USA > Delaware > Sussex County > Some records of Sussex County, Delaware > Part 22
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the 3 Lower Counties on Delaware." Now should the case be so determined, if a Grant for this Land could be procured to the Society from his Majesty as a good Sum of Money might be raised from it not only at first but Annually so it might be a mean to enable them to carry on more effectually the good work for which they were in- corporated I am informed by one of the most intelligent of our As- semblymen here as the Representatives of the people in Legislature are called) that here are about 200,000 Acres of Land cleared & settled, here some settlers having titles from James late Duke of York, some from Lord Baltimore & others from Penn & his Heirs all supposed to be void in Law, because the Title of these Grants of Land is its self precarious. The inhabitants at present are very anxious about their Titles but would be glad to be settled in their possessions on a good Foundation and to have the Church their Landlord. I mean the majority at least who are members of the Church of England. Could such a grant be procured here money might be raised toward sup- porting a Suffragan (much needed in America) to maintain Mission- aries or to such Uses as the Society should judge most expedient. There is another affair which I also beg leave to lay before your Lordsp. Since Major Gordon's arrival here our present Governor, he hath Granted Marriage Licenses promisculously to us & to the Presbyterian Ministers, a thing never done before in this Goverment except only in the last year of Sr William Keith his predecessor when his Fortune in a manner grew desperate and he was willing by any means to raise Money. Or as he alleged because Dr. Welton was then Minister at Philada. to whom it was by no means proper they should be granted. The Missionaries here did at our last Convention in September humbly lay this Greivance before our Governor but he has refused to redress us in this point tho' it is the only one wherein it is in his power to favour us. If your Lordship will be pleased to write to him about this it may perhaps be a mean to bring him to our Interest as he professes himself a Member of the Church & will be a great favour done to the Missionaries. My Lord, I humbly beg your pardon for this trouble and your prayers for me & those under my care and remain
May it please your Ldp. Your most dutiful & Obedt Son & Servant W. B., Missionary at Lewes.
PENNSYLVANIA, March 15, 1727-8.
To Bro. Fno. on the death of Bro. James.
DEAR BROTHER .- I recd that Sorrowful Letter of yours on the 5th day of July which was dated on March 16th at Ollerton. The sad news of the Death of my dear Brother James was a severe stroke to me, he was nearest to me in age & consequently the longest Acqtance of all my brethren. He had been my constant play fellow and bedfellow from my childhood till I grew up. We have spent a great many pleasant days and hours together but now that satis- faction is over and we must see each others face no more. And we were not only brethren but Friends. I have often experienced his Friendship to me & I thank God I had always a hearty & brotherly affection for him. A thousand endearing instances occur to my
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mind of our being together the thoughts of which melt me into tears so yt I can scarce see to write.
But what will perhaps greatly surprise you is this On Friday the second day of February last about four o'clock in the morning (as near as I can imagine) being in bed I dreamed that all the Teeth of my upper-jaw became loose upon which with my finger & thumb I took ym out & put them in my Pocket, immediately after which I thought I also felt all the Teeth in my under jaw loose & ready to drop out as the others upon which I also took ym out of my mouth & put ym in my pocket as I had done before with those of my upper jaw Upon which in my dream I made this reflexion to myself, What a great misfortune is this? That I who am now but 30 years of Age should loose all my teeth and be obliged to wear the face of an old man in the prime of my time. I then started and awoke out of my sleep in a great consternation & it immediately came into my memory that my Father has often told me that a little before his mother died (our Grandmother) he dreamed yt all his Teeth came out of his head, so yt I concluded with myself that my Mother or at least some near Relation was dead which I believed I should hear of in a little time. With the grief and trouble of this apprehension I arose out of my bed tho' it was before break of day in the morning not being able to compose myself any more & walked about the House very sorrowfully so great an impression the dream had made in my mind I put the time down in my Pocket Book & have ever since expected that the first Letter I should have from home would bring me Sorrow- ful News. Insomuch that when I recd your last it lay on the Table near an Hour before I had the Courage to open & look into it.
