f dirty puddle water_."
Upon these gentlemen fell the unpleasant task of "noticing remisness in
the members and others and being obliged to give information to their
respective companies whenever such shameful instances occured to their
observation." Trustees were responsible for the removal of property, and
the entire company was obliged to wear "at times of fire" by way of
distinction, black caps with white fronts with letters thereon
designating their company. Moreover these companies pledged themselves
to "respect" the other companies when their property was in danger from
fire, "in preference to persons who are members of neither."

Doctor Dick stated that he lost his fire bucket at the fire at William
Herbert's house, then occupied by Edmund Edmunds, and the treasurer
reimbursed the good Doctor eighteen shillings on October 24, 1796.

In July 1797, Dennis Ramsay was ordered to lower and enlarge the engine
house to receive the old engine; the floor had given way in 1793. He
presented his bills the following February for a total of L43 9_s._
9_d._

In 1799 it was decided to hold meetings at the courthouse, from May to
October at half after seven o'clock, and from November to April at six
o'clock.

One of the last mentions of the engines was in 1800. The engines were
both worked at the January meeting, found to be in good order, except
that the old one leaked a little.

Governed by a set of "articles" framed by themselves, to which they
faithfully adhered, these firemen fined themselves and paid their fines,
cheerfully or otherwise (they were mostly Scotsmen) when neglectful of
their duty. A roster was kept each year, month by month, marking the
members present or absent. The A's predominate. It was from these fines,
plus others for neglect of duty that the Company's funds were formed.
Many of these rosters have been destroyed, but enough remain to give an
idea of the citizens who were members of the Sun Fire Company and lived
near each other within a certain radius of the water front.

* * * * *

List of members of the Sun Fire Company of Alexandria for January
1777--being the first intact roster in the minutes:

William Ramsay
John Dalton
Robert H. Harrison
James Hendricks
Thomas Fleming
Richard Conway
William Hartshorne
James Kirk
Patrick Murray
Mathew Campbell
James Buchannan
William Hunter
David Jack