USA > Delaware > Sussex County > Some records of Sussex County, Delaware > Part 23
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Your Petitioner as in Duty bound shall ever pray &c.
APL. 15, 1732.
Letter to Dr. Humphreys.
REVEREND SIR .- I send you here with a Petition to the Hon Society which I must beg the favour of you to lay before the venerable board as also a copy of a subscription which my Parishoners have been so kind as to present me with, the better to enable me to buy a good Farm among them for my better settlement & support & that of my Family And I also shall send you a Map of Sussex County (my Parish) if I can get one truly and well drawn that so the Hon Society may the better judge of the inconvenience of my present situation with re- spect to the Several Churches here. When it is considered that the people here are generally poor, it will I doubt not appear to the Hon Society to be a very liberal Benefaction & yt I have not - behaved myself ill among a people who are so desirous yt I should settle among them for life. If they could have raised money to have paid for the whole purchase ymselves, they did intend to have settled it as a Glebe for the use of the Societies Missionary for the time being. But money being exceedingly scarce here & they not able to advance the whole Sum, they have made me a present of what they could contribute. However if I die without issue (as God only knows what shall come to pass) I purpose in my last Will to bequeath it to the Hon Society.
The Purchase Money according to the Bargain made is to be paid as follows: 160 1bs. of this Country Currency is to be paid down now at my Entry on the Sd Farm (it being about 100 1bs Sterl) and 110 1bs Currency on the 25th day of March next being about 70 lbs Sterl.
You will be so good Sr as to lay these matters before the Hon Society and to let me know their pleasure herein with convenient speed that so I may know how to prepare myself for the latter paym't above mentioned.
The State of my Parish is much as usual so yt I do not need to trouble you with a particular Account of it at this time. Infidelity has spread much of late in some parts of this Government But (God be thanked) my Parish is pretty free from it. My Lord Bp. of London's letters &c have been of great use & service to Christianity in America, indeed every thing he writes is read here with great Esteem. We hear here yt some other of My Lds the Bishops & several other eminent Divines have employed their Pens in the Christian Cause, but being in this
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Corner of the World I know not how to get any of them otherwise they would be of great use. My Parishoners are in great want of Ch Catechisms Prayer Books & Psalms of the New Version. That so they might bring up their Children more religiously. I remain
Revd Sir Your Most Obedt & Most Hum Servt,
WM. BECKET. LEWES, April 20th, 1732.
To the Hon Patrick Gordan Esqr Gour of Pennsylvania &c.
MAY IT PLEASE YOR HONOUR .- You have done me a great favour which you knew not of but which gratitude obliges me to acknowledge. The last year you were so kind as to recommend me in the handsomest manner to the late Governor of Maryland in order to procure me one of their best Parishes there. How I happen'd to be disappointed in that Affair I have already acquainted yor Honr. However your letter in my favour has at last had an effect more to my satisfaction & perhaps as much to my interest as if I had then succeeded-in the manner following.
My Parishoners observing that if they did not provide a Glebe or a Farm for me I should before long be obliged to accept of some vacant Parish in Maryland or Virginia where such a convenience might be had the better to support my growing family & knowing yt living constantly in a small Town was very chargeable to me, & being unwilling to part with me, they have unanimously joined with me in the purchase of a good Country House & Plantation to be settled on me & my Heirs. The plantation we have bought & to which I am now moved did belong to Mr. Davis (one of the Magistrates of this County) the quantity of land is about 400 Acres, abt 8 miles from Lewes. The Sum to be paid for it is £270. Of which my Parishoners have raised by contribution £150. Here is a good House Garden & Out Houses, & about a thousand fruit trees of several sorts, so yt I look upon myself now to be settled for life.
The situation of my new purchase is pleasant, & I hope will prove beautiful to my family, the Air is good & open in full view before my door lies Rehoboth Bay & the mouth of the Indian River well stored with excellent fish, cockles & Oysters Of which whenever you come down to Sussex I hope you will honor me so far as to take a taste.