You tell me in your Letter that our Bro dy'd on Friday the twelfth of February about 9 a'clock in the morning But this must needs be a mistake for the twelfth of February last did not happen on a Friday but on a Monday so that I believe tis only a mistake in your letter and yt he dy'd yt day and minute when I dreamed yt my teeth came out for when it is 9 a clock in the morning with you it is 4 a clock with us here There being about 5 hours difference of meridian between you & us. That is, it is 9 a clock here 5 hours after it is 9 with you, and so of the other Hours and the second of Feb was on a Friday which the 12th was not.
I have been full & particular on this point because I look upon it to be extraordinary & surprising that I who was 4000 miles distance or near the matter at that very Instant should have notice that some great Calamity was fallen upon my Family, as I certainly con- cluded from the Dream I desire you will be exact when you write again & let me know whether I am any ways mistaken.
Could I have been present at his Burial & have mingled my Tears with yours it might have given some Relief to my Sorrow by giving vent to it. And I might have paid my last Respects to the memory of my Broer by preaching his Funeral Sermon if my grief would have suffered it, but I beleive I should not have been able to do it, & I so sensibly feel the weight of my misfortune at this Distance that I perhaps could not have born it better or it may be not so well had I been present. Had I been there with you my tears could not have prolong'd his Life as now those which I shed for him here are rain & fruitless & cannot redeem him from the grave, for we are as water
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split upon the ground & cannot be gathered up again as the Scripture speaks. It is our duty to submit to Providence in all its dispenser- tions tho' they may be bitter to us yet since they are according to the Will of God we must submit. When our Heavenly Father corrects us we may & must feel the smart, but we ought not to murmur & repine And this harsh Providence ought to be a sufficient warning to us the surviving brethren to consider our latter end and to live virtuous & good lives for if the strongest & likeliest to have lived to Old Age is cut off & taken out of the World in the Flower of his Time What Assurance have we of the continuance of our Life? Particu- lary I ought to apply this advice to myself who am his eldest Bror & according to Nature ought to have gone before him to the grave, especially considering what different sorts of air I have breathed wch naturally contributes to shorten human Life.
But God has been merciful to me & preserved me in good Health to this day, And I still hope to see you all before it be long I am exceedingly glad to hear of the safe recovery of my good mother and of the rest of you from your dangerous sickness & I pray for the continuance of your health I hope Bror John has well recovered of his Ague. You will give my duty to my dear Mother & love to Bros & Sister & my kind Respects to all Old Friends & neighbours, let me hear from you again as soon as may be & believe me ever to be
Your most affect. Bror WVM. BECKET.
LEWES, Aug. 1, 1728.
To Dr. Humphreys.
REVD SIR .- I wrote to you the last Autumn acquainting you with the State of my Parish & giving you an Historical Account of it in Obedience to the Commands of the Honrable Society. I am uneasy till I hear whether you received that & my Letter in time. If it mis- carry'd pray let me know as soon as may be that I may send you a second Copy and so at least it may get a place in the second edition. The State of my Parish is much as usual the Persons baptized in it for some years past having been more than 80 and less than an hun- dred per Annum. But here it must be remembered that I have not been able to compute the certain number either of Adults or Infants which I have occasionally baptis'd in my travells both in this & the Neighbouring Provinces of Maryland particularly in Kent County upon Delaware, where I have several Times baptis'd near 20 persons in a day and where there is both a very great want & desire of a Mis- sionary.
The Number of Communicants in this County are increased con- siderably this year the Account in my book stands as follows.
1729.
At St. Peter's in Lewes at Christmas 19
At St. George's on Easter Sunday. 20
At St. Matthew's on Whit Sunday 18
57
Since the receipts of the Sermons sent over to me by the Hon. Society (I mean those of Bp. Beveridge and the distribution of my Lord Bp. of London's Letters to the Masters & Mistresses of families) I have with the Assistance & permission of their owners baptized
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seven negroes & have been apply'd to by some others who are not yet sufficiently instructed.
In my last I wrote to you to request of the Hm. Society that they will be pleased to give me leave to come over to England the next Summer with a continuance of my Salary that I may have an Oppor- tunity of settling some Affairs of importance to me which cannot well be done in my Absence, and of seeing my Native Country once more & such of my Friends and Relations as the late Contagious Sickness in Cheshire hath yet left alive. Your favours in this Point will lay a great Obligation upon,
Sir your very hum. Servt W. BECKET.
LEWES, May 29, 1729.
