Independence Hall in Philadelphia, also known as the Pennsylvania State House, is famous as the location of the formation of our country.  The Declaration of Independence was signed there and the Liberty Bell was rung to alert the people of Philadelphia that the delegation had reached agreement on the declaration. Many people from across the world have visited Independence Hall..  However, only a few were ever allowed to let their cattle graze on the lawn.

Living In The State House

When visiting Philadelphia, we were talking with park rangers and mentioned that some of Rod’s relatives had lived in the State House.  Before we could even tell them about the cattle that had grazed on the lawn, they assured us that no one had ever lived on the grounds.  However, we informed them that state congressional records indicated that not only did people live in the West Wing of the State House, but cattle had also once grazed on the south lawn.

The Act

I learned about this piece of history when I found  a record that stated that on March 29, 1788 the  Act to Exonerate Joseph Fry was passed by the state legislature.  Joseph was married to Martha Hurrie, who was a sister to Margaret (Hurrie) McGinley, Rod’s 6th great-grandmother.  Joseph had replaced his father-in-law William Hurrie, of Liberty Bell fame, as doorkeeper of the State House after William passed away.

All had been well until 1788 when the comptroller-general decided that Joseph should pay the government rent for his family living in the West Wing of the State House.  The comptroller-general had also requested Joseph pay fees for the “herbage of the [S]tate [H]ouse yard heretofore consumed by cattle for his use.”  Passage of the act freed him of any charges and stated that no rent or charges could be placed upon him for living in the apartment.

The Rationale

One of the arguments against charging Joseph Fry rent was that doorkeepers in the past had not been charged.  This implies that William Hurrie and Andrew McNair before him, likely both lived in the State House and may have had cattle on the south lawn as well.

Additionally, the act stated that maintaining a residence in the State House rent-free was “a reasonable allowance for extra services and the care of the [S]tate [H]ouse.”  This included caring for the facility during recess of the house.

Moving Out?

By the fall of 1790, it was determined that the the United States’ House of Representatives, which shared Independence Hall with the Pennsylvania Legislature,  required more space in the West Wing.  This meant that various offices and Joseph Fry’s family would need to be relocated.

The committee researching the options for the impacted offices recommended moving offices to Carpenter Hall and other locations.  They found a house on Fifth Street between Market and Chestnut that they felt could be used by Joseph and his family.  No statement was made about rent or expenses to be charged to the family.

Staying At The State House

After reviewing the plan, John Beckley of the U.S. House of Representatives reported that after surveying the “apartments,” that he felt it was not necessary for Joseph Fry’s family to move out of the State House.  Instead, the family was to move into the space where the Land Office had been residing.

Afterward

Today, the National Park Service includes a statement on the website about Independence Hall indicating that early doorkeepers lived in the building.

Contact me if you would like access to the detailed records for Joseph Fry, William Hurrie, or John McGinley.

I never met my father-in-law James Thomson, as he died when my husband was only six years old. However, I know that he was a very talented man. He sang in the church choir, performed in the play “Dinner Date,” and read an entire set of encyclopedias. If you knew that about him, you might not think of an outdoorsman who was a farmer at heart. But, that is exactly who he was.

A Farm Boy

James grew up on a 160-acre farm just southeast of Palmyra, Nebraska. The farm was complete with all the features needed for a farm family. It had a house, garage, barn, outhouse, corn cribs, a chicken coop, pig pen, fields for crops, a garden, and creek running through the property.

At the corner of the property was the long ago abandoned Pioneer Cemetery (a.k.a. Old Palmyra Cemetery), which was said to have been built upon two acres of land “on a hilltop surrounded by prairie with grass so tall it was claimed that a man could ride through it on horseback and not be seen.” ¹ It made for a great place for a young boy to explore. The old stones amongst the trees, weeds, and tall grasses made for eerie fun.

Grease was also a fun substance for a young James. At a family gathering one day, while dressed in their Sunday best, James and his cousin disappeared. No one noticed they were missing until it was too late. They had managed to grease every inch of the tractor. But, to the amazement of the older generation, their clothes remained clean with no grease spots to be found. How? No one knows.

It wasn’t, however, all fun and games. James and his brother helped his father grow corn, milo, and winter wheat along with raising cattle, pigs, and chickens. His chores included baling and storing hay, cutting wood for the stoves, and ridding the barn of pigeons by using them for target practice. Additionally, James hunted various animals, fished, and trapped muskrats. It was partially sport, but mostly to provide food for the family and protect the family’s livelihood.

In the garden, the family grew potatoes and asparagus among other things. The family ate the food from the garden, apples from their trees, rabbits, squirrels, and pheasants. In addition, during cold weather, the family butchered cattle and hung the carcass in the garage until it could be eaten as they had no other means of refrigeration.

Hunting

James usually hunted coyotes, pheasants, rabbits, squirrel and deer. However, on one occasion when he was out hunting with his boys, a snake ended up his target when it crossed his path. 

One coyote’s face became well known to the family when it was turned into a coyote mask. My husband remembers the mask, but it is his brother that  remembers wearing it for Halloween. His brother also remembers cleaning deer hides and making the hides into shammies to be used by the family.

