APPENDIX. 477 



would be that he stayed with it until the beginning of 1780, on the 17th 

 of January, in which year he was married. On the 23d of October, 



1780, his father, Colonel Jacob Blackwell, died, and on the 26th of 

 March, 1781, he was residing "near Philadelphia," and then for the 

 first time, so far as we see, since the breaking up of his mission and his 

 joining the army, ready to enter into ordinary parochial work. 



By the demise of his father, at the date above mentioned — October 

 23, 1780 — Dr. Blackwell succeeded to the possession of considerable 

 real estate in the East river and on Long Island, just opposite to New 

 York. An immense increase in its value, in connection with property 

 which passed to him in marriage, assisted to make him what for forty 

 years and more before his death he was; not only the richest of the 

 Episcopal clergy in the United States, but one of the richest men of his 

 day in Philadelphia. 



Dr. Blackwell remained without a parochial cure, so far as we know 

 — though no doubt preaching frequently where an opportunity for being 

 useful offered itself — until the year 1781. In the spring of that year 

 began that connection with the United Churches which associates his 

 name inseparably with their history ; a connection long and honorable 

 to him, and beneficent to them.* It remained of an official sort till 

 181 1, and constant and ecclesiastical, though not official, till 1831 — a 

 term of half a century; Bishop White during the whole time being 

 Rector of the two churches. 



The situation of the United Churches as respected political matters, 

 when Dr. Blackwell was called to them, in 1781, was delicate. It re- 

 quired great discretion on the part of their clergy, and conduct that 

 should be at once conciliatory and controlling, to keep the congrega- 

 tions in anything like ancient steadiness and place. The Church of 

 England had never been strong in Pennsylvania. Outside of Philadel- 

 phia its settled clergy had not been more than six. During the war 

 of the Revolution some had returned to England, f and some had died. 

 In 1781 they numbered only three: Mr. White, Mr, Magaw,- Rector 

 of St. Paul's, and Mr. Blackwell. The body of worshippers in the 

 United Churches — that is to say, the worshippers most influential in 

 point of education, wealth, social standing and moral worth, had not 

 been inclined to the Revolution, and had reluctantly acquiesced in it. 



* His engagement, which, at the first, was "to assist Mr. White on Sundays," began 

 on Easter Day, April 14, 1781. At a meeting of the Vestry, held September 19, 



1781, for the purpose of choosing " an Assistant Minister of Christ Church and St. 

 Peter's," he was unanimously elected to be such. 



f Dr. Duche, Mr. Coonibe, Dr. Alexander Murray, Mr. Thomas Barton, and I sup- 

 pose others, returned to England. 



