USA > Virginia > Augusta County > Augusta County > Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, with reminiscences illustrative of the vicissitudes of its pioneer settlers (A Supplement) > Part 37
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A new "Commission of the Peace " was issued by the Governor in the fall of 1741, and on the 3d of November the Justices were sworn in. Among them were John Lewis, James Patton, and John Buchanan, all of whom sat in court that day.
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William Beverley qualified as County Lieutenant of Orange and also of Augusta, November 3, 1741.
Under date of November 27, 1741, we find some items of general in- terest, viz :
The Grand Jury presented "Jonathan Gibson of the Parish of St. Thomas, Gent., for not frequenting his parish church for the space of two months last past, on ye information of the Rev. Richard Hartswell." Mr. Gibson immediately appeared in court, confessed judgment, and "it was considered by the court that he pay the church wardens of St. Thomas parish ten shillings current money, or one hundred pounds of tobacco." There were two or more parishes in Orange county at that time. In one of these (St. Mark's) Augusta was included till 1745. St. Thomas's parish was mainly in what is now Madison county.
On the same day, and also on the information of Mr. Hartswell, the following presentments were made : Richard Cross, James Picket and Thomas Wood, for not frequenting their parish church; and Tully Joices, Bartholomew Baker and Jonathan Henning, "for swearing an oath, each, on the 23d of this instant, November, 1741."
" Thereupon, on the information of Tully Joices, the jury presented the Rev. Richard Hartswell, of ye parish of St. Thomas, for being drunk on the 23d instant "-the day the swearing was done. This was evi- dently a spiteful proceeding on Tully's part. What came of the pre- sentment we failed to discover.
Bishop Meade could not ascertain the name of the first minister of St. Thomas parish. On page 85, Vol. II, he says : " At that time " [1740] "an old Scotch minister of the Episcopal Church, whose name I have not been able to ascertain, but who, it seems, was fond of good cheer and a game of cards, officiated regularly at the church." Mr. Hartswell was doubtless the person referred to.
James Patton qualified as "Colonel of Augusta County," May 27, 1742.
On June 24, 1742, John Buchanan, John Smith, Samuel Gay, James Cathrey and John Christian qualified as captains of militia ; and John Moffett and William Evans as lieutenants. On the same day the fol- lowing constables were appointed, viz : John Stevenson, Thomas Turk, James Allen, Patrick Martin, John Gay and James Cole.
Many deeds executed by Beverley and Borden, respectively, were admitted.to record in the fatter part of 1742, and the number of suits had greatly increased.
On the 27th of November, 1742, the "inhabitants of Borden's Tract " petitioned for a road to Wood's Gap, and the Court ordered that the road be " cleared from James Young's through Timber Grove."
A new "Commission of the Peace " was issued in November, 1742, and still another in May, 1743, in both of which Colonels Lewis and Pat- ton were included.
At November Court, 1742, several Indians, arrested " for terrifying one Lawrence Strother and on suspicion of stealing hogs," were ordered into custody, their guns to be taken from them "till they are ready to
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depart out of the county, they having declared their intention to depart out of this colony within a week."
On February 26, 1743, John Pendergrass, for not attending bis parish church, was fined ten shillings, or one hundred pounds of tobacco, payable to the churchwardens. In the Valley nothing of this kind was done during the time of the religious establishment. The settlers of the Valley, coming in as Dissenters, had ample "toleration"; but in other parts of the colony, people claimed as belonging to the Established Church, and forsaking its services, were subjected to the sort of disci- pline referred to.
In 1743, Beverley prosecuted suits against James Bell, Patrick Camp- bell and George Robertson, of Augusta.
On the 23d of February, 1744, James Patton qualified as collector of duties "in that part of Orange called Augusta."
On the same day, Peter Scholl and others living on Smith's creek (now Rockingham) petitioned the Court, setting forth that they were required to work on a road thirty miles distant from their plantations, and praying for a new road nearer home. Evidently there was no road within thirty miles of Peter Scholl's dwelling. That, however, did not trouble him and his neighbors so much as the fact that they had to go so far to work, which was a hardship. The petition was granted
Peter Scholl was one of the first justices of Augusta county in 1745. A man of the same name, and probably the same person, was living in Kentucky, in 1776, intimately associated with Daniel Boone. He is spoken of as Boone's nephew in-law. (See Collins's History of Ken- tucky.)
