meeting accidentally with the " Life of St. Francis Xavier, and afterwards conversing with the excellent Dr. Challoner," so wrote Bishop Carroll in reply to Rev. Patrick Smyth's "Present State of the Catholic Missions Conducted by the ExJesuits in North America," published in Dublin, in 1788, which, besides being an attack on Rev. John Carroll and his associates, gave a most ridiculous origin for the fund, namely, that Mr. James and twelve Protestant clergymen had raised the money to convert the Quakers of Pennsylvania to a belief in the necessity of Baptism; that Mr. James and his twelve came to Pennsylvania, but the Quakers "heard them unmoved"; that a German Catholic with whom he had "some mercantile dealings," induced him to turn the money over to the "priests of his own religion." "This account" Father Carroll said, was 66 discordant from the fact." That during his lifetime Sir John James intended to maintain a priest in Pennsylvania, there is evidence in the following letter of Rev. Henry Neale, who, in March, 1741, arrived in Philadelphia. He is evidently the Jesuit referred to as "before established in Philadelphia," who was to be given an allowance in addition to others to be sustained by the fund after the death of Sir John James. It is the first known letter concerning the Church in our own city, and so is of special interest, proving, as it does, the religious liberty which prevailed in Pennsylvania, and, moreover, how Father Greaton and the writer of the letter were, as priests, "not only esteemed, but reverenced by ye better sort of people." This is Father Neale's letter :* "Honoured Sir. "You will be surpris'd to understand I arrived at Philadelphia only ye 21st of last month. I was from ye 10 of June till ye latter end of November on shipboard; And presently after my arrival in Maryland was hindered from prosecuting my journey by one of ye most severe Winters that was ever known in these parts: I might have safely rid over all ye Rivers, had not ye Snow been so very deep as to render ye *From The East Anglian; or Notes and Queries on Subjects Connected with the Counties of Suffolk, Cambridge and Essex, January, 1859, pp. 16-17. journey in a manner impracticable, 'till ye Month of March. Since my arrival, I've made it my business to inform myself of ye situation of affairs in these parts, as far as may be worthy your attention: and am sorry to find things otherwise than represented in England; I mean as to what regards a competent maintenance of one in my station: For an annuity of £20 only will not absolutely suffice. I was told this by our Gentlemen in Maryland, & find it so in effect. Most necessarys of Life are here as dear, & several dearer, than at London itself. The Gentleman, who proposed 20 as a tolerable sufficiency, says he only meant it in regard of a German, who, he supposed would spend ye greatest part of his time among his Countrymen, & meet with assistance from them, being to be but now & then in town. But for one, who is to have his abode in Town, as I must, he himself declares it will no wise suffice. Among other expenses I must of necessity keep a horse in order to assist poor People up and down ye country, Some twenty miles, some sixty, some farther off. For at present he alone is sufficient for ye service of ye Town, (tho tis a growing Congregation, & will in all likelyhood soon require both more hands, and a larger House.) Now traveling expenses in my regard will be considerable, since little or nothing can be expected from ye Country Catholiks, who, tho' very numerous, are most of them servants, or poor tradesmen, & more in need oftentimes of charity themselves, than capable of assisting others. To be short, Sir, I wish I could make £30 do, Tho every Body I advise with, assures me £40 Annuity is as little as I can reasonably propose to live and act with. The Gentleman who lives here, tho he has made a thousand shifts in order to assist this poor Congregation, has never made things meet under thirty pounds sterling a year, including ye Charitys he was obliged to; tho' he never was at ye expenses of keeping a horse. The rising of our Country Currency, which is now within a trifle of 333 per cent from sterling, contributes not a little to render a sterling annuity less valuable. "I have spent no little pains in considering myself and consulting Friends, about ye most advantagious methods of mak ing a settlement according to your proposals. And as things are at present a purchase of Land seems evidently the best and securest establishment yt can be made both for present and future Views. Several Tracts of Land have been lately sold for double ye price they were bought for a few years ago. And a valuable tract may now be purchased for eight hundred or a thousand pounds, yet in a few years will in all probability be held at two or three thousand. Nor is there any difficulty of our purchasing now, tho there may be perhaps afterward. If this proposal of a land establishment seems suitable to yr inclination, I shall make it my business with ye advice of Friends to seek out a place yt may be answerable to ye end you propose: and begg you'll acquaint me yr sentiments hereupon as soon as possible; as also what summ you think proper to advance, and on whom we may draw for ye same, in case