And as I am much obliged to your Honr for several favours & kind Offices which you always did for me in the most cheerful & handsome manner so I did believe it would not be disagreeable to you to hear of the effect of your last years Letter in my favour & of my settlement under your Government. I remain Sr with the greatest gratitude & Esteem
Yor Honours most Obliged & Most Obedt Hum Servt SUSSEX, May 9, 1732.
WVM. BECKET.
P. S .- My wife tells me there is a mocking bird sitting on 4 Eggs in a nest on a joyce in our Barn. If your Lady or any of your daughters will accept of a couple of the the young ones when they are feathered & fit to be carry'd, I will send them up the River by a careful Hand. But then I must desire you to order a Cage to be sent down by Mr. Stretcher or Mr. Willbank for there is no such thing as getting a hand- some one here.
N. B .- Wm. Warrington pd 2s 6 the last year more than his due.
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ECCLESIASTICAL RECORDS.
Letter to Revd. Mr. Cummings.
DEAR & REVD SIR .- Your Letters in my favour the last year to the Govr & Commissary of Maryland tho' they had not the Effect you intended have had a good one since here. The people of my Parish (finding yt if they did not provide for me I should ere long be obliged to move to some vacant Parish where my family might with more ease & less charge be supported have unanimously joined with me to purchase a good Plantation to be settled on me & my Heirs for ever, that so I may not be under any temptation to accept of any Maryland or Virginia Parish that may hereafter be offer'd to me.
We have purchased abt 400 Acres of good Land (abt 8 miles dis- tant from Lewes) lying convenient enough for visiting the several Churches of this County. The purchase money is 270 lbs Currency. 110 lbs is to be paid down 60 1b to the Land Office & 100 1b a year hence. My Parishoners have given me by Contribution £150 pounds towards the purchase .money (as you will see by a copy of their Subscription which I have inclos'd Upon this Plantation is a very good House & garden with good outhouses sufficient & upwards of a 1000 fruit trees of all sorts Rehoboth Bay, the Mouth of the Indian River and the Main Ocean lie in full view before my door. Here is plenty of fish of all sorts besides Shell Fish viz. Cockles Oysters & Crab Fish Abt 100 Acres of the land are cleared & improved the rest is all wood land, you may easily guess the late Owner is much in debt otherwise we should not have got such a bargain I mov'd my Family hither on the 30th day of March last and on the 25th of April all the Magistrates except a Quaker & a Presbyterian Justice (it being my Birth day) came to see me & wish me joy of my settlement among them for Life so yt you find that the Ch & State agree here very well. The leading men among them have pressed me to accept of the next Commission of the Peace but I have refused it & will not accept of it if you think it improper for indeed the proper business of my Function is more than enough for me. Pray let me know your Opinion when you write.
I leave it to your discretion whether it will be proper for you to let the Bp of London know of the generous present that my poor Par- ishoners have made me But pray let my good old Friend Mr Ross & Mr Hackett be acqted with the affair If you can excuse me from coming up the River to meet the Clergy (as usual) this Fall I shall take it as a great favour for I have a great sum to pay & none to Spend. If you have any papers to send home for the service of the Church let Mr Ross counterfeit my hand to them as he knows very well how I do and I shall be content. I remain Sr with the sincerest regard.
Yor Most obliged & Most affect Bror & Most Hum Servt
WM. BECKET.
PETTY PEOVER, May 10, 1732.
P. S. My Hum Service & my Spouses to Mrs. Cummings, to Mr. Moore & his Lady to Mr & Mrs Evans, Mrs Newmain & to that High Flyer Mr. Ammaud &c.
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SOME RECORDS OF SUSSEX COUNTY.
WEDNESDAY, July 28, 1736.
To MY FRIEND DR. CHEW. A SYLLOGISM. 1736.
