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m. 16 Dec 1773
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_PHOTO: Is this Elisabeth Cunningham's grandson John Markoe in her will? Give and Bequeath to my great Grand Children, Ann Mary (9) and Peter Markoe (10), Son and Daughter of my Grand Son John Markoe (11), the Sum of Five Hundred pieces of eight each, to be paid them on the day of Marriage or Age of Twenty One Years; the said Sums to be deposited in the hands of my Son Francis Markoe, without Interest. His brother John was a complete contrast to him. Handsome, high-spirited and attractive he could not bear the quiet restricted life to which his fathers age and parsimony would have consigned him, and it was an incessant struggle for him to which he had no vocation. When his brother could be lashed into fury by some tantalizing order John would try to sooth him but generally he stood up on his own rights. When at their fathers command they took the marketing week about, I have heard my mother say that on one occasion Isaac paid more for a joint of meat than his father thought right, he was commanded to take it back. Although deeply distressed he never thought of disobeying his father but got the coachman to take it, sell and bring back the money, but when the next week the same thing occurred and John was told to return it he positively refused and his father respected him more for so doing.He always breakfasted in his own room but required his housekeeper, Polly, to pour out for his children. Thinking that they need not have the use of his silver coffee pot he made her purchase one of delp ware as being sufficiently good for them and ordered the silver one put away. Mama and her brother Isaac drank their coffee in silence, but as soon as John came in he said, "What is that" pointing to the coffee pot. "Well, Mr. Johnnie", said Polly, "Your papa thinks it best for you to use this and ordered me to put away the silver." "Indeed," said John, and seizing the offending coffee pot he put it behind the fire. In the afternoon Polly came to the old gentleman for money to purchase another. He expressed astonishment when she said, "Mr. Johnnie did not like the coffee pot and so he put it behind the fire." "Ah, indeed," said his father, "John has spirit. Polly get out the silver." What he would have been if born the son of a poor man or brought up under a different rejeme it is impossible to say but a life of pleasure was before him with a fine voice and great appreciation of drollery made him particularly attractive to the gay and thoughtless people by whom he was surrounded. He entered a lawyers office or at any rate his name was put down there, but I never heard of his attempting to study. Before he was twenty two years of age he married Miss Hitty Cox and for many years they were at the head of fashionable society in Philadelphia. He died in 1835 and his wife followed in 1862, leaving a large family of sons and daughters whose history you know as well as I. - Reminiscences of Mary Hazlehurst Ashhurst (1806-1890) References
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