Seaport in Virginia Part 15

To a Fire Engine Imported from London with 2 dozen buckets Amt p. invoice 72.14 Commission on shipping D^o--5% 3.12. 8 Insurance on 76 @ 2-1/2pc 1.18 Freight from London 6. 6 ---------- 84.10. 8 Exchange 40 pc^1 33.16. 2 ---------- 118. 6.10 Freight from Baltimore 1. 4 ---------- 119.10.10.

It was incorporated into the articles that the engine was to be worked for two hours every Monday of the meeting, and anyone neglecting to attend and work the engine was penalized nine pence. Moreover William Herbert, Dennis Ramsay and Isaac Roberdeau were charged with getting the engine to fires.

About this time (1788) the Virginia a.s.sembly pa.s.sed an act authorizing the different towns in the state to elect fire companies.

In May 1789, Dr. William Brown was elected treasurer to succeed William Hartshorne.

The first mention by the Sun of other fire companies in Alexandria is in the minutes of February 28, 1791. In July specific reference is made to the Friendship Fire Company and the Relief Fire Company.

In May 1793, the Sun Company was dissatisfied with the English engine, and they began correspondence with a Mr. Mason of Philadelphia with the intention of selling the old engine and acquiring a new one. Mason manufactured three engines. They contained 190, 170 and 160 gallons of water, respectively, which they discharged in one minute and a half and they were worked by twenty-four, twenty-two and eighteen or twenty men, respectively, and varied in price accordingly. The Sun Fire Company purchased the smallest engine for 125. It seems to have arrived in April 1794. Later the old engine "with the suction pipe" was thoroughly repaired by Mason and returned to the Sun Fire Company.

By 1796 such confusion reigned at fires that the three companies a.s.sociated themselves together to make and sustain certain plans and rules for the management of fires. It was decided to have three directors or commanders, one chosen from each company, only one of whom was to act at a time, who were to have control of the engines, fire hooks, ladders and to be the judges of the expediency of pulling down adjacent buildings. In order that these gentlemen be more conspicuous (distinguished was the word) it was decided to "elevate their voices above the ordinary clamour on such occasions," each of them in action was ordered to carry in his hand a "_speaking trumpet, painted white, and not less than three feet long_." Each company was to keep such an affair in the enginehouse.

There were then chosen three subordinate directors who had immediate charge of the engine under the commander, then four persons from each Company, to be called regulators, who were to "_be diligent in searching for the most convenient source of water_, in forming lanes for the supply of the engines, and _preventing the use of dirty puddle water_."

Upon these gentlemen fell the unpleasant task of "noticing remisness in the members and others and being obliged to give information to their respective companies whenever such shameful instances occured to their observation." Trustees were responsible for the removal of property, and the entire company was obliged to wear "at times of fire" by way of distinction, black caps with white fronts with letters thereon designating their company. Moreover these companies pledged themselves to "respect" the other companies when their property was in danger from fire, "in preference to persons who are members of neither."

Doctor d.i.c.k stated that he lost his fire bucket at the fire at William Herbert's house, then occupied by Edmund Edmunds, and the treasurer reimbursed the good Doctor eighteen shillings on October 24, 1796.

In July 1797, Dennis Ramsay was ordered to lower and enlarge the engine house to receive the old engine; the floor had given way in 1793. He presented his bills the following February for a total of 43 9_s._ 9_d._

In 1799 it was decided to hold meetings at the courthouse, from May to October at half after seven o'clock, and from November to April at six o'clock.

One of the last mentions of the engines was in 1800. The engines were both worked at the January meeting, found to be in good order, except that the old one leaked a little.

Governed by a set of "articles" framed by themselves, to which they faithfully adhered, these firemen fined themselves and paid their fines, cheerfully or otherwise (they were mostly Scotsmen) when neglectful of their duty. A roster was kept each year, month by month, marking the members present or absent. The A's predominate. It was from these fines, plus others for neglect of duty that the Company's funds were formed.

Many of these rosters have been destroyed, but enough remain to give an idea of the citizens who were members of the Sun Fire Company and lived near each other within a certain radius of the water front.

List of members of the Sun Fire Company of Alexandria for January 1777--being the first intact roster in the minutes:

William Ramsay John Dalton Robert H. Harrison James Hendricks Thomas Fleming Richard Conway William Hartshorne James Kirk Patrick Murray Mathew Campbell James Buchannan William Hunter David Jackson (Doctor) John Mills John Carlyle John Harper (Capt.) George Gilpin Robert Mease McCrea William Rumney Richard Harrison William Wilson Thomas Kirkpatrick Andrew Steward James Stewart Josiah Watson William Herbert Robert Mease John Finley William Brown (Dr.) William Hepburn Cyrus Capper Robert Allison James Muir Robert Adam George Hunter Edward Owens

_Added 1778_

Dennis Ramsay (Col.) John Fitzgerald (Col.) David Arrell Valentine Piers

_Added 1780_

James Adam William Hunter, Jr.

Colin MacIver David Steward (Doctor) Peter Dow Daniel Roberdeau (Gen.)

_Added 1783_ [_Pages from 48 to 72 missing_]

William Bird R. Hooe (Col. Robert T. Hooe) William Lyles (Col. Committee of Safety) Samuel Montgomery Brown Joseph White Harrison Jesse Taylor Charles Simms Dr. Elisha Cullen d.i.c.k

_Added 1784_

John Sutton Henry Lyles John Hendricks (Col.) George Richards John Oliphant Michael Ryan (Col.) John Allison John Hawkins Daniel McPherso

_Added 1785_

Thomas Williams Jonathan Swift Randle Mitchel William Baker (Doctor) William Lowry Michael Madden William Ramsay (Doctor) Edward Harper Jonah Thompson

_Added 1786_

James Woodward (Capt.) W.H. Vowel Philip Marsteller Joseph Greenway William H. Powell Cleon Moore John Rumney John Potts Robert Donaldson

_Added 1787_

Baldwin Dade Francis Peyton John Long John Love George Deneale

_Added 1789_

Joseph M. Perrin Richard Harrison John Gill John Forster

_Added 1790_

Jonathan Mandeville John Carson Seton Bernard Ghequiere James Lawrason Gustavus Brown Campbell (Doc.) Joseph Riddle

_Added 1793-4-6_

James Douglas John D. Orr (Doc.) Stephen Cook (Doc.) Robert Young Henry Rose (Doc.) Leven Powell, Jr.

James McRea Augustine J. Smith (Doc.) Jesse Wherry Robert Hamilton John Dunlap Charles R. Scott Abraham Faw

_Added 1798_

William S. Thompson Joseph Saul James Russell William Hodgson Nicholas Voss Amos Allison, Jr.

Charles I. Stur John T. Ricketts Cuthbert Powell John Ramsay William Byrd Page Joseph Mandeville Guy Atkinson Jacob Hoofman Antony Vanhavre Peter Wise, Jr. (Doctor) Thomas Magruder James Bacon John Watts Alexander Kerr Walter Jones Thomas Swann

_Added 1799_

William Groverman John Dunlap

_Added 1800_