Historical News and Notes: Miss Marshall Bride of Welsh Strawbridge

Margaret and Welsh's wedding photo.
Courtesy of the Horsham Preservation & Historical Society

The following announcement appeared in the January 4, 1922 Evening Public Ledger.

Marriage Took Place at Noon Today in Calvary Presbyterian Church

A wedding of social interest took place at noon today in Calvary Presbyterian Church, Twenty-First and Walnut streets, when Miss Margaret Ely Marshall, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. George Morley Marshall, of 1819 Spruce street, became the bride of Mr. Welsh Strawbridge, son of Mrs. George Strawbridge, of 6711 Wissahickon avenue, Germantown. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. James B. Williams of Cleveland, O., uncle of the bride assisted by the Rev. Alexander MacColl. The bride, who was given in marriage by her father, was dressed in an old-fashioned gown which had been worn by her mother. It was of ivory white satin, and point lace, with a full skirt, puffed sleeves and short, pointed bodice. Her tulle veil was arranged with a cluster of orange blossoms and she carried a shower bouquet of lilies of the valley and white bridal roses. Mrs. Stephen G. Kent, sister of the bride, attended as matron of honor. She wore an old-fashioned frock of jade green taffeta and a cap-shaped hat of jade green tulle and silver, trimmed with a plume of the same shade. She carried a bouquet of Sunset roses.

The bridesmaids included Miss Celia Marshall and Miss Harriet Marshall, sisters of the bride, and Miss Alice Welsh Sailer and Miss Louise Strawbridge, cousins of the bridegroom. They were attired in frocks of taffeta shades of sunset yellow, orchid, maize and turquoise blue and carried bouquets of Sunset roses. Mr. John Strawbridge, brother of the bridegroom, was the best man, and the ushers were Mr. H. Morris Adams, Mr. Russell H. Johnson, Jr., Mr. Robert F. Welsh, Mr. Thomas Stokes, Mr. John W. Stokes, and Mr. Stephen G. Kent.

A small reception followed the ceremony at the home of the bride's parents for the relatives and a few intimate friends.

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Historical News and Notes: Welsh Strawbridge Injured

Welsh Strawbridge after a fall.
Photo courtesy of the Horsham Preservation & Historical Association.

The following notice appeared in the October 27, 1911 New York Tribune.

Philadelphia, Oct. 26. - Welsh Strawbridge, a well known clubman, was injured yesterday by a fall from his horse at the Whitemarsh Club. He was rendered unconscious by the accident. Mr. Strawbridge is a member of the Philadelphia Cricket and Radnor Hunt clubs.

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Historical News and Notes: Huntingdon Race Plans Completed

The following appeared in the October 16, 1920 Evening Public Ledger.

Huntingdon Race Plans Completed
Valley Challenge Cup and King's Oak Contest to be Features of Meet
Speedy Horses Entered

The course at Huntingdon Valley has been gone over carefully and everything is in shape for the big race meet at Meadowbrook, near Jenkintown, today. Riders will have stiff conditions to face, and the meet is expected to prove exciting. A real water-jump over a creek has been built.

Virtually all the horses that ran at Whitemarsh last Saturday are entered at Huntingdon Valley, and there are some interesting editions. The victory of J.E. Ridgway's Dooley at Whitemarsh last Saturday makes the Huntingdon Valley challenge cup race this Saturday the open event. Mr. Ridgway's horse showed such stamina and speed that he will be favorably considered by many even against such good horses as J.B. Strassburger's Wolferton and last spring's winner E.E. Marshall's Whirlwind.The knowing ones will also not lose site of Welsh Strawbridge's Riverbreeze. He was beaten fairly by Dooley at Whitemarsh, but it is known that he is being pointed for the Huntingdon Valley challenge cup.

Mr. J.B. Strassburger's Crest Hill formerly the property of P. Ambrose Clark, of New York, will be brought up from the Laurel track for the Huntingdon Valley meet. Crest Hill is the same horse that three years ago was brought to Rose Tree for the fall meeting and one the feature event the first day, the Media Plate, and then came back Saturday and surprised everybody by beating out a fast field for the famous Rose Tree Plate. Mr. Strassburger probably will put him in the King's Oak Plate for the fine trophy given by George Horace Lorimer and which will be contested for the first time on Saturday in the last race on the Huntingdon Valley program. 

