THE SOCIETY OF THE FRIENDLY SONS OF ST. PATRICK IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK.

BY JOHN J. LENEHAN.

The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in the City of New York was instituted on March 17, 1784. It had its origin among Irish officers connected with the armies of the American Revolution. On November 25, 1783, the last British soldier departed from the shores of Manhattan, the British flag which had been nailed to the flagpole of Fort George was hauled down, the American flag was run up in its place, and the Continental Army entered the city. It was led by George Washington, then an adopted member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Philadelphia. At his side rode the Governor, General George Clinton, the son of an Irishman; and the advance battalion was commanded by General Henry Knox, also the son of an Irishman, and a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Philadelphia.

In the environment produced by these conditions, in the atmosphere of liberty and Constitutional government that followed the advent of the American army into its final possession of New York City, was born the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Daniel McCormick was its founder and its president for many years. The objects of the Society were to assist poor and distressed natives, and descendants of natives, of Ireland, and promote friendly, social feelings among its members.

With these laudable purposes, on March 17, 1784, the first St. Patrick’s Day following the evacuation of New York by the British, the Society inaugurated its festive functions at “Cape’s Tavern.” In the New York Packet and Advertiser of Thursday, March 18, 1784, the following appears:

Yesterday, being the anniversary of St. Patrick, his patriotic sons met at Cape’s Tavern, where they gave an elegant entertainment to his Excellency the Governor, Lieut.-Governor, Chancellor and a number of other respectable gentlemen of this State. The day and evening were spent in festivity and mirth, and a number of suitable toasts were drunk upon this joyful occasion. The greatest unanimity and conviviality pervaded this numerous and jovial company, and perhaps this great Saint was never honoured with a concourse of more generous and truly patriotic sons than this assembly afforded.

Thus commenced (in the words of Curran), “those happy meetings when the swelling heart conceived and communicated the pure and generous purpose, the innocent enjoyment of social mirth expanded into the nobler warmth of social virtue, and the horizon of the board became enlarged into the horizon of man.” Almost uninterruptedly since quarterly and anniversary meetings of the Society have been held. Many of the leading men of the City and State are enrolled among its members, and the records of the Society from the beginning contain names prominent in the early history of the Republic. Social and friendly intercourse was promoted and maintained among the natives of Ireland and their kinsmen and descendants. Numbers of deserving, but less fortunate fellow-countrymen, were relieved by the bounty of the Society, implements and materials for domestic manufacture were furnished to the industrious poor. The needy were assisted with money, medicine, clothing and fuel, the destitute were provided with homes and, when necessary, were furnished with sufficient funds to enable them to return to their native land.

The design of the badge worn by members of the Society, and which appears on the cover of this book, is a facsimile of the “reverse” of the medal worn by the members of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Philadelphia in 1771. The following in reference to that medal is from Haverty’s American Almanac:

Each member was required to furnish himself with a gold medal of the value of three guineas, agreeably to the following description: On the right, HIBERNIA; on the left, AMERICA; in the center, LIBERTY joining the hands of HIBERNIA and AMERICA, represented by the usual figures of a female supported by a harp, for HIBERNIA; an Indian with his quiver on his back and his bow slung, for AMERICA; underneath, UNITE. On the reverse, ST. PATRICK tramping on a snake, a cross in his hand, dressed in pontificalibus, the motto, “HIER.”

These devices, designed some years before the Revolution, were certainly ominous, if not prophetic. The Goddess of LIBERTY joining the hands of HIBERNIA and AMERICA, with the superscription “UNITE,” was sufficiently significant, considering that the effect of that union powerfully promoted the subsequent dismemberment of the British Empire and the liberty and independence of America. The motto, HIER, or, without the aspirate, IER, in the Celtic language signifies “West,” and from it came the name of the country, Ere, Erin, or Ireland, and Ierna, aspirated Hibernia. But the word HIER had in it a duplicate and equivocal signification, peculiarly appropriate as the motto of a society whose object was to “Unite” in fellowship the sons of the little isle of the “West” with those of the great continent of the “West.” This medal the members were obliged to wear at the meeting of the Society under the penalty of 7s. 6d. for neglect to do so on St. Patrick’s day, and 5s. on the days of the quarterly meetings.[[2]]

[2]. The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Philadelphia was founded in 1771. George Washington, adopted a member December 17, 1781, dined with the Society on St. Patrick’s Day, 1782, and characterized it as “a society distinguished for the firm adherence of its members to the glorious cause in which we are embarked.” Other members were Generals Moylan, Shee, Wayne, Knox, Butler, Irvine, Hand; Commodore Barry, John Mease, who crossed the Delaware with General Washington on the memorable night of December 25, 1776, and surprised the Hessians; and his brother, Matthew, who commanded the quarter deck guns under Paul Jones in the Bonhomme Richard’s fight with the Serapis.

