^ 
 
 ^2<) 
 
 130 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 /'T^-*^ ^!^«r /2>7r «--»«* ^^'t^^ S^o^Ol^^ et. /^Tig^fx^y^ti, 
 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 131 
 
 season of 1850-51 and it is of interest to note that 
 all three of the surnames appearing in the letter 
 are to be found in the first list of subscribers and 
 one also among the first board of managers for the 
 season of 1748-49. 
 
 "No. 30 South 5th Street. 
 "Dear Sir: 
 
 "I have the honour to inform you that at a 
 meeting of the Board of Managers of the Phila- 
 delphia Assemblies held last evening, you were 
 unanimously elected a member of the Board. 
 
 "The next meeting will be held at the office of 
 Peter McCall, Esq., to-morrow evening at 6 o'clock. 
 The favour of an answer is requested. 
 
 "By order of the Board 
 
 "W. SHIPPEN, Jr. 
 
 "Secretary. 
 "Joseph Swift, Esq. 
 
 "Nov. 12, 1850." 
 
 That letter tells us the names of two of the 
 managers for 1850-51, those of Joseph Swift and 
 Peter McCall. In view of Mr. Lewis's statement, 
 however, that the previous season the managers 
 were elected by a popular vote of the subscribers, 
 it is not certain that William Shippen, Jr., was a 
 
132 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 manager. It was more likely that he was the 
 secretary of the meeting of the subscribers that 
 elected the managers. But in any case, as we 
 shall see fvirther on, William Shippen, Jr., was a 
 manager the next season. 
 
 XX. 
 
 On July 15th, 1850, the Philadelphia Club, or 
 "The Philadelphia Association and Reading Room, " 
 the name under which it was then incorporated, 
 purchased its present home, 1301 Walnut Street, 
 at the northwest comer of Walnut and Thirteenth 
 Streets. The Club bought in 1850 only the house 
 abutting on Walnut Street, known as the Butler 
 property, covering about one-third of the property 
 which it now possesses. The two adjoining proper- 
 ties opening on Thirteenth Street were acquired 
 subsequently. The deed for the Butler house 
 having been made in the first instance to Joseph 
 Swift, on Monday, November i8th, 1850, he deeded 
 the property over to the Philadelphia Association 
 and Reading Room, the deed being witnessed by 
 Edward Shippen, Charles Willing and Peter Mc- 
 Call; and the same day the Club moved from 
 the Hemphill House to its new quarters. During 
 the winter of 1850-51, to celebrate the occupancy 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 133 
 
 of its new home, the Club gave a dance or ball. 
 It was the first of three notable entertainments 
 to which the Philadelphia society of those days 
 was bidden. They were all three given on suc- 
 cessive Thursdays in 1851. The first was given 
 by the Philadelphia Club in its new home; the 
 second of the series of "private Assemblies," as the 
 late Mrs. William P. Tathem, who attended them 
 all three, as Miss Catherine K. Biddle, once spoke 
 of them, was given by Mrs. George Willing in her 
 house in Girard Row, that is one of the houses on 
 the north side of Chestnut Street, between Eleventh 
 and Twelfth Streets, for her grand-daughter. Miss 
 Emily Swift, a debutante who afterwards became 
 Mrs. Thomas Balch; and the third was given by 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cadwalader in their house, 
 likewise in Girard Row, for their daughter. Miss 
 Ermly Cadwalader, also a debutante, who later 
 became Mrs. William Henry Rawle. At two of 
 those entertainments at least, as well as at the 
 Assemblies themselves, the musicians and the 
 waiters were negroes. 
 
 In the early fifties, Mr. and Mrs. Horace Binney 
 gave a dance in their house on South Fourth Street. 
 It stood on ground upon which the Pennsylvania 
 Railroad subsequently built its offices, between the 
 
134 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 house of J. R. Ingersoll at the comer of Fourth 
 Street and Willing's Alley to the north and the 
 house of John Sargent to the south. As the dance 
 was closing a young lady, who is still living, in 
 coming down the stairs, saw Mr. and Mrs. Binney 
 waltzing in the parlor.- 
 
 The invitation card of Miss Newman,®^ for the 
 winter of 1852-53, the season of her debut, tells 
 who were the Assembly managers that winter. 
 
