George Washington Flowers 
 Memorial Collection 
 
 DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 ESTABLISHED BY THE 
 
 FAMILY OF 
 
 COLONEL FLOWERS 
 

 >'3 ^ 
 
the home of the GERMANTOWN LIBRARV 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 
 
 ^ '■ 
 
 •> 
 
 OF THE 
 
 B 0 R D.L E Y FAMILY, 
 
 OF MARYLAND, 
 
 FOR THEIR DESCENDANTS. 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 BY 
 
 31RS. ELIZABETH BORDLEY GIBSON, 
 
 EDITED BY HER NIECE, 
 
 ELIZABETH 31IFFLIN. 
 
 PIIILADELPIIIA; 
 
 PRINTED BY HENRY B . A S 11 M E A D , 
 Nos. 1102 AND 1104 San.som Street. 
 
 18G5. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/biographicalsket01gibs 
 
) - a 
 
 ELIZABETH BOEDLEY GIBSON. 
 
 A SLIGHT sketcli of the writer of the within memoir, cer¬ 
 tainly will require no apology. It is given as a mere out¬ 
 line, leaving to a future time, something more minute and 
 more worthy of her, which may be culled from her 
 numerous papers and letters. 
 
 Elizabeth Bordley Gibson, daughter of John Beale 
 and Sarah Bordley, was born October 21st, 1777. Her 
 parents resided on Wye Island, Maryland, half ol which 
 was owned by her father. They retreated to Annapolis, 
 the metropolis of the State, in consequence of the too near 
 apju'oach of the British army, and there, Elizabeth Bord¬ 
 ley'was born, amid the booming of cannon and the cheers 
 of the people for the surrender of Burgoyne and his forces 
 to General Gates at Saratoga. 
 
 She was most carefully educated solely by her parents 
 at ATye, until she was thirteen years old. They then re¬ 
 moved to Philadelphia; she was placed under the care of 
 the most competent teachers, and at this time, she became 
 a constant visitor in the family of General AV^ashington, 
 having masters with the granddaughter of Mrs. AVashing- 
 ton, the celebrated Nelly Custis. Lessons were taken. 
 
 518291 
 
4 
 
 ELIZABETH BORDLEY GIBSON. 
 
 sometimes at General Washington’s in Market Street, 
 sometimes at Mr. Bordley’s. It has been asked, did Gen¬ 
 eral 'Washington ever dance after he became President? 
 W’ith a look, beaming with pleasure, my aunt often told 
 of his kindness in joining them in their simple country 
 dances after the public levee was over. 
 
 Elizabeth Bordley’s talents were of a superior order, and 
 with the study of her own language, every one of them 
 which she possessed was cultivated; music, painting, foreign 
 languages and composition, until she had acquired a most 
 highly finished education; unexcelled in those days, and 
 rarely in these. She grew up to womanhood, everything 
 the fondest parents could desire; affectionate, dutiful, 
 prudent, correct in every principle, with highly polished 
 manners, combined with great modesty and diffidence of 
 her own powers ; she was a fine musician, instrumental and 
 vocal, an exquisite sketcher of scenery, and an elegant 
 writer. This last she retained until a short time before 
 the close of her long life, and letters of that date might be 
 shown as models of fine composition. Congress was in 
 session in Philadelphia ivlien she entered into society, and 
 consequently the great men of our country, and eminent 
 foreigners congregated there. Miss Bordley soon became 
 a distinguished belle ; her tall, fine figure, handsome poeti¬ 
 cal face, her highly refined manners and various accom¬ 
 plishments, placed her among the most prominent and most 
 admired in the brilliant circle in which she moved. 
 
ELIZABETH BORDLEY GIBSON, 
 
 0 
 
 Her father’s death in 1804, and her mother’s long pro¬ 
 tracted debility, withdrew her from the fashionable world, 
 and quietly, lor many years, she attended the declining 
 years ol her mother, having the additional sorrow of losing 
 her brother, Mr. Mifflin, two years before their mother’s 
 death; one, to whom both she and her mother looked for 
 advice and affectionate care. In these days of leisure and 
 repose, she became an ardent lover of her Bilde, and stored 
 her mind and heart with its glorious truths, and learned 
 Jiabitually to put her whole trust in the mei’cy and support 
 of her heavenly Father and her Redeemer. In all the 
 trials of alter-life, this rock of support never failed her. In 
 iMay, 1817, her mother being dead, she married James 
 Gibson, Esq., and led a life, as most persons do, of checkered 
 happiness and sorrow. She was a widow some years, and 
 sank to rest on the bosom of her God, August 23d, 1863. 
 
 A few weeks before the death of my aunt, Mrs. Gibson, 
 slie Avrote to me while I was in the country, July 31st, 
 1863:—“ Some 20 or 30 years ago, I pleased myself by 
 Avriting all I could recollect of my dear father’s life and 
 connections, and Avithout a thought of having it julnted; 
 but afcAV years ago, some friends, to Avhoni I gave a glimpse 
 of it, insisted I ought to finish it for taking its jJace in the 
 ‘ National Gallery of Portraits.’ * * * I owed it to my 
 father’s memory. * * * After this, I made up my mind to 
 liaA'e it ready for the-printer. * * * Noav I am too old and 
 
 1 
 
C) 
 
 ELIZABETH BORDLEY GIBSON. 
 
 infirm to undertake coiiying and preparing it. But, wliat 
 say you to doing tliis for me ? you ivoidd be doing good 
 for me, and perliaps some others. * * * I think we may 
 feel it a bond of union to us.” 
 
 I willingly assented, and a subsequent short conversation 
 confirmed our agreement. Before it could be placed in 
 my hands, she was no more. And now I present all she 
 has written; no omissions were required, and but few 
 trifling corrections of words have been made. 
 
 E. M. 
 
 March 12th, 1864. 
 
WITH 
 
 Jlffectionate Qoi^^eThiality and Kind^i'ed I^eg'ardj 
 
 TO THK 
 
 DESCENDANTS OF THE BORDLEY FAMILY, 
 
 their -Ilelaiive and Well Wisher^ 
 
 Jan. 1826. 
 
 THE AUTHOK. 
 
TO THE READER. 
 
 The desire to trace some knowledge of those relations 
 who have preceded us, is so natural to the cultivated heart, 
 that it is unnecessary to form excuses for it. All who have 
 been habituated by the blessings of a good education, to 
 love the ties of consanguinity, to respect and cherish the 
 endearing names of father, mother, brother, sister, &c., 
 will feel it needless to analyze the sentiment—they know, 
 and value the truth of the poet’s thoughts : 
 
 “’Tis man alone that joy descries 
 With forward, and, reverted eyes.”— Gray. 
 
 In the exercise of this “ reverting” privilege, I have 
 employed some leisure hours in collecting together such 
 scattered evidences of past times, as throw a ray of light, 
 though but too faint, on our family history. 
 
 The pursuit has greatly interested me, and if the fol¬ 
 lowing imperfect result may meet the eye of any of my 
 present or future kindred, who own a congenial feeling, I 
 shall not have busied my feeble pen in vain. 
 
 This hope shall fondly impel me “ forward” in my task, 
 and. Gentle Reader! as this little manuscript is not to 
 wander beyond the Bordley descendants, I will confess 
 
10 
 
 TO THE HEADER. 
 
 iiiyscll' one of the same lineage—perhaps you are my own 
 dear second, third, or fortieth cousin, and taking it for 
 granted that you are gracious, kind, and altogether 
 amiable, I entrust this my friendly bequest, to your lenity 
 and discretion. 
 
 E. B. G. 
 
 pHiLADELriiiA, January, 1826. 
 
PART FIRST 
 
 (M) N T A I N S 
 
 SKETCHES OF THE LIVES 
 
 THOMAS BOUDLEY AND ARIANA, HIS WIFE, 
 STEPHEN BOUDLEY, 
 
 AVILLIAM BORDLEY, 
 
 ELIZAB ETH BORDLEY, 
 
 JOHN BORDLEY, 
 
 THOMAS BORDLEY, 
 
 MATTHIAS BORDLEY. 
 
 PART SECOND 
 
 JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, &c. 
 
 THOMAS liORDLEY. 
 
 The earliest knowledge we trace of this family is, that 
 they were of Yorkshire, England, and were there very 
 respectably established; that they were prosperous at an 
 early period, and afterwards tossed upon the shore of ad¬ 
 versity by one of those waves which the tide of time deals, 
 sooner or later, to most of the families of the earth. In 
 their different generations, several of them were I'egularly 
 educated clergymen, and men of learning ;* one of these 
 became a Prebendary of St. PauPs, London. Letters of a 
 later period, from 1711 to 1725, are now before us, from 
 the P\,ev. William Bordley, residing then in Westmoreland; 
 they allude familiarly to various family circumstances, 
 although too incidentally to give us, of this distant day, 
 full acquaintance with them. In one he mentions having 
 lately made a journey into Yorkshire, to inquire after 
 some aged relations there, and to look at the village set¬ 
 tled by his ancestors, and called by their name; that one 
 
 *■ We have a commonplacre book of one of these, very old, which confirms 
 this circumstance of their having learning amongst them. (Note A.) In Pott's 
 “ Gazetteer of England and Wales,” published in 1810, London, are the follow¬ 
 ing articles:—“ lioardley —Staincliffo wap. Yorl-nhire, 7 ni. N. E. from Settle.’’ 
 “ /{oardley Hall —Staincliffe wap. Yorlceh., 6 m. E. from Settle.” 
 
14 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 of them had formerly owned a Hall, or country-seat, near 
 the town, hut that things were much changed. He 
 refers his nephew, for a more particular account of this 
 place, to a work published about the year 1700 or 1702, 
 entitled “ Index Villaris.” 
 
 In one of these letters the Rev. Wm. B. mentions that 
 “about 200 years ago”— i.e. about the year 1500—one 
 of their family was sent from that county as Sheriff of 
 London. In another letter he alludes to the altered cir¬ 
 cumstances of their family before his birth—and that his 
 father had been in his day the “only man of letters” left 
 amongst them. His brother it was who was Prebendary 
 of St. Paul’s Church, London,—which circumstance proves 
 the previous high standing of the family. 
 
 At the time of these letters from the Rev. Wm. Bordley, 
 there were several female descendants still livina: in York- 
 shire, whom he mentions as relations; two of them were 
 his nieces, respectable old ladies, who, though in reduced 
 cii’cumstances, were considered as being entitled to the 
 deference and respect which they received. They corre¬ 
 sponded with their great nephew, Stephen Bordley, and he 
 made them a visit in 17—. 
 
 Thomas Bordley, the more immediate object of our at¬ 
 tention, was born in Yorkshire, about the year 1682; he 
 was the youngest son of Stephen Bordley, the above-men¬ 
 tioned Prebendary, and nepheiv of the Rev. Wm. Bordley, 
 from whose correspondence we have quoted. He came 
 over to America in 1694, with an elder brother,* who was 
 a clergyman. They first settled in Kent County, Eastern 
 Shore of Maryland. Thomas was then about twelve years 
 
 Stephen Bordley, of Kent County, Maryland. 
 
THOMAS BORDLEY. 
 
 15 
 
 old ; he had lately lost his father ; his family in England 
 thought him well provided for under the care of a bro¬ 
 ther; but that brother himself probably had difficulties to 
 contend with, for, after finishing his own good plain educa¬ 
 tion, it appears he could do nothing more for him. 
 
 Then it was, that Thomas evinced the manly energy of 
 his disposition, and adopted the nobly independent part of 
 acting for himself, and urging his own way towards those 
 high advantages in knowledge which he was ambitious of 
 attaining. Young as he was, totally unknown, unsup¬ 
 ported, unprovided, he went alone to Annapolis, the capi¬ 
 tal of the Province, and headquarters of every distinc¬ 
 tion it afforded. Like a being, dropped down from some 
 other sphere, possessing nothing but an honest counte¬ 
 nance, with good language and penmanship, he stepped at 
 once into the bu.sy little world of that city, trusting in 
 Providence and the energies of his own mind. There he 
 contrived to establish himself firmly, humbly at first, but 
 with higher views and by close application of his own mind, 
 calling upon all its resources for ingenuity, industry, good 
 humor and patience, he qualified and prepared himself for 
 the law. It is not meant that he effected this without en¬ 
 lightening aid from others—friends he found, but he made 
 them friends by his own good sense and good conduct: at 
 the same time, that he showed respect for them and their 
 advice, he evinced respect for himself and a desire to be 
 independent. Facts speak volumes for a young man thus 
 situated. In due time he was admitted to practice, and 
 soon, wonderfully soon, became eminent. He applied to 
 that profession not merely with a view to profit; had he 
 aimed at wealth only, he would never have acquired what 
 
10 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 is infinitely superior to it, a meritorious high standing in 
 society. He gained what he most desired—a legal charac¬ 
 ter worthy of the highest trusts. Young stranger as he 
 was, he was soon distinguished and respected as a rising 
 character, of good abilities, already learned in his profes¬ 
 sion, making conscientious integrity his guide, and indus¬ 
 try his handmaid. 
 
 The history of individuals, and judicious observations on 
 the world, both alike prove that man’s best interests here 
 are founded on the religious moral principle. Sound ele¬ 
 mentary views, courageously sustained, have formed every¬ 
 thing that has ever been admirable in the human charac¬ 
 ter. This truth was clearly evinced in him whose life we 
 are tracing. Mr. Bordley sustained an ample and steady 
 course of forensic success, of private respectability and of 
 public honor, in all which he was the fabricator of his own 
 fame, and that fame was to the last, fair and unsullied. 
 Shall we pause to reflect how this was accomplished ? Not 
 by the designing arts or plodding contrivances of a feeble 
 mind—nor yet, by the suggestions of a powerful mind, 
 guided by false and insidious views, but by superior ca¬ 
 pacity, firmly directed to honest designs, based on the sub¬ 
 stantial and time-conquering rights of a Christian, of one 
 who acknowledged himself accountable to a superior Mas¬ 
 ter and nobler motive, than can be found in the powers or 
 the prosperity of this world. Thus it was, that Thomas 
 Bordley made himself an exemplary and honored charac¬ 
 ter. His talents were indeed of the first order, and wealth 
 rewarded his industrious application of them, yet without 
 the Inward Guardian which he consulted, he would not 
 have added to his possessions, that high feeling of respect 
 
THOMAS BORDLEY. 
 
 17 
 
 which was shown him through life, and is still paid to his 
 memory. 
 
 He was considered the first lawyer of his day ; his opin¬ 
 ions were sought with eagerness, not only in the then 
 Province of Maryland, but also in the neighboring Pro¬ 
 vinces, especially in Pennsylvania and New York. Let¬ 
 ters are now before us, expressing thanks from distin¬ 
 guished persons to this favorite lawyer, and they also 
 prove that some, now amongst us, descendants of the 
 wealthy of those days, owe their present possessions to the 
 skillful efforts of Thomas Bordley of Maryland. 
 
 The weight and influence of his character in the flour¬ 
 ishing and distinguished community of Annapolis could 
 not fail to bring him forward in a political career also— 
 his firm and independent principles sustained him through 
 many a colonial trouble of that day. Amongst other evi¬ 
 dence of this, it is seen in his private correspondence with 
 liis Uncle William Bordley, the clergyman in England, 
 before mentioned, which, on the part of the American, as 
 Thomas then was, breathes the free spirit of a vigorous 
 mind, ardently claiming its adopted country’s rights, yet 
 j)roving itself true and submissive to the love of order, 
 without which nothing can be done rightly. 
 
 It is not to be supposed that in a 2)eriod of dissensions, 
 rivalships, and public disputes, such as Mr. Boi’dley en¬ 
 countered in those unsettled times, he could escape from 
 difficulties and contests with the selfish and the envious. 
 Few indeed, if any, who are above mediocrity, can pass 
 through life undisturbed by the fallacious views of others. 
 But it was a marked trait in his character, and stands now 
 on record before us as a tribute of justice from his pastor, 
 
18 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 that he forgave his enemies. When taking the commun¬ 
 ion for the last time, previous to his departure for Eng¬ 
 land, he requested the minister particularly to under¬ 
 stand, “ that he left the country in full charity, without 
 the least ill will to any person.’' 
 
 His greatest trials of patience appear to have occurred 
 whilst he was a member of the General Assembly. He 
 was a strenuous and active supporter of the rights of the 
 Colonies, and injured both his health and his estate by 
 giving himself up to his patriotic efforts, “especially,” as 
 the document before us says, “ by his extraordinary 
 application to public business during a long Session of the 
 General Assembly.” 
 
 Ill 1715, Thomas Bordley Esq., was appointed Attorney- 
 General. In this office he acquitted himself faithfully and 
 well, and held it eleven years, that is, until the period of 
 his death. 
 
 He was twice married. His first wife was Rachel Beard, 
 of Annapolis; she brought him many children, but only 
 four survived the state of infancy, viz., Stephen, William, 
 Ehzabeth, and John. Of this wife we only know that she 
 was a good woman, much beloved by her husband and 
 family. She died in 1722. 
 
 His second wife was the widow Frisby, whose maiden 
 name was Ariana Vanderheyden; of her we shall speak in 
 a separate chapter. They were married Sept. 1st, 1723. 
 She brought him three sons, viz., Thomas, Matthias, and 
 John Beale, the last, born four months after his father’s 
 death. 
 
 After suffering long with the growing disease which was 
 to terminate his valuable life, he was at last induced to go 
 
THOMAS BORDLEY. 
 
 19 
 
 to London for surgical aid from the famous Dr. Chessel- 
 den, but the operation for removing the cause of his dis¬ 
 ease,* proved fatal, and he died soon after it, perfectly 
 sensible of his approaching dissolution, and, making various 
 arrangements for it, he breathed his last October the 11th, 
 1726, 0. S., at the age of 43—a short, but well-spent 
 life, a life strongly marked by integrity of purpose, energy 
 in pursuit, and ability in execution. 
 
 We have exhibited a slight sketch of his success and 
 high standing in Maryland, both as a lawyer and a public 
 character. Of this, the public records of those times, as well 
 as his note-books,, letters, &c., all bear witness. We are 
 more deficient in evidences of the private incidents and 
 qualities of his domestic character, but we know that no¬ 
 thing has ever appeared casting the slighest shade on his 
 venerated memory. 
 
 Various public testimonials of respect were shown on 
 the intelligence of his death reaching Annapolis. A ser¬ 
 mon was delivered on the occasion,f and, according to the 
 manner of showing religious respect to the memory of the 
 good and distinguished of those times, the church was 
 hung with black, and its officers and most of the congi’e- 
 gation habited in mourning. In this sermon, which we 
 have before us, the preacher says: “ Tlie more I consider 
 him (Thos. Bordley, Esq.) the more he gained upon my 
 admiration and respect. I found frequent occasion to be¬ 
 lieve him to be a man of great probity and sincei’ity. In 
 the progress of my inspection, I found him to be a very 
 rigid lover of justice, insomuch, that he would not spare 
 
 The Stone. 
 
 f By the Rev. John Humphreys, Rector of St. Anne’s Church, Annapolis. 
 
20 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 even liis most intimate friends when they committed any 
 transgression within his cognizance, in his company or 
 hearing, and yet none more frank and cheerftd in conver¬ 
 sation, as well as innocent. Those whom he thought wor¬ 
 thy of his friendship, he would serve with pleasure and 
 with great resolution. In short, he was a person in whom 
 I could observe no evil either in practice or inclination. 
 He was a true and dutiful son to the church, and a zeal¬ 
 ous defender of her constitutions. * * ^ * jjg 
 
 a constant attending companion at the altar. ^ * 
 
 In fine, he was an excellent husband, a most tender parent, 
 a good master, a faithful and diligent performer of all the 
 business in which he was engaged in human life. And he 
 was a good patriot to his country, in the service of which 
 he very much spent himself and injured his health.” 
 
 Elegies and epitaphs also commemorated this event, 
 which seemed felt as a public loss. Their verse will not 
 well bear quotation; we will only copy one passage. 
 
 “ Mourn, Senators ! your heads with Cyprus crown, 
 And let the Bar with sable weeds hang down ; 
 The leading member in your house is dead, 
 
 To Heaven’s imperial court for justice fled ; 
 
 But Bordley’s name, immortal as his soul, 
 
 Will never die whilst Sol does time control.” 
 
 In person, Mr. Bordley was tall, stout and athletic. A 
 full-length portrait of him, in a long wig and flowing robe, 
 taken by Hesselias, portrait painter at Annapolis, repre¬ 
 sents him rather thin and pallid. It was painted a short 
 time before he sailed for England, when he was wasted by 
 a painful disease. The countenance is intelligent and mild, 
 with a high, full forehead, penetrating eyes, and a playful 
 
ARIANA VANDERHEYDEN. 
 
 21 
 
 expression around its firm and manly mouth, which, knowing 
 the character, we may say, indicates the good man. 
 
 He left a large estate to be equally divided among his 
 seven children, as they came of age, including the same 
 apportionment for the one not then born, and providing 
 liandsomely for his widow. 
 
 This will gives strong evidence of what has been above 
 observed, his high sense of justice and his independence of 
 mind in acting accordingly, for in those days, an equal di¬ 
 vision among children was not customary, and the general 
 system of laws and government was adverse to it. In 
 reflecting on his life and character, we are compelled to 
 observe, that his was not a common mind, and that it was 
 improved on the immutable principles of wisdom and 
 truth. 
 
 ARIANA VANDERHEYDEN. 
 
 She was the fourth daughter of Matthias Vanderheyden, 
 of New York; described in an old memorandum before \;s, 
 as being “related to the Schuyler family, of that city;” 
 and as a “plain man, respected more for the goodness of 
 his heart, than for his greatness.” His wife, Anna Mar- 
 garetta, was the daughter of Colonel Augustine Hermann, 
 (or Harmann,) originally from Prague, in Germany, from 
 whence he was driven by the religious persecutions of the 
 times; he owned the large and valuable tract of land in 
 Cecil County, Maryland, to which he gave the name of 
 
oo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Boliemia-Manor, and he named Bohemia .River; he also 
 possessed several other tracts of land in that State, and in 
 Delaware; the ground where Rew Castle now stands was 
 entirely his. 
 
 When Matthias Vanderheydeu married Miss Hermann, 
 he removed from Rew York to Maryland, and settled on 
 part of Bohemia-Manor. He there raised several sons and 
 daughters—the sons all died without progeny; the four 
 daughters inherited that large estate. Of these four 
 daughters 
 
 The eldest, Jane V., married a Mr. Gouts, merchant of 
 Scotland, where she died, leaving a son, Hercules 
 Gouts, who married and died, leaving a son James 
 Gouts, (he was in Braddock’s Army, with Sir John 
 Sinclair, Quartermaster-General, who was related to 
 the Gouts’ family,) and a daughter, Margaret Gouts, 
 who married Alexander Corbet, of Scotland. 
 
 The second, Francina V., married a Shippen; they had 
 one child, Margaret Shippen, who married a Jekyll, 
 and left a son, John Jekyll, and two daughters—the 
 youngest of these daughters, Margaret Jekyll, mar¬ 
 ried Col. Chalmer.s, who took her to England, where 
 she died. They left several sons and daughters; one 
 son, George Chalmers, who distinguished himself both 
 in law and lettens—the literary world owes several 
 valuable histories to his pen—amongst them, a very 
 learned Memoir of Mary Queen of Scots, Annals, &c. 
 
 Francina, after the death of her husband Shippen, 
 married Col. Hynson, of Chestertown, Maryland, 
 where she died, aged ninety years. 
 
AEIANA VANDEKHEYDEN. 
 
 23 
 
 The third, Augustina V., married James Harris, of Mary¬ 
 land ; they had one son, Matthias Harris. She died 
 in 1775, aged upwards of ninety years. 
 
 The fourth, Ariana V., married first James Frisby, by 
 whom she had three daughters, viz.: 
 
 1st. Sarah Frisby, born December, 1714, who 
 married John Brice; they had four sons, 
 John,* James, Benedict, and Edmund Brice, 
 and five daughters. 
 
 1. Of whom, Ariana Brice, married Dr. 
 
 Ross. 
 
 2. Sarah Brice, married John Hender¬ 
 
 son. 
 
 3. Ann Brice. 
 
 4. Elizabeth Brice, married first Lloyd 
 
 Dulany — then Walter Dulany ; 
 they left a son, Grafton Dulany, 
 (still living,) and two daughters, 
 Mary and Sarah; Mary married 
 Mr. Rogers ; t 5th daughter mar¬ 
 ried Major Leitch ; they had a son, 
 James Leitch, and a daughter, 
 Sarah Leitch, who married John 
 . Addison; they have many children. 
 
 2d. Margaret Frisby, who married William 
 Harris; they had a son, who died childless, 
 3d. Augustina Frisby married Dr. Daniel Ches- 
 ton; their son, James Cheston, married Miss 
 Galloway, of West River, [where she is still 
 
 This John Brice was the father of Judge Nicholas Brice, who is therefore 
 the grandson of Sarah Frisby, Mrs. Brice, the half-sister of my father, J. B. B. 
 f Mr. Henry Rogers, since dead: his widow in Baltimore, in 1834. 
 
24 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 (in 1826) living; lias a son, James Cheston, 
 and a daugliter, Frances Clieston]—of their 
 son Daniel there is no account—their daugh¬ 
 ter, Frances C., married Mr. Bentzley, of 
 England; [in 1794, they were living in 
 London.] 
 
 Ariana Vanderheyden’s second husband was Thomas 
 Bordley, Esq. They were married September 1st, 1723, 
 and settled, of course, in his house, near the State House, 
 Annapolis. Flere were born their three sons, Thomas, 
 Matthias, and John Beale—the last, the only one of Mr. 
 Bordley’s seven children, whose progeny now survives. 
 While they resided together in Annapolis, Mrs. Ariana 
 Bordley still further established that character for excel¬ 
 lence by which she had been previously distinguished, 
 which has been liberally acknowledged by all who ever 
 knew her, and is still handed down with affectionate pride 
 by her posterity. 
 
 She was remarkably handsome, both in features and 
 figure; her person, air, and manner have been described 
 as possessing a native dignity that forbade familiarity, 
 while it gave a more winning and attractive charm to a 
 gentle sprightliness peculiarly her own. Her conduct 
 through life was in harmony with this exterior; she was 
 admired, respected, and beloved. It was said, by one of 
 her sons, within the recollection of the writer, and in the 
 presence of a friend who confirmed the remark, that “no 
 one could forget the mild sparkle of her eye, nor the sweet 
 tones of her voice, nor the dignity of her deportment; and 
 that no parent could bestow a better wish on a daughter 
 than that she might resemble her in everything !” 
 
ARIANA VANDEBHEYDEN. 
 
 25 
 
 Her conduct in all respects was exemplary, but partic- ! 
 ularly so in the character of a step-mother, and of this 
 there exists clear evidence in the letters of her step-son, 
 Stephen Bordley; from which we shall presently give ex¬ 
 tracts in our sketch of his life. 
 
 Ariana’s third husband, married November, 1728, was 
 Edmund Jenings, Esq., of Annapolis, where they resided 
 until 1737, when he took her to England. She was there in- j 
 oculated for the small-pox, of which she died in April, 1741. | 
 Mr. Jenings came back to Annapolis, and held some 
 distinguished offices, but afterwards revisited England, 
 where he died in 1756. They left a son, Edmund Jenings, 
 and a daughter, Ariaua Jenings. Their son, born in 1731, 
 went to England with his ];)arents, and remained there; 
 completed his education, and entered on the practice of the 
 law. But being an acknowledged friend to America 
 throughout her troubles, he turned his attention to more 
 animating subjects than the law, and was aftei-wards em¬ 
 ployed by her new Government in various Embassies 
 abroad—a ])roof of their confidence in his })rinciples; 
 although he never returned to his native country. He 
 resided principally in England, where he was highly re¬ 
 spected, and his society sought by some of the first jieople 
 there, both in rank and literature.* He lived to the ad¬ 
 vanced age of eighty-eight, “alert and vigorous both in 
 mind and body” beyond his years, and died in 1819.f 
 
 * Tho writer received an entertaining account of Iiini and his peculiarities, 
 from Lord Henry Steuart, when in this country, as Secretary to Mr. Liston, in 
 1797. 
 
 f See a London publication entitled “Annual Obituary and Biographical 
 Notices”—for “ 1821.” In the Philadelphia Library, No. 4978, October; article 
 “Edmund Jenings.” 
 
