USA > Virginia > Henrico County > Henrico County > Annals of Henrico parish > Part 8
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On May 17th a meeting of the congregation was held in the Church to give them an opportunity to express their views and feelings in regard to the matter; whereupon a committee was appointed, consisting of J. S. Moore, F. P. Gretter, D. C. Richardson, F. J. Craigie, and George L. Currie,
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which presented the following resolutions, which were unani- mously adopted, and it was further ordered, "That the secre- tary be requested to send a copy thereof to the rector, who was then absent at Winchester, Va., and to enter a copy of the same on the Church records, according to custom, and to publish the same in the Southern Churchman":
"It having come to the knowledge of this congregation that our beloved rector, Rev. Lewis William Burton, has received a most flattering call to St. Andrew's Church, in Louisville, Ky., and has the same under present consideration, we desire hereby to express our sincere affection for him personally, and our hearty appreciation of his earnest and devoted conse- cration of time and talents to this congregation and com- munity, as well as to every good work in this city and the Diocese of Virginia.
Confident that in reaching a decision upon this most im- portant question our beloved rector will be actuated only by a high sense of duty as to where lies his field of greater use- fulness, we would place before him in detail the great work that by the blessing of Almighty God he has conducted with such signal success-
1. The congregation of old St. John's has been growing steadily under his faithful ministry.
2. A flourishing mission in Fulton, known as Weddell Memorial Mission.
3. A mission in the Valley, known as Calvary Mission.
4. A colored mission, known as the Good Shepherd Mis- sion.
5. His position as Vice-President of the Richmond City Missionary Society.
6. His position as one of the examining chaplains of the Diocese of Virginia.
7. His prominence in the James River Convocation.
8. His position and relations to the clergy of the city, both 'in our Church and those of other denominations.
9. The high estimation in which he is held by the com- munity at large.
Believing that there can be no broader field for his faithful labors, and none where they can be more needed or more highly appreciated, we trust that he may be so guided by the
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Holy Spirit that he may still find his path of duty to lie in our midst, and we pledge our continued and increased efforts to the upholding of his hands in his many and arduous duties. [Signed] J. S. MOORE,
F. P. GRETTER,
D. C. RICHARDSON,
F. J. CRAIGIE,
GEO. L. CURRIE,
Committee.
To these public protests were added the pleadings of indi- viduals-many of them special friends. The difficulty of our rector's deciding as to the course of duty and the pain in determining to remove from St. John's cannot well be imagined. In the mean time hope and doubt beset the con- gregation. It was with no little apprehension and anxiety that the congregation assembled on Sunday, May 21, 1893, when our beloved rector, with a care-worn face, showing the great strain he had undergone, announced his text (I. Samuel 20: 22, 23) : "Go thy way ; for the Lord hath sent thee away. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold the Lord be between thee and me forever." The fear, the premonition of our loss, was confirmed, and before the sermon was ended tears, from eyes not accustomed to weep, could be seen trickling down the cheeks of many present.
The congregation accepted the inevitable, fully satisfied that our rector had been influenced and actuated solely by his sense of duty. The bond, of sympathy, the ties of affection, of congeniality and spirituality were at last to be severed. It was deeply affecting when each in turn the congregation approached the chancel and shook his hand and bade him good-bye; but the affection and regard in which Mr. Burton is held by the congregation of St. John's Church has been strongly evinced since he left us.
At a meeting held on the 14th of October, 1894, a commit- tee was appointed to "draft resolutions expressive of the sympathy of the Church with its former beloved rector, who had recently been called to mourn the death of his honored father."
At a meeting of the Vestry held December 10, 1895, the
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Vestry tendered "their heartfelt congratulations to Rev. Lewis William Burton on his election to the Bishopric of the Diocese of Lexington, Ky."