 "Assemblies. 
 
 "The Honor of Miss Newman's 
 
 "Company is requested for the Season. 
 
 "Thomas Cadwalader, ) ( Lewis A. Scott 
 
 Henry Ralston, ) ( Henry E. Drayton 
 
 f Managers, 
 
 Peter McCall ) ( William Shippen, Jr. 
 
 Charles Henry Fisher ) (Winthrop Sargent." 
 
 Miss Newman made her debut in the winter of 
 1852-53 and married in June, 1853, Dr. Charles 
 Carter, of Virginia. 
 
 XXI. 
 Mrs. Thomas Balch has told the writer that 
 Dr. Alexander Wilcocks was a manager one season 
 in the fifties, the last time they were given before 
 
 ^^ Communicated by her daughter, Mrs. George McCall. 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 135 
 
 the Civil War, and he showed her at one of the 
 balls that season, in the early part of the evening, 
 all over the hall, including the arrangements for 
 supper. The late Dr. Richard A. Cleemann, who 
 was twice a manager after the Civil War, likewise 
 both told and wrote the author that Dr. Wilcocks 
 was a manager the last year the Assemblies were 
 given in the fifties. So it would seem that the 
 baUs were given in the winter of 1853-54, ^^^ possi- 
 bly even later in the fifties. In those days the 
 musicians were darkies, and so likewise the waiters 
 and the cooks. And the food our elders aU tell 
 us was delicious. It was served at a long buffet 
 table, an idea which had come originally from 
 France in the time of the First Empire. It was 
 only after the Civil War that white musicians were 
 employed, and not until 1905 did the darky 
 cooking and waiting give way to white cooking and 
 waiting. 
 
 Dr. Alexander Wilcocks and his two sisters lived 
 with their imcle, Joseph R. IngersoU, in a hand- 
 some double house at the comer of Fourth Street 
 and Willing's Alley. One of the sisters married 
 Harry McCall, the other sister, Mary Wilcocks, 
 after her uncle's death, married Kirk Wells, who 
 came from New England. Dr. Cleemann who was 
 
136 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 a manager after the war, was one of twin brothers 
 who, until the doctor shaved his beard, were often 
 mistaken for one another. Thus when they were 
 boys, during a visit one Saturday afternoon to 
 some friends at the country place of the latter 
 on the Delaware River, one of the twins, who 
 was dressed in white, tvimbled into the mud and 
 when it was time to leave, the brother whose suit 
 was imsoiled and also white, went up to the host 
 and hostess twice, first to say good-bye for himself 
 and the second time for his brother, without the 
 trick being detected. On another occasion at a 
 party given by Mrs. Benjamin Rush at her house 
 on Chestnut Street, when one of the Cleemann 
 twins, who had been there some time came up 
 to bid her good-bye, she said in her most charming 
 manner: "I am so sorry you are going so soon," 
 mistaking him for his brother who had come but 
 a few minutes before. And in more recent years, 
 at a dinner party at which the doctor was dining, 
 a stranger, to the silent amusement of all present 
 asked Dr. Cleemann whether he was younger or 
 older than his brother, Ludovic Cleemann. The 
 father of the Cleemanns had come to Philadelphia 
 from the Lithuanian Provinces of Russia, where 
 their grand-father, a Lutheran clergjmian, had held 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 137 
 
 the prevotship of a large number of churches. 
 Every one, whether old or young, who knew Dr. 
 Cleemann, will surely testify to the doctor's soft, 
 charming manners. It was William of Wykeham, 
 founder of New College, Oxford, and Winchester 
 School, who said: "Manners myketh man." And 
 Richard Cleemann, who was a good physician, in 
 his manners showed in every respect that he was a 
 thoroughbred as well as, in the best sense of the 
 word, a man of the world. 
 