To A. Hamilton Esq.
SR .- Several of my friends who have been at N Castle as members of Assembly the 2 or 3 last Sessions have been so kind as to tell me after what manner you thought fit to treat my Character behind my back, And as I am conscious to myself, & you know very well yt I never did you any injury or offered you any affront so I was sur- prized yt you should do anything so mean and so little becoming a Gentleman or a man in your Station.
If it be just Sir to speak ill of a man yt never wrong'd you nor any friend of yours & to attempt to hurt a man's Interest that never offer'd nor design'd any Injury to you, then you acted as became you. For my part I never was taught till now, that hard names & oppro- brious language yt swearing and reviling at an Absent person befitted a Gentleman, I am sure that in the Country where you & I were bred these are called the language & manners of Porters & are thought to be very vulgar and indecent.
Is it fit that the Speaker of an Assembly, the Recorder of a City, a Magistrate & a professed Orator of no small Reputation should thus descend to the language of men of the meanest Rank & lowest breed- ing. For the sake of Justice treat me Sir with more Candor & good Nature and as we say, do as you would be done by, I had almost desired you to treat me as a Xn but since you seem to renounce yt name pray treat me fairly & I desire no more. Reputation is a Jewel yt no man cares to be robbed of, and I doubt not but you know men who had rather have a fair Attack made upon their Lives than an unfair one upon their Reputations And I should be glad to see yt you would be unwilling to take yt from another which you would not part with yourself.
If it be because of my Religion or Character yt you thus use me I am sure it is a way unsuitable to the King's or Wm. Penn's Govern- ment who would have no one ill used on these Accounts. And if you have imbraced principles different from mine I am of opinion yt they are not worth maintaining if they carry you beyond the bounds of Truth & Decency.
I have herein dealt plainly and severely with you & I know you cannot justly blame me for it I submit the whole to yor own Judge- ment & Reflection & remain
Sr. Your abused Frd & hum Servt
WM. BECKET.
LEWES, Nov. 26, 1729.
MR. HAMILTON.
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To Hen Brooke Esqr.
THE HUM PETITION & ADDRESS OF WM BECKET IN BEHALF OF HIM- SELF & SOME OTHER INHABITANTS OF THE TOWN OF LEWES. 1731. SHEWETH :
That Providence hath placed your Petitioners in a sort of Retire- ment in a great measure separated from the noise & bustle as well as from the News & Politicks of this World.
That notwithstanding yor Sd Petitioners are pretty well content and do not greatly envy those who act in higher & more publick stations of Life when they consider among other things that the Audience in a Theatre have commonly greater pleasure than the Actors. That as yor Sd Petitioners desire no more yn to be lookers on & to observe how the Vim & the Busy part of mankind act their respective Parts so it is highly necessary that we should be furnished with the publick News both for our Instruction & entertainment.
That it hath been observed that several Persons in the fetres of London & Westmr & other places in his Majs Dominions have looked upon ymselves as great Wits & Politicans only from that Store of Learning & useful Erudition which they have collected from the Publick Papers.
That as yor Sd. Petitioners do not know when it may please the King to call upon some of them to act in great places of trust & profit which would be loath to refuse out of the great Zeal we have for his Maj's service & the welfare of his Subjects so we would not willingly be unfurnished with any sort of Learning & Knowledge yt might serve for so good a purpose.
That in Order here unto some of yor Sd Petitioners have for several years last past been at considerable charges to gratifie ymselves & have constantly taken in Mr. Bradford's Mercury at the expense of Ten Shill p Annum.
That besides the great Increase of necessary & useful Science which must have accru'd to ourselves upon this Account Great advantage must have arose from hence to the Publick Trade & Riches of this Colony in as much as we contributed our Share to employ many hands in the paper & printing Manufactures as by consulting learned Authors upon this Subject may more fully & at large appear.
That notwithstanding yor Sd. Petitioners cannot look upon their reading & studies as compleat for want of a certain paper printed Weekly by one Mr. Franklin of Phila. If therefore you w'd be pleased to give orders yt the said papers may be sent down to us We doubt not but you will soon be a Witness of our great improvements in many parts of Useful Learning.
And yor Sd Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray &c.
The Rev. Mr. Bechet writes, September 25th, 1729, that one year ago he had taken charge of a fourth church, by name St. John Baptist.