May 24, 1744, Jane Breckenridge, widow of Alexander Breckenridge, in open court relinquished her right to administer on the estate of her deceased husband, in favor of her son, George, who entered into bond, etc. Think of the venerable matron having to travel from her home near Staunton to Orange Courthouse for such a purpose! The writer of these notes is naturally indignant, as Mrs. Breckenridge was his great- great-great-grand-mother.
James Trimble was appointed constable in place of James Anderson, February 28, 1744. This was probably the James Trimble who became deputy surveyor of Augusta in December, 1745.
At last we find a movement for a road through the Valley. On Feb- ruary 24, 1745, James Patton and John Buchanan reported that they had viewed the way from the Frederick county line "through that part of the county called Augusta, according to the order made last March," (which the writer failed to see) and the court ordered "that the said way be established a public road."
The last order of Orange Court in reference to Augusta, or her people, was entered at November term, 1745. when Angusta's part of the cost of running the line between the two counties was fixed at £32 5s. 9d.
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THE REV. JOHN CRAIG AND HIS TIMES.
For an account of the Rev. John Craig see page 20.
In reference to Mr. Craig's personal history we have little to add; but that enthusiastic antiquarian, Major J. M. McCue, having brought to light a record book kept by the pioneer minister for nine years, we find in it sundry items of more or less interest.
The title of the book, as written by the minister himself, is as follows : "A record of the names of the children baptized by the Rev. John Craig, both in his own and in neighboring congregations, where God in His Providence ordered his labors." It, however, embraces other things besides the record of baptisms. The writer was too busy to think of style, and some of the entries are the more interesting because of their quaintness and crudity.
The first child baptized in the county by Mr. Craig was Elizabeth, daughter of Jeremiah Williams, October 5, 1740. On October 26th, Samuel, son of William Logan, was baptized; and on the 28th, Mary, daughter of John Preston. Jean, daughter of Robert McClanahan, was baptized December 8, 1740, and this child, on growing up, became the wife of Alexander St. Clair, who is often mentioned in the ANNALS.
James Bell's twins, William and James, were baptized December 12, 1740. They were of the Long Glade family. William was killed in battle during the Revolutionary War.
At the close of the first year, Mr. Craig writes: "The year being ended, the whole number baptized by me is one hundred and thirty- three : sixty-nine males and sixty-four females. Glory to God who is daily adding members to His visible church !"
It appears from Mr. Craig's record, as well as elsewhere, that there was a low state of morals amongst the white servants brought into the county before the Revolution. This is not to be wondered at, as many of such persons were criminals brought over under sentence of transpor- tation. But good people appear to have sought to rear the children of the convicts under religious influences. On January 20, 1742, "Mr. James Patton stood sponsor for a child baptized, named Henry, born in his house of a convict servant, a base person ; could not be brought to tell who was the father, notwithstanding all means used."
Robert, son of Robert Young, was baptized January 22, 1742, and Mr. Craig notes that he was "born with teeth."
William Johnston's son, Zachariah, was baptized September 26, 1742, and his son, Joseph, April 21, 1745 (see page 200).
In the second year the number of baptisms was eighty-two, and tlie record is followed by another ascription of praise to God.
Under date of December 19, 1742, we find: "This day the news of the Indian rebellion and the death of our friends by their hands, came
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to our ears." The allusion is to the massacre of John McDowell and his companions in the Forks of James river (see pages 31, 32). There was, however, no Indian rebellion. A party of Indians returning from Williamsburg, under some sudden impulse or possibly provocation, fired upon the whites, and then, frightened at their act, ran away as fast as they could.
David Logan's child, Benjamin, was baptized by Mr. Craig, May 3, 1743. This child became the distinguished General Logan of Kentucky. (See elsewhere in this Supplement).
On the 26th June, 1743, several children were baptized at North Mountain Meeting-house, and on the 30th, eight at South Mountain Meeting-house. The latter place may have been the predecessor of Tinkling Spring, or it may have been in the present county of Rock- bridge. The names of the children baptized there were Hays, Greenlee, Dunlap, Crawford, Breckenridge, etc.
The child of a woman "lately from Ireland," bound to John Pickens, was baptized December 10, 1743. Mrs. Eleanor Pickens stood sponsor, her husband being abroad. From 1740 to 1749, inclusive, various chil- dren of Israel, John and Gabriel Pickens were baptized. (See page 28).
James Robertson's son, Alexander, was baptized January 10, 1744.