 In the later fifties the Assemblies apparently 
 were discontinued. But a Bachelors's Ball was 
 given several seasons, perhaps every year vmtil 
 the war. The late Travis Cochran told the writer 
 such a ball was held in 1857. 
 
 In looking over the history of the Assemblies 
 it is to be noted that the managers have some times 
 been chosen by a vote of the subscribers, and some 
 times they have been a self appointing body. Thus 
 in colonial days, as it is proved by the second rule 
 of the Assembly rules of 1748-49, the managers 
 were chosen by a majority vote of the subscribers. 
 On the contrary, from the note written about 1829-30 
 by Joshua Francis Fisher to James Rush,®^ it is 
 
 63 
 
 See ante page 113. 
 
138 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 known that in those times the managers were a 
 self perpetuating body. A century after the Assem- 
 blies began, however, Mr. Lewis in his journal 
 tells us, October 24th, 1849, that the Assembly 
 managers were elected by a popular vote of the 
 subscribers for the season of 1849-50. And the 
 letter written on November 12th, 1850, by William 
 Shippen, Jr., to Joseph Swift, apprising the latter 
 of his election for the winter of 1850-51 as a man- 
 ager, would seem to point, taken in conjunction 
 with Mr. Lewis's statement, also to a popular 
 election as the manner of choosing managers for 
 the season of 1850-51. Again in later years the 
 managers have chosen their successors. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 In the early days of Philadelphia, the important 
 citizens of the town lived on the streets nmning 
 north and south that were close to the river. Thus 
 Edward Shippen's house was close to Dock Creek, 
 now Dock Street. A picture, showing the Port of 
 Philadelphia in 1720, painted by Peter Cooper, 
 hangs in the Library Company of Philadelphia on 
 Locust Street and shows the location of the homes 
 of a ntunber of leading Philadelphians of that 
 day all close to the river. As time passed, the 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 139 
 
 notable people of the town all lived south of Market 
 Street and began to move westward. Thus South 
 Third Street became the most fashionable part of 
 the town, though Pine Street was also the home of 
 some important personages. For example, the Rev. 
 Doctor Robert Blackwell, who served as stu-geon to 
 the First Pennsylvania Line at Valley Forge 
 and was elected to membership in the Amer- 
 ican Philosophical Society, January i6th, 1784, 
 lived in a house which still stands on the south 
 side of Pine Street between Second and Third 
 Streets. Its red and black brick front stands 
 out conspicuously and the onlooker cannot mis- 
 take it. Indeed, it is the finest example of a 
 private dwelling of colonial Philadelphia that 
 has come down to us. It was built originally 
 about 1750 by Mayor Stamper. In Doctor 
 Blackwell's day the garden extended westward 
 all the way to Third Street. Likewise the Powell 
 House still stands on the west side of South 
 Third Street between Willing' s Alley and Spruce 
 Street. Then later on, South Fourth Street gained 
 prestige as the abode of the social world. After 
 that Chestnut Street, moving further and further 
 west almost up to Broad, became the most fashion- 
 able street of the town. Gradually Chestnut Street 
 
140 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 ceded the premibre position to Walnut Street which 
 in turn has been supplanted by Spruce Street. In 
 the last few decades many people have moved out 
 beyond the built up portions of the town, north- 
 ward and westward, thereby dividing the fashion- 
 able quarters of the city into a city quarter strictly 
 speaking and one or more other quarters in semi- 
 rural sttrroundings, partly within and partly without 
 the legal limits of the town. In all the migrations 
 of the fashionable people of Philadelphia, however, 
 so far as the old city is concerned, they have chosen, 
 except at the beginning when the river front was 
 considered the most desirable quarter, to live 
 south of Market Street. And so to the quarter 
 of the town lying between the Delaware and the 
 Schuylkill Rivers and Chestnut and Pine Streets, 
 a name designating what was in times passed the 
 distinctive aristocratic portion of the most beautiful 
 city in the world may appropriately be applied, that 
 of Quartier Saint Germain. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 During the four years of the Civil War, from 
 1 86 1 to 1865, when the Union was fighting for 
 its existence as one great Nation, and the tide 
 of battle, in the most memorable battle of the 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 141 
 