 3 
 
BIOGEArillCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 2() 
 
 Their daughter, Ariana Jeniugs, married John Ran¬ 
 dolph, of Virginia; brother to the celebrated Peyton Ran¬ 
 dolph. They had one son, Edmund Randolph, some time 
 Secretary of State, appointed by General Washington, 
 when President; and two daughters, Ariana and Susan; 
 one of whom married a Mr. Grimes, who took her to Eng- 
 land; the other married a Mr. Wormeley, who took her, 
 also, to England; the latter left a son, now Rear Admiral 
 Wormeley, married and settled at Boston, 1826.* 
 
 STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 Stephen, eldest son of the Thomas and Rachel Bordley 
 before mentioned, was born at Annapolis, Maryland, in 
 1709. He was early sent to England, for education, and 
 soon after his father’s death, he entered there on the study 
 of the law, as his father, just before his death, advised him. 
 In his letters to his step-mother, and other friends, on the 
 subject of his profession, and his future course of life, he 
 shows a strong mind, vigorous in reasoning; and equally 
 docile and amiable in deference and respect to his experi¬ 
 enced friends and guardians. This good sense early ap¬ 
 peared ; while yet a youth at school in England, he wrote 
 to his great-uncle, the Rev. Wm. Bordley, clergyman, 
 before mentioned, in a way which excited the old gentle¬ 
 man’s surprise; and in one of his letters to Stephen’s 
 father, dated Westmoreland, 1725, speaking of his “young 
 
 * Returned to England and in the Royal Navy. 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 27 
 
 kinsman,” Stephen having lately written to him, he adds, 
 “that letter contains these remarkable words, viz.: ‘all 
 my aim is to oblige my friends, which I can never better 
 do than by doing the best for myself.’ I’ve reason to con¬ 
 gratulate you upon the number of your children, since ’tis 
 scarce possible such parts, well employed, should ever want 
 bread, in your world!”* 
 
 But although Stephen’s spirited turn of mind thus early 
 showed itself, nothing could be more affectionately respect¬ 
 ful than his whole conduct towards his guardians and elder 
 friends. His habit of keeping a letter-book, commenced 
 immediately after his arrival in England, gives now an 
 opportunity of catching various traits which mark his 
 character—and his was a character that showed itself 
 manfully, and did not leave itself to be discovered by 
 chance or surmise — foibles and mistakes, all came to light! 
 Its predominant tone, whilst he was in England, appeal’s 
 to have been an earnest and passionate attachment to his 
 native country, and a correspondent eagerness to return to 
 it. He remained in England ten years, first in going 
 through various schools, afterwards in close study of the 
 law for four years with an attorney ; afterwards for several 
 years in the Temple. He appears to have taken a mode¬ 
 rate share of amusement; and not to have neglected any 
 of his social duties. Among the latter, were attentions to 
 several elderly aunts and cousins of the Bordley family, in 
 
 * In the close of this old gentleman’s letter there is the following sensible 
 rule of conduct. He mentions thjit an “Ancient Seat” (with many ad¬ 
 vantages) is likely to he “sold soon for £9 or 10,000; but, qua supra nos, nihil 
 ad nos. A sufficiency with contentment is both the satisfaction and delight of 
 him .... who subscribes himself your truly affectionate Uncle, 
 
28 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Yorkshire; in whose affairs he took an affectionate in¬ 
 terest, remarkable in so young a man; he supported a 
 steady intercourse with them whilst in England, and con¬ 
 tinued the correspondence by letter, after his return 
 home. 
 
 For this event he was impatient, but he had resolved to 
 reap the full harvest of instruction that he had entered 
 upon, and to hasten the wished for period of return, he 
 labored with a zeal proportioned to the steady ardor of 
 his character. Speaking in one of his letters of his own 
 country, he says: "I should be much troubled ever to see 
 that country without being capable of serving it. It was 
 for that pui-pose I was sent out here; and, therefore, to 
 return without so doing would be adverse to the intention 
 of my father.” * * “Unless you give me so plentiful 
 
 an education, that I may be able to serve others as well 
 as myself, it will all be in vain, &c.” * If you still 
 
 propose that I slF see you without learning some business, 
 I cannot forbear saying it will be an action much like that 
 of a countrvman, who pulled his fruit before it was ripe, 
 and thereby lost the profit of it. I should certainly be 
 very willing to see you and iny other friends, if I was 
 qualified as fully as my father intended; but since it is not 
 so, let me prevail with you to lay aside so much of that 
 tenderness belonging to mothers (if such is the reason) as 
 to allow me time to learn some business in London, for no¬ 
 where better can business be learnt. It was, a little be¬ 
 fore his operation, the opinion of my father, that I should 
 be fittest for the law—it is also the opinion of Mr. Hunt; 
 what I myself have the greatest inclination to, and what 
 will be of most service to my country, &c.” To Mr. Beale, 
 
STEPHEN BOEDLEY. 
 
 29 
 
 an excellent friend of the family, and the executor of his 
 father’s estate, he writes thus: “ I heartily thank you for 
 your kind advice; you need not doubt but I shall endeavor 
 to follow it, considering that 
 
 ‘My Father’s merit sets me up to view, 
 
 And shews me in the fairest point of light 
 To make luy virtues or my faults conspicuous.’* 
 
 As you are now the chief manager of our affairs, I beg 
 you will take the trouble to advise mother concerning the 
 future part of my life. I should be very willing to see her 
 and my other friends, wms I qualified to do them any 
 service, but I have not yet been to learn any business, 
 &c.” 
 
 These were written before affairs at home were quite 
 settled, and show the ardor and impatience of a youth of 
 eighteen, who, to use his own words, considers “all his 
 futiu’e happiness as hanging on the present moment!” To 
 say truth, and we should not be worthy of our task if we 
 did not, impatience seems to have been one of Stephen’s 
 foibles; but the candor and artlessness with which he be¬ 
 trays it, should disarm censure, especially when we find 
 that it never impelled him to unjust conduct; nor ever 
 prevented the magnanimity with which he often acknowl¬ 
 edged himself mistaken. 
 
 About the same period he expressed himself thus in 
 writing to his Keverend Uncle William: “You seemed 
 jdeased with the provision my father hath made for us; 
 which indeed, were it but in England, would be a vast 
 estate; but as it is, the best of that land is not worth 
 above 20s. or 22s. pr. acre. But, however, I am content, 
 
 *■ Addison’s Cato. 
 
 3 * 
 
30 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 and Avonder how he could get so much; always having 
 enemies and enviers, who endeavored to subvert his under¬ 
 takings; which was without dispute, a great hinderance to 
 him.” Soon afterwards ive find him writing to thank his 
 step-mother for her generous acquiescence in his plans, 
 and also to assure her that he shall “not credit anything 
 to the dispraise of her marriage;” on the contrary, “I am 
 confirmed in the belief of Mr. Jening’s good-will to our 
 family; and as to yours, I was long ago having experienced 
 it.” 
 
 For his step-mother, he appears to have had a truly 
 filial affection, founded on admiration of her virtues. In a 
 letter to one of his aunts in England, he mentions some 
 conduct'of hers with high approbation, and adds, “but she 
 is a step-mother'Of the first rank.” In writing to herself, 
 he implores her “by the tenderness she has always shown 
 him, &c.” Her third maiTiajge seems to startle him at first, 
 and calls forth somewhat of his turn to satire, but he be¬ 
 comes quite reconciled to it. While yet but nineteen, he 
 writes to her thus.: “I perceive there are some who, since 
 my father’s death, have dared to exert themselves, and 
 undertake what they never dared to do whilst he was 
 living; which shows their meanness of spirit, and gives his 
 successor an insight into their characters, and thereby an 
 advantage in managing them. You may rely on it, I shall 
 take all opportunities of improving myself, that I may be 
 able in time to serve my friends, and especially yourself (if 
 ever you slF be so unhappy as to want it,) who hath put so 
 good an opportunity of improvement into my hands.” The 
 latter part refers to her great generosity in taking on her¬ 
 self the expenses of his education. 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 31 
 
 His first attention to the law was with a respectable at¬ 
 torney in London, selected by his guardian, Mr. Hunt, a 
 most estimable man. He engaged for a course of study of 
 five years, for two hundred guineas; with the privilege of 
 withdrawing at the end of four years, if he chose. At the 
 same time his brother William is engaged by their guar¬ 
 dian, Mr. Hunt, to a merchant for three hundred guineas. 
 
 It does not appear at what time exactly Stephen entered 
 the Temple, perhaps on his return to England. With his 
 teacher, the attorney, he seems well pleased, expressing 
 himself thus to his reverend uncle, date 1729: “I am now 
 at Mr. Page’s, an attorney in Austin-fryers, near the 
 Royal Exchange. I am articled for five yeai’s, to leave at 
 four if I think fit—where, I thank God, nothing is wanting 
 to render me as completely happy as this world can ad¬ 
 mit.” 
 
 His undeviating attachment to home is feelingly and 
 naturally displayed in his letters to his own family, both 
 in America and England, and also to his boyish and youth¬ 
 ful friends on this side of the Atlantic; amongst whom 
 were two of his quondam schoolfellows, Edward and James 
 Tilghman, of Maryland. This friendship, renewed when 
 they entered on the busy stage of life together, was 
 strengthened with each succeeding year of their lives; 
 some of the gay and easy letters which passed between 
 them still exist, and mark the genuine and gentlemanly 
 frankness of their mutual regal’d. 
 
 His brother William, not liking the profession chosen for 
 him, was recalled home, and left England in 1731. 
 
 Some extracts from Stephen’s subsequent letters to him 
 
o o 
 O J 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 will show both his affection for his brother, and the sound 
 reflections he was, even so young, capable of forming. 
 
 London, Apl. 5, 1731. 
 
 “ Dr Will : 
 
 Since your departure, I have been under several dis¬ 
 appointments ; for having several times thought with my¬ 
 self that I had not seen you for a long time, I have, in 
 order to go to see you at your school, frequently half 
 dressed myself before I have discovered my mistake. By 
 this you may see that I often think of you, &c.” 
 
 " Inclosed is a letter from your Aunt-; you’ll there 
 
 see that she recommends to you above all things a due 
 observance of your duty to your great Creator—herein I 
 also join with her, and make it also my request that you 
 would do so; but since she hath not told you wherein that 
 duty consists, for want of knowing which you may possibly 
 fall into a very great, and I fear common, error in that 
 point, I shall endeavor, in 2 or 3 Avords, to put it in your 
 power to avoid it. The error is this: some men imagine 
 they have done their duty to their Creator when they have 
 gone to Church twice a day & muttered over a few prayers, 
 and perhaps heard one or two sermons, without ever de¬ 
 siring what they seem to pray for, or designing to live up 
 to the rules laid down in those sermons; but this is so far 
 from being a due performance of one’s duty, or being any¬ 
 wise acceptable to the Supreme Being, that ’tis on the con¬ 
 trary a direct affront to him, as ’tis supposing him to be 
 so stupid as to afford his blessings to any that ask them, 
 tho’ in so slovenly a manner, as if they were indifferent 
 whether they obtained what their words seem to request 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 33 
 
 of him, or no. This is an error the * * * * have most 
 unhappily fallen into, & which you must as much as possi¬ 
 ble avoid. In short, go constantly to Church, and whether 
 you pray or hear, let the one be done with the greatest 
 desire of obtaining what you ask, and with a resolution of 
 doing your endeavor to that end; and the other with the 
 like resolution of living up to those rules there laid down 
 to govern your actions. Observe this, dear Will, as you 
 have a regard to the difference between a happy & a 
 miserable eternity. 
 
 “A man is neither a better nor a worse man, nor will 
 any one of common sense think him so, for any, even ex¬ 
 traordinary virtues or flagrant vices, [& much less for any 
 accidental circumstances in life,] which any of his family 
 may have been noted for, for these things are wholly per¬ 
 sonal, and cannot extend to any but such as are the im¬ 
 mediate possessors of them. 
 
 “ Think on your present course of life. How will it 
 enable you to serve your Country, your friends, or even 
 to keep yourself from starving ? ’Tis a matter well worth 
 your consideration.” 
 
 In the spring of 1733, he quitted the attorney’s office, 
 and instantly prepared for his voyage home, towards which 
 his heart rebounds with the elasticity of a spring long re¬ 
 pressed ! In the June of that year, he dates a round of 
 letters to his friends and relations in England, from 
 Annapolis; informing them of his “ safe arrival,” finding 
 “all well,” his “reception being as agi’eeable as he could 
 wish,” &c., &c., all in high spirits and his wonted jocose 
 manner. At the same time, by the list of law books that 
 he orders sent out to him, he proves himself much in 
 
34 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 earnest in his law vocation. Before the expiration of a 
 year, we find him engaged in a lawsuit with the Lord 
 Baltimore, and in consequence of it, he returns back to 
 England in the spring of 1734, in company with his step¬ 
 father, Mr. Jenings, and his half-brother, Thomas Bordley, 
 then about ten years old, who was taken for his education, 
 and put to school without loss of time. 
 
 Then follow letters expressive of lively affection to his 
 sister Elizabeth, his “ dear Bett,” with many gallant and 
 complimentary allusions to the charming ladies of An¬ 
 napolis ; and some half-hid expressions, which look very 
 much like a particular attachment—but to whom, is not 
 told! His letters dated on board ship, mention Miss Car- 
 roll as being of their party; he closes most of them with 
 assurances that “Mr. Jenings, Miss Carroll, and Tom are 
 well,” and to his step-mother, with his accustomed ease 
 and affection, he says, “ good company, good weather, 
 plenty, & an easy ship, cannot but render our jiassage 
 pleasant,” &c. 
 
 While in England on this occasion, he took chambers in 
 the Temple, with the view to advance and perfect himself 
 in the law during his stay. While a young man, he showed 
 himself remarkably alert and anxious to take advantage of 
 time and opportunity, for further benefit; and not to sacri¬ 
 fice this judicious system, for mere idle gratification of the 
 present moment: yet he enjoyed life—nobody more ! He 
 appears always happy and full of playful humor, but he 
 made it a point in his own mind, not to peiniit the present 
 to beguile him of the future ; he sent his thoughts forward, 
 more than is very common, even to well educated youth. 
 
 A few more extracts from his letters will show him more 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 35 
 
 completely than any other language. Writing to his aunts, 
 who resided in a distant j^art of England, he has occasion 
 to lament for them, some difficulties in their affairs, and 
 adds: “ I am in hopes this will not pi’oduce discontent; the 
 possessions of this life are so precarious, and in themselves 
 such trifles, that none but lunaticks or fools would suffer 
 much uneasiness at parting with them; and as I have no 
 reason to think you either one or the other, I persuade 
 myself you bear your loss as you should do.” In another 
 letter, speaking of his step-mother’s family in Annapolis, 
 he says : 
 
 “ There is scarce anything upon earth I more desire, 
 than to be with that agreeable family: which desire, to¬ 
 gether with the difference between this most unwholesome, 
 muggy climate, (London,) and that serene, wholesome air, 
 may in all probability expedite my return thither.” 
 
 To his step-mother he wi’ites : 
 
 “ Tommy, your first hope, has been some time settled 
 at school, about 25 miles from this place, in a clear whole¬ 
 some air, & in a family where nothing seems wanting to 
 qualify him as fully to meet your wishes as a school can 
 do. I heard lately from him, & design now & then to pay 
 him a visit, & transmit to you such novelties concerning 
 him as shall occur. This I know will not be disagreeable 
 to that tenderness you express for him, and which I should 
 believe sincere, even tho’ I had no other motive than the 
 conformity in your speech and conduct to your dutiful son 
 
 S. B.” 
 
 In writing again to his aunts, his father’s sisters, he 
 congratulates them on bearing “ their late loss” with “ such 
 a frame of mind as will enable the j)erson blessed with it 
 
3G 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 to make the most of the happiness this world affords, by 
 despising what others would call misfortunes. I own for 
 my part, that altho’ I have not lived quite so long in the 
 world as yourself, I have yet lived long enough to know, 
 that there is nothing here worth giving myself one mo¬ 
 ment’s uneasiness about. I therefore doubt not that your 
 greater experience will induce you to think so too.” 
 
 These relations having some time afterwards applied to 
 their nephew Stephen, for pecuniary aid, which the state 
 of his own affairs at that time made it impossible for him 
 to render, he writes in their behalf to his rev. great- 
 uncle, who was also their uncle, to entreat him to transfer 
 an offer of kindness made previously to himself, to these, 
 their mutual relations. This well written and interesting 
 appeal, we find was eventually successful; but with his 
 usual impatience, not being satisfied with the slow move¬ 
 ments of his rev. uncle, he makes use of a mutual friend 
 to send him his “ duty and hearty thanks,” to be accom¬ 
 panied by this remark, “ that he who bestows in time, be¬ 
 stows twice”—Avords worth remembering ! as are also those 
 with which he closes his farewell letter to his aunts, viz.: 
 “ That health and happiness (the latter of which is still and 
 always in your own power) may attend you both, is the 
 hearty prayer of,” &c. 
 
 In a long letter on politics to his Uncle Hynson, date 
 London, 1734, he adds: " But since methinks I see you 
 smile to hear a young man talk of what he is utterly un¬ 
 acquainted with, I shall conclude this matter with saying, 
 that unless a young man discovers his ignorance to those 
 who are able to inform him, ’tis unlikely he should ever 
 know anything.” 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 37 
 
 It appears openly at last, that the beautiful Miss Peggy 
 Shippen was the object of his admiration ! Whilst in 
 London he receives the account of her being engaged, and 
 afterwards of her being married to a gentleman of Boston. 
 He expresses the most earnest wishes for her happiness, 
 and endeavors to show some magnanimity towards the ob¬ 
 ject of her choice, which is, however, accompanied by some 
 of his satirical touches — perhaps those who have ever been 
 deeply in love, may be able to excuse him! 
 
 His rev. great-uncle having expressed a desire to 
 understand the state of his affairs with the Lord Balti¬ 
 more, he writes him a long letter of explanation, from 
 which we will give some extracts : 
 
 “ ’Tis a dispute between the Ld. Baltimore and myself 
 arising upon an endeavor of his to vacate his own grant 
 given to my Father and another })erson for the quantity of 
 230 acres of land, each of which is worth at least £100 
 sterlg.” — “ My lather has by his Will, among other things, 
 divided his share thereof amongst us his children : there 
 is in such part as comes to me a very beautiful hill* (and 
 it is mentioned in his Will): With this spot his Lordship 
 during the time of his being in Maryland professed to be 
 greatly enamoured,' & at last determined to do his utmost 
 towards getting the same into his possession, under pre¬ 
 tence of building a Governor’s house thereon.” 
 
 “ And as the metropolis of that province is built only 
 on the said 230 acres, if his Ldship can by this method 
 vacate that grant, he has besides the forementioned advan¬ 
 tages, the fee-simple of the whole town in himself, and will 
 
 *■ The hill in the center of the city, on which the State-hou8e was afterwards 
 built. 
 
 4 
 
38 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 tlieu either oblige the respective inhabitants to re-purchase 
 at a full value, or else to pay a very considerable annual 
 rent—a very considerable improvement of his revenue, 
 and another, indeed a main reason for his present conduct; 
 for the hope of gaining more is always the main spring of 
 action to an avaricious disposition. 
 
 “ You’ll naturally reflect how likely his Ldship’s Province 
 is to flourish under his Ldship’s oppression! 
 
 “ . . . . since this is a matter not only of greatest import¬ 
 ance to myself but likewise to all the private proprietors 
 of the Province, I know not whether I shall not come over 
 again (to England) with it myself—for could I, tho’ with 
 the ruin of my whole fortune, baulk his avaricious maw of 
 this morsel of land, and the dangerous precedent, I should 
 glory in the action.” “ I have many reasons to think 
 that his Ldship has not laid aside his old animosity 
 to our family, on account of the many oppositions it has 
 given him in his former endeavors to oppress the peojile— 
 and least I should follow so good an example as my worthy 
 Father lately left me, of a humane and publick spirit, and 
 knowing that 
 
 llauJ facile emergent quod virtutibus obstat 
 Res augusta domi .... 
 
 he is determined to crush me (in our Court language) and 
 put it out of my power to give them any future oppo¬ 
 sition.” .... 
 
 In April, 1735, he again leaves England—and his sub¬ 
 sequent letters to his friends there, show him anxiously 
 supporting his cause against his powerful adversary. He 
 is astonished, on returning to Maryland, to find the pro¬ 
 gress things have made in the province, during the short 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 39 
 
 interval of a year, “ towards an absolute and despotick 
 government;” and although his interest in that affair is 
 the interest of the whole people, he fears they are become 
 so “ 2 nean and subservient to the Court party” that they 
 will “ rather see him utterly ruined in this spirited attempt, 
 than help him to success by their timely aid.” 
 
 Notwithstanding his close attention to business, of various 
 descriptions, he never omits writing to his absent friends, 
 both in England and America; and knowing the fact of 
 his having an immense run of business as a lawyer, besides 
 his fondness for social life, we might be surprised at his 
 voluntarily accomplishing these epistolary tasks, did we 
 not reflect on the power and beauty of order, system, and 
 punctuality, which have the effect of creating time for all 
 things, and developing new resources. 
 
 To his brother Tom, left at school in England, he writes 
 long and very interesting letters, conveying information 
 and advice suitable to his age, and which, being pleasingly 
 adapted to his capacity and situation, could hardly fail to 
 produce good effects on his mind—or indeed on that of 
 any one who peruses them thoughtfully. 
 
 To Mr. Harris, SpecTker of the House of Assembly, who 
 was connected with the family both by birth and marriage, 
 he writes long familiar letters, sometimes on politics, pa¬ 
 per currency, &c. To give some idea of his drollery and 
 humor we will extract a passage from one of these, where, 
 after having written five closely-filled pages on the above 
 subjects, he abruptly says : “ But hang politicks ! and since 
 I am somewhat ashamed of breaking off before my letter 
 be run to a moderate length, let us return to our jocose 
 conversation. If my particular friend’s vehicle had but 
 
40 
 
 BIOGRA-PIIICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 four wheels, tho’ it were as little as a wheelbarrow, me- 
 thinks I could look very big iu it, but I cannot endure the 
 thoughts of riding in a sledge, like one going to the gal¬ 
 lows ;—I will therefore choose to wait till she procures 
 herself a Coach, & I doubt not but my patience will be 
 well repaid by the satisfaction I shall have in reflecting on 
 the two pretty figures we shall make in it,” &c. 
 
 His half-sister. Miss Frisby, having informed him of 
 some ill-natured remark which had been made against 
 him, he replies with that sportive indifference and compo¬ 
 sure which marks true self-respect on these occasions, and 
 recommending her to be quite easy, he adds : " I do not 
 find that it (the report) at all infringes on my liberty & 
 gaiety; for it is with me now, as it used to be, every day 
 is holiday with me.” 
 
 Yet, notwithstanding his fine animal spirits, his energy 
 of character, and his firm standing in society, we find, in 
 a letter to an intimate friend in England, dated Annapolis, 
 September, 1736, the following confession : “ I am still 
 in an uiisettled condition ; as not being certain whether I 
 shall ever be able to speak in public; having several times 
 attempted it with the utmost agony and confusion to my¬ 
 self; and what is worst of all, without any signs of its 
 becoming more easy and familiar to me. I am determined 
 once more to make tryal, and if I fail of success, I think I 
 must of necessity give it over:—how I may dispose of 
 myself afterwards, I am not yet determined.” This 
 occurred several years after he had been admitted to prac¬ 
 tice, and should be remembered by all those young lawyers 
 who may chance to have similar difficulties in their own 
 feelings; for Mr. Bordley not only overcame them by per- 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 41 
 
 severing endeavors, but he soon afterwards became a dis¬ 
 tinguished lawyer, was thronged with great practice, and 
 maintained his professional standing to the close of his 
 life. 
 
 As to his suit with Lord Baltimore, it was decreed 
 against him in the Maryland Courts, and he transferred it 
 by appeal to England. At one time it seemed to prosper, 
 but some difficulty afterwards occurred that appears to 
 have delayed the settlement of it to a later period. 
 
 In the mean while, he was very comfortably settled at 
 Annapolis, in the rising practice of his profession, and in 
 the easy and truly social enjoyment of good society, for 
 which he had a decided propensity; and perhaps few old 
 bachelors so well understood doing the honors of his own 
 house—for his leading principle was, an open-hearted hos¬ 
 pitality to those he believed deserving. He had invited 
 his only sister to keep house for him ; and in their mutual 
 affection and respect, their sensible and moderate views of 
 life, and the respectful regard of their numerous con¬ 
 nections and acquaintances, they appear to have possessed, 
 and to have been sensible of the possession, as much 
 happiness as usually falls to the lot of mortals. The fol¬ 
 lowing family sketch, from a letter to his aunts, Mary and 
 Elizabeth Bordley, in England, will show his warm affec¬ 
 tions as a brother, and also his predilection for a rural 
 life, which we believe to have been sincere, notwithstand¬ 
 ing the evidence of his conduct to the contrary. Many 
 are those mortals, thronging together in a city, whose 
 career exhibits this apparent inconsistency, but in fact 
 their beautiful consistency in the course of duty. Nature 
 gives to all her children this fondness for the scenes of her 
 
 4* 
 
42 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 domain—education and circumstances enable them often 
 to act on some principle of duty opposed to it. 
 
 “ In compliance with your request, I must inform you of 
 the situation of our family ; I have two own Brothers & 
 one Sister; the eldest is my brother Will, who has now 
 been of age some time & is very capable of doing for him¬ 
 self in that kind of life which in my opinion is by far the 
 most happy; I mean that of a Planter;* it affording a 
 good income, & being destitute of the noise & bustle & 
 stir which attends those who are obliged to lead their 
 lives amongst great numbers of people; and whose liveli¬ 
 hood of course depends upon the smiles of those who, from 
 the nature of their employment, are often inclined to 
 frown; whilst the honest peaceable labour & industry of 
 the other, procures him a sweet & pleasant & independent 
 repose, affording him not only a certain means of living, 
 but likewise of living well. My Brother Johnny is now 
 about 16 & still at school here, intending for the same 
 kind of employment with his Brother Will.—My sister 
 Bett is between 19 & 20—and is one for whose sake alone 
 I could choose to live, and should have but little inclina¬ 
 tion to continue here after the happening of anything to 
 deprive me of her; or to lessen that affection which I now 
 bear her; and which I think I ought, so long as she con¬ 
 tinues to do nothing whereby she may forfeit it. She is 
 still single, and in my opinion, since she has a fortune 
 independent of any one, she will be best off while she con¬ 
 tinues so; tho’ I would not be understood as if I was 
 against her marrying if she were so inclined; but only to 
 
 “ Planter” was then synonymous with husbandman, or one who lived hy 
 cultivating his estate, and living on it. 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 43 
 
 let you see that I think there are so few men who may be 
 trusted witli the happiness of a woman of education or 
 delicacy, that the hazard is not worth running ; and of this 
 she is herself sensible; indeed there are very few to whom 
 I could trust her’s. I am likewise still single ; and at 
 present continue so as well to avoid the noise and uneasi¬ 
 ness of a large ftxmily & the continual labour and fatigue 
 of providing fortunes to be left them at my death, as the 
 lessening my })ower of doing for my dear Bett anything 
 that may contribute towards making her happy. I have 
 also three half Brothers, Thomas, Matthias, and Beale; 
 the eldest of whom is now in England, under Mr. Sami. 
 Hyde’s care, Merchant in London—to whom any letters 
 may be sent; the other two are at school here. Since my 
 Father’s death, his wife has married again, and they have 
 had three sons and one daughter; the eldest and the 
 youngest were both boys and are both dead. Before she 
 married my Father, she had three girls by a former hus¬ 
 band, all now living, the eldest and the youngest married 
 off. So when we are all together, tve can almost make 
 enough to carry a Borough Election, allowing us all votes. 
 Annapolis, Se})t., 1737.” 
 
 llis correspondence with young Mr. M. Harris, of some 
 years’ standing, is quite voluminous, including a variety 
 of topics, discussed between them in an interesting way : 
 religion, government, literature, friendship, courtship, 
 manners, &c., each take their turn; and though treated in 
 that frank and ingenuous way that is so becoming in a 
 familiar correspondence, they nevertheless convey many 
 solid and valuable reflections and opinions, without either 
 ostentation or l)igotry. The young friend seeks, by means 
 
44 
 
 BIOCrEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 of inquiry, to be enlightened by the other's experience and 
 knowledge; the senior meets these researches with the 
 overflowing abundance of his own good humor and mental 
 wealth; and when we consider the superior acquired ad¬ 
 vantages of his mind, as well as its native acuteness and 
 sagacity, we cannot but congratulate that voung gentle¬ 
 man on having obtained the willing assistance of such a 
 friend. 
 
 “ The friend thou hast, and his adoption tried. 
 
 Grapple him to thy soul with hooks of steel.” 
 
 But we are grieved to be obliged to acknowledge that the 
 blessing was not sulficiently estimated. Pride, alas! false 
 pride, stepped in between the young man and his best 
 interests 1 Perhaps he was afraid, being the younger, of 
 acknowledging himself inferior; that fear, which proves 
 the existence of real inferiority ! Perhaps he thought, as 
 unhappily too many do, that putting on a bold aspect 
 would conceal the truth—not reflecting that Truth, the 
 sacred emanation from the light of Heaven, can never be 
 concealed. 
 
 The youth appears to have fought hard to reject the 
 improvement within his reach, by caviling at trifles, play¬ 
 ing oft’ flashes of false wit and unmeaning repartee, and at 
 last venturing, with equal ingratitude and folly, to assail 
 the motives of his enlightened friend. 
 
 Then it is, that Stephen’s amiable character shines forth. 
 For a long while, and letter after letter, he gently jaarries 
 the other’s unkind thrusts, takes the trouble to point out 
 his misapprehensions, and by alternate drollery and remon¬ 
 strance to set the other right respecting his friendship— 
 which was in fact the only motive that could actuate him 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 45 
 
 ill a private correspondence with a young person, residing 
 far from liim, and possessing neither the power to promote 
 or to interfere with his interests in any way whatever. 
 At last, finding it impossible to make a blind man see, he 
 determines to stop the correspondence; he withholds an 
 answer, already written, (seven pages of kind and forcible 
 explanation,) and confines him.self to sending a few lines 
 on some pretended business, without noticing the other’s 
 impertinence. The ultimate consequence was, that the 
 tyro received no more improving speculations—he was not 
 reproached—he was not quite deserted—the generosity of 
 his friend still endured, and smiled at his weakness—but 
 he had checked its gay and genial flow ; that first fine glow 
 of the heart, which, once chilled, can never beam again 
 with the same warmth ! 
 
 Alas ! how common are such mistakes in young people— 
 and also, in some who never come to years of wisdom! 
 Too many of us, of all ages, avoid looking to the conse¬ 
 quences of our own conduct. It requires a good player, 
 either at chess, or in the game of life, to see several moves 
 ahead! Yet He, who gives us the noble faculty of reason, 
 also requires us to use it—and, let us never forget, that 
 He will also require us to give an account of it to Him! 
 