1. Whatsoever is asserted in the New Testament is undoubtedly true.
2. But the several Articles of the Athanasian Creed are derived from the N Testament.
3. Therefore every Article of the Athanasian Creed is undoubtedly true.
SR .- I promised you this Syllogism some years ago But did not think of it again till this Time Be so good as to pardon my forget- fulness You know Sir that most men are vain enough to imagine yt an Argumt that convinces themselves ought in Reason to convince others Whether this way of reasoning (as I call it) will have the same Effect upon you that it has upon me. I know not However let your own Reason judge for you, as it ought to do in all matters & believe me to be what I really am
Sir yor most Obedt Hum Servt WM. BECKET.
LEWES, July 28th, 1736.
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOUR .- I heard but the other day the day the agreable news of your Recovery from your late dangerous Indisposition And tho' I live in so distant a Part of your Governmt yet give me leave to say that both Duty gratitude and Affection prompt me to congratulate with you upon your Recovery and to wish you a long continuance of your Health and yt we may long be happy under mild & just Administration. I have no notions of a good Governm but what suits with yours. My Tutors took care to instruct me that Honour & Honesty were the same Things That Truth & Candor are inseperable Companions of a Brave and a great mind That Falsehood & Lyeing proceed from Cowardice and mean- ness of Spirit. And that the refined Arts of Policy & Dissembling are built upon a rotten Foundation. They generally break out in Slander and Calumny And the Authors of them are attended with Scorn & contempt. If Truth and Justice and Generosity are Vir- tues, If a due & impartial Administration & Execution of Laws (without the utmost Rigor & Severity) render a Governmt easy & secure, then we have no Reason to be dissatisfy'd with yours. These Sir without flattery are my Sentimts of your Administration & if it had pleased God to have called you out of the World I shd have thought it my Duty as far as my Narrow Sphere extends, to have done the same Justice to your Memory which I now do to your char- acter I beg leave with gratitude to remain
Sr yor Honrs most Obedt Most Hum Servt
WM. BECKET.
SUSSEX, August 4, 1736. GOVR. GORDON.
N. B. He dy'd the day Following.
Dy'd Aug. 5, 1736.
To The Memory of The Honourable Patrick Gordon Esqr late Govr of Pennsylvania & of the 3 Lower Counties on Del.
Plain Generous Honest Merciful & Brave Each Good Man's Patron; Dread of every Knave Wise without Craft; Corageous without Boast
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ECCLESIASTICAL RECORDS.
With thee these Useful Virtues we have lost Thy worth the British Hero Marlbro' knew Under whose Care thy rising Genius grew Tho' thou art gone thy Honour still remains By valient Deeds in many long Campagnes Our private thoughts thy Publick Virtues own If envy rail; yet still let this be known Thou brok'st no Promise sought no private End Adieu! Thou Best of Governours & Friends. Written Augt 14, 1736.
Verses to the Memory of Henry Brooke Esq. who departed this Life on Friday Feb 6 and was burried in the Church at Philadelphia on Saturday Feb 7th 1735-6-Printed in the Mercury.
Dignum laude virum musa vetat more.
Permit lamented Shade an humble Muse In lowely Strains, thy worthy Name to Use Thy Merit claim a Nobler Pen than mine In lays polite & lofty like to thine
A Task so glorious Pope himself might try And paint thy virtues fair before our Eye In me my Grief supplies the want of Art And gratitude sincere as was thy Heart What useful Lessons did thy Virtues teach Their Circle compassed all in human Reach Thy Soul was uncorrupt, thy Genius strong Thy Learning various in each different tongue In thee the Greek & Roman Knowledge shone Each Foreign modern language was thy own No Science left unsearched, no Art could flie Or scape the View of the discerning Eye Each bright Idea printed on the Brain Thy Memory Strong unerring did retain From that clear fountain he whoever drew Found all explained enforc'd improved anew Each well chose thought in beuteous order lay And clear Expression drove the Clouds away Well chosen words so plain so sweet so strong With Pleasure still we trac'd the Theme along So when thick Fogs obscure the fall of Day And men lament the absent Solar Ray The pitying Sun breaks thro' with glorious light And Hills and Plains restores to Mortal Light Thy feet the paths of pure Religion trod Thy Soul a living Sacrifice to God No Affectation No abhorr'd Grimace With which the Hypocrite obscures his face Did 'eer thy Virtue or thy Honour stain Twas all sincere & upright just & plain Good Humour Manly Wit a generous mind A Judgment strong a Fancy unconfin'd
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SOME RECORDS OF SUSSEX COUNTY.
