well-educated and accomplished gentlemen, could not fail to draw many admirers and suitors for their favor. Ann, the younger, married James Moore, son of the Maurice Moore who founded Brunswick, and afterwards a distinguished officer in the Continental line; and Mary the elder sister in 1759 became the wife of Dr. Moses John de Rosset. He was then about 33 years of age-his early youth and manhood had been so full of adventure that had it been his instead of her story I was to tell, I might have given you a thrilling episode. I think he may have won his bride by "oft told tales of moving accidents by field and flood, of being captured by the insolent foe and sold to slavery" (for all this was indeed true) and moving her first to pity-love, so near akin, grew on apace. He had been an officer in Col. Innes Regt. sent in 1754 by N. C. to aid her sister-colony-Virginia to repel the Indian and French invasions. (These were the first troops raised by any Colony for service outside of its own borders). The Dr. built for his bride a brick house on the corner of two principal streets-Market and Second-adjoining his father's residence. The "Unlucky Corner," as it now appears makes it difficult for us to believe that it was in its day a handsome dwelling-perhaps the finest in the town-but, the fact that after 150 years it has outlived all others of its time, tells at least of honest material and workmanship. Alas! that all our old landmarks should fall into decay! The oppressive measures of the British government were now beginning to stir the resentful opposition of the Colonies. Public meetings were held for devising means of relief and evading the unjust imposition of taxes. Committees of Safety were organized by the patriot party. Strong men were placed in positions of honor and trust and it was a striking evidence of the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens, that Dr. deRosset, a peaceable practitione of a quiet profession, should at such a critical time be elected to the office of Mayor of the town. The story of resistance to the stamp act at the port of Brunswick by the people of the lower Cape Fear, is well known to us-though the national historian has been too apt to under-rate or ignore it. Unlike the far famed Boston tea party, it was no midnight raid of a few men in disguise to destroy a cargo of tea-but eight years before that much vaunted epoch of United States history our men of N. C. rose in their might to assert their rights and liberties as British subjects-in broad daylight, in military array, under the King's own flag they defied the power of Great Britain-forced the Stamp Master to resign his office and bearding the representative of the British lion in his palatial den, successfully resisted the landing of the hated stamps from the King's own ships of war. Wilmington did her part nobly-sent a contingent of troops-prohibited the transportation of supplies needed for the ships-and after all was over addressed a letter to Gov. Tryon protesting against any lack of loyalty to the Royal government, but asserting their right to resist oppression and closing with a sentence which McRee, our local historian says, is worthy of Hampden or Cobham. It runs thus, "Moderation ceases to be a virtue when the liberty of the British subject is in danger." That letter was indited by Mayor de Rosset as Chairman of the Council (i) and his descendants should remember it with pride--for it has North Carolina's first true ring of Liberty which culminated ten years later in the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, May 20th, 1775. Our lady mayoress must have felt her heart beat proudly at her husband's honorable patriotic fulfilment of the responsibilities of his position. May we not picture her as one of that throng of men, women and children who met the boat of the stamp-ship Diligence as it approached the town mounted on a cart, and in jubliant procession paraded the trophy of victory through the streets. And then at night when that memorable day closed with a general illumination of the town we may be sure the Mayor's house was conspicuously ablaze, and the young wife felt happy and proud in the consciousness that her husband was indeed a hero! But their married life, beginning so auspiciously was brief-lasting only 8 years. On Christmas day 1767 Dr. de Rosset was cut down in the prime of life and was buried two days later on his 41st birthday. The only known male deRosset down to the present generation who did not live to a ripe old age. Only two children blessed their union. My grand-father Dr. Armand John deRosset II. who was only six weeks old when he was left fatherless, and his his sister Magdalen Mary-five years his senior-who married Mr. Henry Toomer, and has several representatives in our Society who might well employ their clever pens in recording for our imitation the "unparallelled virtues" for which the family papers say she was distinguished. Thus early inured to sorrow Mary Ivy henceforth devoted herself to the rearing and education of her children-for this she was eminently fitted by her early opportunities for intellectual culture. Always a student of such literature as the times afforded, her mind. was open to grasp the problems of science as well as to enjoy lighter (i) McRee's Memoirs of Dr. A. J. De Rosset. literature. She was from the first interested in her husband's professional pursuits. and under his instructions became so expert that he could, in his absence, safely entrust his patients to her care, and also the use of the surgical instruments. So when his death left the town ill-supplied with competent physicians she was ever ready to respond to calls-especially of the sick poor-taking constantly not only the physician's work but that of trained nurse-little dreaming that her labor of love and charity would develop into one of the noblest professions of the women of the next century. In climatic fevers she was very successful and also in inoculation for smallpox vaccination being yet unknown. It was doubtless from her lancet that her son received the virus that protected him from the