Page:Sketch of the old round church.djvu/3

352 and their successors duly elected, nominated and appointed in their place and stead. . . a corporation and body politic in law and in fact to have continuance forever by the name, stile and title of the minister, church-wardens and vestrymen of Trinity Church in Pittsburgh."

As far back as September 24, 1787, "John Penn, Junior, and John Penn of the City of Philadelphia, Esquires, late Proprietors of Pennsylvania," for the nominal consideration of "Five Shillings, current, lawful current money of Pennsylvania," had deeded two and one-half lots of ground to "the Honorable John Gibson, Esq., John Ormsby, merchant, Devereux Smith, gent., and Doctor Nathaniel Bedford all of the town of Pittsburgh, in the County of Westmoreland, in Pennsylvania aforesaid, Trustees of the congregation of Episcopalian Protestant Church, commonly called the Church of England, in the said town of Pittsburgh, . . . their heirs and assigns, forever, in trust nevertheless, for and a site for a house of religious worship and burial place for the use of said religious society or congregation and their successors in the said town of Pittsburgh . . . and to and for no other use, intent or purpose whatsoever." Allegheny County was not erected until the following year, consequently the deed was recorded at Greensburg, the seat of Westmoreland County. In harmony with the design of the Founder to form an asylum for all religions, the Messrs. Penn, while themselves churchmen, deeded the adjoining two and one-half lots to the trustees of the First Presbyterian Church the same day, and on June 18, 1788, John Penn "the younger" deeded two lots to the trustees of the German Evangelical Protestant Church.

John Penn, Jr., and John Penn were grandsons of the Founder, and had been dispossessed of all their landed inheritance in Pennsylvania by the Revolution, except such tenths or manor lands as had been set apart for them prior to the Declaration of Independence. Of these, John Penn, Jr., who was a poet and a great man of fashion in his day, owned three-fourths, and his cousin John Penn, the last lieutenant-governor of the province, one-fourth. The