A Friend to Virtue and a Foe to Vice In all the conduct regularly nice Happy the future Age that once shall see In all respects a Parallell to thee
Thy great Contempt of Riches did we find Give greater leisure to enrich thy mind Knowledge & Virtue; these were all thy store And to thy Talents still thou added'st more O! couldst thou leave those Treasures to thy Friend
Than Gold more precious should the Gift descend Yet still thy Bright Example shall remain Our minds the great Impression long retain
From us thy Pattern never shall depart
Twill raise the Mind, and rectifie the Heart. Written Mar 23d 1735-6
Henry Brooks Esqr was the Queen's Collector at Lewes in 1703- Vide Watsons Annals p. 258.
Letter to Dr. Humphreys.
REVD SIR .- 1. It is a good while since I wrote to you concerning the State of my Parish my last I think was a Letter of thanks to the Hon. Society for their kind & generous Present of 20th The Reason why I have not wrote oftner is because the Circumstances of my Parish are much in the main as they us'd to be Except what I am going to relate to you If the Society had not been so good as to send me Relief so seasonably I knew not whether I should have been in the Church or the County Goal on Sundays But I do not blame my People for they are poor And tho' willing not able to do as they would. However now the danger is over I thank God and take Courage.
2d. The last time I went to the distant part of my Parish about a Month ago, I preached at the Ch of St. John the Baptist on Satur- day 12 miles distant from my House And on Sunday the day fol- lowing at St. Matthews Ch 25 Miles distant At the former Ch I bap- tis'd 11 Children and at the other Ch 10 and administered the Euch- arist to 13 people. I visit those Churches about once a month and cannot do it oftner, they are at so great a distance.
It is necessary also that I not only tell you the Success of my Labours but also the discouragements that we meet with who are your Missionaries and I think this pretty common to us all. The Infidells or Deists (for they do not differ much here) under the Pro- tection of a Quaker Influence have taught even the Common People, to call in Question not only the Reasonableness of Faith but the Truth of Fact in the O & N Testament So yt a great deal of our Con- versation with them must necessarily turn upon proper Arguments to convince them of the Fallacy. You will easily guess by what I have wrote that our Task at this Time is as hard as the Infidells can make it.
P. S. Our Governour dy'd the 5th of this month. We have had very great Assistance from the Pastoral Lters of our Bishop among the the Few Learned & Well bred and discreet people that we have among us If there are any short and plain Treatises on the Subject published
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which are suited to the Capacitys of the meanest of the People (such as my Parishoners generally are) I would earnestly beg some Copies to be distributed among ym. I desire to remain always Revd Sir Your most Obedt & most Hum Sert
WM. BECKET.
AUG 25 1736.
Great Good & Just could I but rate My Grief and thy too rigid Fate I'de weep the World to such a Strain As it should deluge once again But since thy loud tongu'd blood demands supplies More from Brareus' hands than Argus' Eyes
I'le sing the Obsequies with Trumpets sounds And write thy Epitaph with blood & Wounds.
Written by the Marquss of Montross on the Sands of Leith with the Point of his Sword 1648. Transcribed from Mr. Bickley August 25 1736.