dreaded scourge he so often had to deal with in his long life. It was also to his Mother's surgical skill that he owed the setting and cure of a broken collar bone in his boyhood. The clouds of war grew more and more threatening and the end of the Colonial period drew near. Lonely and unprotected was the little family and Mrs. de Rosset felt that for her children's sake it would be well for her to accept an offer of marriage from Mr. Adam Boyd. He was then the editor of the Cape Fear Mercury—the patriot organ-and an accomplished scholar and gentleman. Mr. Boyd took a paternal interest in the children and gave valuable assistance in their education until he was called into military service. After the war he was active in the organization of the North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati-was its secretary, and after his ordination by Bishop Seabury to the Episcopal ministry, was made its Brigade Chaplain. Mrs. de Rosset's pre-nuptial contract is on file in the New Hanover Court House, and according to the custom of the time, gives an inventory of her various possessions-articles of household furniture, silver-ware, servants, &c. Some of us may from our own experience in a measure realize the anxiety and distress of the Mother and her children during the long years of the Revolutionary war. At times they were forced to the refuge of her sister (Mrs. Gen. Moore's) home on the North-East. Once Mrs. Moore's house was bombarded by a British sloop of war, under suspicion of being a harbor for disaffected patriots. Together they witnessed the cruel treatment of Cornelius Harnett the popular idol of the Cape Fear, when taken from a sick bed in Onslow County by Craig's marauders he fell from exhaustion on the march, and was thrown across a horse's back "like a sack of meal" and thus brought into Wilmington where he died in prison-a lamented victim of an unholy war. Such scenes had an enduring influence upon the lad Armand, filling his soul with the spirit of pure patriotism-so that we are hardly surprised to find him when only 13 years old shouldering his musket and joining the patriot forces, participating in a gallant fight at the Oaks. Lossing in his Field Book of the American Revolution says that "the venerable Doctor" seventy years later related to him the interesting incident adding "it is worthy of attention and the local historian should not fail to put it upon record!" When at last victory was won and peace brooded over "the land of the free and the home of the brave" though families were broken and fortunes ruined all hearts rejoiced at the birth of the "Young Republic." Thenceforth Mrs. Boyd's home was with her daughter, Mrs. Toomer-dutifully attended by the loving care of that devoted child her last years were passed in peace, though sorely tried by total blindness. (Wonderful it is that sorrow and trouble so often put out the light of those windows of the soul!) She lived to see her beloved son Armand happily married and launched on his remarkable professional career of seventy years of active practice, and in 1798 soon after his first-born son came to perpetuate her husband's name, she passed in the odor of sanctity into the rest that remaineth for the people of God. To his dying day my grand-father could not speak of his "venerated mother," as he always called her, but with subdued and reverent tone as of one mourning the recent departure of the best beloved. As I forewarned you these ancestors of mine left no glorious deed to be recorded on the pages of the Nation's history, but none the less they were among the strong foundation stones of integrity and uprightness of social law and order, on which the great fabric of Christian civilization rests and they "Were not of those who stoop and lie in wait The gracious influence of blameless lives ABSTRACT OF BERTIE COUNTY WILLS. (Orignal in Court House at Windsor, N. C.) Alexander, John, April 4, 1795. August Term, 1799. "Da Praecepta, Familiae, Tuae, nam Tu Crive Morituruses.' "For as much as the last scene of life seems hastening on, and the curtain ready to fall," I think it prudent, before I make my final exit off the stage, whereon I have some time acted, to dispose of the few trifles fortune has bestowed me, in manner following to-wit: Imprimis. I Give and bequeath to my two Daughters, Martha and Rachel, all and every part of my property whatever, to be equally divided between them, and to their lawful heirs forever. On the demise of either, before impowered to make a will, the surviving sister inherits the whole and should both decease, before the laws capacitate to will, then, my remaining property to be wholly converted to Educating the poor children within the counties of Hertford and Bertie; under such regulations as my Executors shall think fit. My body I bequeath to the earth, whence it originated, My Soul Immortal and unalloyed to dust, I commend to the Father of Mercies. The manly, masculine Voice of Orthodoxy, is no longer heard in our land. Far, therefore, from my Grave be the senseless Rant of Whining Fanaticism; her hated and successful rival-Cant and Grimace Dishonour the dead, as well as Disgrace the living. Let the monitor within, who never Deceives, alone pronounce my Funeral Oration; while some Friendly hand Deposits my poor remains Close by the ashes of my beloved Daughter Elizabeth, with whom I trust to share a happy Eternity. And of this my last Will and Testament, I constitute and appoint Capt'n George West, George Outlaw, Esq., and Mr. Edward Outlaw, my Executors, On whose Probity, Honor and Disinterested Friendship, I entirely rely for the faithful Discharge of the trust I repose in them, Beseeching them, as they would approve themselves to him who is the Father of the Fatherless, to use all possible means of Inspiring my children with a love of Virtue and an abhorrence of Vice, Restraining them from all plans and persons Dangerous to their Virtue or Innocency-Giving them an Education to their rank in life suitable and becoming. Let their books and their needles be their principal companions and Employ. I could wish the laws enable |