Check, November 16, 1819, Signed By Ambrose Marechal to John Francis Moranville

An interesting connection between Ambrose Marechal, who served as the third Archbishop of Baltimore and the young French priest John Francis Moranville, the latter was sent to Cayenne [later French Guiana) for the education of the slaves Lafayette worked toward their emancipation and Father Moranville was quite outspoken and when his arrest was ordered, he sailed to the United States settling in Baltimore. Once he saw that there was no public or parochial education for the poor immigrants, he established St. Patrick's Free School. He enrolled fifty girl students but did not restrict the school to Catholics. When the yellow fever epidemics hit Baltimore in 1819, he gave constant attention to the sick which led to his declining health. He sailed from New York in 1823 to his native France where he died the next year. Early checks in Baltimore from the early 19th century with historic significance are rare.