1782] REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 61 



Evans' death. The Rev. David Griffith, afterwards Bishop elect 

 of Virginia, was in it; only, however, for a short time. The Rev. 

 John Lyons also occupied it for a short time, but neither with 

 effect. In 1772 the Rev. Robert Blackwell entered into charge — 

 a young gentleman of high integrity, amiable disposition, sound 

 sense, solid learning and unquestioned piety. These excellent 

 qualities made him a favorite with all who knevv^ him, and espec- 

 ially with Dr. White and Dr. Smith.* Mr. Blackwell remained 

 at Gloucester until the mission was broken up by the Revolution, 

 when, becoming a chaplain in the army, he went to the Valley 

 Forge, and during the winter of 1777-78 — which Dr. Smith pas.sed 

 close to him at Norristown — the two clergymen were, of course, in 

 more or less consultation as to the exercises of their office ; Dr. 

 White being at Yorktown with the Congress, as we have already 

 stated in an early part of this volume. In 1 78 1 Mr. Blackwell became 

 one of the ministers of the United Churches of Christ and St. Peter's, 

 in Philadelphia, a post which he occupied with much dignity 

 and usefulness for thirty years, and in which, as in the College of 

 Philadelphia, of which he was afterwards a trustee, he was of 

 necessity in frequent relations with Dr. Smith. While at 

 Gloucester, he became attached to Miss Rebecca Harrison, a 

 daughter of the family of which we have spoken, and for which 

 Dr. Smith had cherished a high regard ; — a young lady of un- 

 usual attractiveness and merit. She died on Monday, the 25 th 

 of February, 1782, a year or two after her marriage, in giving birth 

 to a daughter, who survived. An obituary notice of her and some 

 elegiac stanzas addressed to her sister, and attributed to Dr. 

 Smith, may properly be here inserted as an illustration alike of 

 his sympathetic heart and ever-ready and accomplished pen. 

 Such things are indeed in one sense of no great value. Never- 

 theless, like a good deal that I have sought to preserve in my 

 volumes, they show a refinedness of feeling in our early society, 

 and an elegance in our early ephemeral literature which it would be 

 well for our own day if they had descended in a more abundant 

 measure to it. 



Deaih of Mrs. Rebecca Blackwell. 



On Monday morning last, the wife of the Rev. Mr. Blackwell, 

 Assistant Minister of the United Churches, Philadelphia, was safely 



* For a sketch of this respected gentleman, see Appendix No. I. 



