protect their comrade; but he was compelled to return to town for safety. He was, for a number of years, saluted in the market by the title of "brother butcher," owing in part to his having been without a coat on the day of the riot; for having on a long coat, he was obliged to cast it aside, to prevent being dragged from his horse.

The gentlemen who had comprised the garrison were advised to leave the city, where their lives were endangered. General Mifflin and about thirty others accordingly met at Mr. Gray's house below Gray's Ferry, where it was resolved to return to town without any appearance of intimidation. But it was deemed expedient that Mr. Wilson should absent himself for a time: the others continued to walk as usual in public, and attended the funeral of the unfortunate Captain Campbell.

Allen M'Lane and Colonel Grayson got into the house after the fray began. The mob called themselves Constitutionalists. Benezet's fire in the entry from the cellar passage was very effective.

FRIENDS' ALMSHOUSE.

THIS ancient and antiquated looking building, fronting on Walnut street, near Third street, was founded more than a century ago, for the benevolent purpose of providing for the maintenance of the poor of that Society. The ground plot, and a large one too, was given to Friends by John Martin, on condition that they should support him for life.

The front edifice was built in 1729; and those wings in the garden were built about sixteen years earlier, they being then sufficient for the wants of the Society. The neat and confortable manner in which the inmates have always lived is very creditable to their benefactors. The Friends having employed this building exclusively for females, and it being on a lot next to the Papal chapel, induced the Irish papists worshipping there to call it the Quakers' Nunnery. One of them writing to my friend, the greatest lawyer in Philadelphia, addressed his letter "to the stout, honest lawyer in Walnut street opposite the Quaker Nunnery."

The present elevation of the garden, as much as ten feet above the street in front, proves the former higher ground along Walnut street. The aged Mrs. Shoemaker, who died 16 years ago at the age of 95 years, told me that she remembered when the whole neighbourhood looked to the eye like a high hill from the line of Dock creek. The road, for many years, in her time, from Third street up Walnut street, and from Walnut street along Third street, going southward, were narrow cartways ascending deep defiles, and

causing the foot passengers to walk high above them on the sides of the shelving banks.

WHITPAIN'S GREAT HOUSE.

THIS was the name given to a stately house built on the bank side of Front street below Walnut street, for an owner of that name in England. Having been built of shell lime, it fell into premature decay, and "great was the fall thereof."

In 1687, William Penn, by his letter to T. Lloyd, R. Turner, &c., says: Taking into consideration the great expenses of Richard Whitpain to the advancement of the province, and the share he taketh here (in England) on all occasions for its honour, I can do no less than recommend to you for public service his great house in Philadelphia, which, being too big for a private man, would provide you a conveniency above what my cottage affords. It were reputable to take at least a moiety of it, which might serve for all the offices of State."

In 1707, Samuel Preston, writing to Jonathan Dickinson, then in Jamaica, says "his house is endangered; for, that Whitpain's great house then decaying, threatened to fall upon and crush his house."

In February, 1708-9, Isaac Norris, writing to Jonathan Dickinson, says: "It is not prudent to repair thy house next to Whitpain's ugly great house; we have applied to authority to get power to pull it down. In the mean time the front of that part next to thine, being all tumbled down, lies open."

In after years a great fire occurred near there, and burnt down all the property belonging to Dickinson, so that the place long bore the name of the burnt buildings." Ross' stores now occupy, I think, the same premises.

66

WIGGLESWORTH'S HOUSE.