 In 1750, Mr. Bordley gives the following little family 
 views to one of his relations in the north of England: 
 
 "We live well, and cheerfully, with the enjoyment of 
 all the necessaries and many of the little comforts of life. 
 I wish we could, without inconvenience to yourselves, have 
 your whole family, big & little, by our fireside the ensuing 
 Christmas.” * * * * "We are all still single; a 
 
 strange family! perhaps you’ll say; but Beale is now in 
 
46 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 pursuit of a Dove, and I am apt to believe will soon break 
 the enchantment.” 
 
 “My next Brother is William, who lives on his own 
 land, which is of the best sort amongst us, & as good as 
 any in England; and is one whom you Avould call a Gen¬ 
 tleman-farmer. The next is John, a trader—these are 
 our own Brothers. The following are by a different mother: 
 hlatthias, who has a genteel and beneficial place under 
 Government; and Beale, who now and for several years 
 past has lived with me, is a trader.”* “Amidst a great 
 })lenty of everything, we enjoy as fine and serene an air 
 as any in the world—our winter is generally sharp, but 
 dry; and our summer warm, but healthy.” 
 
 In the manner of life already slightly described, Stephen 
 Bordley continued to pass his years in uninterrupted quiet 
 and satisfaction ; enjoying a goodly portion of the comforts 
 and luxuries that he best liked; and sharing them largely 
 and liberally with his relations, friends, and acquaintances. 
 His house was headquarters to his kindred of every degree; 
 and he appears to have been dissatisfied with his brothers’ 
 visits, if they did not bring their wives and children with 
 them—and shows in his family letters an amiable interest 
 in all their little concerns. 
 
 His intimates were the Tilghmans, as before mentioned; 
 the Dulanys, Carrolls, &c., including all the first society 
 of Annapolis, amongst whom he was a great favorite—and 
 no wonder! for he delighted to promote gayety amongst 
 the young, and was seconded by his sister in giving them 
 frequent entertainments; and particularly in keeping a 
 
 This was written at the time that Beale had renounced the law to try 
 commerce, which, not liking, he afterwards resumed the law. 
 
STEPHEN BOBDLEY. 
 
 47 
 
 good table, every day hospitably ready. If there was 
 one article in which he was more luxurious than another, 
 it was in wines: these he ])rided himself in having of the 
 liest, and in abundance. In his orders to the celebrated 
 house of Hill & Co., for a pipe of Madeira, he says: “A 
 pipe of your best Madeira wine, cost what it will; as I do 
 not stint you in price, I hope you will not slight me in the 
 wine.” We find in his orders, bills, &c. repeated items 
 of this kind: “A Cask of Champagne, and two of Bur¬ 
 gundy,” addressed to his regular French merchants. In 
 his familiar letter, is now and then a hint to some par¬ 
 ticular friend, that he reserves a “few dozen of Bui’gundy 
 for himas for instance, to his favorite, James Tilghman, 
 he says: “My Burgundy is almost out; but I shall keep 
 some of that as well as of Champagne till the Provincial 
 Court, when I hope we shall share it together.” In all 
 this, there was a gentlemanly liberality without extrava- 
 n:ance; for no one could be more exact in regulatiim his 
 expenses according to his means, and squaring his incli¬ 
 nation by his ability. The remarkable and neat regularity 
 of his accounts, exemplary even now to behold! prove the 
 justice of this remark—and he says himself, when recom¬ 
 mending this habit of keeping exact accounts, to an inti¬ 
 mate friend: “I know by this method every article coming 
 in and going out; and particularly I find that my house¬ 
 keeping costs me in 1750 ******^ which gives me a plain 
 hint to live more frugally. This method takes some time, 
 but is fully compensated by knowing every article of charge, 
 and at the year’s end what one is worth to a farthing!” 
 
 lie was a man who delighted to be liberal and generous, 
 and to promote others’ comforts was his joy; but he would 
 
48 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 never be imposed on. Nature had provided him with a 
 weapon of defense as powerful when well managed, as any 
 other; and this was a satirical humor, and a pointed wit) 
 that evidently kept his enemies in awe. He used it most 
 freely in the course of some political conflicts in which he 
 was engaged; and there is a pamphlet now by us, which 
 strongly marks his talent in wielding it. To his friends, 
 who were numerous, it was playful and harmless humor, 
 and proved that the fancy which used it was completely 
 under the control of the })Ossessor. This worthy old bachelor, 
 for such he remained, was a great favorite amongst the 
 ladies of the first circle of Annapolis, where his society 
 and conversation were much sought after—they smiled at 
 his primitive and precise politeness, but justly admired his 
 wit, good sense, and good humor. His satirical vein was 
 felt only by his assailants, but woe to those who induced 
 him to draw an arrow in self-defense! 
 
 He resided in the old family house, on taking possession 
 of which, he sent to England for complete suits of house¬ 
 hold furniture, plate, &c. Its noblest furniture, however, 
 was an extensive law and miscellaneous library, amply 
 stocked with the best editions of well-selected works, in 
 various languages, to which he was constantly adding, 
 and, reading as he added—his opinions, showing a good 
 critical taste of the difterent authors and subjects of the 
 day, are largely expressed in some of his familiar letters; 
 he seems always to have read to good purpose; and neither 
 law nor politics could conquer his favorite pursuit of general 
 knowledge. 
 
 As a lawyer, he stood high; and though surrounded in 
 that day by able competitors, his practice was very exten- 
 
STEPHEN BORDLEY. 
 
 49 
 
 sive. Ilis close apjilication, steadiness, order, and punc¬ 
 tuality, were proverbially marked and admired. He was 
 lor some time high in influence in the General iVssembly 
 of Maryland, and held several valualde offices under the 
 Provincial Government. Coming, at twenty-one, into pos¬ 
 session of a considerable patrimonial estate, successful in 
 law practice, and holding various lucrative appointments, 
 he amassed a handsome property; with which he lived 
 liberally to the extent of his income, and contributed 
 largely to the enjoyment of others, without squandering 
 his means. There seemed nothing wanting to his happi¬ 
 ness but a wife! Like many of his brotherhood, he was 
 an admirer of the fair sex, and fond of being rallied for his 
 admiration of handsome individuals amongst them—though 
 we believe he was only once in sober earnest on this sub¬ 
 ject. lie acquired some quaint old bachelor peculiarities; 
 amoimst them was the virtue of neatness carried rather to 
 
 O 
 
 an extreme pi’ecision, in everything under his direction, 
 from the arrangement of his books and papers down to the 
 minutest attentions of the toilette. To this day this neat¬ 
 ness is evident in his voluminous files of papers, and in his 
 many and exact account books, copies of orders to his dis¬ 
 tant merchants,* letter books, files of letters, &c. 
 
 lie delighted in manly sports. There is a letter from 
 him to a young friend, accompanying the present of a 
 valuable bow and arrows, made of the yew-ti-ee, in which 
 he gives directions with characteristic minuteness and pre¬ 
 cision, both for the manner of using it, and of keeping it 
 when out of use. He seems, indeed, to have been never 
 
 In the?e are some now curious articles, as “ Two black wigs,” “ Two pieces 
 of ihe /inenl Holland linen,” “Three ditto of the best Cambrick,” Ac, 
 
50 
 
 BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 happier than -when contributing to the amusement or in¬ 
 struction of young persons. 
 
 He enjoyed a robust constitution and general health till 
 ■within a short time of his death, which took place Dec. C, 
 1764, at his own house, in Annapolis. We cannot give 
 a better account of this event than from the pen of his 
 brother Beale, in a letter to a relation and friend, viz.: 
 
 “The flattering hopes we had of my Brother’s being re¬ 
 lieved of his Palsy, vanished very suddenly—but a week 
 before his death, which was on the 6“' Ins‘ he thought 
 himself so well as to wish to follow me up to Baltimore— 
 yet for the most part he had for many months before been 
 assured within himself that he could not recover, of which 
 he often told me, and seemed rather desirous of death than 
 otherwise. Ho one ever died more composed and even 
 cheerfully resigned—he was placid from the moment he 
 quitted the thoughts of all business, which was about two 
 months before the fatal moment—he gradually wasted 
 away, (the effects of the Palsy,) and died in my arms on 
 his Couch, without a groan, being sensible of the approach, 
 and of everything about him, two minutes before. I had 
 got to him about three hours before. Hear the beginning 
 of his Will, he blesses God for the many mercies vouch¬ 
 safed to him thro’ the course of this mortal life, and for 
 the prospect of a happy Eternity thro’ the sufferings, death 
 and resurrection of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ; and 
 towards the end he concludes—‘ In witness whereof (with 
 the highest sense of gratitude and most fervent thanks to 
 Almighty God for his many undeserved blessings), &c.’ 
 He was always unaffectedly religious, and his many notes 
 and readings on the subject shew it, even from the time 
 
WILLIAM BOEDLEY. 
 
 51 
 
 he was at school—hut he always modestly disapiiroved of 
 the trappings and outside, taking the greatest j)ains to 
 improve and elevate his mind with a reverence and respect 
 for the Deity—He did not doubt of the truths of the Chris¬ 
 tian Pteli 2 :ion. But I cannot omit mentionino; a text which 
 he wrote in large letters at the beginning of one of his 
 note-books on this subject—‘Where mystery begins, there 
 Religion ends.’ For my part I have always looked on it 
 that Pteligion, (the Christian Pueligion,) so far as at this 
 time is necessary for us to know, is simple, pure, and un¬ 
 compounded.” 
 
 He becpieathed his library with his whole estate to his 
 only remaining brother, Beale; subject to an annuity, with 
 the use of his house, furniture, &c., to his sister—and leav¬ 
 ing several legacies of (£1000) one thousand pounds each 
 to some other relations. 
 
 WILLIAM BORDLEY 
 
 Was the second son of Thomas and Rachel Bordley. He 
 was born at Annapolis in 1716. He was educated in Eng¬ 
 land as before mentioned, with his brother Stephen, and 
 intended for a mercantile profession, but after a short 
 trial of this business he relinquished it and returned home, 
 where on coming of age, he settled on a farm in Cecil 
 County, Maryland. There he held several profitable offices, 
 and maintained a respectable plain character. He resided 
 principally on his estate until his death, which took place 
 in 1702. He married a Miss Pearce, and left a son and 
 daughter, who both died in infancy. 
 
BIOCrEAPinCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ELIZABETH BORDLEY 
 
 Was tlie third child of Thomas and Rachel Bordley, and 
 the only daughter. She was horn in 1717, in the old 
 family house at Annapolis. In that city she principally 
 passed her life amid the social gayeties of its distinguished 
 society, residing with her brother Stephen during his life, 
 and afterwards in the same mansion, which was bequeathed 
 to her for life by him. After the death of that brother, 
 she passed most of her summers at AVye Island, with her 
 only remaining brother, Beale, to whom she was much 
 attached. 
 
 In her youth she was considered handsome and was 
 much admired. Her conduct through life obtained for her 
 the highest respect, and she was greatly beloved for the 
 gentleness and benevolence of her disposition. Several 
 eligible offers of marriage were made to her, but she was 
 never persuaded to marry. AYhen young, she had given 
 the first affection of her heart to an amiable and exemplary 
 young man, who died in England, and though she “ never 
 told her love,” this was generally understood to be the 
 cause of her remaining single. After her death, some 
 verses and other tender tokens from her parting lover 
 were found still faithfully pre.3erved in a pocket-book, 
 which had been scrupulously concealed from common 
 view. This fond fidelity did not at all depress her mind, 
 or cloud her brow ; she was remarkable for being always 
 serene and cheerful, temperate in all her habits, diffident 
 of herself, pleased with social life and its innocent amuse¬ 
 ments, and contributing always her full share towards pro¬ 
 moting the gayety and happiness of young persons. 
 
ELIZABETH BORDLEY. 
 
 53 
 
 Something of this amiable part of her chai'acter may he 
 ascribed to natural constitution, and we cannot, at this 
 day, pretend to estimate the })roportion of self-conquering 
 merit which was hers; hut she was horn with quick feel¬ 
 ings, and too great sensibility for her own happiness, and 
 we may therefore, without hesitation, ascribe great part of 
 the harmony and suavity of her conduct as well as man¬ 
 ners, to the simple and beautiful fact, that she was through¬ 
 out life, sincerely, unaffectedly and unassumingly religious; 
 in her youth, a dutiful daughter of the Protestant Episco- 
 ]ial Church, in her latter years, clinging to the hopes 
 and comforts which that early and devout attention to 
 the subject had opened to her view. Then, in the even¬ 
 ing of the long protracted day, when the sunshine of this 
 world’s charms had set, and left only the bright glow of 
 remembrance behind, then was her previously obedient 
 spirit made happy in its anticipations. The writer re¬ 
 members well the effect of this inward treasure -on her 
 always cheerful mind, and the private comfort she derived 
 from the constant companion of her retired hours, her 
 Bible, whose blessed precepts and joyous tidings, she en¬ 
 deavored to lay before those young minds connected with 
 her, while in herself, she was ever ready to prove their 
 power by kindness and sympathy to all within her circle 
 of influence ; and let it be remembered, that such a charac¬ 
 ter never loses its influence. However modest, however 
 small, its work is sure, “for it is founded upon a rock,” 
 “ the rock of ages.” 
 
 She had naturally a good understanding, and when her 
 strength of niind was put to the test, she could evince a 
 steady firmness, not always found in union with such a 
 
54 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 gentle disposition. If some lew ])rejudices were occasion- 
 all}^ fonnd tarnisliing sucli merit, the fault might be as¬ 
 cribed more to the state of opinion in those aronnd her, 
 and to the general ignorance of the times than to herself; 
 bnt they were never violent or vindictive, or injurious in 
 their effects on others, and when they were borne patiently, 
 her mind has been led to see and to correct some of those 
 errors of opinion, and she had then the triumph of show¬ 
 ing that magnanimity which can acknowledge a mistake. 
 
 She was delicately formed, yet of sound and healthful 
 constitution, temperate and neat in all her habits, ladylike 
 and easy in her manners, unaffected, and obtaining respect 
 for herself by her good treatment of others. She was 
 fond of substantial attire, and always adhered to the fash¬ 
 ion that grew up with her, of rich silks and brocades, lace 
 ruffles, &c. One of her nieces has a portrait of her, painted 
 by C. W. Peale, which gives a tolerably faithful likeness of 
 her when turned of middle age. 
 
 A few months before her death, she was attacked, like 
 her brother Stephen, with a paralytic affection, -which after 
 two or three returns, terminated her life on the 28th Nov., 
 1789, in her 73d year. 
 
 She had been prepared by the duteous habits of her life 
 for this event, and saw its approach with a Christian’s 
 tranquillity. She had banished from her mind the last 
 worldly care, by making her will, and all other temporal 
 arrangements some time previous to the last attack of the 
 fatal disease. She left her only brother, Beale, principal 
 heir to her estate, remembering several other relatives in 
 handsome legacies, and provided amply for her old family 
 domestics. 
 
JOHN AND THOMAS BOEDLEY. 
 
 00 
 
 JOHN BORDLEY 
 
 Was the fourth child and third son of Thomas and Kachel 
 Bordley. lie was horn at Annapolis in 1721. lie mar¬ 
 ried young, and settled on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, 
 near to Chestertown. He died in 1761, leaving no child. 
 Nothing more is known to the writer of the incidents of 
 his life. 
 
 THOMAS BORDLEY 
 
 % 
 
 Was the first child of the above-mentioned Thomas Bord¬ 
 ley and Ariana, his wife, (intermarried as before stated 
 in 1723.) lie was born at Annapolis in 172-1, and when ten 
 years old accompanied his step-father, Mr. Jenings, and 
 his half-brother, Stephen, to England, where they estab¬ 
 lished and left him for a course of education. When that 
 object was completed, he immediately entered on the 
 study of law, and continued that pursuit until admitted to 
 practice, lie was a youth of uncommon promise, and 
 early evinced an unusual degree of excellence both in in¬ 
 tellectual and moral f|ualities. His letters, some of which 
 are still existing, to his family, when only sixteen, are, for 
 that age, models, not only for good composition, and good 
 penmanship, but also for the infinitely higher possessions 
 of good sense, aftection, and sincerity. His handwriting 
 also had a characteristic beauty; it was strong, clear, and 
 graceful. His conduct and behavior harmonized with 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 5G 
 
 tliese exemplifications of excellence, and won all who knew, 
 to love him. 
 
 After being twelve years in England, he revisited his 
 native country in 1746, but it had lost the attractions of a 
 home to him, and he remained only about six months, 
 lono- enouo’h to delight his relatives and fix their affections 
 on such evident and high merit, but not long enough to 
 change his views, Avhich were decidedly for practicing the 
 law in England. To that country he returned ; soon af¬ 
 terwards took the small-pox and died of it at the early 
 age of twenty-three, in 1747. 
 
 MATTHIAS BORDLEY, 
 
 Second son of Thomas and Ariana Bordley, was born at 
 Annapolis in 1725 ; there he was also educated. He early 
 settled as a planter and tobacco merchant in Harford 
 County, Maryland, and held a lucrative and respectable 
 office under the Provincial Government. He married Miss 
 Peggy Bigger, when she was just sixteen, very pretty, 
 well educated, and amiable, and he was devotedly at¬ 
 tached to her. Their affection was mutual and pure ; the 
 writer of this has often heard his youngest brother, Beale, 
 speak of them emphatically as an instance of strong genu¬ 
 ine affection and connubial happiness in two equally amia¬ 
 ble beings. But, alas ! it was not to endure long; she died in 
 giving birth to her first child, and he never recovered from 
 the shock, but, after lingering a few months in a state of 
 
MATTHIAS BOEDLEY. 
 
 iixed iuid unyielding grief, he followed her to the grave i’l 
 the year 17oG, aged thirty-one. 
 
 They were considered a very interesting young couple, 
 their affection had been the theme of much admiration, 
 and caused a deeper tone of feeling for their loss, which 
 was long deplored. The lines on “Theodosius and Constan- 
 tia” were often apjdied to them : 
 
 ‘ They were lovely in their lives, 
 
 And in their deaths they were not divided.” 
 
 END OF EAET FIEST. 
 
lUOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 
 
 OF THK 
 
 B 0 R D L E Y F A x\l 1 L Y, 
 
 OF 3IAKYLANP, &c. 
 
 PART SECOND. 
 
A FAMILIAR SKETCH 
 
 OP THE 
 
 LIFE AND CHAKACTER 
 
 JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 Hcdiratftt 
 
 TO ms 
 
 CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, 
 
 BY 
 
 THEIR NEAR RELATIVE AND FAITHFUL FRIEND, 
 
 J’hiladelphia, 1826. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 0 
 
GENTLE READER. 
 
 Before entering on the following attempt at a memoir, 
 accept the writer’s acknowledgment of its many and great 
 deficiencies, and pause one moment, whilst we point out 
 and explain some of them. 
 
 Of the entire first half of the life here sketched, the 
 writer had no personal knowledge, and no means of col¬ 
 lecting much concerning it from others living in the j^res- 
 ent day. The respected individual himself was not in the 
 habit of bringing it into view, in later periods, being other¬ 
 wise engaged, and, moreover, as remarkable for the ab¬ 
 sence of egotism and ostentation in his family communi¬ 
 cations, as in those less private. So that even his older 
 children knew little of his prime of life, except what oc¬ 
 curred within their own actual observation, which also 
 was limited by their long residences from home in ])ursuit 
 of education. 
 
 Thus it happens that we have been compelled to leave 
 those parts of our sketch most in shade, Avhich would prob¬ 
 ably have yielded the most gratifying variety of inci¬ 
 dents, could their minute traces have come to light. 
 
 The few prominent ])oints of that earlier }) 0 ]’tion of his 
 
64 
 
 GENTLE EEADER. 
 
 career, which are here preserved, have been gathered from 
 old family records, such as letters, accounts, note-books, 
 etc., and from traditional recollections confirmed by a few 
 yet living evidences. 
 
 Pains have been taken throughout to set down nothing, 
 either in this or the preceding outlines of lives, hut what 
 the writer on sound grounds believes to be true, and can 
 prove to rest on good authority. For the accuracy of the 
 narrative, as far as relates to the latter years of the life 
 now inscribed to you, she is herself a living voucher. 
 
 Accept it, ye of the same blood, even " with all its im¬ 
 perfections on its head,” accept it as a test of good-will, 
 or, as a hint of what might have been done, had the mate¬ 
 rials and the pen been equal to the subject. 
 
 Remember the writer, only as your faithful relative, and 
 now receive, clothed with a sister Christian’s hopes, her 
 affectionate farewell. E. B. G. 
 
 Philadelphia, Walnut Street, 
 
 December, 1826. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, &c. 
 
 JOHN BEALE BORDLEY, 
 
 Son of the Thomas, and Ariana Bordley. before mentioned, 
 was born at Annapolis, Maryland, on the 1st of February, 
 1727, 0. S., (the 11th February, new style,) four months 
 after his father’s death. He was thus a posthumous child, 
 and the youngest of his father’s seven children. 
 
 He received no uncommon advantages of education early 
 in life, but he afterwards acquired, by the energy and ap¬ 
 plication of his own mind, all that untoward early circum¬ 
 stances had denied him. His mother being still in the ( 
 prime of life, and a remarkbly fine woman, was again 
 sought in marriage, and gave her hand to Mr. Edmund 
 Jenings, of Annapolis, her third husband. Though an esti¬ 
 mable man, he was hardly equal to the heavy charge of 
 minutely conducting the fortunes and the education of so 
 many step-children—ten, besides his own five; and en¬ 
 gaged as he was in public duties and political affairs, their 
 interests rather languished. Yet so amiable and honora¬ 
 ble was he, that they were all much attached to him, and 
 never took any measures, or made any remarks to his dis¬ 
 advantage, but lived, as may be seen in Stephen Bordley’s 
 letters, like one happy and harmonious family, of the same 
 views and interests ; and of this period, the subject of our i 
 present sketch had, late in life, a perfect recollection, and 
 
 6 * 
 
66 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 1 often spoke with animation of the happy family circle over 
 which his mother presided so charmingly, and of the amia¬ 
 ble disposition of his step-father. 
 
 In 1737, Mrs. Jenings accompanied her husband to 
 England, where, as elsewhere mentioned, she soon after¬ 
 wards died ; but before leaving America, she placed her 
 son Beale, then 10 years old, under the care of Col. Hyn- 
 ' son, of Chestertown, Maryland, and his wife, her sister 
 Francina. There he went through a common school educa¬ 
 tion. His teacher was a worthy man of the name of 
 Beale,* who, perceiving an excellent capacity and uncom¬ 
 mon desire of knowledge in young Bordley, prolonged the 
 hours of instruction as far as his abilities extended, by 
 private lessons, and judicious encouragement. This be¬ 
 nevolent interest was not bestowed on an ungrateful heart; 
 it led to that friendship which Mr. Bordley through life 
 showed to the son of his old schoolmaster. 
 
 He was remarkable in his youth for an extreme mod¬ 
 esty and diffidence, and often in later life, remarked upon 
 it as having been a painful feeling to himself, but as hav¬ 
 ing also proved a happy safeguard to moral principle, 
 which he explained by adding that “ the habit of doubting 
 one’s self, leads to self-examination, and its good conse¬ 
 quences, improvement to ourselves, with justice and forbear¬ 
 ance towards others.” In this he did not include that false 
 shame, or rather sheepishness, so apt to fasten on badly 
 educated youth, and under which may lurk and hide some 
 of the very worst propensities of the human character, with 
 less chance of their being corrected than if boldly thrown 
 
 Father to him, who, in Philadelphia, has identified himself with one of the 
 best museums of Natur.al History ever established by individual exertion. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 07 
 
 open to view; lie commended only tliat true modesty, which 
 is often seen in the noblest characters, and connected with 
 the finest talents. Witness Washington and Sir Isaac New¬ 
 ton. This modesty has been somewhere defined to be, 
 “ That spirit of discernment which leads a man to under¬ 
 stand himself, and to distinguish at a glance the proprie¬ 
 ties or improprieties, the merits or demerits, which he ob¬ 
 serves in his associates, neither derogatino; from their 
 merit, nor arrogating an undue share to himself.” It 
 thus implies an improved judgment, and stands indirect 
 opposition to blundering ignorance and unenlightened pride, 
 from both which sheepishness arises. It may also bo con¬ 
 sidered in some constitutions, a sensibility to justice, and 
 a willingness to see the truth, in which case it evinces 
 moral courage, is accompanied by ingenuous candor, and 
 often attends the strongest minds in every stage of life, 
 and in this view, it may be said to have belonged to John 
 Beale Bordley. But let us return to our narrative. 
 
 When Beale was about 17 years of age, his eldest brother 
 Stephen, returned again from England, having completed 
 there a nine years’ course of law-study under such advan¬ 
 tages, that he was at once received into that practice of 
 the law in Annapolis, for which he was afterwards distin¬ 
 guished. One of his first steps on establishing himself in his 
 office, was to invite his brother Beale, whom he had never 
 yet seen, to come and study with him, and adopt the same 
 profession. In this plan Beale acquiesced gladly, and be¬ 
 came a diligent student, both in the law and in general 
 literature and science, for which reason his studies were 
 pi’otracted several years beyond the usual period. On his 
 first introduction to the office, an incident occurred which 
 
08 
 
 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 liad nearly tlannted Ins courage for the undertaking. 
 AVhen he entered, Stephen threw open the doors of his 
 extensive miscellaneous and law library, and in his jocose 
 and humorous way, with which the other was not yet ac¬ 
 quainted, said to him : “ There, Beale, when you have read 
 through all those books, you may then practice the law.” 
 An appalling sentence, which, spoken in a serious manner, 
 Avas taken' seriously, and not easily forgotten. And the 
 diffidence of youth in the presence, for the first time, of 
 one so much his senior, (there Avas 18 years between these 
 brothers,) preventing any request for explanation, the im¬ 
 pression remained, and continued silently and oppressively 
 operating on the mind of the young student until a de¬ 
 cided disgust was formed there against the law. It cer¬ 
 tainly eAunced an uncommon steadiness of character and 
 self-command, that under these circumstances, he pursued 
 the study, and even longer than the usual term, giving his 
 teacher reason to be satisfied Avith his application and pro¬ 
 ficiency. At the same time he completed a course of the 
 most valuable general reading, laying in an ample stock of 
 history, philosophy, science, and arts. He has often been 
 heard by the Avriter to say, that he felt the benefit of this 
 course of reading throughout his life, not only for the 
 actual and useful information gained, but also for the habit 
 of giving system and stability to thought, and for all this, 
 he blessed the quiet and the regularity of his brother’s 
 office, the bustle and cares of the world having never after¬ 
 wards allowed him such a “golden opportunity” for the 
 acquisition of knowledge. 
 
 After an honorable admission to the bar, being still 
 young and not yet quite in humor with the law, he tried 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 69 
 
 other pursuits ; made some acquaintance with commerce, 
 as we see by some remarkably neat account books, but 
 liked it still less than the law, and finally gave it up. 
 He did not, however, suffer it to be lost time, and always 
 afterwards congratulated himself on the knowledge of 
 book-keeping which he then acquired, and also the insight 
 into men’s professional characters which he gained. 
 
 Throughout life, he was fond of particular branches of 
 mathematics: geometrical problems, algebraical and arith¬ 
 metical calculations, &c. were among his favorite amuse¬ 
 ments. Surveying was also an agreeable pastime to him; 
 he sent to England for a very complete surveying appara¬ 
 tus, and amused himself and his friends, by invented oppor¬ 
 tunities for applying it, which he used to say contributed 
 to keep him in health by the excitement and exercise; he 
 also observed latterly, that in the course of his life he had 
 sometimes found it a useful branch of knowledge. 
 
 It is not known to us when he acquired the Latin lan¬ 
 guage, but he was well acquainted with it, and it was prob¬ 
 ably one of his studies in his brother’s office. In fact, to 
 those who knew him intimately, it was evident that ho had 
 not suffered himself to lose time, but that through life he 
 had been in the constant habit of gaining useful knowl¬ 
 edge, and this not as an effort, not as a labor that required 
 the stimulus of rivalship or ambition, to give it vigor, nor 
 yet for purposes of ostentation; it was the easy and pleas¬ 
 ant result of an early imbibed principle of conduct, or 
 perhaps it would be most correct to say, the native and 
 strong impulse of his mind, directed by some early impres¬ 
 sion to a good object, and confirmed and brought into sys¬ 
 tem about the period we are now arrived at. 
 
70 
 
 BIOGEAPIIICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 As familiar letters are said to give an insiglit into char¬ 
 acter, it may he interesting to observe how he himself 
 traced the operation of certain reflections on his own con¬ 
 duct by an extract from a letter to a young lawyer, a 
 cousin, dated Januaiy, 1765. 
 
 “ * * * * I have often enjoyed the inward satis¬ 
 
 faction arising from acting on fixed principles, disregard¬ 
 ing the approbation of the herd. How vain, how weak, 
 how cowardly, to attempt to please all mankind, to over¬ 
 look the Scriptures with the laws of nature and morality, 
 for the sake of pleasing the vicious or the ignorant multi¬ 
 tude by becoming one of them in all measures ! Bather 
 let us, firm in good principles, industriously apply to our 
 proper business and not be diverted from a manly employ¬ 
 ment by the flirting of butterflies. I fortunately (blessed be 
 God) very early, when but a boy, saw the folly of so 
 vain an attempt. I have been ever fixed in a disposition to 
 learn and to do whatever is right without deviating to 
 please others, not but that I am glad to be well with all 
 my neighbors, but never at the expense of counteracting 
 my own rules of action.” 
 
