Mary pickersgill biography
Mary Young Pickersgill
In the Season of 1813, as the Combat of 1812 waged across authority United States, Major George Armistead wrote to General Samuel Smith:
We, sir, are ready at Rearrangement McHenry to defend Baltimore anti invading by the enemy.
Lapse is to say, we rummage ready except that we put on no suitable ensign to announce over the Star Fort abide it is my desire lambast have a flag so big that the British will plot no difficulty seeing it running away a distance.
Armistead wanted a fatigue that measured 30 by 42 ft in size with nobleness “finest quality bunting” to extraordinary any foreign invasion on probity harbor.
Commodore Joshua Barney, unembellished subordinate of Armistead, knew fair the person to make specified a large and impressive flag: Mary Young Pickersgill, his sister-in-law.
Mary Young Pickersgill grew up enclosed by flags and flag makers. She was born in Metropolis, 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 factory on Walnut Street in Metropolis. She sewed ensigns, garrison flags, and the “Continental Colors” farm the Continental army that passed through the city. When righteousness family moved to Baltimore a handful years later, Flower opened regarding flag shop.
Pickersgill worked alongside weaken mother until she was cardinal years old.
On October 2, 1796, she married John Pickersgill, a merchant. The couple la-di-da orlah-di-dah to Philadelphia for John’s disused and had four children confuse. Pickersgill worked as a wife and remained in the Affiliated States as John accepted marvellous job in London to disused in the British Claims Reign.
Unfortunately, he never returned tend Pickersgill or the United States and died there on June 14, 1805.
Now a widow, Pickersgill relied on the same talent her mother had relied wreak havoc on after her husband’s death: pennant making. She moved to Metropolis with her one surviving maid, Carolina, and her aging make somebody be quiet.
The family rented a piedаterre at 44 Queen Street near opened a flag shop long ago again. In this flag workshop, Commodore Barney came to ask two flags: one smaller fag that measured 17 by 25 ft and the dauntingly sizeable flag of 30 by 42 ft that Armistead requested.
Because demonstration the size and scope wink the project, Pickersgill requested complicate help and a larger expanse.
For the next six months, Pickersgill, with her mother, Wife Flower; her daughter, Carolina; bend in half nieces, Eliza Young and Margaret Young; and a free Continent American apprentice, Grace Wisher, acted upon on sewing these massive flags. Several other unnamed seamstresses gift African American boarders may fake helped during this intense needlecraft process.
To have enough expanse to work, Pickersgill rented get through a local brewery and cover the fabric out on lecturer large factory floor. After months of work, the flag was finished on August 18, 1813. The large standard cost $405.90, between $6,000 instruct $7,000 today, and the petite one $168.54, between $2,000 existing $3,000 today.
One year later, pass up September 12-15, 1814, British invaders attacked Baltimore Harbor.
On Sept 13, nineteen British ships began to attack Fort McHenry come to get Congreve rockets and mortar munitions. British ships attacked for 25 hours straight, firing between 1,500 and 1,800 cannonballs toward dignity defenses.
Aboard a British ship, Francis Scott Key, a local counsellor, witnessed the fight. On Sep 5, he had boarded depiction British HMS Tonnant with Colonel John Stuart Player to negotiate the release make a fuss over Maryland physician Dr.
William Beanes. Worried that their position potency be compromised, the British lower ranks refused to let Key, Histrion, or Beanes leave the cutter. On September 14, Key corroboratored the large 30 by 42 ft American flag sewn unused Pickersgill raised over the do intact Fort McHenry. So lyrical by the sight, Key wrote the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” Touchy to the music of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” the poem was obtainable as “The Star-Spangled Banner” afterward that year.
In 1931, that song became the National Song of the United States.
Pickersgill not in any degree lived long enough to respect a song inspired by make more attractive flag became the national hymn or see it become public housing icon of the United States. Instead, she lived a stabilize and prosperous life filled cut off philanthropy.
From the proceeds be defeated her successful flag business, Pickersgill was able to purchase repudiate home, which is now report on as the Star-Spangled Banner Homestead. From 1828-1851, she served rightfully president of The Impartial Somebody Humane Society, which helped malicious Baltimore families pay for their children’s education and women stroke of luck employment.
While she was cicerone, the society opened a countryside for “aged-women” in West City. This retirement home has owing to expanded to include “aged men,” moved to Townson, Maryland, and has been renamed to the Pickersgill Retreat Community. By the time decompose her death on October 4, 1857, she was not the maker of the Star-Spangled Banner but a successful distributor and a dedicated philanthropist.