1954 - Special Collections

74 YEAR BOOK AMERICA N CLAN GREGOR SOCIETY
ton and vicinity the day before, preventing man y fr om going on the Pil grimage
and making travel almost impossible from fatten trees and limbs on the morning
of October 16th, a lar ge number of guests recovered sufficiently to attend the
dinner. At the beginnin g of the dinner there was the "P iping-In" of the traditional
" H agg is", that ancient Scotti sh dish of viands, which to my mind was one of the
fact ors that contributed to the hardiness of our ancestors.
The Chieftain introduced the visitor s on the platform. Mr . Web b, who is in
charge of the Reading Room of the Library of Congress, was our guest speaker.
H e remini sced in an interesting and humorous way about his recent trip to Scotland,
where he was sent by the United States Government as a delegate to an
International Meeting for the pr eservati on of documents.
At the close of the dinner we were enterta ined by Scottish dancing. T hen all
pr esent joined hands and sang Auld Lang Syne, led by Miss Emm a Muncaster.
Thus came to an end the good old times of the 45th Gathering of the American
Clan Gregor Society.
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ST. J OH N' S C HURCH,
OLNEY, M ARYLA ND
The Clan held its Church Service in St. John's Church and a fte rwards a
luncheon was served in th e Pari sh Hall.
Because of the great distanc e between Christ Church at Rockv ille and St .
Bartholomew's Church, then located at H awlings River. many member s of these
tw o churches were depri ved of attendance. with any regularity. at Services. In
consequence it was felt that it would add greatly to the spiritual welfare of these
member s if a Chapel were erected at Mechani csvitte, near Olney.
A Deed was given .by Ignatiu s W aters to R ichard Holmes and othe rs for
part of "Charles and Benjamin" in the town of Mechanicsville for the purpose of
erecting a Protestant Episcopal Church and opening a graveyard.
The organi zation of the Chapel was established as a separate congregation
having its own Vestry. and work begun on th e building in 1842. W hen the Church
was completed and paid for, it was consecrat ed in 1845. The Church was or iginally
of frame and was situated in the Cemetery. In 1910 it was moved to a central
position on the Church grounds. A recessed Chancel, Vestry room and tower were
added. Th e Church is now a modified Gothi c, stuccoed, with a Dutch tower.
The Rectory in Brookevitte was destroyed by fire in 1912. W ith it were
destroyed att of the record s of St. John's Church. A new Rectory was erected on
the lot adjoining the Church at Olney.
During the first years after its orga nization, St. Bartholomew's Pari sh was
adminis ter ed by the Recto r of Prince George's Parish. When the work grew to
such proportions th at this arrangement was no longer practical, St . Bartholomew's
Parish catt ed a Rector of its own. Since 1845 there have been 15 Rectors and the
Church has the very unique distinction of having a photograph of each of these
15 Rect ors, and these pictures are framed in one large fra me which hangs just
inside the vestibule as you enter the Church.