As G. Bernard Fenwick, of Baltimore, has his great timber topper here, Margery Jack, and probably will also have her in the King's Oak race, that event will be second only to the Huntingdon Valley challenge cup race in interest. Crest Hill has won several victories at Laurel and other big tracks and is in good condition, while Margery Jack showed last week at Whitemarsh that she is going even better than last season. 

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Historical News and Notes: Increased Interest in Hunt Races

Welsh Strawbridge on unidentified horse.

The following notice appeared in the October 12, 1922 Evening Public Ledger.

The second annual race for the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup is scheduled to be decided at the Erdenheim course of George D. Widener on Saturday.

That hunt racing is gaining in popular favor is evident by the number of requests already received for parking space. It is estimated by the officials of the meet that close to 20,000 spectators will watch the speedy mounts.

The $1000 plate donated by Ralph Beaver Strassburger, of Normandy Farms, Gwynedd Valley, was won last year by J.D. Ridgeway's Dooley.

Dooley is entered again this year and is the favorite, but stern opposition is expected from Mr. Stassberger's Wolverton II and from the speedy horses placed in the event by R.H.R. Toland, Welsh Strawbridge, W.J. Clothier, Joseph Ewing, William Mulford, C.J. Toland and Richard Whitney.

The race will be at three and one-half miles, post and rail, over the stiffest going presented by any local event.

R.H. Rush Toland will have a busy day. The meet is under his direction and not only has he completed a good entry list for the six races, but also will handle arrangements for the spectators and parking space. In addition he will ride Lakewood in the Pennsylvania Cup chase.

The Library of Congress has made historic newspapers dating from 1836-1922 available through their Chronicling America series.

Historical News and Notes: Bankers Win Balloon Race - Welsh Strawbridge and Robert Glendinning Contest



Oct. 26, 1906, Pittsfield. This is the starting of the race last Monday. - W.C. Moulton
Image from www.postcardgallery.com


The following appeared in the October 10, 1914 Evening Public Ledger.

Welsh Strawbridge and Robert Glendinning, Philadelphia bankers, won the national balloon pursuit race at Pittsfield, Mass, under assumed names last Thursday, according to word just received by friends in the city. Mr. Glendinning went under the name of "Robert Golden" and Mr. Strawbridge called himself "Sidney Welsh." [editor's note: Welsh Strawbridge had a cousin named Sidney Young]

Four balloons started in the race, the first being a King Balloon. The others were required to land as near it as possible. The Philadelphians landed within 3000 feet of this bag at Worthington, 20 miles from the start, and won the race.

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Historical News and Notes: Famed Stables Join in Steeplechase

The following appeared in the October 4, 1919 Evening Public Ledger.

Many Outside Horses Compete in Contests at Normandy Farms

Many out of town entries from famous stables in the East contested in the hunt and steeplechase meet today at Normandy Farm, Gwynedd Valley, Pa., the estate of Ralph Beap[v]er Strassburger.

The event was the first of the sort ever held in the Penllyn district and replaced the intial meet of the season that was planned for earlier in the season by Joseph E. Widener.

The many out of town entries come chiefly from Long Island, Baltimore and Washington. Mrs. F. Ambrose Clark, of New York, entered several flat and steeplechase horses; several entries were by F. Ambrose Clarke, and others were sent by Bayard Tuckerman of Boston, and Sidney J. Colford, of New York.

Among the local entries were those of R. H. Toland, George D. Widener, Edward E. Marshall, of the Huntingdon Valley Farms; George Brooke, 3d, W. J. Clothier, A. J. A. Devereux, of Camp Hill; R. B. Strassburger, C. Mahlon Kline, R. Nelson Buckley, and E. M. Cheston.

The two most noteable events of the [day] were the Penllyn Steeplechase which brings the owner of the winner a piece of plate valued at $100: and the Normandy Plate Steeplechase, for a purse of $500 in money or plate.

The race committee, of which Alfred A. Biddle is chairman, included R. Sturgis Ingersoll, Albert L. Smith, Edward B. Smith, Jr., C. Mahlon Kline, R. H. R. Toland, Francis Boyer, J. G. Leiper, Jr., Welsh Strawbridge, and Edward E. Marshall.

Welsh Strawbridge, member of the race committee, was the owner of Graeme Park from 1920 until he and his wife Margaret donated it to the state of Pennsylvania in 1958.