THIS house is entitled to some notice, as well for its ancient and peculiar location as for the rare person, "Billy Wigglesworth," who gave it fame in more modern times. As a house, it is peculiar for its primitive double front, (Nos. 43 and 45, south Second street,) and heavy, squat, dormer windows, and above all, for having been built

so early as that they did not find the right line of Second street!— of course presenting the earliest-built house in its vicinity;-for it now stands north-east and south-west! The character of its original finish under the eaves, &c., as any one may discern who inspects it, evinces that it was superior in its day. I perceive it was first recorded in 1685 as the property of Philip Richards, merchant, for whom the house was built. Joseph Richards, the son, possessed it by will in 1697, and sold it to John Brown in 1715. In 1754, the present two houses, then as one house, was occupied by William Plumstead, Esq., Alderman, who was buried in 1765, in a peculiar manner, having, by will, no pall, nor mourning dresses, &c. On the north end of the house was once "Hall's alley." The premises many years ago was occupied as the Prince of Wales' Inn. In the rear of the house was a good garden and a sun-dial affixed to the wall of the house, and still there.

"Billy Wigglesworth," as he was universally called, long kept a toyshop, the wonder of all the boys in the city; and the effigies of human form which dangled by a string from his ceiling had no rivals, but in his own gaunt and gawky figure. But Billy's outward man was the least of his oddities; his distinguishing characteristic was a fondness for that mode of self-amusement at the expense of others, called manual wit. His exploits in that way have been humorously told by a writer whose sketches have been preserved under the article "Wigglesworthiana," in my MS. Annals, page 534, in the Historical Society.

THE OLD FERRY.

THIS first ferry and its neighbourhood was described to me by the late aged John Brown, Esq., whose father before him once kept that ferry, and had near there at the same time his ship yard. When John Brown was a small lad, the river then came close up to the rear of the present house in Water street, and when they formed the present existing slip, they filled up the area with chalk imported for ballast. At that time the Front street bank was vacant, and he used with others to sled down the hill from Combes' alley, then called Garden alley, and Penny hill, quite down to the ice on the river. The bank of Front street was reddish clay. The shed stables for the old ferry were set into that bank. His father's ship yard was opposite to Combes' alley, and Parrock's ship yard was then at Race street.

The fact of the then open bank of Front street is confirmed by an advertisement of 1761; then Francis Rawle, storekeeper, and attorney for the "Pennsylvania Land Company of Pennsylvania,"

protect their comrade; but he was compelled to return to town for safety. He was, for a number of years, saluted in the market by the title of "brother butcher," owing in part to his having been without a coat on the day of the riot; for having on a long coat, he was obliged to cast it aside, to prevent being dragged from his horse.

The gentlemen who had comprised the garrison were advised to leave the city, where their lives were endangered. General Mifflin and about thirty others accordingly met at Mr. Gray's house below Gray's Ferry, where it was resolved to return to town without any appearance of intimidation. But it was deemed expedient that Mr. Wilson should absent himself for a time: the others continued to walk as usual in public, and attended the funeral of the unfortunate Captain Campbell.

Allen M'Lane and Colonel Grayson got into the house after the fray began. The mob called themselves Constitutionalists. Benezet's fire in the entry from the cellar passage was very effective.

FRIENDS' ALMSHOUSE.

THIS ancient and antiquated looking building, fronting on Walnut street, near Third street, was founded more than a century ago, for the benevolent purpose of providing for the maintenance of the poor of that Society. The ground plot, and a large one too, was given to Friends by John Martin, on condition that they should support him for life.

The front edifice was built in 1729; and those wings in the garden were built about sixteen years earlier, theỷ being then sufficient for the wants of the Society. The neat and confortable manner in which the inmates have always lived is very creditable to their benefactors. The Friends having employed this building exclusively for females, and it being on a lot next to the Papal chapel, induced the Irish papists worshipping there to call it the Quakers' Nunnery. One of them writing to my friend, the greatest lawyer in Philadelphia, addressed his letter "to the stout, honest lawyer in Walnut street opposite the Quaker Nunnery."

The present elevation of the garden, as much as ten feet above the street in front, proves the former higher ground along Walnut street. The aged Mrs. Shoemaker, who died 16 years ago at the age of 95 years, told me that she remembered when the whole neighbourhood looked to the eye like a high hill from the line of Dock creek. The road, for many years, in her time, from Third street up Walnut street, and from Walnut street along Third street, going southward, were narrow cartways ascending deep defiles, and