[shelby research]Mary Selby/Shelby's baptism

MARTHA MORDECAI shelby@lists.trolinger.com
Sat, 11 Oct 2003 15:08:05 -0400


Hi Judy,

I went to Christ Church in Philadelphia, luckily arriving on the day the 
Liberty Bell was being transported to it's new home.  The church and burial 
grounds have just gone through renovation and are beautiful. The burial 
ground alone cost over $400,000 to renovate.  While I was in the church I 
was told that I could go next door to find the archives of the church 
records.  I went next door and asked.  In seconds they had produced the book 
recording Mary's baptism.  I asked if she could make a copy for me, and she 
said no because it faded the writing in the books.  I was so disappointed.  
I asked how could I possibly get a copy.  She smiled and said "use the 
camera you are carrying".  So, ... I shot a couple of photos right out of 
the book.

I am visiting my daughter in Tampa now, but when I get home in a couple of 
weeks and empty my memory stick into my computer, I will send a photo of the 
record.  Mary was three weeks old when she was baptized.  Also, she was 
baptised in the font that William Penn, Jr. (the founder of Philadelphia) 
was baptised in.  The story is that the font was already three hundred years 
old when it came to America.  The church was originally built in 1695, give 
or take a year.  That means the font was created about the time Columbus 
came to America.

I also just opened an email from the Charlotte, NC library telling me they 
did not have the books there and I had to go to Philadelphia to Christ 
Church to find them.  Fortunately I was a step ahead!

Martha

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