The Rev. Hugh Neill to the Secretary of the S. P. G .:- "Dover, September 1, 1751 .- I have since Mr. Ussher's departure, visited the County of Sussex several times, and
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find the two congregations in the country to be regular and numerous, but that in Lewestown appears to be small, I believe by reason of the Town going very much to decay."
1731. "From Pensylvania the Society have received the following Accounts: The Reverend Mr. Beckett, Mis- sionary at Lewes, writes, That his Parish is much in the same State as when he wrote last. There are now in that Country 4 Congregations at 4 Churches, 3 of which Con- gregations are very numerous. He writes, that he lately officiated at St. George's Chappel, which tho' it hath been very considerably enlarged since his coming there, was not now able to contain above one half of the Hearers. He baptized that Day 5 White Children, & 3 Negroes. He re- marks farther, that in about 6 Weeks time he had baptized in that Chappel, 10 White grown Persons, & 11 Negroes, besides a Considerable Number at the other Churches in this County. He adds farther, that he hopes it will appear from these Instances, that he hath been very diligent in his Mission, by promoting the Design of the Bishop of Lon- don's Letters, with regard to the Instruction of the Negroes in his Parish."
1732. "From Pensylvania, the Society have received the following Accounts: The Reverend Mr. Beckett, Minister at Lewis Town, acquaints the Society, That during the 11 Years which he hath been a Missionary, he hath constantly resided in his Mission, during which time, two new Churches had been built in that County, & two more which had been begun before his Arrival had been finished, so as to admit of the decent Performance of Publick Worship to Almighty God; that at each of these Places at times he hath con- stantly performed Divine Service upon all Sundays & Holi- days, reading Prayers, Preaching, Catechizing the Children, Administring the Sacraments, & he can with Comfort say with Good Success, that during his Mission, above a thousand Persons, old & young, White & black, have been instructed in the Christian Faith & baptized, & many Persons are con- stant Communicants."
MY LORD :- This is the first opportunity for London since I was honoured by your letter of September last. I never doubted but that my Commission was intended to be of the same extent with the Civil Government here, but then that it may be legally so, and is absolutely necessary that after the words Infra Provin- ciam Pensylvania should be added, Et Comitatus Novi Castri, Cantij & Sussesia Super Delaware, provided this be proper Law-
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Latin for the Counties of Newcastle, Kent and Sussex upon Dela- ware. Our Lieutenants Governors Commission always mention these three Counties expressly after the province of Pensylvania, and by the Kings approbation they are appointed over the former Durante Beneplaicito, but over the latter without limitation. The right to these Counties is controverted not only between the Penn- family and Baltimore Ld. proprietor of Maryland, but the Crown (if I'm rightly informed) claims them as not granted to either of them, by their respective charters. Besides these counties have at present a different legislation, an assembly of their own, together with their own Judges & Courts of Justice. I'm sorry to give your Lordship so much trouble, but the design of the Commission can't be answered without the above addition, and some of the Clergy there at my last calling them together signified to me by their letters, that they did not think themselves obliged to meet me, seeing my Commission extended only to the Province of Pensylvania.
As to Mr. Hackets affair, our Governor did prosecute him, and though as I'm told there was no law in these Counties to found the action on, yet he being frightened submitted to the Court, and was fined 60 Lib. Ster. I can't, however, think the payment will be in- sisted on. I return your Lordship's most hearty thanks for the reasonable present of your excellent Pastoral letters. I distributed them according to directions, and hope they will have a good effect to preserve many from being infected by the profane principles of some here in public offices. I beg your Lordship's Benediction, and only add that I ever am with profound respect,
Your Lordship's Most Obedient servant,
PHILADELPHIA, March 29th, 1732.
ARCHD. CUMMING.
To the Honourable Society for propogating the Gospel in foreignn Parts.