 Again, still later in life, we find some of the same ideas, 
 in a letter dated 1775, to one of his sons, then at school in 
 England: 
 
 “ * * * A few principles, early taken up, and closely 
 observed, happily carried me clear of such rocks as many 
 of my cotemporary acquaintances split upon in their youth. 
 Temperance, Resolution to be Myself, against the cur¬ 
 rent of fashion and bent of other youth—choice of sober 
 companions—avoiding idle ones, cards, * * * and wine, 
 and shunning the affectation of being a clever fellow 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 71 
 
 amongst the great or little vulgar, these are great })reserv- 
 atives. 
 
 “ Go on, my dear Matt, & do well! I find you have 
 some turn to oratory—improve this ; but let Truth & 
 Justice he the basis of your harangues—feel for the inno¬ 
 cent, the injured, and oppressed—it Avill give a multiplied 
 force to your words—avoid the flowery, diffusive fuatian of 
 insincerity, aftectation, and vanity,” &c. 
 
 We have here quoted more than we at first intended ; but 
 we trust that the repetition of such sentiments cannot be un¬ 
 welcome to any one who, as Cowper says. 
 
 “ * ■» has a mind, and keeps it.” 
 
 They serve, besides, to show a marked trait in the charac¬ 
 ter of John Beale Bordley, similar to that which the reader 
 must have observed throughout the sketch of his father’s 
 life, as also in his brother’s—perhaps we might say it was 
 a Bordley feature ! It seems scarcely necessary to mention 
 it, yet lest there be any misapprehension of our meaning, 
 we will name this family trait, “ Independence of Mind.” 
 
 On attaining his majority, Mr. Bordley came into pos¬ 
 session of a pretty patrimonial portion, chiefly in lands, 
 and not very productive, but yielding a snug competence 
 for a young man to begin life with. He was soon, how¬ 
 ever, so fortunate as to obtain a fair help-mate in the 
 career before him ; in his twenty-fourth year he married 
 kliss Margaret Chew, daughter of Mr. Samuel Chew, of 
 klaryland, and Henrietta Maria his wife, daughter of Mr. 
 and Mrs.-Dulany. 
 
 Miss Chew possessed some fortune from her father. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 wliicli afterwards received an addition on tlie death of her 
 mother. 
 
 In the luxurious, pleasant ease of the fashionable society 
 of Annapolis, at that time in its zenith, there was great 
 temptation to a young man, just united to the wife of his 
 choice, who was accustomed to delicacy and refinement, 
 to desire to continue in this fascinating circle of pleasure; 
 but we find that Mr. Bordley, young and ardent as he was, 
 resisted the temptation, and looking forward to future 
 emergencies, retreated in good time to Joppa, a small 
 town on GunpowMer River, between Harford and Balti¬ 
 more, and in the neighborhood of which lay a large tract 
 of his patrimonial estate. 
 
 There he experienced the reward, that sooner or later 
 attends virtuous exertion, and found happiness associated 
 with duty. 
 
 With a disposition gay and sprightly—as those who 
 may have heard him describe his joyous feelings at a fox- 
 chase will know how to give him full credit for—he never¬ 
 theless very early established a solid reputation for industry 
 and steadiness, as well as for other qualifications; and in 
 1753, in his twenty-sixth year, he was appointed by the 
 Governor to the office of Prothonotary, or Clerk of Balti¬ 
 more County, which then included Harford County. This 
 was the most important and most lucrative of any of those 
 clerkships. In the steady pursuance of the duties of this 
 appointment, he resided in and near Joppa between twelve 
 and thirteen years. Here he raised a large family of chil¬ 
 dren, and in their infant attractions and the formation of 
 their opening minds, together with the well-ordered and 
 simple comforts of his rural domicile, always hospitably 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 73 
 
 ready for friends, lie found abundant relaxation from tlie 
 cares of business. 
 
 He chose for his fixed residence one of his farms near 
 the town, fitted up a neat house, comfortably established 
 his rising family, and occasionally amused himself with 
 farming. This, to a mind like his, was a happy relief 
 from the irksome business of a county court-house, or even 
 from a prothonotary’s office. 
 
 It seems probable that here was laid the foundation of 
 that partiality for agriculture and rural affairs which 
 afterwards became his ruling passion, and the solacing 
 amusement of his declining age. Forty years afterwards, 
 when traveling in that direction, he pointed across the 
 country towards Joppa, and said to his youngest daughter ; 
 " There, in the neighborhood of that little town, your 
 father passed some of the busiest, and the happiest years 
 of his life. Yes! happy—for there I learned to love 
 Nature !” 
 
 And from his papers and account books it a})pears that 
 even at that early period he was in the practice of sending 
 to England for “ the best” farming machines, the best 
 seeds, treatises on husbandry—and among the latter is 
 “ Young’s Six Weeks’ Tour,” by which he always set 
 great store. 
 
 In 1762, his half-brother William died. In 1765 he 
 wrote thus to his widow’s brother, Mr. Pearce : “ If your 
 sister is willing, I will put my nephew to school,* and 
 whilst he shall be under my care, will be at the expense of 
 his schooling and board. I am desirous he should have as 
 good an opportunity for education as my own sons.” 
 
 *■ This kind intention was prevented by the boy’s death. 
 
74 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 In 1764 he lost his brother Stephen, an event he deeply 
 felt; and we find him immediately sending to England for 
 a. suitable monnment, inscription, &c. There had been a 
 steady affection between these brothers, cemented by con¬ 
 stant intercourse and interchange of kind offices, and 
 heightened on the part of Beale by a kind of filial respect, 
 Stephen having acted like a father towards him, being 
 eighteen years older, and also the eldest of the family. 
 Soon after this event, Beale writes thus to a mutual 
 friend ; “ * * * His loss to my sister and myself, who are 
 now the only survivors of my Father’s children, is not to 
 be supplied. I know no one so warm, so steady in his 
 friendshijis and social regards—he was to many here a 
 pattern of virtue, industry, and prudence—but I must 
 stop.”* 
 
 * 
 
 It was not generally known for some years of his life, 
 that Mr. Bordley’s first Christian name was John; having 
 an elder brother of that name, he omitted the use of it, or 
 only signed with the initial of it, and was called “ Beale” 
 only. After some time, however, he resumed it, and thus 
 mentions the circumstance in a letter to a friend, dated 
 " Annapolis, December 13, 1764.” 
 
 “ You observe I make use of the initial J in signing 
 my name—this has been only since the death of my elder 
 brother John, and for some little time when first of age. 
 I was christened by the name of John Beale, and shall 
 continue to use it for the future.” 
 
 During his attendance on the courts as Prothonotary, 
 the law and he became so well reconciled, that he seriously 
 
 ® See the sketch of Stephen’s life. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 75 
 
 renewed his attention to it, and l^ecame a practicing law¬ 
 yer foi’ several years, with great success, as the writer 
 remembers to have heard said of him ; and as appears by 
 his books. Ilis practice was at first, and principally, in 
 Cecil County, adjoining Harford, and also in the latter, 
 and in Baltimore County, and was continued with exclusive 
 attention, when, on relinquishing the office of Prothonotary, 
 he removed to Baltimore-town, as it was then called. 
 
 He was impelled by his own feelings to resign this office, 
 rather than be answerable under the Stamp Act, and the 
 other “ arbitrary and cruel proceedings,” as he called 
 them, of that period. His mind Avas invariably opposed to 
 all oppression, and his letters, about that time, are replete 
 with expressions of natural and indignant feeling on the 
 unreasonable and injurious treatment of the British gov¬ 
 ernment, to which he was amongst the first awakened. 
 That odious Act was repealed soon after, but he had 
 already, in 1705, removed to Baltimore. There he was 
 comfortably settled in that improving town, and continued 
 the practice of the law with the most flattering prospects. 
 
 These, however, he was induced to relinquish ; for in 
 1700 he was appointed one of the Judges of the Provincial 
 Court, for klaryland. These courts were held twice a 
 year, at Annapolis, the seat of government; and their 
 jurisdiction required many circuits, and gave their Judges 
 frequent intercourse with the eastern as well as western 
 shore of the Chesapeake. In 1707 he also received the 
 appointment of Judge of the Admiralty.* He held both 
 
 (Jii the death of the Chief .Tiistice Hooper, in 1767, (iovernor Eden offered 
 the vacant ehair to Judge Bordley, hut he declined it, and as we see hy a mem¬ 
 orandum in his note-book, recommended Mr. Hayward, who was afterwards 
 appointed to it. 
 
7G 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 these judicial offices until the change of Government in 
 1776.' 
 
 Persons are yet living, who remember the character of 
 high respectability which he sustained upon the bench, 
 and also the decorum and tranquillity maintained in the 
 courts where he presided. He was an admirer and a sup¬ 
 porter of good order, which he considered as the necessary 
 safeguard to property, but it was held in his mind as being 
 always subservient to the cause of justice and mercy. Pie 
 viewed it as one of the appointed means, under Provi¬ 
 dence, by which society in a civilized and Christian state 
 is held together, for the promotion of higher objects. He 
 was remarkable for attention to the interests of all who 
 were oppressed, and for strict adherence to principle, of 
 which he permitted no evasion, either in great or in small 
 affairs. As an instance of the latter, it has been men¬ 
 tioned that having sometimes observed lawyers endeavor¬ 
 ing to intimidate young and ignorant witnesses, either for 
 their amusement or the benefit of their cause, he set about 
 and soon accomplished a complete reform in the manners of 
 the bar—gave courage and support to embarrassed wit¬ 
 nesses, and taught the examining counsel a better regard 
 for his own dignity. 
 
 The late Judge Breckenridge, of Pennsylvania, men¬ 
 tioned, some few years since, the pleasure he used to take, 
 when a lad, in attending the courts where Judge Bordley 
 presided. He related various circumstances, and some 
 anecdotes, which had struck his attention, of which only 
 one is now within our reach—but we will mention it just 
 as related to Mr. Bordley’s eldest daughter, and by her to 
 the writer : A celebrated young lawyer of that day, Mr. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 Samuel C-, was pleading for a client wlio was accused 
 
 and prosecuted, by a tanner, for stealing a calf’s skin, and 
 he was eloquently and satirically endeavoring to acquit 
 him, on the ground that it was too trifling to be considered 
 a theft. Judge Bordley fixed his eyes calmly on the law¬ 
 yer, and in his own pleasant, attractive and peculiarly 
 
 impressive manner, said : “ Ah ! Mr. C-, is it you who 
 
 think that, because the article is of small value, there is 
 no theft ?” The lawyer hung his head and said no more ! 
 JudQ:e Breckenrid«:e then added: “I do not remember how 
 the cause ended, but I never can forget the Judge’s man¬ 
 ner ! nor the deep feeling of sound principle conveyed by 
 it from his mind to my own !” 
 
 In matters of importance he was a firm, and was called 
 a strict Judge. Doubtless he was so; but it was for the 
 accuracy of the general result, not for any particular point 
 gained; while by all it has been admitted, that the native 
 goodness of his heart, and the franlv generosity of his tem¬ 
 per, kept those around him happy and harmonious. 
 
 It was his well known and well appreciated love of jus¬ 
 tice, and his unequivocal support of truth, which gave 
 him a weight of character and an influence that he never 
 claimed for himself, by any })ersonal, extraneous, or even 
 official rights. Ilis highest ambition was to be the organ 
 or the engine for administering to the rights of others, and 
 for awakening, from the bench, an enlightened and general 
 sense of justice and propriety. 
 
 This unaffected source of dignity, this clear moral per¬ 
 ception, sustained by a sound sense of ]'eligion and respect 
 for the laws, was the more readily felt, acknowledged, and 
 respected, because it did not infringe on the easy, genuine 
 
'8 
 
 BIOGRAPI-IICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 urbanity and })layfuluess of manner, wliicli were also and 
 equally Ids striking characteristics. He had no mock dig¬ 
 nity, yet he could be serious. In one ol his note-books 
 there is a sketch of one of his charges to the j ury, in which 
 we trace his own vigorous mode of reasoning on general 
 views, set forth in the simplest language, breathing 
 throughout a solemn sense of responsibility to the Great 
 Judge of all, and a brotherly feeling in explaining the 
 duties of those he addressed. 
 
 But neither his public and private duties, nor the 
 charms of good society, in which he delighted, and shared 
 abundantly at Annapolis, could enfeeble his warm parental 
 interest; the education of his children was to him an ob¬ 
 ject of primary concern; and we find by many letters on 
 the subject, that after various investigation of the public 
 schools in our own country, he addressed the following 
 anxious inquiries respecting the education of his sons, to 
 his half-brother, Mr, Edmund Jenings, in London, 1766 : 
 
 “ * * * The most weighty charge on my mind at present, 
 and the most difficult, is procuring a right education for my 
 children. A good school for useful learning is scarcely to be 
 found on this continent. They have a college at * * * 
 
 that spoils many a man—most of their youth are turned 
 out in a hurry, with a smattering of pretty stuff; and 
 without a solid foundation, pertly set themselves up as the 
 standards of wit, and what is most impudent, of superior 
 judgment. For some time past, I have intended to send, 
 or carry home,* two of my sons for education, and to have 
 consulted you on the subject. My notion is to give them 
 all the useful learning they can take without ' beating it 
 
 Home,” formerly a familiar or cant term for England. 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 79 
 
 into tliem’—more I do not desire they should have. The 
 languages in the first place, and the mathematics as tar as 
 may be. I make it a point they shall learn a method of 
 book-keeping, it is essential to the properly keeping our 
 affairs together, and to check the sallies of extravagant or 
 immethodical men. At this distance, I have no opinion of 
 the great schools in or near great cities. I should be glad 
 the little fellows were led up in a plain manly way, to be 
 fully possessed of useful learning, and not overlooking 
 morals and manners, whatever will tend to make them 
 good men, rather than either worldly saints, or coxcombs, 
 or pedants. Please employ your thoughts for me,” &c., &c. 
 
 In consequence of Mr. Jenings’s subsequent statements 
 and encouragement, the “little fellows” were sent to Eng¬ 
 land the following year, 17G7, intrusted to the care of 
 their uncle. 
 
 Thomas, aged twelve; Matthias, ten. Their situation 
 there was affectionately attended to by him, who placed 
 them first with a respectable clergyman in the country, 
 afterwards at different preparatory schools, and they 
 finished at Eton College. 
 
 In 1771, Mr. Bordley had the affliction to hear of the 
 death of the eldest, Thomas, a remarkably fine and promis¬ 
 ing youth. He died of consumption. So much was the 
 tender parent attached to this amiable and affectionate 
 child, that he could seldom, even in his latter years, speak 
 of him without tears. 
 
 In 1773, he sent over his youngest son, John, then aged 
 nine, under the care of his excellent friend Col. Sharpe. 
 In his pocket-register of that year, is the following memo¬ 
 randum : 
 
so 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 July 10, Saturday. 
 
 “Son John sailed for England in the Kichniond, Captain 
 Love, from the mouth of South Eiver; wind W., and con-, 
 tinned fair all Sunday and part of Monday, so that I ex¬ 
 pect she put out of the Capes Sunday night. Col. Sharpe, 
 Mrs. Ogle, and Sammy Ridout, fellow passengers.” 
 
 In a letter to his son Matthias, in England, recommend¬ 
 ing this younger brother to his care, he says: “* * * 
 
 for what can afford more solid satisfaction than promoting 
 the real interests of our dear connections, at the same time 
 that by it we observe our duty to God!” 
 
 In 1766, we find him interesting himself for “young 
 Peale,” whom his friendship had followed through various 
 vicissitudes. He now succeeded in gaining a handsome sub¬ 
 scription for him, to which he largely contributed, to ena¬ 
 ble him to visit Europe, to take lessons in painting from his 
 countryman Mr. AVest, now Sir Benjamin AA^est. Mr. 
 Peale showed his sense of this friendship by attentions to 
 the sons of Mr. Bordley, then in England, and by many 
 subsequent proofs, to himself and family, of his grateful 
 feelings throughout life. 
 
 In 1768, Judge Bordley was appointed one of the Com¬ 
 missioners to run the Tangent Line between Maryland 
 and Delaware; and in August of that year, met the other 
 Commissioners at Chestertown, Kent County. Extracts 
 from his own note-book will, perhaps, give the circum¬ 
 stance more clearly, viz.: 
 
 “Journal. 
 
 “Sept., Assizes, 1768, Eastern Shore. 
 
 “Aug. 24, left home .... to meet the Commissioners 
 on the Province Lines, at Chester, Kent County. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 81 
 
 “Aug. 28, at Chester. 
 
 “Aug. 30, ci’ossed to Col. Lloyd’s. 
 
 . “Aug. 31, left Cambridge. Ben Venables is 16 miles 
 from Vienna, at head of Barren Creek, falling into ISianti- 
 coke, just below Vienna, S" side; near Venables is a swamp; 
 saw the raising of Bogg Iron ore .... two miles from 
 Ben Venables is the middle point Stone, or place of begin¬ 
 ning, to run the Tangent Line towards New Castle, put 
 down by me as a Commissioner directed by the Board.” 
 
 Mr. Bordley was one of the Governor’s Council* during 
 the greater part of the administration of Governor 
 Sharpe, and during the whole of Governor Eden’s. 
 There was great intimacy and friendship bfetween him 
 and each of these gentlemen; but particularly with Gov¬ 
 ernor Horatio Sharpe, whom he never spoke of, even 
 late in life, without terms of strong affection. Perhaps we 
 may trace a portion of this feeling to congeniality of mind 
 and taste in rural concerns. Their intimacy was continued 
 by letter after Mr. Sharpe’s return to England, and agri¬ 
 culture seems to have been the leading theme between 
 them. About a year after the peace between our two 
 countries, Mr. Bordley received a friendly letter from Mr. 
 Sharpe, with the present of a very complete threshing rna- 
 
 In Aitkin’s Register for 1773, is the following: 
 
 “ List of the Members of the Proprietor’s Cou:^oil. 
 
 f Richard Lee, George Steuart, ' 
 
 I Benedict Calvert, William Hayward, 
 
 I Daniel Dulany, Col. Fitzhugh, 
 
 John Ridout, Dan. of St. 'rhomas Jenifer, 
 
 John B. Bordley, George Plater, 
 
 .Judge of the Admiralty, 
 
 .lohn Beale Bordley, Esq.” 
 
 The same list is in the Register lor 1774—both these arc in our posses: 
 
82 
 
 BIOGRAPiriCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 chine, newly invented. On experiment, he approved of it 
 highly for a small farm, hut found it of no advantage in 
 threshing his large crops of wheat. 
 
 i\Ir. Bordley’s intimacy with Governor Eden was also 
 uninterrupted and very })leasing, as long as that gentleman 
 remained in this country; as appears by several friendly 
 visits made him at Wye, in the course of 1771-2, &c., and 
 alluded to in the pleasant, easy style of their occasional 
 correspondence. 
 
 An event now occurred which changed the entire future 
 of Mr. Bordley’s views. His years, and the natural bias 
 of his disposition, had gradually led him to desire a more 
 settled life; an inclination still increasing as he gained 
 further insight into the ways of political men; and per¬ 
 haps it had reached its greatest earnestness, at the moment 
 when a delightful retreat was suddenly placed before him! 
 “Nature, in her cultivated trim,” invited him to take pos¬ 
 session of a lovely estate on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, 
 bequeathed to him by his wife’s brother, Mr. Philemon 
 Lloyd Chew.* It can hardly be supposed that he resisted 
 the temptation to retire from a political life, offering, at 
 that period, so little hope to the lover of his country. 
 
 We must, however, explain that the circumstances al¬ 
 luded to, which most operated to repel Mr. Bordley from 
 his honorable and pleasant station on the Western Shore, 
 were the discovery of various political manoeuvres of the 
 times, and the growing encroachments of the British Gov- 
 
 This gentleman dying a bachelor, left that part of his estate, the beautiful 
 island at the mouth of Wye Kiver, on which he had resided, to be equally di¬ 
 vided between his two sisters, Mrs. Bordley and Mrs. Paca; and to their heirs 
 it still belongs, 1826. 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 83 
 
 ernment. These produced disgust, and increasing dissatis¬ 
 faction in his warm and upright mind, firm as it always 
 was, in the best principles of independence. He saw no 
 opening to better things; no hope then gleamed on the 
 political horizon, and he decidedly, though not hastily, 
 drew the conclusion that public life, as then presented to 
 him, was neither the “Vineyard” where his labors would 
 be most useful, nor the fiekl where his hap 2 jiness would 
 prosper. 
 
 Some extracts from his letters may give the clearest 
 idea of his state of mind, and also of his early and un¬ 
 changed 2 >olitical ojjinions; but in order to understand 
 some of them, it may be needful to premise, that according 
 to the circumstances of those times, he was, while holding 
 the above-mentioned public offices, a great tobacco })lanter. 
 This article, then the grand staple of commerce, and 
 medium of exchange, was cultivated on all the great 
 Western Shore estates, by means of superintendents or over¬ 
 seers; occasional attention to whom, and to mercantile 
 accounts and correspondences abroad, interfered but little 
 with higher conceims. The culture of this plant was then, 
 and there, the very basis of the means of living; and this 
 consideration enables us plainly to perceive how sensitive 
 to their country’s honor those men were, who would wil¬ 
 lingly resign to it, even the resource by which they lived. 
 
 To his merchants in London, 1765, there is this expres¬ 
 sion : 
 
 “We must, in case that arbitrary act should be pur¬ 
 sued, withdraw our dealings from the other side the water. 
 What are you now to America? Better withdraw our¬ 
 selves at once from a ruinous intercourse,” &c. 
 
84 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 To his brother in London, 1765: 
 
 “ The warmth of my constitution, when writing last to 
 you on this detestable subject,* hurried me into a violent 
 fret and excessive prolixity,” &c. 
 
 To his merchants again: 
 
 "The late unrighteous attempt upon our property, in 
 the true spirit of Asiatic despotism, entirely changed my 
 scheme of employment, and amongst other acts, I then 
 quitted the public office f which had yielded the most 
 tobacco, and dropped the making of it,” &c. 
 
 So far back as 1764, he wrote thus to his intimate friend 
 in England: 
 
 “AVe are sensible your Legislature has been too busy 
 Avith the Colonies, and hope ere this they repent. AVere 
 not your late ministers more weighty than wise, and more 
 nice than honest? In matters of such momentous concern 
 as the social happiness of millions, ought we to be diverted 
 from the point, the maintenance of Lights, by notions of 
 delicacy, politeness or fashion ? J 
 
 “* * * AA^e, however, less spoilt by foreign and affected 
 education, luxury and venality, see, and with concern, the 
 ruin into which you are running. AVe expect as a natural 
 consequence of oppression, (whether it begins in Europe or 
 America, it will soon be universal,) that the most virtuous 
 of you will retreat to this as yet uncorrupted, and once 
 (as we hope it will again be) happy country. 
 
 " Shall we not also have your best tradesmen and manu¬ 
 facturers ? The more you oppress us, the more we must 
 retreat, and learn to live within ourselves. AVhen we no 
 
 * The Stamp Act. f The Prothonotary’s. 
 
 t This refers to the refusal of our petitions to the British Parliament, because 
 of some informality in the mode of address. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 85 
 
 longer buy your goods, your workmen must want employ¬ 
 ment, and must go abroad for it. So much has been, and 
 will be said of America, that they will learn they may live 
 here tolerably well on a small farm; but we shall also find 
 looms for them, &c. AVell, but you are to send scarlet 
 myrmidons to awe us. Do it; depend on it they will, in no 
 long time, sympathize with us, and become part of us,” &c. 
 
 Again, to the same: 
 
 “We expect to fall off more and more from using your 
 goods; we are already actually the best people; using our 
 old clothes and preparing new of our own manufacture; 
 they will be coarse, but if we add just resentment to ne¬ 
 cessity, may not a sheepskin make a luxurious jubilee coat? 
 
 “Necessity drives us to it; would you have us put up 
 with unprovoked cruelties, and gross insults, and tamely 
 receive a badge of abject slavery without o})position?” 
 
 In 1771, he thus writes to the same friend: 
 
 “Foppery, idleness, and dissipation are striding briskly 
 on to bring about a general change of proprietors for our 
 lands; the increased cargoes of trash this year imported 
 is astonishing. W^e must all, from being plain planters and 
 really independent men, turn our eyas to the Court, and 
 gape and beg for places! 
 
 “ The ' Letters to a friend' is a performance of mine, which 
 I own, rather from the real service it did in my county, 
 (Balt") at a critical time, when all being in confusion from 
 the effect of the abominable Stamp Act, the magistrates 
 were about to cj^uit their power, than from any other mo¬ 
 tive.” 
 
 To his son at Eton College, 1772: 
 
 “I wish you may not be put off from your affection for 
 8 
 
86 
 
 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 yoiir own country, by growing prejudices, &c. You went 
 away young; don’t forget you are a Buckskin; I hope you 
 are an improved one; which is better than to be a spoilt 
 Englishman.” 
 
 To his friend in London, again: 
 
 “hlany people here are fortifying their minds for bear¬ 
 ing and suffering like men; though others are improvident, 
 and lounge on hope, that all will be well; I wish it, but 
 
 where is Hope ? A tory K-, with all the tory English, 
 
 and all the other tory nations; all the papists, and in 
 short, all the illiberal, the abandoned and desperate, at his 
 side—against a handful of temperate, liberal, free spirits!” 
 
 Many are the similar sentiments pervading his letters, 
 but they are mostly in letters of business, of a nature dis¬ 
 tinct from politics; in which the prevailing tone of his 
 mind breaks forth in short sentences, or single epithets, 
 which, though most strongly illustrative, because not de¬ 
 signed for comment, nor written with a political view, are 
 nevertheless unfavorable for quotation. Enough has been 
 here selected, however, to show the state of disquietude 
 his mind was experiencing for a course of years, and at 
 last some anxious differences arose in the Gleneral Assem¬ 
 bly, where many of his best friends were concerned, which 
 appear to have wound him up, and fixed him in a resolve 
 to fly from politics forever! 
 
 About this time it was, that the beautiful estate at Wye 
 came into his possession, offering him a joyous and irre¬ 
 sistible asylum from these public cares. There he removed 
 with his family in 1770; not I’esigning his offices, nor his 
 influence where it was useful; and continuing his residence 
 for some portion of the year at Annapolis; flattering him- 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 87 
 
 self witli gradually obtaining a respite from political vexa¬ 
 tions, whicli had so strongly impressed his mind, that it 
 could not then cherish any political hopes for his country. 
 
 The moment of quitting the Western for the Eastern 
 Shore, was an important era in Mr. Bordley’s life. In that 
 remove he exchanged forever a public for a private career, 
 it was his'choice to do so; and not more from peculiar in¬ 
 clination than from patriotic feeling. He voluntarily 
 withdrew from the distinctions and the popularity which 
 had thronged upon him in his official course, because, as he 
 himself expressed it, he felt himself in a state of " slaverv” 
 to the “British Ministry.” Had he remained on the po¬ 
 litical field of action, until Heaven blessed us with different 
 rulers, we may safely pronounce that he would have been 
 raised to still higher honors, in contributing to exalt the 
 fate of his beloved country; for never had she a citizen 
 with heart more feelingly alive to her rights; more fer¬ 
 vently devoted to her interests; he was universally known 
 and acknowledged to be a warm patriot. After his deter¬ 
 mination to withdraw from public concerns, he was twice 
 called by the general voice of Maryland,* to return to her 
 metropolis and mingle in the management of her |>ublic 
 
 * Once to join the Committee of Public Safety, formed by the Provincial 
 Convention assembled at Annapolis in 1774; afterwards, 1777, when appointed 
 one of the Judges of the General Court of Maryland. 
 
 In a “ IIi.«tory of Maryland” published in 1S21, by Thomas W. (Iriffith; page 
 C5 is the following : 
 
 “The members of Council, and of the Upper House, in 1774, and the last 
 under the Proprietary, were Benedict Calvert, John Ridout, John Beale Bord- 
 ley, George Steuart, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Benjamin Ogle, Philip Thos. 
 Lee, Daniel Dulaney, William Hayward, William Fitzhugh, George Plater, and 
 Edward Lee, Esquires.” 
 
 » *• jypr. Hayward was Chief Justice, and Messrs. Bordley, Jenifer, 
 
88 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 affairs; but lie considered the objects proposed as merely 
 local and of transient effect, and althoug'h aiding them at 
 the time, his general resolution was not to be shaken. At 
 that period, though the spirit of the Revolution was 
 kindled never to be extinguished, action, with any definite 
 or durable plan, was as yet scarcely thought on. Men 
 could not then foresee the rapidly woven tissue 6f events 
 which afterwards wound around them like an enchanted 
 mantle, and set them at once in the very front and onset 
 of a warfare, so tremendous, and in its end so blessed! 
 
 Mr. Bordley’s occasional residences in Annapolis still 
 led to constant intercourse with that old home; and his 
 intimate friends, the Carrolls, the Dulanys, the Johnsons, 
 the Jenings, the Scotts, the Brices, &c., &c., &c., still urged 
 every friendly effort to draw him back; he continued to 
 act with them in the Governor’s Council, and still retained 
 his judicial station in the Provincial and Admiralty Courts, 
 and joined afterwards in occasional committees when called 
 on; but his mind was made up, his plans were fixed, and 
 
 Philip T. Lee, John Leeds, John Cooke, and Jos. Sim, Associate Judges of the 
 Provincial Court.” 
 
