The Pews, Part 5

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Another 14 families of St. George’s occupied the pews for 3 of the 4 periods.  10 of the 14 are actually behind the seats occupied by the first Generation. This is the second level of famlies by price paid and longetivity. The average pew price was $291 which was below that of the average pew price of $312.  There is a greater diversity in their occupations from the earlier generation which may reflect growth of Fredericksburg or that more information is available. There are three druggists, an insurance representative, dry goods merchant, two industrialists, bank cashier, merchant, and attorney.

This generation is the “gilded age” generation, coming of age after the Civil War. (The average birth was 1849 and death 1921).  12 of the 14 appear in the 1890’s.  Two families of the fourteen were eliminated from consideration here – Arthur Goodwin and John Young – since they purchased pews in 1849 but did not hold on to them for the entire period to the 1940’s. They were an earlier generation.

Many of them were active in Church leadership – Three (John B. Ficklen, Charles Tackett, and Marshall Hall) were chosen were appointed as trustees of the Church in 1902. 5 of the 12 – Marshall Hall, Fayette Johnston, Charles Tackett, A. Randolph Howard, Frank Chichester – served on the Vestry. 1 of the 12 left St. George’s – Fayette Johnston to Trinity as did Chichester’s father who resigned from the Vestry and went to Aquia.

Name

Pew

Birth

Death

Marshall C. Hall

11

1843

1903

Mary Ann Downman

12,17

1833

1926

Robert R. Hall

13

1829

1904

Fayette W. Johnston

43

1829

1890

William J. Bernard

46

1869

1944

Charles Tackett

47

1850

1910

William F. Ficklen

48

1853

1920

John B. Ficklen

51

1848

1907

Alpheus W. Embrey (A. W. Embrey Sr)

53

1872

1930

A. Randolph Howard

73

1866

1937

Frank Chichester

87

1874

1946

Richard M. Doswell

93

1844

1926

Key facts

Name

Notes

Marshall C. Hall

Superintendent of Sunday Schools for 38 years and druggist at J.B. Hall Sons Druggists with his brothers Horace B. & Robert R Hall. “Jesus and the Children” stained glass window dedicated in his honor

Mary Ann Downman

Donated Road to Emaeus Windows in memory of two of her deceased Children. She was the second oldest citizen when she died in 1926 at the age of 93. Son was rector at St. Paul’s Richmond

Robert R. Hall

A doctor. His grandfather established one of oldest drug firms, J B Hall Sons. He was a brother to Marshall C. Hall

Fayette W. Johnston

Vestry, 1869, Drug clerk living on 306 Charlotte Street , one of 112 moved to Trinity in 1877; was deceased and H. H. Hoomes occupying until 1943 in business drug store with George Pearson

William J. Bernard

Insurance representative of Massachusetts Mutual Life Company beginning in 1905. He married daughter of Edgar Young. Local paper wrote – “. “In Mr. Bernard the company has a man of exceptional qualifications and integrity” Patent reported in his name for oven air brick drier

Charles Tackett

(Birth date estimated). Vestryman 1874 and 1878 Trustee St. Georges 1902. Dry goods merchant

William F. Ficklen

Brother John B. Ficklen and partner in Bridgewater Mills business.

John B. Ficklen

City Council member,  President of Rappahannock Electric Light and Power and managed Bridgewater Mills. Trustee of St. Georges

Alpheus W. Embrey (A. W. Embrey Sr)

Merchant – Lumber, railroad ties and wood business

A. Randolph Howard

Cashier The Conway, Gordon& Garnett Natl Bank, and treas Va Excelsior Co; Live at Chatham, Vestry 1903

Frank Chichester

Attorney, Served 25 years on Vestry until death 1946 ; Vestry rotation began after his death

Richard M. Doswell

Aide-de-Camp to C.S.A. General Seth Barton; Lived in Norfolk remaining years