THE HUMBLE PETITION OF WILLIAM BECKET THEIR MISSIONARY AT LEWES IN PENNSYLVANIA SHEWETH,
That your humble Petition hath been Missionary to the Hon Society for the Space of Eleven years and hath resided constantly in the place of his Mission Ten Years & a half in Lewes, in Sussex County, during which time (blessed be God), 2 new Churches have been built in this County & 2 that were raised before the arrival of yor Petitioner have been carried on so as to admit of the decent wor- ship of A God in which places your Sd Petitioner hath given constant attendance alternately on Sundays & Holidays in preaching praying catichising administering the Holy Sacraments & other duties of his Function with good Success insomuch that above 1000 people Old and young white & black have been instructed & baptized in the Sd County by yor Sd Petitioner and many persons are Communicants of the Ch. of England. & that here are more people professing them- selves members of the Sd Church than in any other County in the Government considered in proportion with Dissenters of all sorts that is to say, the Members of the Ch of England here are a great majority.
That there was a Presbyterian Minister & a Quaker speaker in this County at the time of your Sd Petitioner's Arrival but they have
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both now left the place without sending any one to succeed them so that now there is not any Preacher of any persuasion in this County except your Sd Petitioner.
That when your Petitioner had resided here for the space of 7 years or there abouts, being earnestly desirous to see his native Coun- try once more and to settle some Affairs of his own there he did re- quest the Hon Society for leave to that purpose which leave was kindly granted by the Sd Society.
But so it was that your Sd Petitioner could not as yet make use of the Indulgence granted him by the Sd Hon Society because yt no clergyman was to be procured to officiate in his absence & that upon many Accounts it would have been indiscreet & unsafe for yor Sd Petitioner to leave so great a Cure without any Pastor especially at such a juncture.
Upon this weighty Consideration your Sd Petitioner hath been content to set aside his own particular Inclination & Business at Present that he might the better serve the Ch of God & promote the good designs of the Hon Society.
That the labours & fatigues of yor Sd Petitioner have been very great in his Mission so yt some years besides performing the Offices of his Function he hath travelled at a moderate Computation 1632 miles to promote the good designs of the Sd Society & in other years when his Task has been the easiest no less than 1156 miles, so yt he was always obliged to keep 2 horses which are very chargeable to be maintained in a Town your Sd Petitioner having not any Glebe or Farm to Maintain them upon.
That the Parishoners of yor Sd Petitioner have been exceedingly kind to him during the whole time, by subscribing liberally towards his Support & maintenance (considering their poor circumstances) & by many other kind & good Offices, which has been a great en- couragement to your Petitioner in the midst of his Labour. That be- sides what is already mencioned they have at this Time done an extraordinary Act of Kindness to your Petitioner A good Farm being offered to sale of about 400 Acres of Land with a good House on it a good Orchard of near 1000 fruit Trees, a good Barn Frame with a Kitchen & out Houses abt 7 miles from Lewes. They have advised him to buy it & promised to assist him unanimously to pay for it, that he may be enable to secure a more certain support for his Family.
And also yt no invitations from any neighbouring vacant Parishes in Virginia or Maryland (Many of which have been offered to him) may move him to leave them. Accordingly he hath joined them in a bargain with the Owner of the Sd Land &c the price to be paid for it is 270 pounds of this Currency. 160 pounds are to be pd down now, & 110 a year hence. Your venerable Board will see by a Copy of the Subscription which he has caused to be exemplified & sent over to you regularly attested how far the poor people of this parish were able to help your Petitioner in this Affair. A Testimony of their zeal for Religion & their Esteem for your Petitioner.
But as Lewes is a chargeable place being a small Sea Port on the Mouth of the great River Delaware where all European goods are generally sold at near 200 pr cent advance in Short & for as much as your Petitioner hath a numerous Family to maintain viz a Wife & 4 Children & hath been often times in Charity obliged to entertain
-
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Ship wrecked & distressed people as well as in Civility to entertain Gentlemen & Strangers of the Communion of the Ch of England especially, who occasionally resorted to the place, and as a Clergy- man must be given to hospitality as well as apt to teach Sr your Petitioner hath not been able to save any Money except only what may buy a Stock of Cattle & such Implements for Husbandry as are necessary upon a Farm & without wch it cannot turn to a profitable Account. Upon the whole your humble Petitioner desires the Hon Society to concur with his Parishoners in this Charitable Act that they will be pleased to bestow on your Petitioner something (what- ever they in their wisdom & goodness shall think proper) towards paying for the Farm on which he is now settled, Or if not yt they will be so good as to advance a years Salary for him on the 25th of March next (when the Purchase Money is to be paid) and
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