 Page CG.—“As occasion required. Provincial Conventions assembled at An¬ 
 napolis. The above named gentlemen, with Messrs. Bordley, Jenifer, Thos. 
 Stone, 11. Hooper, Charles Carroll, of Carrolton, Edward Lloyd, James Holli¬ 
 day, Thomas Smith, Charles Carroll, Barrister, Richard Lloj'd, and Robert 
 Alexander, were appointed a Committee of Correspondence ; and they, or some 
 of them, with other eight or nine persons, a Council of Safety, from time to time, 
 until the government under which we now live was organized.” 
 
 Page 69.—“In the same year, (1177,) Ac., Charles Carroll, Barrister, Solo¬ 
 mon Wright, and John Beale Bordley, Esquires, wore appointed Judges of the 
 General Court; and Thomas-, Esq., Attorney General.” 
 
 We have to regret that the author of the above work did not make more 
 complete and copious use of the information, probably before him, in forming 
 his history. He modestly calls it a “ Sketch,” and so it is; but a full history 
 of Maryland, in those times, is still wanted. 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 89 
 
 however grateful for these proofs of affectionate esteem, in 
 his cotemporaries; and that he was gratefully sensible to 
 them, the writer well remembers to have heard him long 
 afterwards testify; yet, he gradually withdrew himself 
 from the scene of former duty, to one more encouraging to 
 his sense of things ; giving some portion of his time to the 
 seat of Government, ])ut more and more to Wye Island. 
 
 There he hoped to establish, what he best liked, a life 
 of independence.' There, in elegant retirement, adopted 
 into a well educated and affluent circle of neighbors, Avho 
 commanded from their own estates, with ease, all the com¬ 
 forts and the luxuries of life, he became still more than 
 ever attached to rural life and its concerns, he seemed 
 to find there, his native element; and ere long resigned 
 himself entirely to the plans he had formed, for making 
 himself an Independent American Farmer. 
 
 Connected, both by birth and marriage, with many of 
 the first families of the Eastern as well as of the Western 
 Shore, and owning large estates in several different coun¬ 
 ties of each, he seemed like a connecting link between 
 them ; was welcomed and claimed by each; and in fine, 
 always contributed by his respected character, and also by 
 his love of the social tie, to soften and allay the petty 
 jealousies, which sometimes, alas! are wont to arise from 
 local partialities growing into prejudices. 
 
 But this delightful harbor from the storms of politics— 
 these pleasant avocations—and these social attractions of 
 good neighborhood, could not make an idle or a selfish 
 being of John Beale Bordley ; could not destroy the pub¬ 
 lic-spirited impulses of his heart, nor his strong and firmly 
 cherished sense of duty ; never could it be said of him that 
 
90 
 
 BIOGRArniCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 lie souo'lit for indolent ease! Master of liis o^¥n actions, 
 master of a liandsome property, it was liis choice and the 
 first wish of his heart, so to employ it as to make it pro¬ 
 ductive of good, not only to individuals, but also to the 
 community around him; keeping honor to himself out of 
 the question, with that genuine modesty for which he was 
 remarkable, and for which, in those days, there were some 
 “just spirits” who gave him credit. 
 
 Soon after establishing himself at Wye, he proved his 
 continued interest in the welfare of his country, by en¬ 
 deavoring to promote the spirit of improvement as con¬ 
 nected with independence ; and to open the minds of men 
 of wealth to the advantages, both general and particular, 
 of enlarged and liberal views. No longer harassed by 
 conflicting duties, his mind took its own free course in a 
 cause alike desirable to all; and indulged its warm patri¬ 
 otic feelings, without danger of having its best and fairest 
 opinions misconstrued by petty interests, or angry collis¬ 
 ions. Being a ready penman, he issued from time to time 
 various useful pieces on public affairs, in the periodical 
 publications of the day and in handbills; others that took 
 the more serious form of essays and pamphlets. 
 
 Of these patriotic effusions, few if any are now known; 
 their subjects were local and of passing importance, but 
 their principles and influence were sure and durable. 
 They were not intended to give celebrity, or any other 
 personal advantage to their author, they were dictated by 
 pure feelings, and founded on those palpably just princi¬ 
 ples which all acknowledge right when placed before them, 
 though all may not previously see the necessity for setting 
 them forth to view. These little timely and salutary hints 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 91 
 
 were known and appreciated at tlie moment, as being tlic 
 sentiments of “ tlie Hon. Judge Bordley,” whose judicious 
 and im})artial habits were well known on both shores of 
 the Chesa})eake. 
 
 But this honorable title, however well “ supported and 
 supporting,” he was now voluntarily aljout to drop, and to 
 assume in its place, that of farmer Bordley, one that, ac¬ 
 cording to his principles, was equally honorable if equally 
 sustained: 
 
 “ Act well youi' part, there all the honor lies.” 
 
 From the moment of taking possession of the Wye Isl¬ 
 and estate, a Hrm finely situated, of sixteen hundred acres 
 of good arable land, with a fair proportion of woodland, he 
 turned his attention to husbandry eo)i amore. lie found 
 a wild, vague and slovenly state of general farming around 
 him; his first step therefore was to educate and qualify 
 himself by studying its elementary principle, and by en¬ 
 deavoring to obtain information from every source worthy 
 of attention.* lie sent to England for the best treatises 
 on agriculture, and in the mean time studied, as seriously 
 as ever he had applied to the law, those books on hus¬ 
 bandry which he already possessed; for some on this 
 subject, had always found place in his library.f In one 
 of his own latter publications, he says : 
 
 ■* In the course of his researches in the neighborhood, he became acquainted 
 with Mr. John Singleton, an Englishman, comfortably settled on his farm 
 near Easton. Struck with the order and superior cultivation of this es¬ 
 tate, Mr. B. commenced an acquaintance and correspondence with Mr. Single 
 ton, and often gladly acknowledged that he had profited much by his practical 
 knowledge, and found Mr. S. a sincere, “intelligent and excellent man.” 
 
 f In an order to his London merchant for Law books, in 1766, ai'C included 
 the following: “Dr. Elliot’s Ess.ays on Field Husbandry;” “Mill's llusby. 
 complete with plates;” “Garret’s Designs.” And in 1772, again: “Young’s 6 
 weeks tour—I have his other works.” 
 
92 
 
 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ‘‘ Tull’s book first excited my attention to agricul¬ 
 ture, but to Mr. Young I am obliged for most that I knoAV 
 of its principles, and of the practices of Europe.” 
 
 His own extensive practice (on several other farms be¬ 
 sides that at Y^ye) soon enabled him to ascertain how far 
 they were judicious, and how tar suited to the circum¬ 
 stances and climate in which he wuis acting; thus by an 
 unwearied and systematic course of observation and re¬ 
 flection, he soon formed theories for himself. 
 
 His constant habit, probabH acquired wdieii a lawyer, 
 of taking notes of all he either saw, heard, read, or thought, 
 that merited attention, was highly serviceable in this pur¬ 
 suit. Tables of directions for times and seasons, and lists 
 of various work to be executed and given to his overseers 
 on the different farms, and delivered in at stated periods, 
 yielded all the usual advantages of order and method, ena¬ 
 bled him to trace errors, and diminish the anxiety and 
 fatigue attending such distant estates,* w’hile they left 
 more time for particular experiments and improvements 
 at home. 
 
 As he became enlightened himself, he wished to diffuse 
 the benefits acquired amongst his neighbors; and in en¬ 
 deavoring to wean them from old pernicious habits, he 
 showed a generoiis interest, and an earnest desire to pro¬ 
 mote the spirit of improvement amongst them, which is 
 still remembered, we are told, by the present descendants 
 of those old families; and his farming precepts are now 
 better observed, perhaps, than by those who first received 
 them. His advances towards others Avere not likely to be 
 
 - The Fancy, Farley, and other Kent County farms—two farms in Harford, 
 others in Cecil—Pool's Island—Barney’s Inheritance—Clagget's Forest, &c. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 93 
 
 long resisted, even by the most self-conceited; for there 
 was a noldeness of motive directing them, a patient, un¬ 
 tiring system of benevolence, which soon made itself un¬ 
 derstood—and whether it met with grateful spirits, or 
 unwise spirits, itself was still the same! 
 
 Upon some occasion, when one of those busy ])eople, 
 who are always at hand, came to inform him that his 
 
 neighbor, Mr.-, had sent his overseer secretly to the 
 
 Island farm, to pry iiito his improvements, he answered, 
 
 “I am heiirtily glad Mr.- wishes to improve—my 
 
 overseer shall invite his to come and look more fully.” 
 On some other similar occurrence, Avhen a neighbor ex¬ 
 pressed regret at some design being copied from him before 
 he had reaped the benefit of it, his reply was, "There is 
 room enough in the Avorld for him and me—and many 
 more such!” At another time he merely answered, “With 
 all my heart!” and then added emphatically Milton’s line, 
 
 (rooil, the more communicated 
 
 More abundant grows!” 
 
 His conduct was consistent with these maxims. One 
 of his practical precepts was to “secure the best seeds;” 
 and to enforce the importance of this on the minds of others, 
 his heart and hand were ever open to supply his neighbors 
 who might bo deficient—accompanying each package with 
 a label of directions, or useful hints on culture—generally 
 adding, “ remember to })reserve the best seed for next year.” 
 Kvery one in his household knew well and contributed to 
 the observance of this rule; the best plants of the different 
 species of fruits and vegetables were carefully ripened for 
 seed, and none but the best. He even once tried the ex¬ 
 periment with a small plot of wheat-—it was merely for 
 
94 
 
 BIOaUAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 amusement—but fully })roved liis rule, by tlie superiority 
 of tlie next year’s produce. On tlie same principle of 
 always aiming at the best, and of preserving each species 
 distinct, he planted superabundantly of fruit trees, and 
 cut down such as proved inferior—his remarkably fine 
 fruit fully rewarded his care in this instance, as in other 
 particulars of their treatment. 
 
 In his subsequent “Notes on Gardening,” appended to 
 his “Epitome of Forsyth on Fruit Trees,” published in 
 1803, he says: “ In saving seeds, lay out for ten times as 
 much as will he thought wanted; whatever may be above 
 the wants of the garden, it will be a pleasure to supply 
 neighbors with. ’Till the Editor pursued this principle of 
 economy respecting seeds and fruits he seldom had enough.” 
 Again: “The Editor little regarded the breaking down 
 his Peach trees, &c., or their destruction hy worms, &c., 
 for he aimed not at 'enough,’ but very many times more 
 than enough—in every autumn he planted Peach trees— 
 as regularly as peas are sown in spring!” Again: “Is it 
 not worth the expense to secure such perfect fruit, if it 
 were only for the sick? 'Plow excellent,’ says the good 
 and knowing Tissot,* 'is sound ripe fruit to the sick;’ 
 as indeed those who have had it in sickness cannot but 
 remember and vouch!” 
 
 IPis farm soon became conspicuous for its order and 
 general state of perfection: his fences, ditches, gates, roads, 
 and fields, all excited admiration for their substantial ex¬ 
 cellence, as well as for the neatness which, without any 
 exclusive attention to it, grew out of general method and 
 arrangement. The success of his cultivation was striking; 
 
 Dr. Tissot on Health. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 95 
 
 liis grain fields were beautiful, and would have been so 
 considered anywhere, but especially in a section of the 
 country whose husbandry from various causes had been 
 much neglected. 
 
 On Mr. B.’s first moving to Wye, in 1770, he had begun 
 with attempting the culture of tobacco, still the great 
 staple of commerce. But he found it could not be rendered 
 equal to the Western Shore tobacco; and disliking the 
 crop in every point of view, he soon after discarded it, and 
 resolved to aim at giving supremacy to wheat— in which 
 he Avas ere long comj)letely successful! The soil was favor¬ 
 able; his system of rotations improved this advantage; and 
 in a few years afterwards the Wye P^iver wheat was sought 
 after with avidity by distant merchants. The writer has 
 seen Philadelphia merchant ships, year after year, loading 
 with wheat at Mr. Bordley’s wharf—affording him the 
 highest market price. This of course excited emulation— 
 the Maryland white wheat has been long celebrated.* 
 
 Mr. Bordley’s wheat fields soon attracted general atten¬ 
 tion; and one season a particular field, of about 300 acres, 
 was so remarkably fine, that its fame spread, and many 
 neighbors crossed the river to view it—amongst them the 
 wealthy and amiable Col. Lloyd, who said jocosely, “Why! 
 Mr. Bordley, your wheat field gains more admiration than 
 my greenhouse!” Coming just then in sight of it, he 
 exclaimed: “and well it may! it is, really, the nobler 
 
 *■ Of the extent of Mr. Bordley’s wheat crops we may form some idea at this 
 day, by bills of lading, letters to his merchants, Ac. Also, by letters to his 
 brother, Mr. Edmund Jenings, to whom, after his sons were in England, he an¬ 
 nually consigned or transmitted the proceeds of some portion of those cargoes 
 for their expenses—the amount of these remittances is seldom under £750 ster¬ 
 ling. One shipment of 3000 bushels of wheat to Barcelona brought a net result 
 of £900 sterling. 
 
96 
 
 BIOCtEAPHICAL sketches. 
 
 object to look on!” “And to think on, too!” said Adam 
 Gray, a plain spoken, sensible Scotchman, of their mutual 
 acquaintance as a neighbor. 
 
 On changing his general plan of life, Mr. Bordley had 
 entered on, as part of his system, a course of domestic 
 manufactures, embracing multifarious operations, all con¬ 
 nected -with, though subordinate to, the leading interests 
 of his farm. In this conduct we trace his characteristic 
 independence;—heightened by the desire, early expressed 
 and strongly engrafted on his patriotic feelings, that he 
 might render himself independent of importations from 
 England, in the most essential articles. This plan did not 
 result from private and individual pique or resentment— 
 his feelings led him to act on more generous principles— 
 and in this he was impelled by the hope of doing some 
 good to the community—he trusted that the sentiments 
 and example of one, to whom fortune had given ample 
 means for selecting his mode of life, might have some weight 
 with others; or leave some traces behind, as hints for future 
 improvement by others—and in this modest, unostentatious 
 hope. Time has proved he was judicious. 
 
 In tracing the motives of a conduct that differs from the 
 common way of the world, it may be right and just to 
 examine the circumstances by which we estimate it. Let 
 us apply this rule to the case before us. Mr. Bordley was 
 possessed of a very handsome fortune; was of high stand¬ 
 ing in society, respected for knowledge, sound judgment, 
 and moral life. His feelings and views on the suffering 
 state of his country were warmly patriotic, without the 
 sanguine ardor of youth—they led him to deep and seri¬ 
 ous reflections on the question then universally felt—what 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 97 
 
 is to be done? and the answer given by his conduct, as 
 well as language, was, “Establish independence on the 
 basis of general industry and invention—we see England 
 made great by this means—and every excellence attain¬ 
 able by human nature must have this foundation.’’ To 
 give life and evidence to this great truth, we find him at 
 once resigning many of the luxuries he was habitually fond 
 of, and voluntarily submitting to privations such as would 
 raise the tone of complaint from many a spoiled child of 
 fortune. The annual supplies of luxuries and refinements 
 which he had always imported from abroad for his family, 
 now gradually gave place to substitutions which could not 
 be traced to any common source of gratification; as for one 
 instance; his taste had been long formed to the relish of the 
 best London ale and porter, (and in these things he was 
 considered an epicure!) he could not therefore prefer his 
 own home-made beer.* In proportion as he admired and 
 valued the imported article, was his desire to see it manu¬ 
 factured in our own land. In this there was nothing of a 
 view to popularity, or the hope of office—he had long en¬ 
 joyed both, and had retreated from them—besides in those 
 times there was nothing of a public nature to be obtained, 
 not even applause, for a conduct that could not then 
 be understood! His motive, now, is evident; it was a 
 voluntary sacrifice to the general good. This will appear 
 more evident from considering the tenor of his life, even 
 in this incomplete sketch; and those now living who knew 
 him intimately, will bear testimony in their hearts and 
 
 * In the article of wine, his plan could not take effect; he was discouraged in 
 his hopes of success with the vine in this country, {though always aiming at it,) 
 and still imported the best Madeira. 
 
 9 
 
98 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 memories to the validity of the statement. It was one of 
 his favorite aphorisms, that “The opinions and voice of 
 each member of a community, however humble and small, 
 must tend toward establishing the dominion of either good 
 or evil.” In this view, we may with pride and pleasure 
 say that his mind still lives in its good effects. Time, and 
 other causes, have already demolished the solid structures 
 which, half a century since, he erected with such independ¬ 
 ent views, but the spirit that suggested them is gone forth— 
 it was in harmony with that which proclaimed America 
 free—and was conducive to her best interests through the 
 gradual hut powerful medium of opinion and example. 
 
 But we are rambling from our plain narrative. His 
 little domain soon became an active scene of business and 
 industry; the numerous buildings rising far and near 
 around the old-fashioned mansion (whose front extended 
 one hundred feet) had altogether the appearance of a vil¬ 
 lage; indeed, was generally so considered by passing strang¬ 
 ers. There were the carpenter’s and blacksmith’s shops, 
 always busy. Looms and spinning-wheels in appropriate 
 buildings: these prepared all the coarse materials for 
 laborer’s clothing, and were supplied by fleeces from Mr. 
 Bordley’s own flocks, and his own hemp, flax, and cotton. 
 On another side, a ropewalk, a brickyard and kiln, con¬ 
 structed in 1773; a windmill, built in 1773-4, of uncom¬ 
 monly large dimensions and excellent proportions, substan¬ 
 tially raised on a stone foundation, surmounted by an 
 octagon basement on eight brick columns, with an octagon 
 superstructure of the best timber, tapering towards its 
 lofty summit, and there finished by a suitable cupola or 
 head, from one side of which four gigantic arms spread 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 99 
 
 themselves, revolving, to catch the winds.* On another 
 side, a large brew-house, built of his own bricks, and with 
 great attention to suit the purpose; a double milk-house, 
 also of his home-made bricks, and on a new construction, 
 one story being above ground, the other below, with two 
 rooms in each; on each side spacious areas, over which the 
 roof extended, supported on each side by brick columns 
 eight feet high; a complete two-story brick warehouse, for 
 storing wheat and other grain ready for shipping; a shep¬ 
 herd’s house, for an old English herdsman, who received 
 an annuity, and made that his home as long as he lived; 
 a spacious ice-house, smoke-house, store-house, hen-house, 
 pigeon-house, stables, &c., &c., &c. 
 
 All these Mr. Bordley constructed in a shorter course 
 of time than might seem probable to many. They involved 
 considerable expense, for they were all on a large scale and 
 designed for durable use—they formed part of a favorite 
 system, he therefore thought little of their cost; and, in¬ 
 deed, in many of them was amply rewarded by their suc¬ 
 cess. The brewery was his greatest hobby, and yielded 
 him most complete satisfaction.f His object in this branch 
 was truly philanthropic—he hoped that, if successful in his 
 own case, it might prove the means of abolishing the gen¬ 
 eral ju'actice, which he considered deplorably pernicious, of 
 giving laborers rum or whisky! It was successful — com¬ 
 pletely successful — both hired white men and negroes were 
 delighted with the beer he gave them, and became healthier 
 and stronger for the change. His neighbors saw and ad- 
 
 This windmill was a fine object from the mouth of the river, and appears 
 so in a view of the Island, taken in that position by Matthias Bordley, Esq., in 1781. 
 
 f We speak of it in connection with his theory of manufactures. Mr. Bordley 
 never sold his beer, or rendered any of his manufactures profitable to himself. 
 
100 
 
 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 mitted tlie advantage—and had some professional brewers 
 at that time stepped into the neighborhood, the blessing 
 to the community might have grown and extended. Alas! 
 the chance for it seems now lost! 
 
 Previously to trying this favorite project, he applied 
 himself, with his usual assiduous zeal, to study the art of 
 brewing! He appears to have taken up the thought about 
 the year 1778, and in 1781 we find by his books that he 
 had just entered on this new experiment, and that “six 
 Barrells” of “good, stout Beer,” were the first result. We 
 have one of his manuscript books, containing a regular 
 statement of his experiments and observations, together 
 with copious extracts from the best publications on the 
 subject, and notes of his conversations with brewers in 
 Philadelphia. It is an interesting document, as showing 
 with what earnestness and good effect he could, even at 
 that period of life, apply his mind to subjects so new to it, 
 and so diversified! It is but justice to the late Judge 
 Bordley to say that the product of his brewery was pure, 
 strong, and wholesome. The writer remembers that in 
 subsequent times, the portion of it set apart for his own 
 table and friends was highly approved of. He continued 
 the practice of giving beer to Lis people as long as he re¬ 
 mained on his farm, and found no cause to regret this 
 judicious project.* 
 
 Mr. Bordley very early also turned his attention to 
 manufacturing salt on his own estate, and for this, he 
 looked to the river surrounding it, as in that part it 
 strongly partook of the sea by its junction with the tide- 
 
 * It ought to have been mentioned that his carpenter was taught to become 
 a good cooper also, and that all Mr. Bordley’s barrels were also home made. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 101 
 
 waters of the bay. By small experiments, he ascertained 
 the quality and quantity to be obtained, and found it suffi¬ 
 ciently encouraging with a view to “ home consumption,” 
 to induce an immediate preparation for that object, thus 
 throwing aside the nice rock and basket salt hitherto annu¬ 
 ally imported from England. Accordingly, a salt ground 
 was made and all other requisites procured, and his expe¬ 
 riments, as we see by his notes and memoranda, proved 
 quite satisfactory, and yielded abundant good wholesome 
 salt. Here again, however, the confusions of the times 
 interrupted his arrangements, and ere they could be re-es¬ 
 tablished, the settled blessings of a free government, hap¬ 
 pily removed the motive for many of those strenuous efforts, 
 which had their origin in his patriotic wish to be " inde¬ 
 pendent of the dotat’d mother and her ministers.”* 
 
 We have also a mill-book journal kept in the same way, 
 with columns for remarks, hints, &c. It serves now to 
 show that same ability for mastering the subject in hand, 
 be it what it might, and also that propensity to mathe¬ 
 matical computation which attended all his investigations. 
 
 One of the first sentences in his observations on the 
 windmill operations, is a comment on the unusual long 
 “ calm” which occurred that season, (1775,) and which 
 “kept work waiting.” The mill obtains great praise for 
 its steady behavior in the various pui’poses for which it 
 was calculated, but whether its expected usefulness di¬ 
 minished, or whether disappointments arose from its being 
 under the direction of a salaried miller, does not appear; 
 but we find that it soon engaged less of Mr. Bordley’s at¬ 
 tention than other objects. The miller was allowed to 
 
 *■ His own words. 
 
 9 * 
 
102 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 bring in liis own books at stated i)eriods; and the original 
 journal which we have referred to, was soon afterwards cov¬ 
 ered with other memoranda, and with what Mr. B. called 
 his “ scribblings,” such as comparative estimates, squaring 
 the circle, Archimedes, algebraic problems, rates of ex¬ 
 change, coins, weights, measures, &c., &c. These formed 
 his customary habit for amusement, when with pen, ink, 
 and paper always at hand, he found an interval of leisure, 
 his was a mind that could never be idle. 
 
 There is another book in our possession called a “ diary,” 
 in which he noted all kinds of business connected with the 
 farm; one of the columns headed “employment,” another 
 “ memorandums,” &c. This he began the first year after 
 settling at Wye Island, and continued except when inter¬ 
 rupted by the unsettled state of all things and by some 
 long absences from home. 
 
 In 1771, Mr. Bordley purchased Pool’s Island, in the 
 Chesapeake Bay, about half way between the Susquehan¬ 
 na and the Patapsco, and near to Joppa, his former resi¬ 
 dence. It contained 234 acres, and it was at the time of 
 purchase, a favorite scheme of his, to bring this spot into 
 a state of improved cultivation according to his best agri¬ 
 cultural systems. We have a MS. book of his plans and 
 designs to this effect. He established a good tenant there, 
 who complied tolerably well with some of his directions, 
 and from a perfectly barren wilderness, the land was 
 brought into pretty good cultivation. A good tenant’s 
 house erected and a noble barn raised for sheltering a large 
 stock of cattle. This island, at that time, abounded with 
 deer and with remarkably fine wild turkeys. Mr. Bord¬ 
 ley endeavored to preserve the race of these animals, and 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 103 
 
 we find directions given to his tenant for this object, ex¬ 
 pressly forbidding any of the oaks being cut down. In one 
 of his letters to a friend in England, he requests some 
 English hares and partridges to be sent out to him, stating 
 that the climate and situation of this island might suit 
 them. Ample were the arrangements made for this favor¬ 
 ite spot. In renting the tenant’s house, a stipulated res¬ 
 ervation of a “ room and a mattra.ss” for the owner’s oc¬ 
 casional use, seemed to imply that frequent visits were 
 intended. Little was his mind prepared to expect the 
 great and universal accomplishment of his independent 
 wishes, which soon afterwards roll’d war’s thunders all 
 over the continent. Peaceful projects were willingly re¬ 
 signed, and it was the fate of Pool’s Island from that time 
 to lose the character of a hobby, and to assume that only 
 of a plain farm, tilled in the common way. Some thirty 
 years afterwards, it yielded a price that may be said to 
 have proved a good reward for a good intention ; and in 
 this estimation of the original purchase, let it not be omit¬ 
 ted, for it was the circumstance most gratifying to Mr 
 Bordley, that the cattle raised on this island contributed 
 essentially towards those large supplies which he had the 
 happiness to present, at different times, to the armies of 
 his beloved country. 
 
 Towards the close of the war, his house at Wye was 
 attacked and pillaged by a band of unprincipled stragglers 
 from the army, called “ refugees.” They entered the river 
 in the night in boats with muffled oars, one division of the 
 party going to Col. Lloyd’s, whilst the other assailed the 
 island house. These gained admittance to the number of 
 twelve; they were armed, masked and otherwise disguised, 
 
104 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 they went into the chambers, demanded keys and took pos¬ 
 session of everything most valuable, as plate, household 
 linen, watches, stores of unmade clothing, &c., &c., and 
 after issuing orders to their men to set fire to one end of 
 the house, they silently retreated as they came. Happily 
 the intended fire did not take effect; guilt is easily alarmed, 
 and hearing something said of the county militia, they 
 scampered off. Disputing afterwards on the division of 
 their booty, one of them turned “ state’s evidence,” by 
 which some articles of value were restored to their owners. 
 
 To avoid similar intrusions which the exposed situation 
 subjected him to, Mr. Bordley removed his family to a 
 retired rented place, called Galloway, near Easton, where 
 they passed nearly two years, until the sickliness of the 
 situation made them gladly return to brave all alarms at 
 the healthful mouth of Wye. 
 
 On removing to the Eastern Shore, Mr. Bordley contract¬ 
 ed an intimate acquaintance with Mr. John Cadwalader, 
 (afterwards General Cadwalader,) who resided partly at 
 Philadelphia and Us estate in Kent County, 
 
 called Shrewsbury, from whence he often visited his con¬ 
 nections and friends at Wye. 
 
 The frank and amiable disposition of this gentleman 
 soon won Mr. Bordley’s friendship, and though considerably 
 younger than Mr. Bordley, their intimacy gained ground 
 with every succeeding year up to the lamented early death 
 of Gen. Cadwalader, in 1785. Plis friend left Wye to attend 
 him in his last moments, at Shrewsbury, and grieved sin¬ 
 cerely over his grave. This intimacy has been thus par¬ 
 ticularly noticed because of its apparent, though indirect 
 influence on some parts of Mr. Bordley’s future life, as will 
 appear in subsequent events. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 105 
 
 In the spring of 1773, Mr. and Mrs. Bordley placed 
 their daughter Henrietta Maria at the best school in 
 Philadelphia, on the' earnest recommendation of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Cadwalader. To Mrs. Gadwalader, the General’s 
 first wife, she was distantly related on the mother’s side. 
 She was then at the tender age of eleven, and gratefully 
 received the unlimited and unremitted kindness of those 
 esteemed friends, thus riveting the parent’s friendship. 
 
 It was in the autumn of this year, that Mr. Bordley 
 was deprived of a consort to whom he had been united 
 twenty-two years. After a lingering illness, and on her 
 return homewards from a visit to her daughter and for 
 her health, in Philadelphia, she died at Chestertown, Mary¬ 
 land, on the 11th of November, 1773, and was buried in 
 the Bordley family vault at Annapolis. 
 
 Mr. Bordley appears to have been duly sensible to this 
 bereavement. He was not a man of profession or ostenta¬ 
 tion in anything, but we may gather something of his way 
 of thinking and acting by a letter of his now before us, 
 written some time after the above event, to an elderly 
 lady, a friend of his late wife, an extract from which may 
 better demonstrate his mind than any terms of our own, 
 and it will particularly show how, in him, sentiment was 
 connected with conduct. 
 
 “ Madam-, no gratification of the mind within 
 
 my experience, is equal to what arises from a dutiful and 
 affectionate attention to the memory of a departed friend. 
 Such attention is free from flattery, there being no possi¬ 
 bility of any return from the deceased, but it carries its 
 own reward, a secret inexpressible satisfaction. With the 
 survivor, it is well, if accident throws it in his way to ena- 
 
106 
 
 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ble ]iim to meet tliis duty, to do in memory of liis depart¬ 
 ed friend, wliat it may be supposed, be or sbe would bavc 
 done. It is too seldom sucb opportunities occur, and some¬ 
 times they are unwarily overlooked. 
 
 “ For tbe civilities you were pleased to show my wife, 
 when sbe came a stranger to Wye, sbe was mucb obliged 
 to you, and greatly esteemed you, .... sbe lias left me 
 to make you this acknowledgment, tbo’ but a poor repre¬ 
 sentative of ber grateful mind,” &c. 
 
 After this event, it became still more important to fix 
 bis daughter at school, and be reconducted ber to Philadel¬ 
 phia and again commended ber to tbe friendly eye of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Cadwalader. 
 