On the 15th of January, 1744, David Campbell's child, Arthur, was baptized. This was . the widely known and distinguished Colonel Arthur Campbell. (See page 98).
James Trimble's son, John, was baptized March 18, 1744, and James Robertson's son, George, April 24, 1744. (See "The Trimbles " and "The Robertsons ").
Mr. Craig pursued his calling wherever he went. Under date of June I, 1744, he says : " Being at Synod " [of Philadelphia] "I baptized three children in Pennsylvania."
Elizabeth Herison, " an adult person," was baptized July 27, 1744, and the following children at the dates mentioned : John Pickens's son, Israel, October 1, 1744; Thomas Stuart's son, Archibald, and Edward Hall's daughter, Jennet, February 12, 1745; John Crawford's son, William, March 21, 1745; and David Logan's son, Hugh, March 24, 1745.
William Renix was baptized June 2, 1745, and his brother, Joshua, in October, 1746. These were children of Robert Renix, who was killed by Indians in 1761, and his wife and children carried off. (See page 107). William returned from captivity with his mother in 1767. Joshua remained with the Indians, and became a chief of the Miamis.
Next we have the date of the first meeting at Tinkling Spring. After recording the baptism of Samuel Davison's child, Jesse, April 14, 1745, Mr. Craig says, in words expressive of his dissatisfaction with the place and the people : "This being the first day we meet at the contentious meeting-house about half built-T. S."
The " contention," to which Colonel Patton was a party (see page 44), was then vexing Mr. Craig's soul. He mentions, however, June 9, 1745, "This day Colonel Patton appeared at meeting."
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On September 1, 1745, Charles Campbell's son, William, was baptized. This child became the celebrated General William Campbell, of King's Mountain fame, the maternal grandfather of William C. Preston, of South Carolina. (See " The Campbell's.")
February 26, 1746, was "a fast day appointed by the Governor upon ye account of ye civil war." The war referred to was doubtless the re- bellion in Great Britain stirred up by Charles Edward, son of the Pre- tender to the British throne, which began in 1745, and was ended by the battle of Culloden, April 16, 1746.
At North Mountain Meeting-house, June 1, 1746, among the children baptized were John Trimble's son, James, and Alexander Crawford's son, Willianı. It is an interesting coincidence that John Trimble and Alexander Crawford were both murdered by Indians in October, 1764, and probably on the same day, as related elsewhere. John Trimble's son, James, mentioned above, probably died in childhood, and another child called by the same name, born in 1756, became Captain James Trimble.
John Madison, the first clerk of the County Court of Augusta county, and father of Bishop Madison, was no doubt a member of the Church of England ; but, no rector having been appointed for Augusta parish, his son Thomas was baptized by Mr. Craig in October, 1746.
David Stuart and Abigal Herrison, "adult persons," were "bap- tized, after profession of faith and obedience," January 21, 1747.
Thomas Stuart's child, Jennet, was baptized February 22, 1747. This was probably the "Miss Jenny Stuart," a very old maiden lady, who was residing in Staunton within the recollection of persons still living.
Mr. Craig's record shows that there were repeated lapses from the path of virtue, and not alone by the class of "convict servants." It would not be to edification to set these matters forth in detail. The civil magistrates were rigid in the enforcement of laws against immor- ality, and the minister of religion faithfully performed his duty in the premises as he understood it. "Public satisfaction " was required of delinquents before they were allowed to have their children baptized.
The first rector of Augusta parish was the Rev. John Hindman, who was appointed April 6, 1747. (See page 34.) We have no account of him before that date. But he seems to have been a Dissenter and an old acquaintance of Mr. Craig, who mentions him curtly, April 5, 1747, as follows : "This day John Hindman attend, having turned his coat and now appears in the quality of a Church of England parson."
Robert McClanahan's son, Robert, was baptized April 19, 1747. He became Dr. Robert McClanahan, married a daughter of Thomas Lewis, removed (after 1770) to the part of Botetourt now Greenbrier, was cap- tain in the Botetourt regiment under Colonel Fleming in 1774, and killed at the battle of Point Pleasant.
John Tate's child, Eleanor, was baptized at North Mountain Meeting house, November 5, 1747 ; and Joseph Bell's child, Mary, February 21, I748.
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Andrew Lewis's son, Samuel, was baptized September 15, 1748, and became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Revolutionary War. 1
James Crawford's son, Alexander, and Patrick Crawford's daughter, Martha, were baptized in November, 1748.
