1841. —Same vestry, except Jervis Spencer and James R. Jones, in place of P. Fitzhugh and Fred. Dorsey.
1842. —Same, except John R. Dali in place of Joseph I. Merrick.
1843. —Jervis Spencer, John Thomson Mason, James R. Jones, Fred. Dorsey, Charles Macgill, W. H. Fitzhugh, Frisby Tilghman, and John R. Dali.
1844. —William H. Fitzhugh, James R. Jones, Jacob Hollingsworth, Thomas Schnebly, J. T. Mason, Edward Gaither, and Fred. Dorsey.
1845. —Same, except John R. Dali in place of James R. Jones, and a vacancy filled by John Ingram.
1846. —Same, except William Motter, vice John Ingram.
1847. —No change.
1848. —Same, except Charles Macgill in place of John R. Dali.
1849. —Jacob Hollingsworth, William Motter, J. R. Jones, Fred. Dorsey, William H. Fitzhugh, J. T. Mason, and Charles Macgill.
1850. —Same, except John D. Reamure in place of J. R. Jones.
1851. —Jacob Hollingsworth, John D. Reamure, Wm. Motter, Fred. Dorsey, Charles Macgill, Joshua P. Crist, Edward Gaither, and Richard Ragan, Jr.
1852. —Same, except Benjamin Pendleton in place of Richard Ragan.
1853. —Wm. Motter, Jacob Hollingsworth, Edward Gaither, Fred. Dorsey, Chas. Macgill, John D. Reamure, J. P. Crist, and Robert Fowler.
1854. —Same, except Z. L. Claggett in place of Robert Fowler.
1855. —Same, except W. S. Berry in place of Z L. Claggett.
1856. —No change, except Z. L. Claggett in place of Edward Gaither.
1857. —Jacob Hollingsworth, Fred. Dorsey, Charles Macgill, Wm. Motter, John D. Reamure, Joshua P. Crist, Washington Berry, and Eli Beatty.
1858. —Same, except Charles F. Keerl and Dr. Wm. Ragan in place of Washington Berry and Charles Macgill.
1859. —No change.
1860. —Jacob Hollingsworth, W. Berry, James H. Grove, Charles F. Keerl, Charles Macgill, Joshua P. Crist, John D. Reamure, and Wm. Motter.
1861. —No change.
1862. —No change.
1863. —No change.
1864. —Frederick Dorsey, John D. Reamure, Jacob Hollingsworth, Edward Watts, James H. Grove, W. Berry, Wm. Motter, and Chas. F. Keerl.
1865. —No change.
1866. —Jacob Hollingsworth, Chas. F. Keerl, James H. Grove, W. Berry, D. G. Huyett, Wm. Motter, T. W. Simmons, and Wm. Ragan.
1867. —No change, except Richard Ragan in place of W. Berry.
1868. — Same, except Frederick Dorsey in place of Jacob Hollingsworth.
1869.— W. Ragan, Richard Ragan, T. W. Simmons, Charles F. Keerl, D. G. Huyett, George W. Pole, James H. Grove, and Wm. Motter.
1870.— Henry Bell, George W. Pole, D. G. Huyett, B. Riegle, Wm. Motter, Frederick Dorsey, T. W, Simmons, and Charles F. Keerl.
1871.— No change.
1872.— B. Riegle, Geo. W. Pole, Wm. Ragan, Wm. Motter, D. G. Huyett, Geo. W. Harris, Alonzo Berry, and B. H. Griswold.
1873.— Wm. Motter, Geo. W. Harris, Alonzo Berry, B. H. Griswold, Wm. Ragan, J. P. Crist, D. G. Huyett, Buchanan Schley.
Following are brief sketches of the rectors of St. John's: The Rev. Bartholomew Booth, who is put down as the rector of St. John's from 1777 to 1785, was born and ordained in England, and came over to this country about 1776. He was famous as an instructor, and a sketch of him is given in another place. There is no record of his officiating in the church, but as there is no mention of any other minister being there from the time of Mr. Allen's departure in 1777 to that of Mr. Bower's arrival in 1786, it is to be presumed that Mr. Booth performed all the functions of a minister.
The first record of the Rev. George Bower is that of his arrival, Dec. 1, 1786, and his employment at a salary of one hundred pounds, equal to two hundred and sixty-six dollars per annum. During this year a subscription was raised for building a church in Hagerstown, then called Elizabeth Town. The first records now known date from April, 1787, when the first vestry were elected. Mr. Bower still continued rector. In 1788, however, he left and became rector of Queen Caroline Parish, Anne Arundel County, now in Howard, where he continued a year, at the expiration of which he returned to Hagerstown. The Diocesan Convention met on the 2nd of June, 1789, in Baltimore. Mr. Bower was present, and Mr. H. Claggett represented the parish as lay delegate. The first convention met June 22, 1784, but that of 1789 was the first in which St. John's Parish was represented. In the certificate of appointment of the lay delegate it is stated " that the upper part of the parish [of All Saints', which this had been] has for some time been considered a separate and distinct parish;" and so the act of 1770 had made it. This the convention recognized, and accordingly Mr. Bower and Mr. Claggett were admitted to seats from Frederick, now St. John's, Parish. Mr. Bower acceded to this, and ratified the constitution and canons for himself and Mr. Claggett in behalf of the parish.
Town commissioners were appointed in 1791, and in the same year Mr. Bower appears to have officiated part of his time in Frederick Town. It is possible that he had officiated there before. In 1795 an addition was made to the church. The following letter from Mr. Bower to Bishop Claggett gives an interesting picture of the condition of the parish at that time:
" Hagerstown, July 11, 1797.
''Rev. and dear Sir, — It was out of my power to attend the convention this year, as it has been for some years past, owing to the delicate state of Mrs. Bower's health.
" Our congregation in Hagerstown has become very respectable. The addition we have made to our church is not yet completed. I attend here every other Sunday, at Fredericktown every fourth Sunday, and at Taneytown every fourth Sunday. Next Sunday, which is the fifth Sunday after Trinity and the 16th day of the month, I am to officiate here. The Sunday after, which is the 23rd of the month, I am to officiate at Taneytown. The Sunday after that, which is the 30th, I stay here, and the Sunday after that, which is the 6th of August, I go to Fredericktown. And so on regularly through the whole year.
" Should we be favored with the pleasure of your company this fall, you will be so good, sir, to keep this letter, and you will know where to meet me. I have kept a constant register of the marriages, births, funerals, and communicants. But the adults I have found it impossible to make out. They are so scattered about in this extensive parish, which contains three counties, and is, I believe, near one hundred and fifty miles in length, reaching from Baltimore County to the end of the State.
"You would oblige me greatly to write a few lines by the post, to acquaint me with the time you think you can come up.
" I am, reverend and dear sir, with great respect,
" Your very humble servant,
"George Bower."
In the following August the bishop visited this parish, and on the 13th of that month consecrated the church. In 1799, Mr. Bower's salary was four hundred dollars; in 1805, two hundred; in 1806, four hundred; in 1807, five hundred and fifty for half his services.
In 1806 a petition was presented to the convention from sundry inhabitants of All Saints' Parish, in Washington County, praying to be allowed to constitute a separate cure by the name of St. John's Parish, Washington County. An act was passed making the whole of the county St. John's Parish except that part of said county which forms a part of St. Mark's Parish. It would have been proper, doubtless, if desirable, to have granted a change of name and