The Libary of Congress has made historical newspapers from 1836-1922 available through their Chronicling America Series.

Normandy Farm still stands on Route 202 near the Montgomery County Community College. It has been developed as a hotel and conference center and the original home houses The Farmer's Daughter restaurant.

Historical News and Notes: Changes in Brokerage Houses

The following notice appeared in the June 30, 1919 Evening Public Ledger:

Townsend Whelen & Co. announce the retirement of J. Hunter Ewing and the entrance into the firm of J.E. Cope Morton and John Strawbridge. The members of the firm are William B. Whelen, T. Duncan Whelen, Thomas L. Ehoyn, J.E. Cope Morton and John Strawbridge. The firm of J. & W. Strawbridge has been dissolved owing to the retirement of Welsh Strawbridge. Towsend Whelen & Co. take over the business of J. & W. Strawbridge.

John Strawbridge was Welsh's brother and business partner.

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Historical News and Notes: Balloon Up 17,050 Feet - Banker and Doctors Ascend in the Philadelphia II

Image from HERE

The following appeared in the June 17, 1910 New York Tribune:

Philadelphia, June 16 - A new altitude record for this state was made to-day by the balloon Philadelphia II, with Dr. Thomas E. Eldridge, Dr. George H. Simmerman and Welsh Strawbridge, a well known banker, in the basket. A height of 17,050 feet was attained. The former record was 15,600 feet, made by the Ben Franklin two years ago.

The ascension was made from this city shortly after 9 o'clock this morning. The landing occured at Petersville, Northampton County sixty miles distant, at 11:35 o'clock. The airship dropped 17,000 feet in eighteen minutes.

The world's record for altitude is 10,500 metres (34,448 feet), held by Berson and Luerin. The American record is 24,200 feet made by Clifford B. Harmon and Augustus Post last October.

Welsh Strawbridge, along with his wife Margaret, purchased Graeme Park in 1920 and donated it to the state of Pennsylvania in 1958.

The Library of Congress has made historic newspapers dating from 1836-1922 available through their Chronicling America Series.

Historical News and Notes: Welsh Strawbridge to Wed Margaret Marshall

The following notice appeared in the Evening Public Ledger on January 3, 1922:

Social Activities
Mr. John Strawbridge will attend as best man and Mr. H. Morris Adams, Mr. Russell H. Johnson, Jr., Mr. Robert S. Welsh, Mr. Thomas Stokes, Mr. John W. Stokes and Mr. Stephen G. Kent will attend as ushers at the wedding of Miss Margaret Ely Marshall, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. George Morley Marshall of 1815 Spruce Street, and Mr. Welsh Strawbridge, son of Mrs. George Strawbridge, of Germantown, which will be solemnized at noon tomorrow in the Calvary Presbyterian Church, to be followed by a small reception at the home of the bride's parents. Mr. Strawbridge and his bride will spend their wedding trip abroad. On their return they will be at home after May 1, at Graeme Park, Hatboro, Pa.

The Library of Congress has made historic newspapers, dating from 1836-1922, available in their Chronicling America Series. Papers are easily searchable by keywords and location.

Historical News and Notes: Graeme Park Man Victim of Hold-Up at Willow Grove

The following appeared in the Evening Public Ledger, published December 7, 1921.

Graeme Park Man Victim of Hold-Up at Willow Grove

Clarence McCoy, employed by J. Welsh Strawbridge, at Graeme Park, north of the city, has reported to the Abington police that he was robbed of $176 by two men while waiting for a trolley car at Willow Grove, after being drugged by the smoke of a "cigar."

McCoy says he was drugged and while in this condition the men took the money from an inside pocket and escaped.

"The men engaged me in conversation," McCoy said "and one of the men asked me if I could change $500 in notes of large denomination. He said he was about to negotiate a real estate deal, and did not want the agent to realize just how much money he had. I told them I had only $200.

"One of the men, who had introduced himself as the Rev. Mr. Harris, was puffing away at a large cigar and was exhaling the smoke in my face. I noticed it had a very unusual odor, but I thought nothing of it, until I suddenly became dazed and leaned against an iron pole for support. It was the smoke that drugged me."

The Library of Congress has made historic newspapers, dating from 1836-1922, available in their Chronicling America Series. Papers are easily searchable by keywords and location.