The year before he died, James was very happy when he was able to purchase a new rifle for his hunting pursuits. He now hunted, not only on the family farm, but also made trips to Albion, Nebraska for hunting.

After James died, my husband learned that his dad apparently wanted to take him Kodiak bear hunting in Alaska. Was this a mom’s way to create a special memory for her son or had he really talked about taking his six-year-old bear hunting? In any case, some time after his father’s death, my husband discovered that he was quite good at target shooting. Perhaps a skill he inherited from his father. And, which he has now passed on to the next generation.

Fishing

Silver Creek coming off the Little Nemaha River made for good fishing for James and his family. His experience came in handy when as an adult he entered the Western Electric Sportsman’s Club’s fly casting competition. The year before he died, he took home the second place trophy in the competition.

At the time, he was the vice-president of the club, which sponsored various outdoor sporting events. Being the outdoorsman he was, James likely participated in as many club activities as he could. Although James’ activities with the club went undocumented, Western Electric’s Sportsman’s Clubs were known to have fishing tournaments, trap shooting events, archery competitions, canoe trips, and hold hunting safety courses. 

Farming

James lived and worked on the farm until he got married. However, he never farmed full time after he got married.  Instead, he worked as a messenger (1956) and later a supply clerk (1959) for the Department of Roads and Irrigation/State Department of Roads. By 1959, he was driving a Yellow Cab in Lincoln, Nebraska.

After his first son was born, he moved the family to Omaha, where he worked at Western Electric. After his father died in 1964 (and maybe before), James worked at his regular job during the week and farmed the family farm near Palmyra, Nebraska on the weekends. One memory my husband has from those farm days was him and his siblings riding in the back of a truck with corn pouring in as it was being harvested.

James talked about going back to farming full-time, but he never got the opportunity.

¹ Otoe County Genealogical Society, https://ocgsne.org/index.php/16-cemeteries/97-old-palmyra-cemetery

William Hurrie was probably in a “hurry” when he ascended the stairs of the State House in Philadelphia (Independence Hall) on July 8, 1776.  He was going to ring the bell now known as the Liberty Bell to signal that the Declaration of Independence had been finalized and would be read.

He may also have been in a “hurry” to help get the Liberty Bell out of Philadelphia when the townsmen removed the bell and others in the city to keep them out of the hands of the British. The patriots didn’t want the British to melt down the bells and make them into cannonballs.  It is known that the Liberty Bell was snuck out of Philadelphia and hid under the floor of a church in the Allentown area.  However, it isn’t documented as to whether William was part of the effort.  However, it seems very likely given he cared  for the State House.

William may have also been in a “hurry” when he signed the call for Reverend George Duffield at the Presbyterian Church on Pine Street (now known as Old Pine Presbyterian Church).  Why?  He may have had duties at the church or perhaps it was just coincidence, but he was one of the first men to sign the document.

So, Why Hurrie?

Many names originated from a location, a trade, or another name.  For example, people who lived near a grove of Ash trees might have been given the name Ash.  Similarly, someone who made barrels might have gained the name Cooper.  And, of course, the ever common names that are a representation of “son of” or “daughter of” a specific person.  Thus, it seems reasonable to assume that the name Hurrie is simply a version of the word “hurry” and has the same meaning.

However, despite speculation as to the origin of the name Hurrie, I have found no one that indicated that it might have anything to do with rushing.  Instead, information on the name specifies that it one of the forms of the name Urri, which first appeared in Ayrshire, Scotland around 1260. The name took on several forms including: Urri, Urie, Ure, Urey, Urry, Orry, Ourry, Hurrie, Hurry, Horrey, Orrey, and Hurrey.

The names Hurry, Hurrie, and Hurrey appear to be more popular in England than Scotland, although specific spellings are not used exclusively in any location. And, none of the names are among the most common in the United Kingdom or the United States.

Now, Back to William

William is said to have been born in Scotland in 1721, which is consistent with where the name originated.  He personally used the “Hurrie” spelling and some members of the family and his tombstone used the “Hurry” spelling.

He immigrated to America by the 1750s.  However, no records have been found in this regard.  It is unknown exactly when and where he married Mary (surname unknown) or where his children were born. 

The earliest record for William is a  tax record in 1769 in Southwark, which is an area only a short-distance from Independence Hall and Old Pine Church. 

In the early 1770s,  he begins to show up in records at the Presbyterian Church, where he was selected as sexton.  Part of his job was to collect pew rents from church members.  It is said that pew selection was often by social status. However, looking at the records from Old Pine, it appears that it is based on financial status  or willingness to pay, as the pews at the front are more expensive than those further back.  William’s sons-in-law were in pew 70 in 1773 and later moved to pew 83 indicating that they were of less social or financial status.

It was at the Presbyterian Church, now known as Old Pine Church, where William began rubbing shoulders with many Revolutionary patriots. It is likely that his connections at the church led to him ringing the Liberty Bell that day in 1776 and serving as doorkeeper to Congress in the years following.

Read more about William Hurrie’s fame as ringer of the Liberty Bell . . . . here.