Robert McClanahan's child, William, was baptized January 10, 1749. He was the father of Colonel Elisha McClanahan, of Roanoke.
On January 22, 1749, Mr. Craig makes the following entry : " This the first day we meet in and preach in Augusta meeting-house." It is gen- erally supposed that this refers to the stone meeting-house which is still standing and used by the congregation. We are not sure of that, how- ever; the entry may refer to a log building which preceded the stone house.
During the year 1749, besides his regular preaching places, Augusta and Tinkling Spring, Mr. Craig administered baptism at North Moun- tain, South Mountain, "Timber Grove," North River, near Great Lick, Calf Pasture and Cow Pasture.
The last entry in the book is dated September 28, 1749. During the nine preceding years the number of baptisms was 883, -463 males and 420 females. Mr. Craig could not say with the Apostle Paul that he was sent "not to baptize, but to preach the gospel," although he too, no doubt, preached whenever and wherever he could.
According to Mr. Craig's account of himself, he married, June II, 1744, "a young gentlewoman of a good family and character, born and brought up in the same neighborhood where I was born, daughter of Mr. George Russel, by whom 1 had ninechildren." The first, third and fifth children died young, and another must have died after the narrative was written, as we can learn of only five of his children who came to maturity.
His only son was named George. He married a Miss Kennerly, and removed to Kanawha. The daughters of Mr. Craig were-
I. Patience, wife of William Hamilton. This couple had three sons and five daughters, viz. :
1. John C. Hamilton, married Sally Craig-no relation. The late William and John Hamilton, of Christian's creek, were sons of John and Sally.
2. Hugh Hamilton, married Betsy, daughter of Samuel Clark, of Staunton. He went to Missouri and died there. His son, Dr. William Hamilton, was long an assistant physician at the Western Lunatic Asylum.
3. Andrew Hamilton, married Nancy Craig-no relation.
II. Mary Craig, daughter of the Rev. John Craig, married Charles Baskin, who was baptized by Mr. Craig, March 15, 1741. Captain Baskin, as he was called, was badly wounded at the battle of Guilford, in 1781. He had two children, Captain John C. Baskin, of the war of 1812, and a daughter, who married William Grimes.
III. Joanna Craig, married John Hamilton, a brother of William, hus- band of Patience. No children.
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IV. The name of Mr. Craig's fourth daughter is not known. She married an Atwater, and had two children : John; who died in service during the war of 1812, and Hannah, who married George Craig, of Putnam county.
GABRIEL JONES, THE KING'S ATTORNEY.
Gabriel Jones was the son of John and Elizabeth Jones, of the county of Montgomery, North Wales. At what date this couple came to America is not known. They settled at Williamsburg, Virginia, and on the 13th of August, 1721, their first child, a daughter named Elizabeth, was born in William and Mary College. Nearly three years later, on May 17, 1724, Gabriel was born, about three miles from Williamsburg. Another son, named John, was born at the same place, June 12, 1725.
John Jones, the father, apppears to have died before the year 1727. Mrs. Jones and her children were in England at the beginning of that year, and on February 20th her daughter was baptized at St. Giles-in- the-Fields, London, as shown by the parish record.
In April, 1732, Gabriel was admitted as a scholar of the "Blue Coat School," Christ's Hospital, London, on the presentation of Mr. Thomas Sandford. There he remained seven years. Under date of April 12, 1739, the following entry appears on the records of the school :
"Gabriel Jones is this day taken and discharged from the charges of this Hospital forever, by Elizabeth Jones, his mother, and by Mr. John Houghton, of Lyon's Inn, in the county of Middlesex, Solicitor in the High Court of Chancery, with whom he is to serve six years."
This brings his history up to 1745, in which year his mother died. Having served out his term of apprenticeship, the young lawyer, then twenty-one years of age, was no doubt "admitted to the bar." The family were of " gentle blood," but in reduced circumstances. One of Mr. Jones's descendants preserves some old coin, on the paper wrap- ping of which is written in his own hand: "This is the patrimony I re- ceived from my mother. From my father I received nothing." As early as 1750 he used the same crest and coat-of-arms as Sir William Jones, indicating a relationship with that celebrated man.