MEMORANDUM .*
The Revd Mr. William Black Rector of the Church in Accomack County in Virginia came the first Missionary to Lewes in Sussex Co. in Pennsylvania July 26 1708 and left the Mission in the Month of May 1709.
William Becket Missionary left London June 11 and arrived at Lewes Sepr 1st 1721 Born at Over Peover in Cheshire April 25 1697 The Son of John & Mary Becket.
Written Sepr 25 1736.
SIR .-- I rec'd your very kind and handsome Lre some time ago, In answer of mine to the Govr who I heard was upon the Recovery I am sorry for the loss of your Family & yt of the Province. But he is gone and to speak in the Military language has march'd off with Honour.
Or to express it in a graver Stile He is gone to the Spirits of just men made perfect I have sent you all the marriage Bonds I have by me (except one taken at the Marriage of Mr. Fenwick Stretcher which I have mislaid & cannot now find but will send it to you as soon as I light on it.) And I have sent you also 6 Blanck Bonds & Licences, the Bonds I have sent you filled up are in Number 17.
I have sent you my Account some Time ago, and I think that there are but 2 articles to be added to it viz £5 paid to Mr. Shaw March 12 1734/5 and paid also to him on your Acct. May 8 1736 £2 10s. 0d. which I have Receipts for, when you have added these to my Credit you will readily find how the Acct Stands.
I am sorry I had not the Opportunity of Granting the Blanck ones I send you back but the Govrs death prevented me.
The new Licences from our worthy President dont please me. They are not in the usual Stile nor directed to a Clergyman nor ac- cording to the Common Law and are lodg'd in the hands of Laymen. And we all know that it is but matter of Courtesy to make use of them. And I suppose the Clergy will bear it without complaining Home.
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SOME RECORDS OF SUSSEX COUNTY.
Because as the Scripture Sais, His Time is short. I beg the favour of you to make my Service acceptable to the Propr to your good Lady And all the Govrs Family and believe me to be
Sr. Yor most obliged & most hum Sert DEC 14 1736.
WM. BECKET.
MR. SECRETARY CHARLES.
Written on Thursday Apr 21, 1737 In a dangerous fit of Sickness.
I have taken several repeated bad colds the Winter past which occasioned a great constant Hoarsness so that I could scarcely be heard to read Prayers or preach, I took a journey to New Castle about New Years day which increas'd my Malady The Cold being very severe.
Mar. 19. I was wet to the Skin in a cold Rain after having felt a Pleuritic Pain in my right Side a Week whenever I cough'd.
Monday Mar 21. I was seiz'd with violent Vomiting & bleeding at the mouth the Shock having burst an Artery or a Vein Dr Fisher applied & administred several Remedies as Stypticks Emollients &c But on Tuesday Apl 19 Was oblig'd to take from me at least 24 oz of Blood. I am now under a Rule of Fasting, but in a weak Condition.
Misere mei domine & uxoris & liberorum & Jesum Christum Med- icum Animae & Corporis maximum, Amen.
Written on St Georges Day Apl 23 being Saturday in the latter end of the 40 year of my age.
Me adhuc egroto & aere perfrigido
Non adhuc recit ver vix signum verio.
Written on my Birth Day Apl 25 1737 being exactly 40 years of age I was born at Over Peover in Cheshire on Sunday at noon St Marks day Anno 1697.
Written on Saturday Apl 29, 1738
I was 41 Years of Age 4 days ago, I recovered of my above men- coned Malady in May last. Laus Deo soli. The Spring is forward The trees loaded with Leaves and Blossoms & the Earth cloathed with Grass this 29 Apl 1738 Nora. Penna.
Written on my Birthday Apl 25 1741 Aged 44 years Bona salute Laus Deo.
Address of the Clergy to Governor Thomas.