At a meeting of the Vestry held May 5, 1896, and again October 4, 1896, motions were offered and unanimously carried "cordially inviting Rt. Rev. Lewis William Burton to visit and preach at our Church at any time that it may suit his convenience." Since Mr. Burton has left us he has on two occasions accepted these invitations. He has on each of these occasions been welcomed with open heart and out- stretched arms and with a love that can only be severed by death, and that will linger in the countless realms of eter- nity. To sum up Mr. Burton's administration, when he came to St. John's, 1884, he found the Church not only in debt, but its revenues insufficient to meet current expenses. He found that the contingent fund had not been paid in full for some years. He established two thriving and prosperous missions. When he left us the Church was entirely out of debt, the contingent fund fully paid up, and the congregation largely increased in numbers.
Mr. Burton, in his "Succession of Ministers of Henrico Parish," has an interregnum of sixty-six years between Thos. Bargrave and James Blair, and one of thirty-five years be- tween George Robinson and James Keith. These hiatuses, we think, are partially filled by the records from Henrico county court-house. The records show that previous to 1716, one, the Rev. Jacob Ware, was minister of Henrico Parish for a period of twenty years. The same records also show that in 1701 Claude Philippe de Richebourg* is mentioned as minister of Henrico Parish. The Rev. William Fenney or Finney is also mentioned as minister of Henrico Parish, June 5, 1727 ; the last named was an M. A. of Glasgow Uni- versity.
The Rev. R. A. Goodwin, of Petersburg, was called to St. John's Church by the Vestry June 8, 1893. Mr. Goodwin accepted the call June 19, 1893, to assume the rectorship on the 15th of September next, on which date he assumed charge of St. John's, where he has been and is now laboring
*C. Philippe de Richebourg was minister in charge of the Huguenot Church at Manakin Town, on James river, 1707-1711.
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faithfully and efficiently in the cause of Christ. His interest in the missions established by Mr. Burton has manifested it- self in earnest zeal and untiring efforts. In fact, he took up the entire work of the Church just where Mr. Burton left off, and the spiritual and material welfare and machinery of the Church has known no diminution or change. His faithful- ness at the bedside of the sick, his constant attendance and sympathy when in trouble amongst the bereaved, who have been bowed down with grief, has been one of the character- istics of his personality and his ministerial functions. His earnestness, his thorough consecration to duty, his sincere piety have endeared him to old St. John's, and have bound him to the congregation with the strongest ties of respect and affection. One of the first suggestions made by Mr. Goodwin to the Vestry was one looking to the establishment of a per- manent endowment fund for the support of missions, which, however, has only met with partial success. It was also at his suggestion and urgent appeal in 1895 that a deaconess was employed (the first in the history of the Church in Vir= ginia), whose duty is to visit the poor and the sick of the parish, to make known their necessities and minister to their wants, all which has resulted in much good and has been of material assistance to him in his labors. Bishop Whittle thought so well of this appointment that in his report to the Council in 1897, he says : "In St. John's Church, Richmond, I had the great satisfaction of setting apart Miss Mary E. Jones for the office and work of a deaconess, she being the first of this order in the Diocese; the service was most solemn and impressive."
The memorial tablet that now hangs on the walls of the Church to the Rev. Robert Rose was placed with consent of the Vestry by his lineal descendants in February, 1894. The organ, which for many years stood in the gallery of the Church, was moved to the main floor of the Church in June, 1894.
A legacy for Weddell mission, amounting to $739.54, from the late W. J. Cussens, of Richmond, was received June 6, 1894, by the Vestry ; the amount left by his will was $1,000, but as some of his heirs were not of age and the adult legatees tendered this amount in settlement, sooner than resort to
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litigation, the Vestry accepted this amount and the trustees were authorized to expend $39.54 of this sum on Weddell Chapel, and to invest the remainder at interest.
At a meeting of the Vestry held October 2, 1894, the fol- lowing letter was read and entered on the minutes:
31 WEST 33D ST., NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 1894. To the Vestry of St. John's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Va .:
GENTLEMEN,-On November 26, 1881, a tombstone by Messrs. Rogers & Miller, of your city, was placed, at my re- quest and expense, in St. John's Church yard to mark the grave of Governor John Page, of Virginia. It is near the south entrance to the Church.
Without my knowledge or instruction (until I heard of it too late) a so-called coat-of-arms was made on the tomb- stone, a thing as ridiculous as it is incorrect.