 During bis frequent preceding and subsequent visits to 
 Philadelphia, Mr. Bordley passed many happy days with his 
 friends, tbe Gadwaladers, both in that city and at Shrews¬ 
 bury, particularly in tbe hospitable ease of Maryland man¬ 
 ners at the latter place. And General Cadwalader’s re¬ 
 gard also led Mr. Bordley to find bis bouse in Philadelphia 
 like a home; there, besides seeing his little daughter to ad¬ 
 vantage, he often met the best society of the city, with 
 some of whom he was previously acquainted, with others 
 became so, and strengthened the link of fellowship with 
 such as he preferred. A few of these old names now ap¬ 
 pear before us in irregular memoranda; we find in one 
 of his pocket registers for 1773, viz.: 
 
 “ April 20. To Phila :—Cadwalader’s—friendly club 
 
 or rout at Mrs. C-’s—Dr. Cadwalader—Mr. Willing 
 
 —]\Iorris—Powel—Col. Fell—^their ladies—and Mrs. Penn 
 —Mrs. Masters—Miss Masters—very sociable. 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 107 
 
 “ 21. Governor’s chib—Mi\ Hamilton—Mr. Gibson* 
 (Mayor)—Dr. Cadwalader—Mr. Inglis—John & Lambert 
 Cadwalader—Mr. Humphries—K. Tilghman—S. Mere¬ 
 dith—&c. 
 
 “ 22. Dr. Cadwalader’s—dine—&c. 
 
 “ 24 ]\Ierchant’s club—Mr. Hill—Mr. Nesbit—Cox, 
 the lawyer—D. Beveridge, &c., &c. 
 
 “ 25 . Mr. Hamilton’s—dine—Jo. Pemberton—&c.” 
 
 In this respectable and select society Mr. Bordley 
 passed the principal part of his time, during his frequent 
 visits to Philadelphia on his little daughter’s account. In 
 process of time these visits became more frequent, and it is 
 necessary we should explain why they were so. Amongst 
 those valua.ble acquaintances he often heard mentioned, 
 and sometimes met, the widpw Mifflin,f whom he found 
 much beloved and respected, and always spoken of in 
 terms that marked high regard. He heard her praised 
 for her good sense, good temper, candor and prudence, by 
 persons who were cautious how they spoke of others; and 
 they commended »her for her judicious care of her son. 
 
 John Gibson, Esq., one of the members of the Governor’s club, was also 
 for several years Mayor of the city, at that time. After the formation of the 
 new government, he was the first Auditor-General of the United States Treas¬ 
 ury, and continued so until he resigned this office, in 1780. He was the father 
 of the present James Gibson, Esq., Counselor-at-Law. 1826. Philadelphia. 
 
 f Her maiden name was Sarah Fishbourne. She was daughter of William 
 Fishbourne, Mayor of the city of Philadelphia from 1718 to 1722. Her mother’s 
 maiden name was Jane Roberts, who married first AVilliam Fishbourne, and 
 afterwards John Galloway, Esq., of AVest River, Maryland; there her daughter 
 Sarah resided until she attained her thirteenth year, when her mother died— 
 about 1745 or 1746—and she removed to Philadelphia, to put herself to the best 
 schools. She also entirely superintended the education of her young sister, 
 Jane Gallow.ay, who afterwards married Jo.-eph Shippen, Esq., of Philadelphia. ) 
 
108 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 John F. Mifflin, born after his father’s death, and of her 
 step-son, Thomas Mifflin, (afterwards Governor of Penn¬ 
 sylvania,) as also for the rational plan, ease and comfort of 
 her mode of life, and her discreet management of a hand¬ 
 some property. They mentioned a fact which forcibly 
 proved the unostentatious and solid principles of this lady, 
 which deserves to be repeated for the credit of her sex. 
 Her husband left her, by will, his handsome double house, 
 completely furnished, at the corner of Chestnut and Front 
 Streets, (then the fashionable quarter of the town,) with 
 ample means for supporting it; but she thought it too 
 large and too public for the proposed retirement of her 
 widowed condition, and sold it; at the same time building 
 herself an excellent single house on her patrimonial estate 
 on Union Street. There she resided sixteen years, bending 
 her whole mind, time, and means to the liberal education 
 of her son, and only diversifying the subject by true social 
 intercourse with a few intimate friends, such as deserved 
 to be so considered, who earnestly sought communion of 
 mind with her, and willingly aided her meritorious en¬ 
 deavors. Amongst these “chosen few” was Mrs. Chew, 
 (the first wife of Benjamin Chew, Esq., of Philadelphia; 
 she was a Miss Galloway, of Maryland;) Mrs. Hester 
 White, (the mother of the present Bishop White ;) Mrs. 
 Anne Penn, (wife of Governor John Penn;) Miss Allen, 
 (her sister;) Miss Anne Meredith, (afterwards Mrs. Hill;) 
 the Cadwaladers, Dickinsons, Clymers, Shippens, &c., and 
 also most of the excellent amongst the people called 
 Quakers, with whom she was connected by her mother’s 
 and husband’s families. But although she highly respected 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 109 
 
 and esteemed the Quakers, she never joined their religious 
 society.* 
 
 Whilst on the subject of this lady, we feel it due to her 
 in justice to say, that although many of her most intimate 
 friends in that day were of the Tory party, she was herself 
 uniformly and decidedly a Whig. None of that refreshing 
 luxury. Tea, was used in her house throughout the na¬ 
 tional contest; her patriotic sentiments were never with¬ 
 held from those friends of the other side; yet they 
 respected her to the last. With Mrs. Anne Penn, who 
 survived most of the others, the intimacy continued 
 through life, and was supported by letters acro.ss the 
 ^Atlantic. 
 
 In the course of his Philadelphia visits, Mr. Bordley 
 visited in the family of Col. AVhite, (father of our vener¬ 
 ated Bishop White.) They were originally from Mary¬ 
 land, and already well known to him. Here he sometimes 
 met this same widow Mifflin, and he could not fail to 
 observe that she was a distinguished favorite with Mrs. 
 White, whose judgment and goodness he erpially respected. 
 With such claims to respectful attention, joined to an 
 engaging address and ap|)earance, Mrs. Mifflin soon be- 
 
 Lest some might consider this as indicating a want of religious thought, 
 we will mention two little facts that are to the subject. Whilst she was j-et 
 i|uite a young woman, and her own ini-^tre-s, a <leputation from this respectable 
 society waited on her with spiritual advice, and amongst other things recom¬ 
 mended her to wear a plain cap, saying that “ it would he more becoming to 
 her.’’ She answered, “ For that reason, I ought not to put it on !’’ 
 
 When afterwards a widow, a similar deputation waited on her to speak to her 
 respecting her son, his father having been a member of their society ; and tliey 
 earnestly recommended her to give him a religious education. Her answer to 
 them was, “ I agree with you perfectly, my friends, and I take my son con¬ 
 stantly to church, and teach him his Bible and his catechism.” They gener¬ 
 ously replied, “ Wo respect thy candor !” 
 
 10 
 
no 
 
 BIOGRArHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 came tlie object of ]\Tr. Bordley’s devoted attachment. 
 Her friends were his friends, and anxious for his success. 
 In short, they were married, by the E>ight Eeverend Bishop 
 White, October 8, 1776. 
 
 In consenting thus to renounce her settled mode of life, 
 her early friends, and her interesting son, just seventeen, 
 to seek a distant home, new faces, new habits and unknown 
 difficulties, this lady clearly proved her respect for, and 
 her confidence in such merit as she saw in Mr. Bordley. 
 If we were writing her life, we might have much to say, 
 both nari’ative and descriptive—we might demonstrate her 
 habitual truth, her cultivated affections, her charity in its 
 enlarged Christian sense, including a love of justice, her 
 pious humility, her patient fortitude—but we will refrain, 
 and content ourselves with remarking that she faithfully 
 acquitted herself of her new duties ; that she in time over¬ 
 came the prejudices of some against her as a stranger, 
 engrafting affection in their place by the beautiful moral 
 consistency of her conduct; and that she proved throughout 
 their union, a blessing to Mr. Bordley and his family. 
 
 After his marriage, one of Mr. Bordley’s first measures 
 was to give up to his wife’s son, John F. Mifflin, then 
 seventeen, all the property that she would, by a marriage 
 settlement, eventually intend for him. It was held in 
 trust until he was of age, when he took possession of it, 
 and was affectionately sensible to the generous feeling that 
 suggested this conduct. 
 
 And now came on the “ trying times” of the war ! 
 Whilst Mr. and Mrs. Bordley were on a visit to his family 
 and friends in Annapolis, a report that the British fleet 
 was rapidly approaching that city, sent the unprepared 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 Ill 
 
 inhabitants scampering off in every direction. Mr. Bord- 
 ley packed off as many as possible in his stout London- 
 built coach, which flying as fast as such a heavy vehicle 
 could be said to fly, even with four horses, it was over¬ 
 turned in the darkness of night, the ladies narrowly 
 escaping with their lives. Happily the dawn of day 
 brought the joyous discovery that the fleet had changed 
 its destination, and was retreating down the bay, allowing 
 the beautiful sight of twenty-seven well-rigged men-of-war 
 in full sail, to be quietly enjoyed. After this, Mr. Bordley 
 remained some time longer in Annapolis, anxiously assisting 
 in concerting measures for the general safety. 
 
 On the 21st of October, 1777, news of the capture of 
 Burgoyne reached Annapolis by express; and on that day, 
 amidst the rejoicing tumult of bells and cannon, Mrs. 
 Bordley presented her husband with a little daughter, 
 afterwards baptized by the name of Elizabeth. This was 
 their only child. 
 
 About a year from ,that time klr. Bordley restored his 
 family to his favorite residence at Wye, there to pursue 
 his former well-arranged plans, and to add to them an 
 object of new and increasing interest. This was to lay by 
 a stock of provisions for our nobly struggling army. In 
 pursuance of this plan, Mr. Bordley eveiy now and then 
 sent off to some of the military stations the present of a 
 boat load of beef, flour, vegetables and fruit, the produce 
 of his own farms. He thus indulged his humane disposi¬ 
 tion, while at the same time he contributed, largely and 
 joyfully, throughout the war, to support the general cause. 
 No charge having ever been made for these supplies, there 
 is probably no record or public document of them. There 
 
112 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 are still a few persons living who remember these circum¬ 
 stances. Amongst them is Mr. Bordley’s daughter, Mrs. 
 Henrietta Maria Ross, who expresses her remembrance of 
 them thus: 
 
 “ I perfectly remember my father presenting, for the 
 use of the army, a number of beeves and a quantity of 
 wheat. I can’t remember exactly the time, but I think it 
 was about ’77 or ’78, at a time when the army were 
 suffering for provisions. Henrietta M. Ross.” 
 
 In 1783 Mr. Bordley was elected a member of the 
 “ American Philosophical Society.” When, in later years, 
 he removed to Philadelphia, he derived much satisfaction 
 in attending the meetings of this society, composed as it 
 was of men of distinction for abilities and knowledge. 
 
 Mr. Bordley now resided more permanently at Wye 
 Island, and steadily continued his agricultural expeiiments 
 and improvements. As his systems became matured, he 
 published their results: at first on written cards, sent 
 around his neighborhood, then in printed handbills, of 
 which we have two, one called. “Country Economy,” an¬ 
 other “Farmyard Economy;” and in 1783-4, his small 
 essay, entitled “Summary View of Courses of Crops, &c.,” 
 which he presented liberally through the country. His 
 object in so doing was to rouse those farmers who lived by 
 the soil to make exertions for themselves ; he therefore en¬ 
 deavored to place before them, in precept as well as prac¬ 
 tice, the dignity and importance of agriculture, and the 
 improvements it was susceptible of, when justly considered. 
 We have seen with what enthusiasm his mind early attached 
 itself to this object—the country and rural concerns were. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY, 
 
 1J3 
 
 at every period of life, his greatest delight—it seemed as 
 though they held the master-key to his intellectual exist¬ 
 ence, and that whatever general or diversified knowledge 
 he imbibed, became tributary to that leading prepossession. 
 As he advanced in life, and cast his view around on what 
 he called “the great landed interest of our nation,” he 
 became more alive to the value of agi'iculture as an object 
 of general importance; and connecting the encouragement 
 of it with the Christian’s duty of “doing good,” and the 
 principle that each voice in the community has its influ¬ 
 ence, he commenced, as we have seen, in his own neighbor¬ 
 hood, and by his own individual exertions. But he began 
 to fear that these eftbrts failed of producing the durable 
 impression he desired;—it was a subject on which every 
 small farmer thought himself already qualified to judge, 
 or sufficiently informed for his own purposes. The lazy 
 maxim, “ ’twill do well enough,” was a har to improvement 
 that Mr. Eordley full often complained of—but he found 
 it unconquerable, for want of a visible excitement—either 
 to gratify honest pride, or emulative interest. 
 
 To lead the way to better results, he now conceived the 
 idea, during his long winter retirements at AVye, of form¬ 
 ing a Society amongst well-informed men of liberal minds, 
 for promoting agricultural knowledge, and exciting a spirit 
 of improvement. His own native State, however, did not 
 at that time favor such an establishment. lie communi¬ 
 cated freely with those most likely to understand the 
 subject, and found them not to be roused: on the Western 
 Shore, the universal and settled culture of tobacco im¬ 
 peded such an object: on the Eastern Shore, the men of 
 enlarged views lived then too scattering and too remote 
 
 10 * 
 
114 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 from any eligible center of union, and all others were too 
 supine. 
 
 In consequence of these discouraging circumstances im¬ 
 mediately around him, he determined on resorting to a 
 city for the benefit of the country, and to set the idea of his 
 project afloat in Philadelphia on his next visit there. Pie 
 hinted this plan in his correspondence with his step-son, 
 Mr. Mifflin, and endeavored to obtain through him an in¬ 
 sight into the characters most likely to favor and support 
 the scheme, viz., ''men of property and education, not tied 
 down by professional engagements or local prejudices, and 
 prone to feel an interest, either general or particular, in 
 the suggested institution.” 
 
 Accordingly, in visiting Philadelphia in the winter of 
 1784-5, he introduced the idea of his favorite project in a 
 small intimate circle, and had the pleasure to find that it 
 excited an interest; particularly in his friend, Mr. Powel, 
 whose active piind, not shackled by the cares of business 
 nor biased by conflicting interests, at once caught a view 
 of its general advantages, and agreed to support it with 
 his best endeavors. 
 
 It was soon afterwards determined to have a meeting of 
 those who favored the proposed scheme, and to ascertain 
 the names of such others as might wish to become joint 
 members. Accordingly, with a book for minutes on their 
 table, they met, with a view to concert more format 
 measures, on February 11, 1785. The preamble to these, 
 their first minutes, is in Mr. Bordley’s handwriting, and 
 runs thus: 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 115 
 
 “City of Philadelphia, Feb. 11, 1785. 
 “In conversation on the subject of agriculture, and the 
 promoting improvements therein, within the States of 
 America, it was proposed to form a Society for that purpose, 
 to be held in the city of Philadelphia; and thereupon. 
 
 George Morgan, 
 George Clymer, 
 Ptobert Morris, 
 Jno. Cadwalader, 
 Henry Hill, 
 
 Philn. Dickinson, 
 James Wilson, 
 Thomas Willing, 
 Samuel Powel, 
 Edward Shippen, 
 Samuel Vaughan, 
 Tench Francis, 
 
 Messrs. 
 
 Benj. P\,ush (M.D.), 
 Samuel Meredith, 
 
 Jno. Nixon, 
 
 Charles Thompson, 
 Pbichard Wells, 
 
 Jno. Jones (Phys.), 
 Adam Kuhn (Phys.), 
 Lamt. Cadwalader, 
 Pilchard Peters, 
 
 Doctor Geo. Logan, 
 and 
 
 Jno. B. Bordley—(23) 
 
 “ in number twenty-three, were agreed and nominated to 
 be the members thereof; who, or such of them as should 
 meet for the purpose, should form a set of Laws for regu¬ 
 lating the Society, and also elect, according to such Laws, 
 other members, and honorary members. In pursuance 
 whereof, 
 
 “At the house of Patrick Byrne, in front street, in the 
 city of Philadelphia on tuesday the first day of March, 
 1785, were present: 
 
 Mr. Clymer, Mr. Francis, 
 
 -Powel, -Rush, 
 
 -Shippen, -Logan, 
 
 -Vaughan, Bordley, 
 
IIG 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 "'wlio made choice of Mr. Poivel for their Chairman: and 
 after some general consideration of the views of the Society, 
 they appointed Mr. Clymer and iMr. Bordley to sketch ont 
 a form of Laws to be presented at the next meeting, at 
 this place, on the next Tuesday.” 
 
 It was afterwards proposed to appoint Mr. Bordley their 
 President, bnt having himself been the prime mover of the 
 design of the Society, he, with his accustomed delicacy, 
 declined that honor. Mr. Powel was then nominated and 
 elected President, and Mr. Bordley Vice-President, which 
 stations they both retained till their deaths. The minutes 
 being then and for some time in his own writing, this first 
 nomination for President does not appear on them, but it 
 is a fact well remembered by his family. They also well 
 recollect to have heard him repeatedly called the Father 
 of the Agricultural Society of Philadelphia. 
 
 The immediate and unexampled success of this Society 
 was calculated to give the purest delight to such a mind 
 as Mr. Bordley’s; he had the pleasure to see the first men 
 in the nation* joining their names and their interests, and 
 
 * Amonffst these, in the list of luemhers besides those above mentioned, are 
 
 Benjamin Franklin, 
 
 Timothy Pickering, 
 
 Thomas Bond (M. D.), 
 
 Samuel Vaughan and sons, 
 Casper Wistar (M. D.), 
 
 Samuel Morris (Christian), 
 
 S. P. Griffitts (M. D.), 
 
 Thomas and John F. Mifflin, 
 Robert Milligan, 
 
 And amongst a long list of Honorary 
 General AVashington, 
 
 Bushrod Washington, A'ir. 
 
 Oliver V'oleot, Con. 
 
 AVilliam AYhite (Rt. Rev.), 
 Arthur St Clair, 
 
 Edward Burd, 
 
 John Penn (senior), 
 
 John Penn (junior), 
 
 M^illiam Hamilton, 
 
 Robert Hare, 
 
 Thomas AVilling, 
 
 MTlliam Bingham. 
 
 Members, are 
 
 Danl. & Chas. Carroll, Maryd. 
 Philp Scbuyler, NT. 
 
 Edmund Jenings, London. 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 117 
 
 giving their presence to encourage the views of this infant 
 institution, and this wdth alacrity and earnestness, as men 
 aware of the intrinsic value of the object aimed at; for 
 they saw and felt that it was not instigated by private 
 ambition or selfishness—they saw that public good was its 
 end and aim. i\Ien who had risked their lives and fortunes 
 for that same public good, in war, were equally ready to 
 sustain the noble principle in all its branches under the 
 blessings of peace; and who shall say that the fruits of 
 Agriculture are not first on the list? 
 
 Yes! Mr. Bordley rejoiced in the success of his darling 
 project; he ardently hoped that so auspiciously protected, 
 it might long pursue the “even tenor of its way,” unbiased 
 by party influence or selfi.sh intrigue; it was his plain 
 honest wish to see it support itself, by its own merits and 
 usefulness: leading the way to the diffusion of knowledge 
 on a subject so closely connected with the general welfare 
 of this great country, that he considered it not only as the 
 “spinal marrow of its existence,” but when rightly under¬ 
 stood, and })ui’sued by enlightened minds, as the best basis 
 for virtue and happiness on earth. 
 
 James Bowdoin, Massts. 
 
 George Clinton, NYork. 
 
 .Tohn Jay, Jer., & Philp van-Kan- 
 selaer, NY. 
 
 Rt. Revd. R. Smith, S. C. 
 
 Baron Steuben, 
 
 ,4nt. Wayne, Pen. 
 
 Jer. Wadsworth, Con. 
 
 Dr. John Warren, Mass. 
 
 Ralph Izard, S. C. 
 
 Genl. N. Greene, Rd. Isd. 
 
 Robt. R. Livingston, NY. 
 
 Benjn. Lincoln, Mass. 
 
 Genl. Henry Knox, 
 
 Edward Lloyd, Maryd. 
 
 •lohn Langdon, N. Hamp. 
 Richard Penn, London. 
 Gouverneur Morris, NY. 
 William Paca, Marj'd. 
 Temple Franklin. 
 
 John Rutledge, S. C. 
 
 Edward De Courcey, Maryd. 
 Robt. Browne, Maryd. 
 
 John Singleton, Maryd. 
 AVilliam Hemsley, Maryd. 
 Charles Carter, Yirga. 
 
 Major David Ross, Maryd. 
 William Hayward, Maryd. 
 
118 
 
 BIOGEArHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Having no vain wish to gain applause or distinction, 
 ]\Ir. Bordley no longer interfered with the regulations of 
 the Society; having seen it safely launched, he conceived 
 his principal duty done, and was contented to resign it to 
 its appointed commander and officers; and also, provided 
 it did hut exist, content to have it forgotten that he was 
 its founder—or, perhaps, trusting for that remembrance 
 to the justice of his cotemporaries, he was the more regard¬ 
 less of it himself. He received many letters* of congratu¬ 
 lation and compliment on the success of his generous labors 
 for the promotion of agriculture; he regarded them no fur¬ 
 ther than as expressive of the writer’s good-will, and as 
 sustaining his hope that in time men would universally 
 learn to “venerate the plough.” 
 
 In the course of years, Mr. Bordley and some other 
 members observed what they considered defects in the 
 construction of the Society; and the lamented death of 
 their first President, Mr. Powel, in 1793, together with 
 his own actual residence in Philadelphia having thrown 
 greater responsibility on him as Vice-President, he sug¬ 
 gested various new regulations amongst those of his friends 
 most interested in the subject, and issued repeated notices^' 
 calling a meeting of the Society; but the fatal yellow fever 
 of that year had paralyzed exertion, and these calls were 
 for some time in vain, until January 14, 1794, when a cir¬ 
 cular signed by Mr. Bordley as Vice-President, appointed 
 the 21st January for a special meeting on two important 
 objects, which were 
 
 ® One of these was from Arthur Young, Esq., addressed to Mr. Bordley, as 
 “ President of the Society, &c.,” and accompanied by the present of a set of his 
 Annals of Agriculture. 
 
 f These having been printed, we have still a number of them. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 119 
 
 1st. To petition the Legislature for an act of Incorpora¬ 
 tion. 
 
 2d. To prepare outlines of a plan for establishing a State 
 Society for the promotion of agriculture. 
 
 Both Avhich were done by the Committee appointed, viz., 
 Messrs. Bordley, Clymer, Peters, and Pickering. The 
 petitions were presented to the Legislature, and “nothing 
 more was done.’’ Mr. Bordley adds a remark, that “the 
 application was rejected by husbandmen, who were prin¬ 
 cipally to be benefited!’’ 
 
 The minutes of these meetings and transactions appear, 
 in Mr. Bordley’s last work on “Husbandry,” published by 
 him in 1799. 
 
 From that period, there seems to have been an inter¬ 
 ruption to the meetings of the society, the cause of which 
 does not appear. Alas 1 “ tares” will forever “ grow up 
 with the wheat” of human planting. Mr. Bordley had 
 the mortification to see petty interests and individual 
 vanity tarnishing the fair luster of this well-founded insti¬ 
 tution. And under these circumstances, the refusal of the 
 Legislature to give it their sanction and aid, was jjeculiarly 
 wounding to his feelings, and drew forth the above excla¬ 
 mation.* 
 
 In pursuing the details connected with the establish¬ 
 ment of this interesting society, we have advanced beyond 
 the regular narrative, and must now return to it. Mr. 
 Bordley’s mind was not wholly engrossed by agriculture, 
 it was always open to subjects of general interest to the 
 
 The remnant of this society was again rallied in 1805, the year following 
 Mr. Bordley’s decea.se, when Mr. Bordley’s particular friend, George Clymer, 
 Esq., was elected Vice-President, and Judge Peters, President. (See their min¬ 
 utes iu the 1st volume of minutes.) 
 
120 
 
 BIOGRAriilCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 community, lie had long observed and lamented so far back 
 as when he was Prothonotary in Baltimore County, the un¬ 
 settled and vague state of our currency his papers, books, 
 letters, &c. are full of calculations, comparisons, and obser¬ 
 vations on the different currencies and coins of the commer¬ 
 cial world, pointing out the necessity for an improved system 
 of our own. With this view, he entered into correspond¬ 
 ence with some of the first financial characters of our coun¬ 
 try, and we believe was one of the first who proposed the 
 adoption of the decimal division of our moneys. It is well 
 knoAvn that he was one of its warmest advocates. In 1789, 
 he published a small piece on "Moneys, Coins, Weights, 
 and Measures,” and in 1.790, a " Supplement” to it; these 
 were designed to awaken the attention of such as were 
 ignorant (and in that day they formed the bulk of the peo¬ 
 ple) of the advantages arising from our newly appointed 
 system. He also published, in 1790, a small essay on 
 “ National Credit and Character,” intended to point out 
 in an easy and familiar manner, the real interests and great 
 advantages of our new government. To appreciate the 
 object of these little pieces, we must recollect, they were 
 written when reading was not so general as it has since 
 become, aixl when, of course, there existed the danger of 
 that discontent which is the growth of ignorance, some 
 symptoms of which he perceived, and therefore distributed 
 these timely hints. In 1793, Mr. Bordley wrote and pub¬ 
 lished a small piece on " Yellow Fever.” In 1794, he also 
 wrote and published “ Intimations on Manufactures, Agri¬ 
 culture, and Trade.” In 1797, " Sketches on Eotations of 
 Crops.” In 1798, "On Pasturing Cattle.” In 1797, 
 " Queries from the Board of Agriculture of London, with 
 Answers by J. B. Bordley.” In 1799, "On Hemp,” with 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 121 
 
 a supplement. In 1800, " Husbandry dependent on Live¬ 
 stock.” In 1799, his largest work on husbandry, called 
 “ Essays and Notes,” &c., consisting of six hundred and 
 forty-six pages ; and in 1803, an “ Epitome of Forsyth on 
 Fruit Trees, with notes by an American Farmei-.” 
 
 We have thus endeavored to collect together some of 
 the various topics on which he employed his pen, though 
 well aware, that the catalogue is very incomplete. So lit¬ 
 tle consecpience did Mr. Bordley attach to anything but 
 the object immediately in view by these productions, that 
 few of them have been preserved, even in his own family. 
 Of those above named we have copies. That Mr. Bordley’s 
 motive in writing may be justly understood, we must here 
 mention, that he did not wield the pen of a “fine writer.” 
 It was not for his own amusement that he undertook these 
 publications; for he always confessed that he had not done 
 justice to his own intentions by them, for, as he expressed 
 it, “ I write too much on the spur of the occasion.” 
 
 It is now time to give a slight view of Mr. Bordley’s 
 domestic life, as passed in later years at Wye Island ; we 
 have no knowledge of it in any preceding period. There, 
 both he and Mrs. Bordley collected together, every sum¬ 
 mer, as many of their mutual relations and connections as 
 possible, inviting them cordially to come and partake with 
 them of the luxuries which both nature and cultivation 
 there yielded abundantly in that blest season of fruits and 
 liowers.* Of the constant and regular members of the 
 
 * Besides the ample products of Mr. Bordlcy’s farm and garden, the river 
 yielded in profusion and in perfection, every variety of Jish, from the rich 
 sheep’s-head and rock-fish, down to the sparkling diamond-fish, and sweet cro¬ 
 cus and the fat crab, with and without its shell. In winter, this spot also 
 yielded every variety of wild-fowl. 
 
122 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 summer circle, who were absentees in winter, was Miss 
 Bordley, Mr. Bordley’s sister, who resided in Annapolis, 
 and his daughter Henrietta Maria, who in 1781 married 
 Major David Ross,* of the Western Shore of Maryland, and 
 resided at Bladensburg. Miss Bordley was often accom¬ 
 panied by some of her distant female relations, and Mrs. 
 Ross, in the course of time, brought a merry little troop of 
 children to feast on grandpapa’s fine fruit. 
 
 His son Matthias still made his home with his father, 
 and it was predicted of him, from his steady habits, that he 
 would live and die a bachelor.f His son John married 
 soon after his return from Europe, and settled near Ches- 
 tertown, Kent County. Mr. Bordley’s step-son, John F. 
 Mifflin, of Philadelphia, occasionally left his city avoca¬ 
 tions to visit his mother in her rural home. Add to these 
 accidental visitors, who were liable to come in the genu¬ 
 ine old Maryland way from every point of the compass, and 
 there was assembled always a happy, often a large com¬ 
 pany, amusing themselves as they liked best in the luxu¬ 
 rious ease of Maryland hospitality ; most of them remain¬ 
 ing from May to November, any occasional vacancies being 
 soon filled up. 
 