MAY IT PLEASE YOR HONR .- We the Clergy of the Ch of England licens'd for the Province of Pennsylvania beg leave to take this Op- portunity of congratulating you upon your being appointed Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania & of the 3 Lower Counties on Dela- ware, and upon your safe arrival among us. We have no reason to doubt from your known Character of Justice & Integrity but yt you will encourage & protect us in the due discharge of our Sacred Function as your Worthy Predecessors have done to whose memory we owe all just gratitude and we doubt not of being happy under your wise and mild Administration as we have been under theirs We declare ourselves to be sincerely attatched to the British Constitution both in Church & State and to the present Happy Establishmt We have no private designs in view. No particular Faction to carry on. No party to promote in contradiction to the Laws, and the British Government and we hope those cannot be accounted the worst Subjects who readily
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ECCLESIASTICAL RECORDS.
embrace every part of our Happy Constitution. Our Duty is un- doubtedly to pray for the King as Supreme, and for Governors as them yt are sent by him for the Punishment of Evil doers & the praise of them that do well. To promote the Xn Rel by serving God with discretion as well as zeal. To promote the Happiness of our Governor by teaching the people under our Care the duty they owe to those whom God has placed in Authority over them and to instruct them to live quiet & peaceable Lives in all Godliness & Honesty.
This Sr with the Devine Blessing and Assistance shall be the Con- stant care & Indeavor of
Yor Honours Most Obedt & Most Hum Servts
LEWES-TOWN, July 30, 1737.
Letter to Dr. Humphreys.
REVD SIR .- It is very fit that I give you an Acct of the State of my Parish not having troubled you with a letter for some consider- able Time past. The Reason whereof is yt in general our religious Affairs are in a good measure in a Prosperous Condition Besides that in the beginning of the year I was visited with a dangerous Pleurisie which confined me to my house for 8 weeks and it was generally be- lieved would have carry'd me off. But God was merciful to me & has restored me to my former State of Health, so yt I have been able for 2 months past to attend the duties of my Mission as usual. I con- tracted this disease by too adventerously exposing myself to the severities of a very Cold Winter Season in distant parts of the County where the Hon Society has placed me. We having 4 Churches & large Congregations yt zealously attend the Worship of God, I thought it would be a shame for the Priest to stay at Home notwithstanding the Rigor of the Season when the people show'd so much zeal & read- iness to attend the Service of God.
To give you one Short Instance of the Success of my Labours thro' the Blessing of God, In the last Month (July) I baptis'd in the several Churches of this County 41 children which is no extraordinary number for the Time in a Summer Season. On the last Sunday but one I baptiz'd 12 children of the above Number On Whitsunday last at one of my Churches I had 21 Communicants. During the time of my Sickness for 3 Sundays I was utterly unable to do any thing the rest of the Sabbaths I was able to read Prayers & a Sermon of some Devine on that day when my Parishoners came to my House to visit me, During wch time I baptiz'd several Infants & 3 Adults.
There is no Missionary nor Clergyman of the Ch of England within 60 miles distant from Lewes so yt in my troubles, I have been called on in my journeys to baptize whole Families several Times. We labour under only 2 discouragements here, The first is (only) from our own People who tho' they freely attend Divine Worship yet are hardly induced to subscribe towards our Maintenance And (the second is) when they have subscrib'd they are hardly brought to pay us without a Law Suit which is a Remedy yt we apprehend might prob- ably obstruct the good intents of our Mission & therefore is seldom made use of.
The second is Our Governmt is under the Influence of the Quakers, And as our President has taken upon him (as our Governors did
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SOME RECORDS OF SUSSEX COUNTY.
formerly) to grant Marriage Licences so he has contrary to former usage lodg'd them in the Hands of Laymen of his own kidney or under his Immediate Influence To whom we are obliged to apply with much Ceremony and no small charge to our Parishoners to ob- tain a Marriage Licence I need to say no more on this Head than to desire to compare their avow'd Principles & Practices on this Point We find no Cause for this Evil but Patience. To prevent being further tedious I have no more to add but that I beg leave to remain Reverend Sr Your most Obliged & most Obed Servt
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