The foot-stone was also placed at the side of the walk in- stead of in it, with the initials facing the iron railing on Grace street, instead of facing the head piece.
I respectfully and earnestly request that your honorable body allow and authorize me to make the proper corrections in the matter in the presence of witnesses, if necessary.
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) RICHARD CHANNING MOORE PAGE, M. D.
P. S .- I respectfully refer you to Major John Page, at Beaver Dam P. O., Hanover county, Va.
The Vestry having no authority over the grounds, no ac- tion was taken except to acknowledge the letter, and to sug- gest to Mr. Page that he apply to the Council Committee on St. John's Church Yard.
A called meeting of the Vestry was held after morning service Sunday, September 1, 1895, and suitable resolutions adopted expressing the sympathy of the Vestry and congrega- tion with our bereaved pastor in his deep affliction, occasioned by the death of his beloved wife. As an evidence of the affection in which our pastor's wife was held, an endowment fund of $200, to be known as a memorial to Mrs. Mary E. Goodwin, was raised by the congregation and turned over to the trustees for investment. December 10th of the same
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year, Miss Emma Lacy requested that she or her adminis- trator be allowed to place a memorial window in St. John's Church to her parents and brother, to cost not less than $500, subject, "The Transfiguration," which was granted on con- dition that the design be first approved by the rector and Vestry.
Subsequently the family of Mr. James W. Shields, for many years a Vestryman and Senior Warden of the Church, made a similar request, which was granted on the same con- ditions.
At a meeting of the Vestry held June 2, 1896, a letter was received from Lewis H. Blair, Thomas M. Rutherfoord and A. Beirne Blair, grandsons of Geddes Winston, requesting permission "to replace the present tombstone erected to their ancestor, Geddes Winston, who died June 9, 1784, * * which is about to fall to pieces from age." This letter was referred to the Council Committee on St. John's Church Yard.
The spire of St. John's Church having been blown down by the hurricane that passed over the city Tuesday night, September 29, 1896, at a meeting of the Vestry held October 6th, it was resolved that a tower similar to the one shown in a picture in the possession of Mr. W. W. Davies be erected (this being the original tower), and this tower to be sur- mounted by a cross. It was also resolved at this meeting that the Vestry be constituted a committee with the assist- ance of the presidents of the various societies of the Church to solicit subscriptions to build the tower called for by the resolutions of the Vestry. It was not only decided to replace the steeple, but to paint the interior and the exterior of the Church, also to take out the lights in the windows and re- place the same with cathedral glass.
The following is the report of the committee :
To the Vestry of St. John's Church:
As chairman of the Committee on Repairs of St. John's Church, I have the honor to submit the following report :
On the night of the 29th of September last our city was visited by one of the most terrific wind storms ever known in this vicinity. Trees that had long stood the storms of many
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years were uprooted, houses unroofed, telegraph and tele- phone poles blown down, steeples tottered and fell, and great alarm and uneasiness was felt throughout the whole city. When the sun rose next morning a scene of desolation and wreck met the eye everywhere.
Our tower was dismantled of its steeple, the graves in our church yard encumbered with falling limbs and the walk- ways strewn with the debris of uprooted trees. Fortu- nately the steeple fell outward; had it fallen upon or into our sacred old building, it would have crushed it to atoms, but an All-Wise Providence so ruled the storm that our old building was preserved intact. Immediately after the storm our venerable Senior Warden, the late James W. Shields, who has now gone to his eternal rest, was upon the grounds, and by his thoughtful and energetic attention, such tempo- rary repairs were made as the exigencies of the occasion sug- gested and required.
At the regular meeting of the Vestry, the following com- mittee was appointed-viz : Rev. R. A. Goodwin, James W. Shields, Cyrus Bossieux, John F. Mayer, F. J. Craigie, Dr. L. C. Crump, and J. S. Moore. At a subsequent meeting of this committee it organized by the election of J. S. Moore as chairman. This committee was authorized to restore the tower and make such other repairs as it deemed necessary. In addition to the restoration of the tower, your committee was authorized to beautify the Church by substituting stained glass in the windows for the ordinary lights ; to have the Church building and the two Sunday school houses re- paired and painted. Each member of the Vestry was con- stituted a committee, with the assistance of such other mem- bers of the congregation as might aid in the enterprise, to raise funds for this object.
