OF A'EW  YORK CITY.                     203
 

CHAPTER XXV.

In the preceding chapter I alluded to the aged Peter
Embury as one of the " Battery walkers." He con¬
tinued to be so, in the warm season, until he removed
up town. The family of Emburys are an old stock.
Peter married a sister of old Aymar. The oldest Em¬
bury was a Methodist preacher in John street, long be¬
fore the Revolution. He went up and settled in Cam¬
den, Washington county, In this State. During the war
of 1776, as the congregation of Mr. Embury were not
fighting men, they had to quit the pleasant spot where
they had settled, and emigrate to Canada. The pastor
himself did not go. One of the number, who came
back from Canada, after the war, is now living at Cam¬
den, aged 106 years.    His name is John Swertzer.

Young Peter Embury was a poor boy in the city.
He was early apprenticed to the chair-making trade.
He followed chair-maklrg foi years. In a former chap¬
ter I have mentioned that he opened a grocery store in
Beekman street, corner of Nassau. It was on the north¬
east corner, where the Park Hotel now stands. At that
time the ground in front was a common. It was before
Dr. Spring's church was erected. Mr. Embury for
many years kept the choicest family grocery in this city.
He had wines, " rich and rare,"  not to be found else-