 war, rolled close to Philadelphia, the Assemblies 
 as well as the balls of the Bachellors were entirely 
 discontinued. But after the close of that great 
 contest when the long struggle between the States 
 had ceased and peace once more reigned in the 
 land, the AssembHes were revived in the winter of 
 1865-66 at the American Academy of Music at 
 Broad and Locust Streets. That plain but sub- 
 stantial building was built during the fifties, largely 
 through the energy of George S. Pepper and Mr. 
 Budd; and within its walls many great singers, 
 Brignoli, Gazziniga, Patti, Campanini, Matema, 
 Lehmann, Emil Fischer and others have regaled 
 Philadelphia with much notable and splendid opera 
 ranging from Traviata (with which the house was 
 opened), Martha, and Faust to the Ring of the 
 Nibelungen and the Meistersinger von Niim- 
 berg. 
 
 The Academy of Music is so admirable to sing 
 or speak in, that it has ranked third among the 
 opera houses and other buildings of the world 
 noted for their acoustic properties, in that respect 
 coming immediately after the Mormon Temple in 
 Salt Lake City and La Scala Theater in Milan. 
 ., From the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Church- 
 ^ A ^ ^>man, that belonged to their son, the late William 
 
142 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 Churchman, we learn that three Assemblies were 
 given in 1866. The patronesses, six in number, 
 were Mrs. Hartman Ktihn, Mrs. Harry McCall, 
 Mrs. Charles Macalester, Jr., Mrs. Francis Peters, 
 Mrs. George Blight, and Mrs. Edward Morrell. 
 The managers were Dr. Wilcocks, who was a mem- 
 ber before the Civil War, William Henry Rawle, 
 Edward Coles, Jr., Colonel Charles E. Cadwalader, 
 William Piatt Pepper and C. Julian Hare. The 
 number of subscribers was limited to three hundred 
 and fifty. Those were individual subscriptions. 
 As the fifty-nine subscriptions foi: the first season 
 of 1748-49 included for the subscribers who were 
 married invitations for the immediate members of 
 their families, a custom that was kept up until 
 the middle of the nineteenth century, it may be 
 inferred that at the first Assemblies from a hundred 
 and twenty-five up to possibly two hundred indi- 
 viduals were invited to attend. And so the As- 
 semblies immediately after the Civil War were not 
 very much larger than the Assemblies of 1748-49. 
 The subscription was placed at twelve dollars for 
 three balls that were to be given in the Foyer 
 of the Academy of Music on Monday, January 15th, 
 Tuesday, January 30th, and Thiirsday, February 8th. 
 However, in 1870 only two balls were given; the 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 143 
 
 first on Friday January 2ist, and the last on Tues- 
 day, March ist. Supper was served at eleven and 
 the cotillion began at midnight. 
 
 A feature of the balls at the Academy until 
 about ii897 were the arrangements for supper, which 
 was served on a very long table in the large entrance 
 corridor immediately below the Foyer. Seated on 
 the steps of the two stairs leading up from this 
 corridor to the galleries above were all the girls 
 and young married women. .They were served 
 by their supper partners, and looking down from 
 their places of vantage made a beautiful picture 
 to look upon. The patronesses were seated at a 
 small table especially provided for them. Finally, 
 more small tables were introduced for the older 
 matrons. In 1897, the Assembly, having grown very 
 much in numbers, the stage of the Academy and 
 the parquet, which were floored over for the occasion, 
 were used for the supper. But this did not enlarge 
 the dancing floor, which was bound by the size of 
 the Foyer. 
 