Your committee desire to congratulate the Vestry upon the completion of their labors; they also desire to return thanks to those who have so liberally contributed of their means in the restoration of our house of worship, and unite in asking that our report be received and your committee be dis- charged. We take pleasure in turning over to you the old Church in its new dress of spotless white, emblematic of that purity of heart and rectitude of life that should actuate and
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characterize its communicants ; your committee also, with, we trust, pardonable pride, calls attention to the beautiful and artistic windows that now ornament our Church, giving it that antique and sacred appearance that befits its ancient and time-honored walls, within whose hallowed precincts so many interesting events have occurred, not only in the history of the Church, but incidents notable and historic in the annals of the Commonwealth and of the nation; for it is well known that St. John's Church, on Richmond Hill, is not only the oldest colonial place of worship in our city, but bears the distinguished honor of having been the place in which the inspiring eloquence of a Henry aroused our people to resistance, which culminated in the birth of a nation ! Within its sacred enclosure, "where the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep," rest many of Virginia's distinguished sons, who there in their last and dreamless sleep await the resurrection morn. When, as is contemplated, our Church shall be further ornamented by the two memorial windows now bespoken, one in honor of our lamented Senior War- den and the other to the memory of the Lacy family, it will add very much to the beauty and harmony of the whole.
Your committee desire to call your attention to the fact that in repairing the tower they have dispensed with the steeple that recently adorned it, and have restored this part of our building to the shape and appearance it bore previous to 1863, when the tower was blown down by a high wind. The steeple has been replaced by a cupola, being a fac-simile of the old tower and belfry, modelled from a picture of this ancient edifice kindly loaned by Mr. W. W. Davies. Your committee earnestly trust that our old Church, which is the Mecca at whose shrine so many strangers pay their homage, and within whose walls so many who have passed over the river offered their devotion to Deity, may be spared many years in its ancient form, its simple architecture, its spotless purity, its untarnished reputation, standing as it does within its sacred necropolis, and that it may remain not only to light the beacon torch of liberty to future generations, but may continue as the alma mater of Christian faith noted for its piety, zeal and good works.
Respectfully submitted,
J. S. MOORE, Chairman.
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HISTORY HENRICO PARISH,
In 1898 a special committee was appointed by the Vestry, consisting of Mr. J. S. Moore, Chairman; Cyrus Bossieux, Senior Warden; Captain John F. Mayer, Junior Warden ; Dr. L. C. Crump and Mr. F. J. Craigie, to look into the cost of the needed repairs to the Church building, and the put- ting in of a ventilator, painting, calcimining or frescoing the walls, carpeting the aisles and chancel and varnishing the in- terior woodwork-the said committee to solicit bids for the proposed improvements and report to the Vestry. Under this resolution the Church was renovated and restored to its present condition. At this time the shingles were removed from the roof and tin substituted.
At a meeting of the Vestry held October 4, 1898, resolu- tions were adopted expressive of sorrow at the death of Mr. E. A. Saunders, "who for many years was connected with this Church as a communicant and Vestryman, in which connection, by his kindness of heart, his personal liberal nature, his sincere piety and devotion to duty, he won our love and esteem." A copy of these resolutions was ordered to be spread upon the minutes and a copy sent to his bereaved wife.
At a meeting of the Vestry held January 3, 1899, it was requested that the Brotherhood of St. Andrew of this Church furnish six of its members to act as ushers, to take up collec- tion on Sunday afternoon and at Wednesday night service, the object being to interest young men in Church work.
At a meeting of the Vestry March 14, 1899, a committee was appointed "to draft suitable resolutions of respect to our deceased friend and Vestryman, Dr. L. C. Crump," and that a copy of said resolutions be sent to the family and entered upon the minutes, which were adopted. During this year extensive repairs, costing about $1,200, were made to the rectory, rendering it more convenient and comfortable, and enhancing the value of the property.
