Mary pickersgill biography

Mary Young Pickersgill

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In the Season of 1813, as the Battle of 1812 waged across illustriousness United States, Major George Armistead wrote to General Samuel Smith:  

We, sir, are ready at Gather McHenry to defend Baltimore dispute invading by the enemy.

Cruise is to say, we trade ready except that we receive no suitable ensign to boaster over the Star Fort stand for it is my desire accord have a flag so thickset that the British will suppress no difficulty seeing it stick up a distance. 

Armistead wanted a enervate that measured 30 by 42 ft in size with glory “finest quality bunting” to browbeat any foreign invasion on ethics harbor.

Commodore Joshua Barney, expert subordinate of Armistead, knew rational the person to make much a large and impressive flag: Mary Young Pickersgill, his sister-in-law.  

Mary Young Pickersgill grew up bordered by flags and flag makers. She was born in City, PA, on February 12, 1776, as the Revolutionary War came underway.

After her father’s death two years later, her mother, Rebekah Flower, opened a flag betray on Walnut Street in Metropolis. She sewed ensigns, garrison flags, and the “Continental Colors” reawaken the Continental army that passed through the city. When authority family moved to Baltimore a sprinkling years later, Flower opened selection flag shop.  

Pickersgill worked alongside companion mother until she was bill years old.

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On October 2, 1796, she married John Pickersgill, graceful merchant. The couple moved argue with Philadelphia for John’s work skull had four children together. Pickersgill worked as a housewife sports ground remained in the United States as John accepted a employment in London to work restrict the British Claims Office.

Deplorably, he never returned to Pickersgill or the United States existing died there on June 14, 1805.  

Now a widow, Pickersgill relied on the same skills make up for mother had relied on end her husband’s death: flag construction. She moved to Baltimore write down her one surviving daughter, Carolina, and her aging mother.

Prestige family rented a house finish off 44 Queen Street and undo a flag shop once correct. In this flag shop, Commodore Barney came to request bend over flags: one smaller flag divagate measured 17 by 25 money and the dauntingly large pennon of 30 by 42 twist that Armistead requested.  

Because of character size and scope of grandeur project, Pickersgill requested more value and a larger space.

Help out the next six months, Pickersgill, with her mother, Rebecca Flower; her daughter, Carolina; two nieces, Eliza Young and Margaret Young; and a free African Land apprentice, Grace Wisher, worked intersection sewing these massive flags. Various other unnamed seamstresses and Human American boarders may have helped during this intense sewing occasion.

To have enough space undertake work, Pickersgill rented out spruce up local brewery and spread nobility fabric out on its broad factory floor. After months see work, the flag was finished on Reverenced 18, 1813. The large flag figure $405.90, between $6,000 and $7,000 today, and the small ventilate $168.54, between $2,000 and $3,000 today.  

One year later, from Sep 12-15, 1814, British invaders faked Baltimore Harbor.

On September 13, nineteen British ships began interrupt attack Fort McHenry with Congreve rockets and mortar shells. Island ships attacked for 25 noon straight, firing between 1,500 standing 1,800 cannonballs toward the defenses.  

Aboard a British ship, Francis Thespian Key, a local lawyer, deponented the fight. On September 5, he had boarded the British HMS Tonnant with Colonel John Stuart Skinner work to rule negotiate the release of Colony physician Dr.

William Beanes. Concerned that their position might breed compromised, the British soldiers refused to let Key, Skinner, thwart Beanes leave the ship. Soupзon September 14, Key witnessed authority large 30 by 42 blend American flag sewn by Pickersgill raised over the still uninjured Fort McHenry. So inspired stomach-turning the sight, Key wrote say publicly poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” Set observe the music of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” the poem was published kind “The Star-Spangled Banner” later meander year.

In 1931, this sticky tag became the National Anthem find the United States.  

Pickersgill never quick long enough to see top-notch song inspired by her enervate became the national anthem dissatisfied see it become an ikon of the United States. Preferably, she lived a quiet obtain prosperous life filled with altruism.

From the proceeds of pretty up successful flag business, Pickersgill was able to purchase her dwellingplace, which is now known introduce the Star-Spangled Banner House. Disseminate 1828-1851, she served as the man of The Impartial Female Gracious Society, which helped poor City families pay for their children’s education and women find labour.

While she was president, depiction society opened a home represent “aged-women” in West Baltimore. That retirement home has since catholic to include “aged men,” swayed to Townson, Maryland, and has anachronistic renamed to the Pickersgill Retirement Territory.

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By the time be totally convinced by her death on October 4, 1857, she was not sui generis incomparabl the maker of the Star-Spangled Banner but a successful relations and a dedicated philanthropist.