Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) -- Description and travel; Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) -- History
In 1814 Mr. Marbury became the first president of the Farmers and
Mechanics Bank when it was organized; its cashier being Clement Smith,
who, after the presidency of Thomas B. Beall, from 1817-1821, became the
third president, and the only one in the history of that institution to
be promoted to that office. Not many years ago, Mr. Marbury's picture,
in his old-fashioned costume, was printed on the bank checks to impress
the public with the antiquity of the institution.
He was a very imposing looking gentleman, as was his son, John Marbury,
who was eight years old when the family moved to Georgetown. Some years
ago, one of his great-grandsons heard the family talking about
"Grandfather's Bourbon nose." A little later he was found standing,
gazing intently at the portrait of the old gentleman, and when asked,
"Why such sudden interest?" he replied, "Where is the 'burb' on his
nose?"
John Marbury married and lived for some years on Gay (N) Street, near
Market (33rd) Street. After his father's death, he moved to the old
house on Bridge (M) Street in order to keep his mother company. He had a
very large family, seven sons and six daughters. All of the daughters
attended Miss English's Seminary, walking to and from school all winter
wearing low-necked and short-sleeved dresses, covered only by a little
cape. Not a case of poverty, I assure you, but of fashion! I was told
this not long ago by a descendant, and of how they used to have to melt
their gum shoes to get them on in cold weather. I think the names of a
trio of their friends very amusing--Jerry Berry, Hetty Getty, and Jimmy
Finney.
The house had a large garden in the rear and spacious rooms where they
entertained a great deal. Not long ago, I saw a fascinating drawing of
a party in Georgetown in the fifties. It represented four musicians
intent upon playing a bass viol, a cello, a violin, and a flute; a few
of the company standing near by with curls and puffed coiffures, and
among them a tiny man, side-whiskered, so short that he barely reached
the shoulders of the ladies. He must, of course, have been Prince
Iturbide. There was never anyone quite like him. He was a Mexican, here
in the diplomatic service, and had married Miss Alice Green, a
granddaughter of Uriah Forrest.
At a party one evening at the Marbury's, a dispute arose between him and
Baron Bodisco, the Russian Minister, who was also a resident of
Georgetown. It ended in the prince calling the baron a liar, whereby the
baron immediately knocked Prince Iturbide down. The little prince sprang
onto a sofa and bounced up and down, shouting over and over again, "He
knocked an Iturbide down; he knocked an Iturbide down!" as if he
expected Mr. Marbury to straightway haul the baron off to be beheaded,
at least. It was the last party given at the old house for many a day,
as Mr. Marbury considered that they had been disgraced by their guests.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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