On June 17, 1780, twenty-seven of its members subscribed 103,500 pounds sterling to furnish provisions for the army, Robert Morris and Blair McClenachan each subscribing 10,000 pounds. William Constable, another member, an aid of Lafayette and partner of Robert Morris, was one of the founders of the New York Society.—Hood’s Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, 43–49 (Phila., 1844); Crimmins’ Early Celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, 215 (N. Y., 1902).

The original records of the Society from 1784 to 1835, except the Treasurer’s Book from 1804, were lost by fire in August, 1835, being at that time in possession of the Secretary, whose place of business was destroyed.

The Society has been true to the principles on which it was founded. It has helped the needy and distressed, and has been the means of cementing lifelong friendships among its members and among those who participated in its festivities. From the Society grew the Irish Emigrant Society and the Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank. Uniting to the charitable and humane the friendly and social feelings, it seeks to keep ever vigorous the love of Ireland and of the Irish character. It celebrates the festival of St. Patrick as a national and immemorial custom, to commemorate the glory of Ireland, to drop a tear upon her sorrows and to express a hope for her regeneration. It has entertained illustrious and distinguished guests at its banquets. Among those of recent years may be mentioned President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, and president-elect William H. Taft in 1908. A notable dinner was given on May 29, 1902, to the French Governmental Mission attending the Rochambeau Monument ceremonies, in acknowledgement of which the Republic of France presented to the Society a magnificent Sèvres vase, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Among the Society’s members have been many of the great merchants, business and professional men of the city. To pass over the living, on its rolls appear the names of Alexander Macomb, Hugh Gaine, William Constable, Dominick Lynch, DeWitt Clinton, John Caldwell, Thomas Addis Emmet, Robert J. Dillon, Joseph Stuart, Richard Bell, William Kelly, Joseph P. Kernochan, John Haggerty, Ogden Haggerty, William Sampson, David J. Graham, Charles O’Conor, James T. Brady, John R. Brady, Dr. Robert Hogan, Dr. William James MacNeven, Very Rev. Dr. John Power, Thomas W. Clerke, Daniel Devlin, Henry L. Hoguet, Eugene Kelly, Joseph J. O’Donohue, Richard O’Gorman, John Savage, Jeremiah Devlin, William Whiteside, Thomas Barbour, Hugh J. Hastings, Thomas Francis Meagher, James R. Cuming, Charles P. Daly, Frederick Smyth, William R. Grace, William L. Brown, Peter McDonnell, C. C. Shayne, Frank T. Fitzgerald, George C. Barrett, Samuel Sloan, James S. Coleman, John Crane, Vincent P. Travers, John Stewart, Daniel O’Day and Hugh Kelly. Grover Cleveland was an honorary member.

Of these, Dr. William James MacNeven and Thomas Addis Emmet, whose names are indelibly written on the pages not only of Irish history, but on the history of New York city and State, became members of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in 1815. Facing Broadway, in the graveyard of historic St. Paul’s, are reared the columns upon which are noted their services to their native country and to their adopted land, flanking on either side the tablet which perpetuates the memory of that other great Irishman, who fell at the siege of Quebec, General Richard Montgomery.

Free from all religious and political characteristics, it is the representative Irish society in the city of New York.

In 1827 it was incorporated by the following act of the Legislature of the State of New York:

CHARTER

OF THE SOCIETY OF

THE FRIENDLY SONS OF ST. PATRICK IN THE CITY

OF NEW YORK.

“An Act to Incorporate the Society of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, in the City of New York. Passed February 13, 1827.

Whereas, the members of a Society instituted for the relief of indigent natives of Ireland, and their descendants, have petitioned the Legislature for an act of incorporation, the better to enable them to obtain the objects of their association; therefore

“1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That John Chambers, James McBride, James Magee, Alexander Charters, John Montgomery, John Cauldwell and Daniel McCormick, and such other persons as now are or hereafter shall become members of the Society of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick in the City of New York, are hereby constituted and declared a body politic and corporate, in fact and in name, by the name of “The Society of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick in the City of New York,” and by that name they and their successors, during the existence of the said corporation, shall and may have perpetual succession; and shall in law be capable of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered unto, defending and being defended, in all courts and places whatsoever; and that they and their successors may have and use a common seal, and may change and alter the same from time to time at their pleasure; and also that, by their corporate name, and in their corporate capacity, they and their successors may purchase, take, hold, use and enjoy, sell, lease and convey any estate, real or personal, for the use and benefit of said corporation: Provided, That the annual income of such real and personal estate shall not at any time exceed the sum of five thousand dollars.