 With his neighbors, Mr. Bordley uniformly preserved 
 the pleasantest terms of social ease and friendliness. Fre¬ 
 quent interchange of civilities with the Pacas, the Lloyds, 
 the Tilghmans, the Gloldsboroughs, the Hollidays, the Hay¬ 
 wards, the Chamberlains, the Blakes, the Brownes, the 
 Hemsleys, the Hindmans, &c., kept up through the fair 
 
 Major Ross attained his military rank by well sustained service in the 
 Revolutionary War. 
 
 f That was not the age of prophecy. Matthias married Miss Susan Heath in 
 1799, and has now thirteen children. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 123 
 
 season, a busy succession of visitings, dinnei’s, and various 
 convivial meetings. These, with neighborly attentions, 
 fruit to the sick, &c., kept the batteaux and canoes con¬ 
 stantly plying, and banished every unpleasant thought of 
 being on an island. Visitoi*s to Mr. Bordley not unfre- 
 quently came from the Western Shore, as for instance, Gov. 
 Plater and his charming family, the Brices, the Bidouts, 
 &c. Sometimes they came from other States, as Mr. 
 Bordley’s intimate friend. Bishop Smith, of South Caro¬ 
 lina, whose last visit, with his family, was of two weeks, 
 previous to sailing for Europe. Doctor Geo. Logan, of 
 Philadelphia, in 1786 or 1787, with his charming and 
 exemplary wife, made a visit of ten days, and being a lover 
 of farming, passed the time to his satisfaction in examin¬ 
 ing Mr. Bordley’s improvements, and many others not now 
 recollected. 
 
 Mr. Bordley was an early riser; his duties and plans for 
 the day were arranged in a system before him. His first 
 step was to his garden, distant about one hundred yards 
 from the house. This was a finely varied piece of ground 
 of eight acres, selected and surveyed by himself. In lay¬ 
 ing it out, he perhaps attended more to the useful than 
 the beautiful, and yet three large avenues, diverging from 
 the main entrance to the extremities, bordered on each 
 side with the finest fruit trees, bending under the weight 
 of blushing and golden treasures, and interspersed by fiow- 
 ering shrubs, may be said to possess some beauty. Here 
 he generally passed an hour and a half, or two hours, in 
 giving directions to the head gardener, omitting nothing; 
 and this done, he filled the remaining interval of time with 
 exercise and thought, giving free range to those pious 
 meditations which the hour and the scene promoted. 
 
124 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 He was fond of pruning and grafting, and in the proper 
 seasons, himself took charge of the choice fruits and vines 
 that required those offices. He cultivated the grape with 
 care, and formed two complete vineyards with soil artifi¬ 
 cially made for the purpose. He imported the celebrated 
 Tokay grape, in the hope it might suit our climate, and 
 raised it to bear fruit which proved its superior flavor for 
 a wine grape; he, however, experienced some discourage¬ 
 ment in the culture of it we believe, from the dryness of 
 our summers. He raised also the nectarine, but not to 
 perfection; but his peaches, melons, pears, and plums were 
 so incomparably fine that he was indifferent to that one 
 inferior variety. 
 
 The fig, of various sorts and in luscious abundance, found 
 a genial climate and soil in his garden ; the ruddy pome¬ 
 granate too was there, though slightly prized amidst its 
 more valued neighbors. The sweet almond also, Mr. 
 Bordley raised to advantage, both in Maryland and Penn¬ 
 sylvania, and endeavored to induce others to do so.* His 
 attention was not confined to fruit; whatever, in the course 
 of his diffusive reading, he met with worthy to be intro¬ 
 duced into culture for general advantage, he immediately 
 endeavored to procure, and first gave a place in his gar¬ 
 den for a fair experiment. In this point of view, he early 
 raised there the palma-christi, and succeeded in express¬ 
 ing good oil from it, recommending it as an article of trade 
 to those who had small farms. He also gave a place in 
 
 In his “Notes on Gardening” to the Epitome of Forsyth, p. 146, he thus 
 mentions it: “ The Editor chose the coldest, most airy, exposed, and clayey 
 part of his garden, where ho planted Almonds. The trees bore fruit to perfec¬ 
 tion in three years after planting the nuts; they were the largo soft shelled 
 Almond.” 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 125 
 
 liis garden to tlie madder plant for several years previous 
 to Ills leaving Wye—tlie writer well remembers his calling 
 the attention of his visitors to a large bed of this favorite 
 plant which he had procured through a friend in England, of 
 the best sort, and expressing his great pleasure in seeing 
 it thrive so vigorously in our climate ; one of the gentle¬ 
 men coldly asked him, " Why he suffered it to occupy 
 so much of his garden and his attention?” The writer 
 well remembers his emphatic answer, “ Sir, this will 
 one day be a manufacturing country, and then, that little 
 plant will be invaluable.” Alas ! there were but very few 
 who could thus generously anticipate for the public good.* 
 These morning visits to his garden interested Mr. Bord- 
 ley so much, that it was often necessary to dispatch a little 
 messenger a second time to say “Breakfast is ready, sir!” 
 And he has been often known to be unconscious of a pat¬ 
 tering shower until roused by the arrival of an umbrella, 
 which, however, he generally discarded and sent back with 
 his “ compliments to the ladies.” In fruit season, his 
 return to the family was attended by large baskets loaded 
 
 In the “ Notes” to his large work on “ Husbandry,” he mentions this plant, 
 and adds: “ In my garden at Wye, I was much pleased with the growth and 
 produce of a bed of Mr. Arbuthnot’s choicest kind of Madder, and wished 
 to spread the culture of it amongst country families who appeared the most 
 concerned in little domestic manufacturing. But, alas ! only one family 
 desired to have of it, and planted some roots in their garden.” Mr. Bordley also 
 raised annually in his garden, a considerable number of hop vines of that supe¬ 
 rior kind called the Fanih<im Hop, to which he was attached for many reasons. 
 He thus mentions it in the work on Husbandry, page 395: “This hop was intro¬ 
 duced into Maryland by that patttern of manly virtues, the late Mr. Sharpe, when 
 he was Governor of Maryland. Some of the roots he gave me, and I planted of 
 them 250 hills,” &c. Mr. Bordley took great pains to introduce this hop into 
 Pennsylvania, and left them with directions at Como, his farm in Chester 
 County, bought by Dr. McCloud. 
 
 11 * 
 
12G 
 
 BIOCtEAPHICAL sketches. 
 
 with every variety of Pomona’s choicest gifts, fully well 
 ripened and nicely culled.* 
 
 After breakfast, his horse or his chaise were daily in 
 waiting at the door, and he instantly set out for the more 
 important superintendence of his farm. The farmyard, 
 the principal scene of business, was distant a mile from the 
 mansion house; there he spent some time in consultation 
 with his overseer, explaining and directing according to his 
 various plans and wishes; he then went round to his people’s 
 quarters, and listened to their various wants, or gave them 
 useful hints that suited their capacities—then he drove 
 round to his different manufactories, viewed his extensive 
 fields, flocks, &c., and thus occupied the whole forenoon and 
 part of the afternoon. He generally went prepared with 
 medicine or some little comforts for his poor black people, 
 which he made it a point to have ready each night before 
 going to bed. He kept a constant stock of all necessaries 
 for the sick, and in time became such a skillful practitioner 
 as seldom to need a physician—many instances occurred 
 where he recovered them from extreme danger, and they 
 preferred his treatment to any other. 
 
 About two o’clock he returned home to prepare for din- 
 
 This fruit was for the day’s use, first beginning with the breakfast table, 
 and not forgetting neighbors. The baskets were first placed on the floor 
 of the hall, until disposed of. As in Mr. and Mrs. Bordley’s plan of educa- 
 tinn, obedience and self-denial were taught to “ grow with the growth” in 
 “ snirit and in truth,” thereby precluding the necessity of punishment—we can¬ 
 not omit mentioning an instance that proves the complete success of their theory : 
 one of their children, then two years old, was told not to touch the above fruit 
 placed on the floor; she was seen soon afterwards, playing and dancing around 
 the baskets, quite alone, with her hands put behind her, as if to keep them 
 from touching it. Would to Heaven our full-grown obedience to our Heavenly 
 Father could be like that of well-trained “ little children,” how much more hap¬ 
 piness might this world exhibit! 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 127 
 
 ner; exchanging liis coat for a dressing-gown, he took a 
 draught, already prepared, of what he called a " cool tan¬ 
 kard,”* or a bowl of lemon punch, and when fatigued or 
 heated, threw himself for a few moments on a bed or old- 
 fashioned settee, and then rose to shave, have his hair 
 dressed, &c.t 
 
 At his social board, no one could be more truly social; 
 it was amply supplied with well prepared viands, and 
 seasoned by cheerful gratitude to Heaven, and love to our 
 neighbor on earth, while the example of those who presided, 
 set the tone of harmony, ease and enjoyment to all around. 
 The younger branches of the family who were admitted to 
 these meals, saw and learnt to love the simple, happy 
 exercise of the Christian virtues: patience, modesty, re¬ 
 spect for the rights of others, sympathy, generosity, self- 
 respect, discretion, temperance, good humor and gratitude, 
 all successively came into action, and on proper occasions 
 were pointed out, explained, and commended; and became 
 engrafted on the subject with the ease of habit—that 
 second nature, which gives to civilization its best graces.| 
 
 The cloth removed, the children’s whispered grace, 
 “ Thank God !” responded, and they sent merrily off with 
 
 * “A cool tankard” was simply wine sangaree with sprigs of balm and 
 burnet in it, cooled with ice. 
 
 f In those days gentlemen tied their hair in a queue, and dressed it with 
 powder and pomatum. 
 
 t Perh.aps it may be observed that all this might be summed up in the word 
 politeness, yet politeness is a very vague term, oftener used than understood, 
 and often applied as a dress coat, to suit occasions, perhaps hide defects. Good 
 manners instilled through good principles, as in the daily i)!easant family scene 
 above, form a solid groundwork for character, by means of happy associations : 
 children thus taught, learn to apply the moral sense of their own accord, find it 
 incorporated with all their ideas, ready on all occasions, and bestowing on ease 
 and a charm, that mere external politeness seldom acquires ! 
 
128 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 loaded liaiuls and aprons. Mr. Bordley liked to delay a 
 little with liis friends, over a well-cooled gdass of Madeira, 
 and a profusion of exquisite fruit. He liked also, at this 
 moment, to give and receive the overflowings of the heart 
 and fancy, in a frank and free interchange of good humor, 
 or grave debate, or calm reflection, and he always found 
 some who gladly remained with him. Mr. Bordley’s 
 manners were happily demonstrative and marked with 
 peculiar candor; whether he indulged in playful sportive¬ 
 ness, philosophic inquiry, keen remark, or pious feeling, 
 his actual meaning was ever in his Avords and his counte¬ 
 nance, and those who conversed and listened, perceived 
 with certainty that they had heard the truth and some¬ 
 thing Avorth remembering. 
 
 “ ■* How could ray tongue 
 
 Take pleasure and be lavish in thy praise! 
 
 How could I speak thy nobleness of nature I 
 Thy open manly heart, thy courage, constancy, 
 
 And inborn truth, unknowing to dissemble !”—Rowe. 
 
 The family at last dispersed to their several avocations, 
 and Mr. Bordley to a cool seat and his book. There he 
 remained abstracted from everything present, until sum¬ 
 moned by the movements of others, to join in an evening 
 Avalk with one, or an evening row on the water with 
 another, or perhaps to take some others in the phaeton 
 round his farm, to view his fields and improvements. On 
 returning from these excursions, they found the tea-table 
 prepared, sometimes, in extreme warm weather, placed on 
 the “neat smooth shaven green,” and abundantly sup¬ 
 plied with every suitable luxury from “ either India,” 
 and from a well stored dairy and larder; with every 
 
JOHN BEALE BOBDLEY. 
 
 129 
 
 variety and preparation of fruit, and with merriment warm 
 from the hearts of various ages ! Sometimes, in the midst 
 of this gay clattering hilarity, the whole Lloyd family 
 would suddenly appear ! The noise of their ten-oared barge 
 having been lost in that of tongues. Then was there an 
 accession of mirth and conviviality from those gay, good- 
 humored neighbors ! Mrs. Lloyd (she was a Miss Tayloe, 
 of Virginia) never failing to supply her innocent jest and 
 drollery, and at parting, enjoining Mr. Bordley to return 
 to public life, and give them balls; that the farmer’s lif(> 
 had made him too serious, &c. 
 
 Such was the general mode of Mr. Bordley’s summer 
 hours, an evening seldom passed without visits either given 
 or received; and the favoring moon was uniformly courted 
 for a lengthened enjoyment of converse after a sultry day. 
 If to the gorgeous, the ambitious, or the plodding inhabit- 
 ^ ant of cities, such a life seems vacant, let him acknowledge 
 whether his own be happier ! 
 
 “ How various his employments, whom the world 
 Calls idle, and w ho justly in return 
 Esteems that busy world an idler too ! 
 
 Friends, books, a garden, and perhaps his pen. 
 Delightful industry enjoy’d at home. 
 
 And nature in her cultivated trim. 
 
 Dress’d to his taste, inviting him abroad— 
 
 Can he want occupation who has these ? 
 
 Oh ! friendly to the best pursuits of man. 
 Friendly to thought, to virtue, and to peace, 
 Domestic life in rural leisure pass’d.’’— Oow’PEK. 
 
 Sunday was a “ day of rest.” It was marked by suitable 
 readings and reflection, and enlightening lessons to the 
 young. When the sky was clear and not too hot, and in- 
 
130 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 dicated no near or distant gust, the carriage was ordered 
 across the river in a horse boat, and the family following 
 in a batteau, joined it and proceeded to the nearest church, 
 which was twelve miles distant. There, breathing forth 
 devout offerings of the heart in our beautiful liturgy, they 
 heard selections from the Book of hooks, and afterwards 
 listened to a wholesome plain discourse from their excellent 
 Parish Pastor, the Rev. Mr. John Gordon. This gentle¬ 
 man was a frequent guest amongst his parishioners, and 
 was often welcomed at Mr. Bordley’s for days together, 
 particularly for part of the Christmas festival. His edu¬ 
 cation, his office, and the guileless simplicity of his charac¬ 
 ter, with his affectionate disposition, greatly won Mr. B.’s 
 regard—add to which, both liked an honest game of back¬ 
 gammon, and to converse with liberality and freedom on 
 general topics, and also, on that sacred theme which is to 
 "make men wise unto salvation.” 
 
 Mr. Bordley’s winter hours were marked by the same 
 views and pursuits as those of summer, allowing a larger 
 proportion of time to such as were sedentary. He was still 
 to be found giving his most earnest attention to whatever 
 lay within his sphere of duty. The weather must have 
 been inclement indeed, that could prevent his daily visit 
 to his farm; or his unvarying care for the welfare of his 
 people, in which latter branch of duty he was constantly 
 aided by his humane and judicious helpmate, ever ready 
 to adopt that good old-fashioned title, but never more so 
 than in promoting deeds of charity. Winter leisure allowed 
 him to gratify his taste for books of science and general 
 knowledge, while through the medium of newspapers, 
 magazines, and friendly correspondences, he kept up his 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 131 
 
 acquaintance with the state of the world, far and near, and 
 his pen furnished him another intellectual variety. His 
 pleasant turn for social amusement, willing to meet the 
 advances of others, always found some of those lighter re¬ 
 laxations which the human mind requires, and in the good 
 sense, sound principles, and uniformly cheerful temper of 
 his wife, he possessed a companion who made the longest 
 hours appear short. In winter he gave more attention to 
 a subject mutually interesting to them both, viz., the edu¬ 
 cation of their little daughter—to the age of thirteen she 
 had no hired teacher,* and was fully prepared by her 
 parents, to enter the highest class of the best Philadelphia 
 school. Their parlor table was in winter to be seen covered 
 with maps, slates, and divers volumes of instruction, and 
 while the philosophic mind of the father endeavored to in¬ 
 fuse into his pupils’ memory some small portion of the 
 abstruse sciences, history, geography, morality and religion 
 principally devolved on the gentle and highly cultivated 
 mind of the mother; but this subject opens a field of reflec¬ 
 tion too fertile for our limits ! 
 
 And now approaches a period which led Mr. Bordley 
 once more to an important remove and change of scene! 
 From the time of his second marriage, he had occasionally 
 passed several entire winters in Philadelphia, where their 
 Union Street house was always ready for their reception. 
 During these visits, he became attached to many of its in¬ 
 habitants; delighted with its resources for knowledge; and 
 reconciled, in some measure, to city habits—we cannot 
 
 * To this, one exception must be mentioned—she received private lessons in 
 dancing, from the age of seven, whenever her parents visited the city. All the 
 other usual accomplishments were not entered upon until her thirteenth year. 
 
132 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 say more on tins subject; for who, tliat has once fully en¬ 
 joyed, with gratitude to the Great Parent of Nature, the 
 pure freedom and elegant ease of the rural life, can ever 
 completely like the artificial restraints of a city? Mr. 
 Bordley, however, was not a slave to mere habit; with his 
 enlightened mind, and fondness for intellectual improve¬ 
 ments, he was sensible of the advantages that civilized life 
 obtains from these congregated masses of men; amongst 
 whom fair Science flourishes, and education fosters all that 
 is refined and most estimable in the human character— 
 and he now turned his thoughts towards a permanent re¬ 
 move to Philadelphia; partly to secure some of these ad¬ 
 vantages for his little daughter, partly to gratify her 
 mother’s natural desire to be, in the decline of life, near 
 her son, and her early friends; and partly also, to remove 
 from within the precincts of slavery—a misfortune entailed 
 on his native State, which he never ceased to deplore! 
 
 On this subject Mr. Bordley had long and deeply pon¬ 
 dered; but, alas! it was a theme on which no reflection 
 could give relief; and the writer has often witnessed its 
 oppressive weight on his mind; not that he considered the 
 holding slaves as criminal, in those who were unhappily 
 born to the inheritence; but whether he gave the subject 
 a general and patriotic view, as repressing the energies of 
 the whole mass of people, and in time producing the moral 
 evils of false pride and listless retrograding indolence, or 
 whether he viewed its saddening difficulties, entailed by 
 our selfish predecessors in the government, for the purpose 
 of cultivating our noble lands, still, in every aspect, he 
 found it a national affliction, and turned from the revolt¬ 
 ing theme with a dismay proportioned to its invincibility. 
 
■lOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 133 
 
 Ilis colored people were mi;cli attached to him; having 
 always viewed him like a patriarchal father amongst them, 
 they justlv considered him their best friend. It was now, 
 when preparing to leave them, that his difficulties arose. 
 (Iwning them on all his Maryland farms, they were of 
 course numerous; and to have liberated them all at once, 
 would have been an injury to his compatriots; he could 
 not take on his conscience the commotion and danger 
 likely to ensue. He had only a choice of evils, and made 
 the following arrangement. 
 
 He liberated a portion on each farm, by families, and 
 as a reward for proven fidelity; others, favorite family 
 domestics, he took to Pennsylvania, Avhere they were 
 bound for a term of yeai's; others, on dis})Osing of his 
 lands to different purchasers, he sold to those purchasers 
 for a term of years, after which they and their progeny 
 were to be free; others he left with his sons, and his 
 daughter Ptoss, from whom they were sure of receiving 
 kind treatment. 
 
 After the death of his venerable sister, the last of his 
 father’s family, Mr. Bordley made preparations for his 
 contemplated change of residence, and accomplished it in 
 the autumn of 1791; resigning the beautiful Island estate, 
 with its improvements and advantages, to his then bachelor 
 son, Matthias. 
 
 Just before the journey, when his daughter, Mrs. Boss, 
 was waiting to bid a last farewell to the family, from that 
 scene of past happiness, a circumstance occurred, which 
 we cannot avoid mentioning, though we can give no ex¬ 
 planation of it; yet it is valuable as a proof of the confi¬ 
 dence reposed in Mr. Bordley by General Washington. 
 
134 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 At the time alluded to, an express brought a sealed packet 
 from the President to Mr. Bordley; it contained some con¬ 
 fidential communication that -was never made known to 
 the family; but it could not be forgotten, as it required 
 kir. B.’s absence from home, and delayed the approaching 
 journey for some days. 
 
 At length, all obstacles removed, the last ‘‘good-by,” 
 the last shake of the hand, the “God bless you!” and the 
 last “lingering look” given, they quitted this lovely spot, 
 this happy home of the heart, and pursued “their silent 
 way” towards Philadelphia. Various were the emotions 
 and reflections of the party; and even Mrs. Bordley, who 
 had the attractions of kindred and home to look forward 
 to, yet fondly and gratefully owned that she experienced 
 soiTow in quitting “the dear, the delightful Wye Island!” 
 
 And anon, all were snugly settled in Union Street; and 
 the greetings of friends, the stir, the enterprise, and the 
 spirited movements of a city, with the various consulta¬ 
 tions on various subjects, inquiries and arrangements with 
 tutors, &c., &c., these things banished painful regi’ets, and 
 soon completely and cheerfully engrossed the time and 
 thoughts of the now re-established citizens. 
 
 Philadelphia was then, and for some years afterwards, 
 the seat of the General Government; and may be said to 
 have concentrated at that time more social attractions 
 than have fallen to her lot, or to that of any of our cities, 
 since the removal of Government to its own metropolis. 
 Society there held its highest tone, and shone with all the 
 most exalted excellencies and the most pleasing varieties 
 of the human materials which formed it. It was then en¬ 
 riched by a large accession of well-educated strangers. 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 135 
 
 driven by revolutionary terrors from the distinguished 
 classes of every part of Europe; and by the learned, the 
 honorable, the gay and the lovely, from all parts of our 
 own dear country. The social principle was well under¬ 
 stood; the domestic scene was enlivened and improved 
 by the duty of hospitality to the "stranger,” and the 
 stranger in return, by grateful good-will and desire to 
 please, converted that duty into a pleasure; whilst the 
 simple but well-established forms of republican etiquette, 
 appertaining to the order of all good government, taught 
 men the mutual advantages to be derived from mutual 
 respect. 
 
 During that period, Mr. Bordley’s house became one of 
 the favorite places of friendly resort to some amongst the 
 excellent of all descriptions. Unostentatious good sense, 
 and cheerfulness, and ease, rendered the dinners, suppers, 
 balls, &c. at his house peculiarly attractive; besides which 
 a constant evening circle was voluntarily assembled there— 
 happy in the polished ease which they both found and re- 
 ci}irocated. There often met together foreign nobility and 
 republican talents; the graces of the old world and sim¬ 
 plicity of the new—with the learned and scientific of 
 both—often a heterogeneous mixture! From the wily 
 and elegant courtier, the ci-devant Bishop d’Autun, Tally- 
 rand Perigord de Montmorenci, to the plain, rough, honest, 
 and acute Secretary of State, Timothy Pickering; from 
 the unpolished, timid, and retiring philosopher, Volney, 
 to the polished, pleasant, persevering, and penetrating 
 ambassador, Mr. Liston, (now Sir Bobert,) Ac. 
 
 Some time before settling in Philadelphia, Mr. Bordley 
 was appointed by the President one of the Commissioners 
 
13G 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 for receiving subscriptions to the Bank of the United 
 States,* but his affairs in Maryland arbitrarily required 
 his presence there at that time, and he could not consent 
 to neglect them; and after meeting the other Commissioners 
 once or twice, and giving some limited attention to the 
 subject, he either silently declined acting further, or re¬ 
 signed his commission, it is not now recollected which. 
 Had he been ambitiously disposed he probably would have 
 acted otherwise; but, on removing to the seat of Govern¬ 
 ment, he at once took occasion to let it be known that he 
 was not desirous of office, and was allowed to cultivate the 
 independent leisure he preferred; whilst at the same time 
 his society was valued and his opinions respected by the 
 “powers that be” of that day. The writer of this sketch 
 greatly laments the loss of many interesting letters from 
 some of the first men of the nation to Mr. Bordley, during 
 various years, viz., from Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, 
 Wolcott, Cabot, &c. If these had been preserved, they 
 might now throw some further light on the character we 
 wish to depict. We have seen the letters referred to; but, 
 alas! they are lost! 
 
 But we may trace Mr. Bordley’s motive by his conduct: 
 having long renounced politics, and shunned contention 
 with men of the world, he now considered himself too far 
 advanced in life to return to that forsaken career. He 
 once remarked to an intimate friend, “ they can be at no 
 loss for younger men to fill their public offices—let me lay 
 on the shelf.” He never lost that love of independence 
 which had influenced his whole life. We have some lines 
 that he once gave the writer, not for the value of the 
 
 * His commission bears date “March lU, 1791.” 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 137 
 
 poetry, but because “ they are,” he said, “as expressive of 
 luy own sentiments, as if I had written them.” We can¬ 
 not resist inserting them here: 
 
 “While sordid souls are importuning Ileav’n, 
 
 To grant them riches ne'er to mortals giv’n ; 
 
 While some are anxious for their worldly fate, 
 
 And wish to mount the lofty car of State ; 
 
 To Providence I’ll offer one request— 
 
 For void of this I never can he blest— 
 
 Grant me, kind Ileav’n ! an independent mind, 
 
 Above the vulgar meanness of mankind ; 
 
 No haughty Tyrants let me ever court. 
 
 Nor for their favor with my honor sport; 
 
 Let no mean action e’er my conduct stain, 
 
 Altho’ by it, I might a kingdom gain: 
 
 I’d rather beg my bread from door to door. 
 
 Than be a fawning sycophant to power— 
 
 Oh ! let me then reiterate my prayer. 
 
 May mental independence be my share 
 
 We may, therefore, easily see why Mr. Bordley shunned 
 party influence, and this not in political affairs only, l)ut in 
 all affairs whatever; he had no desire to become a leader, 
 and was principled against implicit conformity to a party, 
 for partial views. 
 
 But it did not accord with his chax’actcr to be inactive, 
 and he soon found that if pent up within the walls of a 
 city, Avithout a profession, he might sigh with Othello, “my 
 occupation’s gone!” He therefore turned again towards 
 fields and meadows—his favorite themes, and purchased a 
 fine farm in Chester County, about thirty miles from town, 
 consisting of 360 acres of noble wood-crowned hills, and 
 meadows well irrigated by clear trout streams. Here he 
 thought to realize some improved agricultural views, ivith 
 the aid of free ivliite laborers, and within a few miles of 
 
 12 * 
 
138 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 two thriving market towns; and he calculated on the 
 honest aims of a suitable superintendent, who engaged as 
 both tenant and director in his absence, this being intended 
 only for the amusement of six months of the year. This 
 farm he named Como, from a classical regard to the birth¬ 
 place of Pliny, one of his favorite ancients. After some 
 visits of preparation he took his family there in 1795, and 
 spent one pleasant summer, again under the shade of his 
 own woods; again enjo 5 dng the free delights of planting, 
 planning, devising, and directing, with animated hopes, 
 and an activity beyond his years. 
 
 But it was now the will of Providence to draw his career 
 towards its close. He perceived the approach of that pain¬ 
 ful disease which had terminated his father’s life, and 
 gradually threatened his own. Traveling, therefore, be¬ 
 came impossible, and he at once resigned in cheerful sub¬ 
 mission, yet not without a sigh, the pleasing projects he 
 had just entered on. Thenceforth he endeavored to restrain 
 the enthusiasm so prone to expatiate over the wide field 
 of nature in largely liberal schemes, and to content himself 
 with the winter comforts of the city, and be thankful that 
 he could yet remove to some rural retreat in its vicinity 
 for the summer months, where he might have his suffer¬ 
 ings alleviated by the best medical aid, and his mind 
 amused by friendly society, and a varied supply of litera¬ 
 ture; now it was, particularly, that he was thankful for 
 the early habit of and fondness for reading, acquired in his 
 brother’s office, as before alluded to; it was now become 
 invaluable. 
 
 And here it is impossible not to mention the satisfaction 
 Avhich Mr. Bordley derived from the character and con- 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 139 
 
 duct of his step-son, John F. Mifflin, Esq. There was a 
 solid and undeviating friendship between these two gentle¬ 
 men, from the first of their acquaintance to the last. It 
 was founded on mutual respect, and sustained by mutual 
 good offices; the generous regard, in both sentiment and 
 conduct of the step-father, was returned by the judicious 
 and prompt professional aid of the step-son; while each 
 found in the other a companionable friend, in whose society 
 they mutually gained pleasure and advantage; in whose 
 honor and integrity they firmly and undoubtingly relied. 
 Some traits of character strikingly similar, happily tended 
 to confirm their recii)rocal regard; these were the genuine 
 spirit of independence; the search after enlightened truth, 
 and firm adherence to sound principle; the open-hearted 
 frankness of speech, guided by discretion; the love of gen¬ 
 eral knowledge, and a cheerful, manly sprightliness, gild¬ 
 ing the most lonely hours of domestic intimacy with a 
 charm, derived from a conscious nobleness of motive, which 
 time could not subdue; for time, in his development of 
 character, riveted still closer the l)onds of union bettveen 
 them, strengthening to the last Mr. Bordley’s attachment 
 to his younger friend, in whom he vested, before his de¬ 
 cease, the entire management of his affitirs, with unabated 
 and well proved confidence; and who soothed his declining 
 hours with the tender fidelity of a son. 
 
 It is a delightful encouragement to the human heart to 
 reflect on such examples! 
 
 In the spring of 1800, his daughter, Mrs. Henrietta ) 
 Maria Ross, removed to Chambersburg, in Pennsylvania, 
 from whence she made her father frequent visits; always 
 accompanied by some of her numerous and amiable chil- 
 
140 
 
 BIOGRArHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 dren, wlio to the last contributed to soothe the declining 
 years of their grandfather. 
 
 Mr. Bordley’s winters were still passed as usual in 
 alternating civilities with his friends and acquaintances, but 
 these forming a large circle, his health obliged him gradu¬ 
 ally to withdraw from accepting iiivitations, though not 
 from receiving company at home, and when collecting them 
 around his festive board, his judicious assortment of char¬ 
 acters thus met together; his cordial, frank hospitality, his 
 unassuming, easy, good manners; making othei’s happy 
 and himself respected; still, and always secured the willing 
 attendance of the guests selected. His evening circle of 
 volunteers also became more certain, as he was always at 
 home, and when his wife and daughter prepared the usual 
 cups of tea or coffee for him, before entering on their even¬ 
 ing engagements for balls, drawing-room, &c., they had 
 the satisfaction of seeing an enlivening group around him, 
 and that animated smile on his countenance, which gave 
 them courage to leave him. 
 