 When first revived after the Civil War three 
 balls were given each season, but soon the number 
 was decreased to only two. At the Academy of 
 Music they were given with unvarying regularity 
 for almost thirty years, including the winter of 
 
144 THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 1903-04. In the winter of 1904-05, owing to the 
 increase in the number of subscribers, because of 
 the accretions from the growing up of sons and 
 daughters of subscribers, and the gradual addition 
 of many new famiUes to the subscription list, the 
 pressing need of a greater amount of square inches, 
 caused the balls to be transferred to the handsome 
 and larger ball room of the Bellevue-Stratford 
 Hotel, also on South Broad Street. Since that time 
 two balls have been given each year at the Bellevue, 
 except that in the winter of 1914-15, owing to the 
 breaking out of The Great War, but one Assembly 
 was given. 
 
 When the AssembHes were given at the Academy 
 of Music, they closed at three o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, doubtless because that was the regulation 
 hour for the closing of the Academy. When 
 they were removed to the Bellevue at first they 
 lasted until five, but after two or three years the 
 Managers made it a rule that they shoiold stop 
 promptly at foiu". In glancing over the history 
 of these famous entertainments, it becomes ap- 
 parent that the hour at which the balls have begtm 
 has moved slowly but surely nearer and nearer 
 to the day after that for which the invitations 
 were extended, imtil they now open at the same 
 
THE PHILADELPHIA ASSEMBLIES. 145 
 
 hour at which Cinderella lost her fur^* slipper when 
 she was forced by the decree of the fairy God- 
 mother to leave the Prince's ball. 
 
 Since the Civil War times, the balls, keeping 
 pace with the growing city, have grown and grown, 
 as more and more people have sought the "patent 
 of nobility" that the right to subscribe to them 
 is popularly supposed to accord in Philadelphia, 
 until, as compared with the old Assemblies when 
 
 ®* The modem popular mistaken version of Cinderella's tale, that, 
 in her hurried flight from the Prince's ball after the midnight hour 
 had struck, she dropped on the Palace stairs a glass slipper instead 
 of one of fur, is doubtless due to the similarity of prommciation of 
 the two French words verre and vair. The former word, verre, means 
 glass. Of the latter word, vair, which means a certain kind of fur, 
 Littr^, in his celebrated Bictionnaire de la Langue Frangaise (Paris, 
 1873), says: "Vair; Anciermement, fourrure de la peau d'une 
 espece d'^cureuil, du mSme nom, qui 6tait colombine par-dessus 
 et blanc par-dessous: c'est ce qu'on nomme aujourd'hui petit gris. 
 Le roi, deux fois par an, distribuait des manteaux rouges fourrfe 
 d'hermine ou de menu vair aux chevaliers qu'il retenait aupres de sa 
 personne. 
 
 "Rem. C'est parce qu'on n'a pas compris ce mot maintenant 
 peu usit6 qu'on a imprim^ dans plusieurs editions du conte de 
 CendriUon souliers de verre (ce qui est absurde), au lieu de souliers 
 de vair, c'est-^-dire souliers fourr^s de vair." 
 
 Those who do not read French, will find something interesting 
 on this point in the eleventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 
 in the article b, propos of Cinderella. 
 
146 THE PHILADELPHIA. ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 John Swift, John Inglis, John Wallace and Lynford 
 Lardner sent out the invitations for the small 
 dances they managed, the present balls, by com- 
 parison, have asstimed "continental proportions." 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 The foregoing brief account of the Assembly 
 Balls of the past, together with more or less mention 
 of notable Philadelphians of earlier days, many 
 of whom in the hurry and bustle of the every day 
 life of the present are all but forgotten, has sug- 
 gested that this book might well be ended with 
 some lines from a sonnet of Charles Lamb, which 
 the present writer quoted in a paper he read before 
 the American Philosophical Society on April i8th, 
 1902, h propos of the First Assembly Account Book. 
 The poet says: 
 
 ' ' 'Tis man's worst deed 
 To let the things that have been run to waste. 
 And in the unmeaning present sink the past: 
 In whose dim glass even now I faintly read 
 Old buried forms and faces long ago."