“2. And be it further enacted, That the said corporation shall have power to make such constitution, by-laws and regulations, as they shall judge proper, for the appointment of officers, for the admission of new members, for the government of the officers and members thereof, for collecting annual contributions from the members towards the funds thereof, for regulating the times and places of meeting of the said Society, for suspending or expelling such members as shall neglect or refuse to comply with the by-laws or regulations, and for the managing and directing the property, affairs and concerns of said Society: Provided, That such constitution, by-laws and regulations be not inconsistent with the Laws or Constitution of this State, or of the United States: Provided further, that the said corporation shall not engage in any banking business, nor dispose of any of its funds for any other purpose than the relief of such members of the said Society, natives of Ireland, and children and grandchildren of natives of Ireland, or of a member of said Society, as may become indigent and poor.

“3. And be it further enacted, That the present officers of said Society shall hold their respective offices until others shall be chosen in their places.

“4. And be it further enacted, That this Act be, and hereby is declared to be, a public act, and that the same shall be construed in all courts and places, benignly and favourably for every beneficial purpose therein intended, and that no misnomer of the said corporation in any deed, gift, grant, devise or other instrument of contract or conveyance, shall vitiate or defeat the same: Provided, The Corporation shall be sufficiently described to ascertain the intention of the parties.

“5. And be it further enacted, That the Legislature may at any time hereafter amend, alter, modify or repeal this act.”

[Laws of New York, 1827; chapter 42.]

Owing to the loss of the Society’s books in 1835, the list of its early members is necessarily incomplete, but a partial list of the earliest members is:

Member In
McCormick, Daniel1784
Gaine, Hugh1784
Waddell, Robert R.1784
Constable, William1784
Macomb, Alexander1784
Roach, Thomas1784
Pollock, George1784
Hill, William1784
Shaw, John1784
Pollock, Carlisle1784
Bibby, Thomas1784
Flemming, Sampson1784
Templeton, Oliver1784
Bradford, M.1787
Gibson, Dr.1787
Smith, H.1787
Colles, Christopher1788
Thomson, Charles1788
Maunsell, Gen. John1789
Clinton, DeWitt1790
Edgar, William1790
McVickar, John1790
Price, Michael1790
Saidler, Henry1790
Charleton, John1790
Constable, James1790
Stewart, Alexander1793
Wade, William1793
Barnewell, George1793
Glover, John1793
Lynch, Dominick1793
Kelly, John1795
Wallace, William1804
Caldwell, John1804
Heeney, Cornelius1804
Parks, John1804
Hogan, M.1805
Searight, J.1805
Boyle, M.1805
Carbis, J.1805
Reid, D.1805
Blake, Valentine1805
Rutledge, William1805
Craig, W.1805
Sullivan, J.1805
Bailie, William1805
Bryar, William1805
Suffern, Thomas1805
Shaw, W.1805
McCarty, Charles1805
Dickey, R.1805
Cranston, Alex.1805
Roth, M.1805
Craig, S.1805
McComb, J. W.1805
McConnell, James1805
Murray, J.1805
Phelan, John1805
Morris, Andrew1805
Macomb, John N.1805
Phister, Alexander1805
McEvers, Gulian1805
Watson, James1805
Kemp, Dr.1805
Jephson, William H.1805
Chambers, James1805
O’Connor, Capt.1805
Keith, John1805
Prince, Christ’er1806
McVicker, Nathan1812
Bailey, William1812
Carberry, Thomas1812
Chambers, John1812
Craig, John1812
Sterling, Wm.1812
Macneven, Wm. Jas.1815
Emmet, Thos. Addis1815
McCarthy, Dennis1815
Christian, Charles1815
Woodward, John1815
Montgomery, J.1817
Magee, James1817
Blood, Harris1821
Andrews, David1821
Nicholson, John1821
Charters, John1821
Kernochan, Jos. P.1825
Laverty, Henry1825
Moorehead, John1825
Kyle, Wm.1825
Gray, Andrew1825
Muldon, Michael1825
Charters, S. M.1825
Alexander, Joseph1825
Lynch, General1825
Montgomery, J. B.1828
Cleary, Thomas1828
FitzGerald, R. A.1828
Buchanan, Jas., Jr.1828
Ingham, Charles1828
Wilson, John1828
James, Wm.1828
Wright, John W.1828
Hogan, Dr. Robert1828
Cuming, Dr.1828
Cassidy, Christ’r1828
Trenor, Dr.1830
Harvey, Jacob1830
Bradish, Wheaton1831
Persse, Dudley1831
Sampson, William1831
Dolan, John T.1832
Eccleston, Edward1832
Osborne, Samuel1832
Boyd, Capt. Wm.1832
Corbitt, George S.1833
Fleming, John1833
Bush, Dr. George1833
Donaldson, Robert1833
White, Robert1833
White, Campbell P.1833
Rice, Dr. G. C.1833
Burke, Dr.1833
McBride, James1833
Lambert, Charles1833
Doyle, John1833
Tait, John, Jr.1833
Emmet, Robert1833
Brown, James C.1835
Arnold, Dr. Wm.1835
Dillon, Robert J.1835
O’Neill, Capt. Felix1835
Moorhead, John1835
Usher, Luke1835
Chambers, J.1835
Warren, J.1835
Montgomery, J. B., Jr.1835
Redmond, Wm.1835
Brown, Stewart1835
Miller, James1835
Foote, John1835
Charters, Samuel1835
Cummin, Thomas A.1835
Wright, Dr.1835
Charters, Alex.1835
Millar, Jesse1835
Maxwell, Matthew1835
Power, Rev. John1835
McAllister, Samuel1835
Harden, Geo.1835
Kane, Wm.1835
Alley, Saul1835
Adams, John1835
Brown, James1835
Gillelan, E. H.1835
Gibson, John1835
Ingoldsby, Felix1835
Niblo, W.1835
Nicholson, John1835
Nichols, Samuel1835
Dore, John1835
Buchanan, James C.1835
Graham, Bernard1835
Matthews, James1835
McGloin, Edward1835
Buchanan, Robert L.1835
Bushe, George1835
Bryar, James1835
Burke, Michael1835
Burke, Myles1835
Cullen, Edward F.1835
Cruise, Patrick R.1835
Connolly, E.1835
Cluff, John1835
Denniston, James1835
Dunn, Bernard1835
Daily, Patrick1835
Doyle, Dennis H.1835
Fox, John1835
Graham, David, Jr.,1835
Gray, Andrew1835
Grattan, E.1835
Hill, John1835
Haggerty, John1835
Haggerty, Ogden1835
Jackson, Daniel1835
Jackson, George1835
Jackson, Thomas1835
Kyle, Jeremiah1835
Kyle, Joseph1835
Kelly, Robert1835
Morrison, John1835
Murray, Ham.1835
McLaughlin, Peter1835
Murphy, Thomas1835
Mullen, John1835
McKibben, Dr.1835
McGrath, Daniel1835
Niblo, John1835
O’Brien, William1835
O’Brien, Francis1835
Park, David1835
Patterson, Robert S.1835
Powell, James W.1835
Quinn, John1835
Rutherford, Robert1835
Stinson, Edey1835
Shaw, James1835
Shaw, William1835
Thompson, Alex.1835
Thompson, Alex. Jr.,1835
Usher, Robert1835
Wilson, Joseph1835
Ennis, Thomas1835
Kelly, William1835

COMPLETE ROLL OF MEMBERSHIP MARCH 17, 1835.

Arnold, Dr. William

Alley, Saul

Adams, John

Brown, James C.

Brown, Stewart

Bradish, Wheaton

Brown, James

Buchanan, James C.

Buchanan, Robert L.

Bushe, George

Bryar, James

Burke, Michael

Burke, Myles

Caldwell, John

Corbitt, George S.

Chambers, J.

Charters, Alex.

Charters, Samuel

Cassidy, Christopher

Cullen, Edward F.

Cruise, Patrick R.

Connolly, E.

Cluff, John

Cummin, Thomas A.

Dillon, Robert J.

Dore, John

Denniston, James

Dunn, Bernard

Donaldson, Robert

Doyle, John

Daily, Patrick

Doyle, Dennis H.

Eccleston, Edward (Second Vice-President)

Emmet, Robert

Ennis, Thomas

Foote, John

Fox, John

Gibson, John

Graham, Bernard

Gillelan, E. H.

Graham, David, Jr.

Gray, Andrew

Grattan, E.

Harvey, Jacob

Hogan, Dr. Robert

Harden, Geo.