we shou'd light upon a place to advantage. "We have at present all liberty imaginable in ye exercise of our business, and are not only esteem'd, but reverenc'd as I may say, by ye better sort of People. The Lawyer is in all appearance, and has always been our particular friend. The Politican has almost entirely laid aside publick business, and lives very retired. "The German Gentlemen are not yet arriv'd. There presence is very much wanted: My heart has yearn'd when I've met with some poor Germans desirous of performing their Duties, but whom I have not been able to assist for want of Language. I hope in a short time I shall be able to give you a more ample acct. of many particulars, being as yet almost stranger in these parts. In ye interim my best wishes, and constant Prayers attend you. "I am, Honour'd Sir, your obliged and humble servant, HENRY NEALE." "Philadelphia, April ye 25th, 1741. This was Rev. Henry Neale, S. J. He died "in Pennsylvania" May 5th, 1748. [Oliver and Foley.] Though there is no mention in Philadelphia papers of his death or interment, it is probable that he died in our city. The two Philadelphia priests were Rev. Joseph Greaton and Henry Neale. Who were "the Lawyer" and "the Politician" mentioned by Father Neale ? Whatever were the views-"present and future which the purchase of land would make best and securest we now cannot tell. The death of Sir John James in September closed without its realization. Haestrecht James, declaring himself "cousin and heir of " Sir John James, on March 2d, 1742, began chancery proceedings charging "that the said Sir John James made no such will or if he did, he was at the time of executing it not of sound mind." From the will I quote the Item which concerns our purpose of tracing the Mission Fund. "Item. I give and bequeath to James Calthorpe the sum of £4,000 of lawful money of Great Britain." Concerning this bequest the contestant averred: "And your petitioner expressly charges that although the said £4,000 legacy given to James Calthorpe is not mentioned in the said will to be given to charitable purpose, yet that the said legacy of £4,000 is so devised to the defendant Calthorpe for some charitable end or design and not for his own use or benefit, and that Sir John James, the testator accordingly gave, wrote, or sent same directions to Calthorpe signifying to what charity the legacy was to be applied or else Calthorpe well knowing the intention of Sir John James in devising the legacy to him gave to Sir John James some assurance that he would apply the same according to his desire and that indeed, since Sir John's death, Calthorpe has often declared that the legacy was devised to him in trust for charity . . . further. . . that the said defendant James Calthorpe refuses to discover the charitable purposes for which the aforesaid sum of £4,000 is devised to him by the will, . . . and insists that he is not a trustee as to the sum, but is entitled to the legacy in his own right, though he well knows the contrary! . .. And further your petitioner desires that the defendant James Calthorpe may set forth whether he insists upon the payment of the aforesaid legacy of £4,000, and whether he does not know and has some, and what reason to believe that . . . the legacy was devised to him in trust for some charitable or other and what . and whether the said Sir John James. purpose, did not, as he the said defendant knows and believes, give, write, send or show to him the defendant, or leave behind him some note or memorandum touching the end or purpose for which he would have the said legacy of £4,000 given, . and what was the purport and contents thereof as near as he knows or can remember, . . . and whether he, the defendant Calthorpe, has not since Sir John's death acknowledged that the said legacy was devised to him upon trust for some charitable purpose. To this remarkable and significant petition, James Calthorpe replies as follows: 14 Nov., 1744. James Calthorpe believes that Sir John James was at the time of making his will of sound and disposing mind and memory, . . . and further that the legacy of £4,000 devised to him (Calthorpe) was not given for any charitable end or design, nor did Sir John James give write or send any direction to this defendant directing to what charity the said legacy was to be applied, nor hath this defendant at any time declared that the legacy was devised to him in trust for charity. . . . Wherefore as the complainant doth not pretend to have any right to call in question the said legacy of £4,000 given to this defendant, but upon a supposition that the same was so given in trust for some charity, whereas the defendant positively says that the same was not given in trust for any charity whatsoever . therefore this defendant humbly insists that he ought not to be obliged to acquaint the complainant for what use the £4,000 legacy was given to this defendant, the complainant not being in any ways concerned therein, and it being only matter of curiosity in complainant, this defendant hopes he shall not be compelled to discover for what use, intent or purpose the said legacy was devised to this defendant"!! . Furthermore, in the collective answer of four of the defendants, viz., Dalton, Calthorpe, Grigby and Ray, the defendant |