On November 5, 1751, the parson married one
of the younger members of his flock, Mary Simp-
son, daughter of Thomas and Sara Simpson,
of Paxton. She was born in 1732, thus making
her twenty-six years younger than her husband,
who, however, survived her by nearly five years,
as the second Mrs. Elder died October 3, 1786.
They believed in big families in those days:
Parson Elder had fifteen children, eight of
whom were sons. The two sons of the first wife
dying without heirs, all the Elder descendants
77
are from the second wife Mary Simpson. There
are three great grandchildren living to-day, Mrs.
Gilbert McCauley, daughter of Mrs. Sara Doll,
child of Samuel Elder, and S. Bethel Boude and
Miss Emily Boude, children of Catharine, the
daughter of Thomas Elder. To the interest of
Mr. Boude we owe the memoir written by Thomas
Elder, the military commission, and many per-
sonal anecdotes told him by his mother.
In all his many phases Parson John Elder was
a man to be reckoned with. As one of his suc-
cessors, Rev. William Downey, has written of
him, "In an age of borrowed thought he did his
own thinking." He thought — and acted — to
such purpose that no child of old Paxton,
through generations to come, should ever forget
him.
78
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"/y-.-'^.^fi'V-^^:. ^jif'^jr , ^-r, i~r /a/f^Z^K^^^ jfmf^zr//^l,/ /-/a-^riy/yi 7i7ri,^,^:4 a-i^^ane^.
Facsimile of Rev. John Rider's Commission as Colonel.
fj^iur/''.
(^
tj^:.
v^^e*uC^4^T]^9^Si^ie^.
M-^.
IX
COPY OF PARSON ELDER'S
COMMISSION AS COLONEL
For a long time this commission granted by the Co-
lonial Government to Parson Elder was supposed to be
lost. It was discovered in the family of Mr. S. Bethel
Boude, was carefully patched by his mother — the paper
having worn with age — and now, framed between two
pieces of glass, is one of the most cherished possessions
of Mr. Boude, who kindly has given us permission to
copy it for the first time since it was issued a hundred
and forty years ago. It is written in a beautiful copper-
plate hand on both sides of a sheet of parchment paper,
nine by fourteen and a half inches.
Philadelphia, July 11th, 1763.
Sir:
It having been agreed between me & the As-
sembly, that seven hundred men should be forth-
with used for the defense of the Frontiers,
against the Incursions of the Indians, which
from what has already happened to the West-
ward, there is great reason to apprehend, will, by
degrees, extend themselves along the whole
Frontier of the province ; I have thought it neces-
sary that two Companies should be raised in
your County, each to consist of a Captain, Lieu-
tenant & Ensign, 2 Serjeants, 2 Corporals & 43
private Men, to be immediately employed in pro-
tecting such parts of your Frontier, as may stand
most in need of it.
79
Page 28
Presented as published in 1913. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
On November 5, 1751, the parson married one of the younger members of his flock, Mary Simpson, daughter of Thomas and Sara Simpson, of Paxton. She was born in 1732, thus making her twenty-six years younger than her husband, who, however, survived her by nearly five years, as the second Mrs. Elder died October 3, 1786.
They believed in big families in those days: Parson Elder had fifteen children, eight of whom were sons. The two sons of the first wife dying without heirs, all the Elder descendants
are from the second wife Mary Simpson. There are three great grandchildren living today, Mrs. Gilbert McCauley, daughter of Mrs. Sara Doll, child of Samuel Elder, and S. Bethel Boude and Miss Emily Boude, children of Catharine, the daughter of Thomas Elder. To the interest of Mr. Boude we owe the memoir written by Thomas Elder, the military commission, and many personal anecdotes told him by his mother.
In all his many phases Parson John Elder was a man to be reckoned with. As one of his successors, Rev. William Downey, has written of him, "In an age of borrowed thought he did his own thinking." He thought — and acted — to such purpose that no child of old Paxton, through generations to come, should ever forget him.
-^ /taxied i ^ n/.Kiv/ffwJ-^e'Z'^ /■" tt^i^^/- ,y^j^tJlr.,i^ J^^^^^k-^^ <^^^«^ J?^
"/y-.-'^.^fi'V-^^:. ^jif'^jr , ^-r, i~r /a/f^Z^K^^^ jfmf^zr//^l,/ /-/a-^riy/yi 7i7ri,^,^:4 a-i^^ane^.
Facsimile of Rev. John Rider's Commission as Colonel.
fj^iur/''.
(^
tj^:.
v^^e*uC^4^T]^9^Si^ie^.
M-^.
COPY OF PARSON ELDER'S COMMISSION AS COLONEL
For a long time this commission granted by the Colonial Government to Parson Elder was supposed to be lost. It was discovered in the family of Mr. S. Bethel Boude, was carefully patched by his mother — the paper having worn with age — and now, framed between two pieces of glass, is one of the most cherished possessions of Mr. Boude, who kindly has given us permission to copy it for the first time since it was issued a hundred and forty years ago. It is written in a beautiful copperplate hand on both sides of a sheet of parchment paper, nine by fourteen and a half inches.
Philadelphia, July 11th, 1763.
Sir:
It having been agreed between me & the Assembly, that seven hundred men should be forthwith used for the defense of the Frontiers, against the Incursions of the Indians, which from what has already happened to the Westward, there is great reason to apprehend, will, by degrees, extend themselves along the whole Frontier of the province ; I have thought it necessary that two Companies should be raised in your County, each to consist of a Captain, Lieutenant & Ensign, 2 Serjeants, 2 Corporals & 43 private Men, to be immediately employed in protecting such parts of your Frontier, as may stand most in need of it.