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Facts and Events
Research Notes
- Birth and Death dates on page come from online trees - better sources are needed!
- St. Joseph's mission church now in Harford county still stands on a knoll above Deer Creek. Over the years, it has been referred to as St. Joseph's Chapel, Priest Neale's Mass House, Deer Creek Church, etc.
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Recorded, in Preston, Walter Wilkes. History of Harford County, Maryland: from 1608 (the year of Smith's expedition) to the close of the War of 1812. (Baltimore, Maryland: Press of Sun Book Office, 1901)
p 160.
... In the year 1747 Rev. Bennet Neale, S. J., came to reside at Deer Creek. He was the grandson of the noted Capt. James Neale, and the granduncle of Archbishop Leonard Neale. Whether there were other priests residing in this region before the coming of Father Neale is not certainly known, nor have been handed down the names of any of the fathers who, without doubt, attended the faithful living in this region at regular intervals prior to Father Neale's residence in the parish. The Jesuits had established an adjacent mission in Cecil county as early as 1704, and it is highly probable that Deer Creek was attended from this mission, which was known as Bohemia, being situated on Bohemia Creek. Certain it is that Father Neale was stationed at Bohemia, and thence came to make his home in this county. Some years after his arrival, that is, in 1750, he purchased of Mr. Henry Beach a narrow strip of land, "together with all the houses, gardens, fences and profits belonging or in any way appertaining thereto." This plot of ground contained but eighteen acres of land, which lay bordering the creek on the south side, and here one is naturally inclined to conjecture stood the missionary's home, which, in public document of the year 1756, was alluded to as "Priest Neale's Mass House," and which also gave occasion to the fording being called Priest's Ford.
In 1764 Mr. Thomas Shea, who had been a resident of Priest's Ford for fifty years, deeded to Father Neale one of his farms, which adjoined the small tract of eighteen acres just mentioned. This farm, which is still known by the name of Paradise, is now the home of Mr. R. Harris Archer, and his residence is the old chapel house which came into use for divine service some time about 1764. It is a singular structure, crowning a small mount on the borders of the creek, but one story high, with thick stone walls, and having almost the appearance of an old block house used for defence against the Indians. It has been generally supposed to have been erected by Mr. Shea prior to his donation, but this is by no means an assured fact, for an old document, quite respectable for its authority, mentions Father Neale as the builder. It is, perhaps, not unlikely that Mr. Shea had already erected a dwelling, and that Father Neale made some extensive alterations when he took possession of the same. ...
... The little mission of Deer Creek continued under the care of Reverend Bennet Neale until about 1770, when this devoted pastor was succeeded in his office by Rev. Ignatius Matthews, who was likewise a Jesuit. ...
- Recorded, in United States Catholic Historical Society. Historical Records and Studies. (New York: United States Catholic Historical Society)
Vol 5, p 361.
... Father Diggs was succeeded by Rev. Bennett Neale, S.J., grandson of Captain James Neale, a brother also of Rev. Henry Neale, S.J., and a great uncle of Archbishop Neale. This Father, who was for nearly a quarter of a century in charge of the Deer Creek Mission, may have attended Baltimore, but in spite of some vague tradition in favor of Deer Creek, there are no convincing proofs at hand. The missionary's residence, built about 1741, and once known as "Priest Neale's Mass House," is still standing, about six miles north of Bel Air, Md., is in a good state of preservation and is inhabited to-day. Its locality is still known as Priestford, and the Great Eastern Road, spoken of and described before, was not very distant. Rev. Bennett Neale's missionary circuit is known to have included, at least for a time, the Conewago [sic] Settlement, which lay distant about forty miles toward the northwest, whence also one could have traveled to Baltimore Town by Digges' Wagon Road. Of the extent of his circuit southward we know, unfortunately, almost nothing; yet it must have taken in Joppa, then the county seat, and all that region contiguous on Bush and Gunpowder rivers. Sharf, in his "History of Baltimore City and County," speaking of the primitive days of the Church in Baltimore, refers to Father Neale, but says nothing of his ministering there.
- Recorded, in United States Catholic Historical Magazine
Vol 3, p 49.
... I find, in a deed among the records of our Circuit Court, that in 1750, Henry Beach conveyed to Rev. Bennett Neale 18 acres of "Maiden's Bower Secured," lying on Deer Creek. This afterwards became part of the farm on which the old building stands. It was a narrow strip, almost like a ribbon in its proportions, being about five-eighths of a mile in length and twenty perches wide, on the south side of and a few hundred yards from the Creek; and one cannot but wonder at the object of such a purchase by a Jesuit father.
"Thomas's Beginning," a tract of fifty acres, was taken up by Thomas Shea in 1721, and the "Addition to thomas's Beginning," sixty-five acres, at a later date. These two tracts, extending from the eighteen-acre strip to the creek, constituted the farm on which the chapel building stood and were were [sic] conveyed by Shea, Oct. 8th, 1764 to Rev. Benedict [sic] Neale "without any manner of exception, only that one-half of an acre of ground where the burying-place now is, which the said Thomas Shea reserves for a burying-place for himself and his family." The consideration for this conveyance is that the Rev. Mr. Neale would allow the said Shea "lodging, board, and all things necessary during his life." ...
... One of the records of the Society of Jesus states that Father Neale was at Deer Creek from 1747 to 1750, and again from 1753 to '56. But as the above extract from our county records show that he bought the 18-acre strip in 1750 and sold it in 1753, it seems fair to infer that he was there during that interval. And, indeed, Scharf in his "History of Baltimore City and County," says - without, however, giving his authority - "Father Neale officiated and said Mass near Deer Creek in 1752. He lived on a farm given him by Thomas Shea, and owned four or five negroes. Owing to the great opposition of the Protestants of the neighborhood and the trouble they gave him, he was compelled to leave after a residence of two or three years." If this was so, he afterwards returned, as we have already seen.
A record of the Society tells us that about this time, there being war with France, "there was an indictment against Father Neale for being in league with French against the English." Indeed, the Jesuits were always charged with treachery whenever England and France went to war, though probably without any very solid grounds. It was probably thought that the oppressive restrictions under which they labored were sufficient to drive almost any set of men to treachery, with the hope of bettering what could not well have been made worse.
... The register of baptisms at Deer Creek cannot be traced. It is not at Hickory, nor in the hands of the Jesuits at any of their repositories of old documents. Of this I am sure. ...
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