Gabriel Jones found means to return to America soon after he at- tained his majority and was "free of his indentures." He located first in Frederick county, and on March 1, 1747, bought a tract of land near Kernstown, where he lived for a time. He resided in Frederick in April, 1746, when he was appointed prosecuting attorney for Augusta, and was then only twenty-two years old.
On the 16th of October, 1749, Mr. Jones married Margaret Morton, widow of George Morton, and daughter of William Strother, of King George county. Mrs. Jones was born in 1726, and died in 1822,in her
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ninety-seventh year. She is described as a lady of eminent Christian character.
A deed of Christopher Francisco, of Pennsylvania, to Gabriel Jones, of the county of Frederick, dated August 8, 1751, is recorded in the clerk's office of Augusta county. The land conveyed consisted of 244 acres, being a part of 5,000 acres granted by patent to Jacob Stover, lying on the north side of "Shenandore River," in the parish and county of Augusta, and " opposite to the lower end of the Great Island." This was the farm below the present village of Port Republic, upon which Mr. Jones lived many years, and where he died. He was still a resident of Frederick, however, on the 24th of August, 1753, when Alexander Richie conveyed to him 400 acres of land on the north side of James River in the present county of Botetourt. He sold his Frederick property, on which he had lived, December 3, 1753, and probably before the close of that year removed to his farm on the Shenandoah, in Augusta.
If not the first lawyer who resided in the Valley, Mr. Jones was the first member of that profession who lived in Augusta. He was actively engaged in practice for many years. As we have seen (pages 35, 36), he also represented Augusta in the House of Burgesses in 1757, 1758 and 1771. He was considered a man of great ability and unbending integrity. His only fault, or the only one which tradition tells of, was an extremely irritable temper, which, when aroused, expressed itself in the strongest terms he could command, mingled with no little profanity. Having a scorn of all dishonesty and meanness, he did not spare a miscreant by tongue or pen. Two of his letters are before us. In one he describes a certain person, whose trickery he was exposing, as "one of the greatest villains," etc., etc. The other is dated July 28, 1782, and was written, when .he was sick, to his son-indeed, from his own account he was " very low "-but he summoned strength enough to denounce a man about whom he wrote as a " scoundrel " and "infamous rascal." Yet at the close of this letter he expressed the tenderest affection for his son's wife.
When Rockingham was constituted, in 1777, Mr. Jones became a citi- zen of that county, and was immediately appointed prosecuting attorney. He was a member of the State Convention of 1788, having his brother- in-law, Thomas Lewis, as his colleague, both of them being zealous advocates of the adoption of the Federal Constitution. Mr. Lewis was a popular man while Mr. Jones was not, and it is related that in a public speech before the election, the latter declined the support of " the rascals " who, he understood, proposed to vote for him because of his association with the former. Archibald Stuart, of Augusta, went to Rockingham to electioneer for Mr. Jones, who afterwards presented to him a chaise in which to bring home his wife.
He continued to practice law, and the road he traveled, from his resi- dence to the county seat of Rockingham, is still called "The Lawyer's Road." An anecdote related of him, whether true or false, illustrates the awe he inspired in his latter days. It is said that on one occasion,
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during the trial of a cause before the County Justices of Rockingham, or Shenandoah, he had Alexander Hugh Holmes, afterwards the Judge, as his adversary at the bar. Holmes was mischievous and witty, and the old gentleman became angry and profane. The court abstained from interfering as long as possible, but finally put their heads together to confer about the matter. After due consideration, the Presiding Justice announced as the judgment of the court that they would send Lawyer Holmes to jail if he did not quit making Lawyer Jones swear so.
Mr. Jones died in October, 1806. Having always pictured him as a. giant in size and strength, we were surprised to learn that he was a man of small stature. His portrait represents him in the old style of dress, with a large wig, and a shade over his right eye. Some of his descendants suppose that he lost his eye during his early life, and others attribute the loss to an accident during his latter years. In the spring of 1887, a window, in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, was inserted by their descendants in a new Protestant Episcopal church, which stands near their former residence.
The children of Gabriel Jones were three daughters and one son, besides one that died in infancy. Margaret Morton, the oldest daughter, married Colonel John Harvie, for some time a member of Congress and for many years Register of the Land Office of Virginia. The descend- ants of Colonel and Mrs. Harvie are very numerous, and many of them have been highly distinguished. Another daughter married John Lewis, of Fredericksburg, a lawyer, whose brother married a sister of General Washington ; and the third married Mr. Hawkins, of Kentucky.
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