Hill, John

Heeney, Cornelius

Haggerty, John

Haggerty, Ogden

Ingoldsby, Felix

Jackson, Daniel

James, William

Jackson, George

Jackson, Thomas

Kernochan, Joseph P.

Kane, Wm.

Kelly, John

Kyle, Jeremiah

Kyle, William

Kyle, Joseph

Kelly, Robert

Kelly, William

Lambert, Chas. (Almoner)

Laverty, Henry

Magee, James

Moorhead, John

Montgomery, J. B., Jr.

Miller, James

Millar, Jesse

Maxwell, Matthew

Matthews, James

Morrison, John

Matthews, James, Jr.

Murray, Ham.

Montgomery, James

Murphy, Thomas

Mullen, John

Macneven, Wm. James

McBride, James

McGloin, Edward

McLaughlin, Peter

McAllister, Samuel

McKibben, Dr.

McGrath, Daniel

McBride, George

Niblo, William

Nicholson, John

Nichols, Samuel

Niblo, John

Osborne, Samuel (Treasurer)

O’Neill, Capt. Felix

O’Brien, William

O’Brien, Francis

Persse, Dudley (Secretary)

Patterson, Robert S.

Power, Rev. John

Park, David

Powell, James W.

Quinn, John

Redmond, William

Rutherford, Robert

Suffern, Thomas

Sampson, William

Stinson, Edey

Shaw, James

Shaw, William

Trenor, Dr.

Tait, John, Jr.

Thompson, Alexander

Thompson, Alex., Jr.

Usher, Luke

Usher, Robert

Usher, William

White, Campbell P. (President)

Wilson, John (First Vice-President)

Warren, J.

White, Robert

Wright, Dr.

Wilson, Joseph

Its presidents have been noted merchants, financiers, jurists and professional men. Daniel McCormick was the first president, serving from 1784 to 1788, and in 1793 and 1794, and again from 1797 to 1827. Other presidents of this venerable Society were: William Constable, 1789, 1790 and 1795; Alexander Macomb, 1791; Thomas Roach, 1792; George Pollock, 1796; John Chambers, 1828 to 1833; James McBride, 1834; Campbell P. White, 1835 to 1838; Dr. Robert Hogan, 1839 to 1842; James Reyburn, 1843 to 1850; Richard Bell, 1851–1852 and 1865; Joseph Stuart, 1853–1856 and 1866; Samuel Sloan, 1857–1858; Richard O’Gorman, 1859; Charles P. Daly, 1860–1862, 1870, 1878–1884; James T. Brady, 1863–1864; Henry L. Hoguet, 1867; John R. Brady, 1868 and 1871–1874; Eugene Kelly, 1869; Thomas Barbour, 1875–1876; Hugh J. Hastings, 1877; Joseph J. O’Donohue, 1885–1886, 1888–1889; James R. Cuming, 1887; David McClure, 1890–1891; John D. Crimmins, 1892–1894; James S. Coleman, 1895–1896; Morgan J. O’Brien, 1897–1899; James A. O’Gorman, 1900–1902; James Fitzgerald, 1903–1905; Joseph I. C. Clarke, 1906; Michael J. Drummond, 1907; Stephen Farrelly, 1908; William Temple Emmet, 1908–1909.

The surprising growth of New York is well shown by the steady march up-town of the places where the anniversary dinners of the Society have been held since its organization to the present time.

1784 Cape’s Tavern. (Now No. 115 Broadway.) 1785 The Coffee House. (Mr. Bradford’s, in Water Street, near Wall Street.) 1786 The Coffee House. 1787 The Coffee House. 1788 Merchants’ Coffee House. (S. E. Cor. Wall and Water Streets.)

HON. PATRICK GARVAN.
Of Hartford, Conn.
A Life Member of the Society.

Note.

Mr. Lenehan is the Chairman of the Membership Committee of the American Irish Historical Society, through whose efforts and ability 250 members have been added to the Society’s rolls between the time of his appointment in June, 1908, and January 16th, 1909, the date of the eleventh annual meeting in Washington, D. C. New applications from him have been coming in almost daily since the latter date. We look forward to at least an equal number of new members being admitted during 1909, and the Society hereby expresses the highest praise of Mr. Lenehan for his faithful and fruitful efforts in its behalf. Under his guidance, the printed matter which has gone forth during 1908 throughout the country has been prepared and circulated, and in his work he is receiving the cordial support of all the members.

Although in the midst of a busy life as a successful practising lawyer, Mr. Lenehan finds time to give valuable assistance by word and deed to these two great national societies, The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the American Irish Historical Society, both of which claim him as an honored member.

Editor.