At a meeting of the Vestry November 7, 1899, voluntary pledges for an indefinite period from four persons were made, amounting to $550, to pay the salary of an assistant at Wed- dell Chapel, and the Committee on Weddell were authorized to employ an assistant minister.
At a called meeting of the Vestry November 22, 1899, to
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consider the resignation of Miss (Bettie) E. A. Fitzwilson, the blind organist, on her proposed removal to New York, the following resolutions, offered by Mr. J. S. Moore, were unanimously adopted :
Whereas the Vestry of St. John's P. E. Church is in re- ceipt of the resignation of Miss E. A. Fitzwilson, who has served as organist for more than a quarter of a century :
Resolved, That the Vestry with deep regret accepts the same, begging to assure her of our high estimation of her faithful services through so many years, her lofty devotion to duty, her consecration of effort. The magic of her hand, the symphony of her mystic touch, will long linger in our hearts as a pleasant memory, a sacred benison, when her presence is no longer with us.
Resolved, That in the sad bereavement (the death of her sister and mother) that has been the occasion of her resig- nation, the Vestry tenders its sincere and heartfelt sympathy, and indulges the hope, in the providence of God, that in her new home amongst strangers in a strange land a happy fu- ture awaits her, and we trust she may find many friends and form pleasant ties and associations that will surround her and guard her with the same watchful care, the same tender af- fection, cordial appreciation and sincere good-will which she has ever enjoyed with her Richmond friends in old Henrico Parish.
Resolved, That these resolutions be entered on the minutes, and a copy of same be duly certified to Miss Fitzwilson under the signature of the rector and register.
Minutes on the death of Mrs. Caroline Shields, the wife of our late Senior Warden, James W. Shields, and one of the most faithful workers and liberal contributors to Church work, were made by the Vestry April 3, 1900. Of this saintly soul it was truly said :
" She never made a face grow dark,
Nor caused a tear save when she died."
At a Vestry meeting held January 1, 1901, Mr. J. S. Moore offered the following minute, which was adopted and placed on record :
"In sad remembrance of the ending of the nineteenth,
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and in joyful commemoration of the twentieth century, the rector and Wardens of old St. John's Church had the bell solemnly tolled for five minutes before 12 o'clock on the night of the 31st of December, 1900, and for five minutes after 12 o'clock on the morning of January 1, 1901, it was merrily rung-thus ringing a requiem to the dying year and century, and giving a glad greeting to the new; and as the bell tolled sad and low we could hear it speak in tones reluctant :
" Old year, you must not die ; You came to us so readily, You lived with us steadily, Old year, you shall not die."
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But as the solemn sound ceased and the joyous peal thrilled upon the ear expectant, we could hear the old bell singing triumphantly :
" There's a new foot on the floor, my friend, And a new face at the door, my friend, A new friend at the door."
The Cussen Fund, in 1892, was appropriated to the build- ing of a Sunday school and Guild room on the lot at Wed- dell Chapel, and to repairs on the chapel.
The application, March 31, 1902, of George Pickett Mayo, an old Sunday school scholar of St. John's Church, a candi- date for ordination as deacon, was cordially endorsed by the Vestry.
A memorial window erected to the memory of the Lacy family by Miss Emma Lacy was placed in St. John's in 1902, and the Shields' window some time prior to this.
About this time it was ascertained that the Church tower was in a dangerous condition, and it was ordered taken down and rebuilt.
At a meeting of the Vestry after the return of our rector from his summer vacation in 1902, thanks were tendered Mr. F. J. Craigie "for his most efficient and highly enjoyed ser- vices rendered as a lay reader at the Sunday morning ser- vices during the rector's absence."
May 5, 1903, a committee was appointed by the Vestry to express to her sons, Messrs. Joseph H. and James T. Estes,
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the sorrow of the Vestry at the death of their mother, Mrs. James M. Estes. For many years she was an earnest and faithful Church worker, whose prayers and alms continually went up to her Heavenly Father.
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