 For the summers, Mr. B. secured a small retreat from 
 city heats and fevers, on the west side of Schuylkill, a place 
 then belonging to David Beveridge, opposite to Fairmount. 
 This situation was not then so public as at present; it was 
 in an agreeable neighborhood, amongst the pretty villas of 
 Powelton, the Solitude, Eaglesfield, &c., and within a 
 pleasant riding distance of the Woodlands, Belmont, Eox- 
 borough, &c., and so near the city, that those kindly 
 interested in the several members of the family, made 
 them frequent visits, without expecting any parade or dis¬ 
 play; it was in this modest little retreat that the friendly, 
 kind-hearted Mrs. Liston declared “ she found more snus; 
 rural comfort than anywhere else around.” 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 141 
 
 There Mr. B. had his usual evening circle, his table 
 covered with books and papers, &c.; and his mind, being 
 too vigorous and active to be content with reading only, 
 his pen here resumed its old habits, preparing, as subjects 
 occurred, useful hints and suggestions " for others to 
 improve upon.” Such was his liberal view in giving to 
 the world those little pieces on diversified subjects already 
 mentioned, several of them the production of the leisure 
 he now found. Having learned, with great satisfaction, 
 that the essays on farming, published at different times, 
 had been productive of good effects, he now formerl the 
 idea of collecting them in one volume, and improved by 
 subsequent experience and additional observations. This 
 collection was published by Thomas Hobson, in 1799. It 
 has gone through three large editions, and we are told 
 that another is now wanted. It has received very re.spect- 
 able commendation from the critics and from the scientific 
 of the old world,* and, what is still better, it has been of 
 service to the new world — that portion which we are so 
 happy as to call our own country. Could he have foreseen 
 that his country would one day acknowledge itself bene¬ 
 fited by his exertions in what he considered her best 
 interests, how his benevolent heart would have thrilled! 
 Yes ! he would have said, “ I am rewarded.” The hope of 
 aiding some few of her nobly independent sons of the soil, 
 was his only aim in publishing that work. It was under¬ 
 taken at a period wheti his disease was far advanced upon 
 liim; but that hope supported him in perseverance, under 
 the most excruciating pains, ofttimes so torturing that 
 his family would entreat him to desist and take rest, 
 
 * Dr. Willich—which see. 
 
142 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 but lie would resume liis pen again and again, with tliis 
 and similar expressions : “ No ! I cannot stop ; Americans 
 must learn to know the value of agriculture, and if I can 
 expedite or smooth the way to them, I must do it!” 
 
 May Americans indeed learn to appreciate that noble 
 science, and to connect with it every manly, moral and 
 immortalizing excellence! 
 
 John Beale Bordley desired this for them, with the first 
 and the last wishes of his heart; and it was not alone for 
 the profit they might derive from it; it was closely con¬ 
 nected, in his mind, with their virtue, happiness, and 
 independence. 
 
 They possess the field for cultivating these. May they 
 cherish and preserve them forever! 
 
 Five summers were passed as above described, at Bev¬ 
 eridge’s place on the Schuylkill. In 1801 he was too ill to 
 leave town; in 1802 he again sighed for the reviving air 
 of the country, and took a place in the same neighborhood, 
 a mile higher up the river, to which he again returned in 
 the summer of 1803—the last time he beheld the cheerintr 
 face of Nature! 
 
 In the following winter, the disease became more pow¬ 
 erful ; the poor frame yielded; on January 26th, 1804, the 
 spirit sought its rest in “the bosom of its Father and its 
 God!” 
 
 Having now closed the outline of events in Mr. Bordley’.s 
 life, there seems still something wanting. Perhaps it is 
 natural to desire a more intimate view of the manners and 
 peculiarities of one with whom we have been so long 
 abiding; and as this little sketch is designed for some who 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 143 
 
 have never seen this, their respected ancestor, let us try to 
 jdace him before them ! 
 
 In stature Mr. Bordley was five feet ten inches; his 
 limbs stout and well set, indicative of strength, and well 
 proportioned; his carriage v/as, until bent with age and 
 pain, remarkably erect, but not stift’; his deportment at 
 once pleasing and commanding; his hair dark, but not 
 black ; his complexion a clear and ruddy brown; his fore¬ 
 head high, full and fair; his eyes dark gray; his eyebrows 
 thick and arched. His countenance was the honest index 
 of his feelings, and like them, , controlled by good sense, 
 but not by artifice. As he was prone to be pleased with 
 others hnd interested in all around him, so a certain 
 liglited-up smile of good humor rewarded those who were 
 the occasion of it; its usual expression, as his usual state 
 of mind was placid and benevolent: but those same feat¬ 
 ures could be roused with just resentment to a look that 
 few would desire to be the cause of repeating. Perhaps it 
 was, in part, this weapon provided by nature, which, 
 judiciously employed, kept him in harmony with all his 
 acquaintances; for it was remarkable that he had no 
 quarrels. His well-known benevolence and kindness of 
 heart opened the door to reciprocal feelings, whilst his 
 equally well-known aversion to error stood like a sentinel 
 to guard against improper intrusion, or that “too great 
 familiarity” which, the proverb justly remarks, “ breeds 
 contempt.” 
 
 Mr. Bordley, through life, was remarked for the good 
 manners and ease of a well-bred man. This, in him, was 
 the “second nature” produced by early good “habit;” no 
 one could more loathe every species and degree of aftecta- 
 
144 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 tion. Yet it was a liabit which, in him, grew out of more 
 than the consequences of associating with good company. 
 It is true that Annapolis, where the first half of his life 
 was passed, possessed, in the circle he frequented, a refined 
 and elegant society; but there was also a charm in his 
 manners, which arose in the heart, varying naturally with 
 circumstances; it was fostered and guided by native good 
 sense, constant observation, and a sincere veneration for 
 the principles of Christianity as a rule of life. His look 
 and air seemed to acknowledge “ kindred” with every 
 human being. He gave a cordial and heartfelt respect to 
 every species of merit, no matter where found. He never 
 lost an opportunity of endeavoring to do it justice, either 
 in words or actions, and this not for parade or any sinister 
 motive, because it sometimes happened that his tribute oi 
 justice to one was not pleasing to others, or might be mis¬ 
 construed by them; but he seemed to make every one’s 
 case his own, and willing to take it for granted that others 
 were as glad to be just as he himself was. In his domestic 
 circle, nothing more disturbed him than those thoughtless 
 denunciations so apt to arise amongst the chatterers of 
 the world, without investigation, and founded lightly on 
 the first vague report of idlers ! This was so well under¬ 
 stood that, in his presence, anything appertaining to petty 
 scandal was sure to be whispered, often drawing from him, 
 with an arch smile, the remark, " Aye ? are you certain that’s 
 right ? Come, let me hear it!” Ho one better relished a 
 jest, or lively play of fancy, than he did; he would also 
 tolerate a little ridicule, but his aversion to error was on 
 principle, and therefore relented and mingled with com¬ 
 passion when directed against “frail fellow-mortals”—(his 
 
JOHN BEALE BOEDLEY. 
 
 145 
 
 own expression.) lie was not, however, one particle the 
 less aware of the existence of evil in the world. His can- 
 • (lor in cheerfully acknowledging himself wrong, and his 
 alike open frankness in detecting the faults or foibles of 
 even his best friends, Avere evidences of his penetration 
 and discrimination well known to all his intimates, few of 
 Avhom, very few, ever shrunk from his sportive raillery, 
 however tender the spot it touched. They knew too well 
 the guileless and affectionate nature of the “ inward 
 man,” and knew that it rested with themselves to make 
 his sense of truth and justice a benefit to themselves, or 
 otherwise. 
 
 In recollecting this trait of character in Mr. Bordley, 
 we cannot avoid being struck by a similar one in his 
 father, as drawn by the preacher to whom we ))efore 
 referred, who says of Thomas Bordley, Escp, in 1726: “ He 
 was a very rigid lover of justice, insomuch that he would 
 not spare his best friends, when they committed any trans¬ 
 gression within his cognizance.” 
 
 Perhaps it may be asked whether Mr. Bordley was 
 e(iually willing to be subjected to the test of other persons’ 
 judgments and opinions? We answer. Yes! But they 
 must abide by their own motive. If malevolence, envy, 
 low pride, vanity, or impertinence, were at the bottom of 
 their suggestions, no one could more clearly detect the 
 false ground, or better defend himself, not always by retort, 
 but by that species of self-guardianship which belongs to 
 behavior and conduct. If, on the contrary, the detection 
 of his errors or mistakes arose from pure motives, such as 
 might playfully face the light, or came clothed Avith the 
 “ modesty of fearful duty,” or the warmth of proven friend- 
 13 
 
146 
 
 BIOGRAPHCIAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ship, or with the honest indignation of one who considered 
 himself injured, and sought explanation, in all such cases 
 he considered himself a gainer, inasmuch as he had obtained 
 a glimpse of that truth of things, which, appear wherever 
 and however it might, he estimated as a portion of the 
 "pearl above all price;” and he felt at once thankful to 
 the being who had contributed to enlighten him, whether 
 it were a little child, or even a poor slave.'*' Numerous 
 are the instances in which he thankfully permitted the 
 intimacy of friendship to put him in the right; and none 
 need fear doing so but those whose own mistaken views 
 made them cowards. In fact, his love of virtue was su]!)e- 
 rior to his love of self ; and he truly and fervently wished 
 others to be all that he wished to be himself, and that in 
 this way friendship might be mutual and yet independent. 
 Those who had not strength of character enough to think 
 or to be anything of themselves ; whose trembling pride 
 was ever on the alarm, and who feared doing justice by 
 others, lest it should depreciate from or entangle them¬ 
 selves ; with such he could have nothing in common, either 
 in heart or mind, excepting the mere wants of poor 
 humanity; and though they might and did receive his 
 sympathy for such wants, yet could he give them no mu- 
 
 * This is not hypothesis—the writer remembers many, very many instances 
 of this trait of character. One or two may sufiSce. He was in the habit of con¬ 
 versing freely, at times, with his most intelligent blacks, and has often acknowl¬ 
 edged himself instructed by some of their remarks, and their untaught, native 
 powers of reasoning. We have heard them say to him, to rouse his attention. 
 
 Ah! now massa wrong—massa say he love right way—ma’ he no listen to 
 ’um now !”—and he would become all patience in listening! lie would often 
 yield to the sarcasms of his sensible Scotch neighbor, Mr. Adam Gray, and 
 laughingly exclaim, “ Ah, hah ! Mr. Adam ! there you got the better of me!” 
 &o., <fcc. 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 147 
 
 tual accordance, save pity and civility. Amongst such as 
 these might be found some, doubtless, who would endeavor 
 to stigmatize him as a proud man ! 
 
 It, is hard for the majority of mankind to understand 
 their brethren, or themselves, from the conceited Pharisee 
 who “thanked God he was not like other men,” down to 
 the humble “ sinner” who felt most for his own infirmities. 
 Yet it is the sacred duty of all to endeavor to be just. 
 There is but one rule of right; but numerous and innu¬ 
 merable ways lie open to each individual for applying that 
 rule to circumstances and characters. Thank Heaven! 
 there have been, and still are some few, a noble few, who 
 can put a generous construction on these matters, and who 
 go by the “spirit”—that blessed spirit! and not by the 
 mere “letter” of the law. 
 
 It is difficult to describe such a character as Mr. Bord- 
 ley’s with accuracy and force, yet without in some way 
 “ o’erstepping the modesty of nature.” 
 
 To say that it was benevolent, vigorous, and original, 
 are just divisions of its leading features; yet in each of 
 these were delicate shades, rendered interesting by char¬ 
 acteristic j)eculiarities, not so easily described- 
 
 ThuSj in his benevolence, there was the union and accord 
 of native, constitutional kind feeling, with a high acquired 
 sense of the beauty of order, and duties of a rational 
 being. 
 
 In his vigor, there was nothing of the proud spirit of 
 dominion, nor of overbearingness. 
 
 In his originality, there was neither whimsy nor self- 
 conceit. He chose to pursue the dictates of his own mind; 
 
148 
 
 BIOGRAPniCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 but lie equally chose to keep that mind enlightened and 
 subdued by the immutable principles of truth, as he found 
 them revealed to us by divine authority. .In this, we 
 conceive, consisted his strongest point of character—that 
 while endeavoring to purify and exalt the living principle 
 within his bosom, by considerations on the true dignity of 
 man, he yet felt and acknowledged himself far from the 
 goal, and roused himself to perpetual efforts towards it. 
 
 He was favored by nature with a strong mind, and very 
 early showed a reflecting habit and a self-possession un¬ 
 common for his years, and apparently the native growth 
 of his mind; for he was left much to himself, and free 
 from any control, excepting that of custom and his own 
 good sense. As he advanced in life, this happy disposition 
 to follow what was right in the sight of God and of his 
 own conscience, mellowed his passions, naturally warm, to 
 a noble moderation, and a beautiful consistency of moral 
 conduct, and led him also to prefer happiness to splendor, and 
 the consciousness of rectitude to the world’s applause. 
 
 The prevailing turn of his mind may be termed philo¬ 
 sophical ; but he made no pretensions to a character, and 
 neither acted " to be praised of men” while living, nor yet 
 to furnish his biographer with a brilliant display of cjual- 
 ities and honors. Indeed, it inay be seen that he ran 
 counter to this common course, and avoided many of those 
 gifts of fortune which others seek.* Had he been ambitious 
 of worldly honors, he was already high on the ladder of 
 public distinction, and might have attained the highest 
 rewards from popularity; but he voluntarily resigned 
 
 * This was so well known and understood in his family and amongst his 
 friends, as to he a standing joke with them against him; but his philosophy 
 contented itself with smiling in turn at them ! 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 149 
 
 them. Had he desired riches, fortune there also was kind, 
 and he might liave accumulated great wealth, had accu¬ 
 mulation been his aim. Had he wished to be esteemed a 
 learned man, he had only to indulge and fix a natural 
 propensity, and the object was soon his own—his native 
 powers would have held him out in anything he chose to 
 aim at; but he desired no distinction beyond the respect 
 he actually received, and this he hoped still to derive from 
 the steady and conscientious discharge of those duties 
 which his high calling as a sentient and reasonable being, 
 and still more as a Christian, demanded from him. These 
 he conceived he could better discharge in a private than 
 in a public career; and who shall doubt the wisdom of his 
 choice, seeing, as he saw, the dangers to which the love of 
 popularity leads, the evil passions it kindles even in the 
 best dispositions, and the disappointment which in some 
 shape or other generally attends it: 
 
 “ 0 you ! whom vanity’s light bark conveys 
 On Fame’s mad voyage by tbe wind of praise; 
 
 With wliat a shifting gale your course you ply, 
 
 Forever sunk too low, or borne too high ! 
 
 Who pants for glory, finds but short repose— 
 
 A breath revives him, or a breath o’erthrows.” 
 
 —Pope’s Horace. 
 
 Although desiring no individual honors or distinctions 
 from the world, few men could be more conscious of the 
 true dignity to which human nature is called, or of the 
 high aims and noble privileges of the human soul—that 
 glorious principle which can sustain man under all the 
 privations incident to his frail existence here—can give 
 him equal triumph whether on a throne or in a dungeon— 
 
 13 * 
 
loO 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 and direct its aspirations above the callous cruelties of evil 
 spirits in disguise, to that blessed “ haven of rest” where 
 joy reigns forever. 
 
 As in Mr. Bordley’s love of knowledge there was no 
 ostentation, so was there nothing selfish or exclusive in it. 
 No vain overestimate of his own acquisitions made him 
 needlessly communicative, or solemnly dogmatical; no 
 false delicacy or fear of misconstruction wrapped him in 
 silent reserve; and no puerile ambition, or pitiful endeavor 
 to supplant others, induced him to take the lead in con¬ 
 versation. Believing all useful information, of whatever 
 kind, a common stock, and every just sentiment and 
 opinion as seed sown, like the “mustard seed,” for 
 reclaiming the world from error, and an advance, however 
 small, towards the kingdom of truth and happiness, his 
 honest desire was that knowledge might be rendered diffu¬ 
 sive, and that he, as an humble agent, might both give 
 and receive towards its universal promulgation. He was 
 remarkable, in all his transactions, for the pleasure he 
 took in enlightening the ignorant. Not an artisan of any 
 description, not a poor beggar, nor a little child ever 
 came into communication with him without receiving some 
 remarks, in the form of pleasant hints, which they might 
 remember to their own advantage. This same principle 
 was the basis of his small early pieces on public sentiment, 
 agriculture, &c., and of his well-known easy habit of 
 cheerfully communicating his ideas, so as to please all, 
 great or small, polished or unpolished, young or old, whom 
 he found capable of receiving them. 
 
 We recollect many instances of his manly composure 
 and friendly firmness in strengthening those whose situa- 
 
JOHN BEALE BORLLEY. 
 
 151 
 
 tions claimed Ins sympathy. Some ot his own words are 
 before us, as in a letter to a young friend who had lost his 
 father, he says : 
 
 u* ^ ^ ought to be surprised at nothing, much 
 
 less ought we to be astonished at common events. That 
 which we all look for, may be met with composure and a 
 philosophic firmness. A sedate and religious mind will, 
 on every stroke of affliction, naturally resort to that Being 
 who alone affords solid comfort. With pleasure I reflect 
 I have often experienced it! I offer you my services—the 
 affectionate regard I had for your father commands 
 
 them,” &c. 
 
 To a sensible friend, in reduced circumstances, who 
 was industriously endeavoring to repair them by estab¬ 
 lishing an exchange coffee-house in Baltimore, he ad¬ 
 dresses, in one of his letters, the following encoui aging 
 
 language: . . , 
 
 (i * * Still more animating, however, was tiie 
 
 inclosure of the two letters, which convey approbation, in 
 men of character, of your noble endeavors to confirm your 
 
 independence. And this same L-n is still the same 
 
 L_n, approved by his friends, and men of character! 
 
 It is the sentiments and manners that declare the gentle¬ 
 man ; in a free country, where there is not the idle pride 
 of a Spaniard—be his employment what it may—lor it 
 cannot be immoral—he is still himself, &c. 
 
 Not long after removing to the Eastern Shore, Mr. 
 Bordley had the happiness to restore peace and harmony 
 between two estimable families, where he was equally inti¬ 
 mate. It was in 1774. Two gentlemen residing not far 
 from Easton, who had married sisters, on some occasion, 
 
152 
 
 BIOGEArniCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 now nnknowii, came to a “ deadly breach” which long ke})! 
 them at variance. Mr. Bordley, feeling their entire con¬ 
 fidence in him, wrote to each of them in a strain of mingled 
 scolding, raillery, and a humor peculiar to himself. The 
 letters are now before us, but do not admit of quotation, 
 and are too long to insert entire. The gentlemen knew 
 his impartiality, his sound judgment, and the excellence of 
 his heart; such a representation, therefore, coming from 
 him, was irresistible, and the wound was healed. “Blessed,” 
 indeed, are such privileges ! 
 
 Mr. Bordley had native talents for the fine arts, but his 
 graver duties did not permit him to cultivate them. Thus, 
 Avith a strong and decided taste for painting, he never 
 took instruction, even in drawing. We have, however, a 
 landscape painted by him in oil colors, the view from his 
 house at Wye, that proves our assertion of native talent; 
 it Avas his first and only experiment with the brush, and it 
 may be said to at least equal some of the first attempts of 
 those Avho were, afterwards, great painters. His fondness 
 for this charming art was shown by the fostering attention 
 he gave it in others. A young artist was sure of his sym¬ 
 pathy and patronage. 
 
 His feeling and enjoyment of music was also marked, 
 and, indeed, exquisite. A touching melody, or well exe¬ 
 cuted melodious harmony, would draw tears of pleasure to 
 his eyes. 
 
 We would not be understood to say that his taste 
 included all the beaux arts equally. We are not aAvare 
 that it extended to poetry, although he was acquainted 
 with all the best poets in our language; but he had no 
 strong natural bias towards it. His mind, as we have 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 153 
 
 before said, was of a mathematical and philosophical cast. 
 It was formed by its Almighty Author with a great pro¬ 
 portion of natural good feeling, capable of being wrought 
 up into many excellencies; but it was not the fashion of 
 the world in those days to diversify and enfeeble the 
 powers of the mind by superficial embellishments and 
 enervating refinements. Men aimed at being substantial, 
 stout and steady, and Mr. Bordley’s conduct, in all respects, 
 proved that he disdained to hold forced pretensions, and 
 claimed no rights beyond the plain truth of things. 
 
 Mr. Bordley had a truly pious mind ; he cherished a 
 deep-seated sentiment of devotion, commingling with and 
 directing all his other principles. He revered the blessed 
 revelation of God’s will, and adored Ilis mercy in giving 
 light and hope to the world in His Son Jesus Christ. He 
 delighted in the beautiful ethics of Christianity, and 
 made them his rule of life. He was well acquainted with 
 the Scriptures, from his youth up. Amongst other proofs 
 of this, is a familiar letter to one of his brothers, in which 
 he says: 
 
 1750. " * * * * I am extremely fond of the Universal 
 
 History, but I cannot yet read it with study. It however 
 gives me very great satisfaction, and has a strong influ¬ 
 ence on my religious affections. I observe especially it is 
 much in favor of the Scriptures, and makes the dry nar¬ 
 rative of the Old Testament very agreeable and intelligible. 
 I shall finish it at Harvest, where I shall take it under a 
 shady mulberrie.”* 
 
 He often in later life was fond of indulging in a (^uiet 
 conversation or a friendly letter, where his heart could 
 
 * On his farm near Joppa. 
 
 V 
 
154 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 freely unbend witliout incurring the charge of either 
 ostentation or presumption, in unfolding his views of this 
 solemn subject. He claimed the right in this, as in other 
 objects of inquiry, of forming his own opinions, coming to 
 the investigation with an humble mind, conscientiously 
 seeking the truth. One of those leading principles which 
 gave his mind some of its-tone and power, was his aversion 
 to prejudice. He scrupulously endeavored to keep it free 
 from this debasing influence; for he considered it a bar to 
 all improvement, and an enemy to that beautiful system 
 of amelioration which our Saviour left to the world. On 
 this subject he used to say : “ To see things as they are, 
 and to bring things to what they ought to be, must be the 
 desire of every true Christian.” 
 
 “ Those who have eyes to see, let them see : 
 
 Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.” 
 
 But while he thus endeavored to regulate himself and the 
 young minds subject to his control, he was equally scrupu¬ 
 lous in not wounding the feelings or opposing the opinions 
 of others. 
 
 His satisfaction in perusing the Bible, and particularly 
 the Hew Testament, increased in his later years, and then, 
 when pain and disease were undermining his poor frame, 
 were to be seen the soothing and blessed effects of an 
 according and faithful spirit, preparing to receive better 
 things than “ eye hath yet seen, or ear heard.” 
 
 Mr. Bordley’s family, as has been seen, were all, for 
 many generations, of the Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 To this church he always belonged, and was fond of 
 attending its public worship, always holding a pew in that 
 
JOHN BEALE BORDLEY. 
 
 155 
 
 iieai’est to his residence, and supporting by his countenance 
 and example that happy bond of order and good fellowship 
 which he considered essential to all the blessings of civil¬ 
 ization. AVith his excellent pastor on the Eastern Shore, 
 Mr. John Gordon, he often corresponded.* lie was fond 
 of writing occasionally on the leading principles of re¬ 
 ligion ; and although in some points differing from others, 
 he made it an affair of conscience not to intrude his pecu¬ 
 liar views on those differing from him. llis mind was too 
 liberal, and too truly humble, (in a Christian sense,) to 
 suppose he had either the right or the power to “judge” 
 others, or to judge for others, and he allowed the same 
 freedom of opinion which he claimed, lie endeavored to 
 promote the one great leading principle, the pious spirit, 
 wherever his duty on the subject was evident, beginning 
 in his own family, as, for instance, in the instructions he 
 early gave to his little daughter, when she accompanied 
 him in his visits to the farm. He then, as at other times, 
 availed himself of opportunities, as they arose, to awaken 
 her young mind to a sense of the power, wisdom, and 
 goodness of Providence, sometimes remarking how the 
 tender grain put forth its leaves and was protected, 
 &c., thence leading her to reflect on who gave the 
 seed power to grow, and how the same Being thus supplies 
 us with the “ daily bread” we ask for, but which is not to 
 be obtained without effort and exertion on our part, as 
 evinced by the necessity of cultivating the ground; 
 thence describing the like necessity for enriching and pre¬ 
 paring our minds, which are to produce a nobler kind of 
 
 He once wrote a sermon, and sent it to that clergyman, who e.\pressed 
 great approbation of it. 
 
156 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 bread, and must be carofully cleared from tlie evil weeds 
 so prone to spring np everywliere and “choke the good 
 seed.” Thus training her to a habit of reflection on her 
 duties, as our Saviour himself did, by remarks drawn from 
 the simple and beautiful phenomena of nature ; referring 
 her to his divine precepts and authority, thus instructing 
 her in a twofold sense, and winning a delighted ear to 
 engraft those perfect precepts indelibly, by grateful love 
 and strong association on her mind, and thus uniting her 
 admiration of nature indissolubly with the love and adora¬ 
 tion of nature’s Great Creator. 
 
 These conversations, warm from the heart of a parent, 
 became more and more instructive and delightful to the 
 young pupil as they enlarged to suit her expanding capa¬ 
 city, blending the father’s practical and philosophical illus¬ 
 trations with the serious reading, self-examination and 
 prayer, held in the retirement of the mother’s chamber. 
 Happy the child so taught! Blessed the parents so 
 teaching! 
 
 In a character such as Mr. Bordley’s, where piety 
 formed the heart of the system, and generosity a strong 
 feature, charity is so naturally a concomitant that it seems 
 almost needless to name it, yet we will mention one of the 
 judicious modes of exercising it which he practiced through¬ 
 out life. This was by giving encouraging attentions, and 
 small timely aids in the way of loans, to’ such as needed, 
 especially to young artists and mechanics. “This,” he 
 used to remark, “ was calculated to keep up their spirit, 
 and a decent pride, with the love of order; and that more 
 was to be done for them by teaching them to help them¬ 
 selves, than would be by large free donations.” He con- 
 
JOHN BEALE BOBDLEY. 
 
 15' 
 
 trivecl generally to hear of or fiiul out such opportunities; 
 and many were the instances, wherever he resided, of his 
 having promoted those in their humblest beginnings, who 
 afterwards rose to eminence in their vocation. And let it 
 here he mentioned, to the credit of })Oor human nature, 
 that he generally (alas! there must be always exceptions; 
 perceived some gratitude in return. It has often hap¬ 
 pened, within the writer’s knowledge, that these acts of 
 kindness have been only brought to light by the objects of 
 them coming, after a while, to express their thanks, or 
 sending some little present to the same effect. 
 
 Mr. Bordley was probably brought to this plan by early 
 observations on life, for he was early observant to good 
 purpose. Amongst what he called his “ scribblings,” we 
 have lately met with one on the back of an old account- 
 book, which contains the following sensible thoughts, set 
 down for his private satisfaction. They were written 
 about 1705, and below them is a note of a later period, 
 stating that “ The above reflections were occasioned by the 
 ingratitude of a relation, on whom I had bestowed a con¬ 
 siderable value.” They may be considered as a specimen 
 of his mode of reasoning on conduct; 
 
 “ AVhen you intend a generous or charitable act, make 
 not the least promise. If by accident you cannot perform 
 it, you will never be forgiven. If you do perform it fully 
 to your own intention and promise, it is odds but the person 
 benefited had figured to himself much greater advantages' 
 to accrue to him under that promise, than you ever 
 expressed or intended. Or if he does not, the wonder wfill 
 be great if some of his friends (as they would call them,selves) 
 do not find great fault. 
 
 14 
 
158 
 
 BIOGEArmCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 “ Give without promise; give simply and purely, with 
 a firm spirit and on good reflection, and only to those few 
 who are actually and most certainly in distress; and let 
 them know they are not obliged to you. If there is any 
 kind of obligation attending it, is it not more a loan than 
 a gift ? Give only when it is necessary, and you do but 
 your duty to a fellow-traveler. A sense of having done 
 your duty carries with it its own reward; and I know of 
 no sensation so agreeable as what arises from such a reflec¬ 
 tion, that you should be permitted, by the opportunity 
 thrown in your way, of doing so good an act as the relief 
 of a fellow-creature, and joerhaps many depending on 
 him.” 
 
 We have been restrained, throughout this imperfect 
 sketch, from saying as much as we know we might, and as 
 we wished, by our long-established respect for the love of 
 simplicity in the character before us. We have all along 
 felt as though his sainted spirit was hovering over our 
 ^>en, endeavoring to check its ardent flow; to repress, as 
 was his parental practice when in this life, each extrava¬ 
 gance of thought, or exuberance of expression. 
 
 Would that some more privileged and enlightened mind 
 could do his memory justice ! 
 
 Our feeble effort is now done; and we think we cannot 
 better conclude than by copying the inscription from his 
 tomb, in St. Peter’s Church-yard, Philadelphia. It was 
 composed by his valued friend, John P. Mifflin, Esq., 
 whose character for independence and truth gives it ad¬ 
 ditional value. 
 
“ Tins MONUMENT IS ERECTEU 
 TO THE MEMORY OF 
 
 JOHN BEALI-j BOllDLEY, Esquire, 
 WHO DIED Jan. 20,1804, 
 
 Aged 70 years 11 months. 
 
 Of probity and integrity unblemished— 
 As A Philanthropist, Patriot, and Man, 
 equaled by few. 
 
 EXCELLED BY NONE. 
 
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