USA > Virginia > Culpeper County > Culpeper County > Genealogical and historical notes on Culpeper County, Virginia > Part 4
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Dec. 17th, ordered, that the churchwardens agree with workmen to build a house at Buck Run Church, and another at the Fork Church, each 12 feet wide and 16 feet long, well framed and covered with shingles free from sap, weather-boarded with feather-edged plank, underpinned with brick or stone 18 inches from the surface of the earth, a brick or stone chimney to each, sash windows to each with eight lights of glass 8 by 10 inches, with a plank floor above and below. We give the style of these houses in detail because they are specimens of the vestry-houses of that day, and illustrate some other points. James Slaughter and James Pendleton were elected vestrymen in the room of Francis Slaughter, gentleman, deceased, and Thos. Slaughter, who had re- moved from the parish. Goodrich Lightfoot and William Williams church-
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wardens for next year.
. 1766. Nov. 17, Samuel Clayton chosen vestryman in room of Major Phi- lip Clayton. Benjamin Roberts and James Pendleton made churchwardens for next year, and appropriations for current expenses.
1767. Nov. 24th, James Slaughter and Samuel Clayton church wardens. Samuel Clas ton, Jr., in behalf of the congregation of Buek Run Church, mov- ed that R. Young be removed from being reader at said church, and said Young is ordered to answer the complaint on the 18th of December. Mr. Young soon after came into the vestry and resigned. The cause of complaint is not stated.
1768. February 23d, an addition to Buck Run Church, twenty-eight feet wide and three feet long, sills, sleepers, posts and braces all of oak, and nnder- pinned with brick or stone, is ordered: and Captain William Brown being the lowest bidder at 11,500 lbs. of tobacco, it is let to him upon his entering into bond with security that it be done in a workman-like manner, and finished by October of the ensuing year.
November 23d, James Pendleton and G. Lightfoot churchwardens for the ensuing year, and Cadwallader Slaughter appointed vestryman in place of Robert Slaughter, deceased.
1770. Leave is given to Samuel Henning to build a gallery in Buck Run Church at his own expense. The wardens are instructed to advertise the glebe for sale in the Virginia Gazette, and to buy a more convenient site for a glebe. The glebe was sold to Samuel Henning for one hundred and ninety- nine pounds current money. Goodrich Lightfoot and others report that they had viewed several tracts of land, and that Francis Slaughter's or George Cat- lett's was the most convenient for a glebe. The vestry adjourned to meet at Lawrence Catlett's and decide upon the site. John Green vestryman in the room of William Green, deceased.
November, the vestry this day bought three hundred acres of the tract on which Francis Slaughter lives (Francis Slaughter owned a large tract of land, including the old glebe tract, near what is now called Brandy Station,) and adjoining the land of Reuben Slaughter and Cadwallader Slaughter, gentle- men, for 199 pounds in money and 10,000 pounds of tobacco. An overseer's house, a quarter, a barn and a corn-house are ordered to be built on the glebe immediately.
1771. At a vestry at Buck Run Church, French Strother, gentleman, and John Gray, gentleman, are made vestrymuen, in place of Goodrich Light- foot and Henry Field, gentlemen, removed from the parish. Philip Pendleton is made clerk of the vestry in place of William Peyton, deceased. Mr. Peyton had served the vestry as clerk for forty years continuously. Anaddition is or. dered to the south side of Little Fork Church, to correspond to the other ad- dition. These enlargements of the church, new galleries and extra benches, would seem to show that Mr. Thompson's ministry was attended by large and growing congregations. Mr. Waugh chosen a vestryman in 1772. Colonel James Slaughter, gentleman, agreed to have the glebe-house built for 35,900 pounds of tobacco. The plans and specifications are minutely detailed in the vestry-book. This was the glebe-house so long occupied by the reverend and venerable John Woodville, and afterwards by Messrs. Glassell and Wager. The original glebe-house was burned; perhaps some of the outbuildings may be standing.
The glebe-house, the plan of which is described in the last chapter, was built for the Rev. John Thompson; but man proposes and God disposes. Be- fora this earthly tabernele was finished. Mr. Thompson wascalled to "a house
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not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." After a laborious and fruitful ministry of more than thirty years, the brave soldier of the cross laid aside his armor and put on his crown. He was buried at the brick house near Stevens- burg so long tenanted by the Hansbroughs, and now owned and occupied by Dr. Grayson. By his first wife (Lady Spotswood) he had two children, viz: Anne, who in her fifteenth year married Francis Thornton, of Fall Hill, near Fredericksburg. Mr. Thompson also had a son by Mrs. Spootswood, named William, who married Miss Sallie Carter, of Cleve. Among their descendants were Commodore Thompson of the U. S. Navy, and many of the Thompsons of Kentucky.
After the death of his first wife, the Rev. John Thompson married Miss Rootes. One of their children was the Hon. Phillip Rootes Thomp- son, who once represented the district of Fauquier and Culpeper in Congress, and then moved to the county of Kanhawa, where his family was the nucleus around which was gathered the Episcopal Church and Parish at the mouth of Coal, one of the tributaries of the Kanhawa River.
The second wife of the Hon. P. R. Thompson was a daughter of the old patriarchal vestryman, Robert Slaughter, of Culpeper. Bishop Meade said of her, "She was esteemed and loved by all who knew her, as one of the humblest and most devoted members of the church in Virginia I have always (headds) felt my own sense of the Divine power and excellency of religion strengthened by every visit to her abode. She exchanged it some years since for a better one above."
After the death of Mr. Thompson, the Rev. Charles Woodmason was em- ployed to do some service in the parish. This is all that seems to have been known by our historians of this person; but I have found in "Perry's Collec- tion," a memorial to the Bishop of London signed by him, in which he says,- "Through mnuch sickness, brought on by fatigue in traversing the back part of Carolina, I had accepted for my health the Parish of Bromfield in Culpeper county. Being delayed so long in waiting for a successor. Bromfield was grant- ed away, fearing its lapse to the Governor, while I was on my way. I might have gotten some other parish, had not the Virginians entered into resolves NOT TO ELECT ANY MAN FOR THEIR MINISTER BUT A NATIVE OF AMERICA." This explains the whole matter, and shows the patriotic spirit of the vestry of St. Mark's, among whom were some persons who soon became conspicuous in the war of the Revolution. November, 1772, the vestry proceeded to con- sider of a proper person to recommend to the Governor as minister of the par- ish, when the Rev. Edward Jones, of Caroline, was unanimously nominated. James Slaughter and John Gray were chosen churchwardens. January 6th, 1773, the Rev. Edward Jones produced his induction from the Governor, ap- pointing him minister of this parish, agreeable to a presentation of a former vestry, and took his seat in vestry accordingly. April 21st, 1773, the vestry mnet to fix on a site for the mansion on the glebe, and finding no place where water was convenient, agreed with Mr. Francis Slaughter for 100 acres of land adjoining the former purchase, for the sum of 150 lbs. current money. Octo- ber 26th, 1773, the church in the Little Fork having been burned, the vestry met on the ground, and concluded to erect one of wood, sixty feet long and forty feet wide, on Robort Freeman's or Peter Bowman's land. It was also or- dered that William Williams, John Green, James Slaughter and Cadwallader Slaughter have James Pendleton's tobacco-house repaired for Divine worship until the church be finished. December, 1773, the vestry reconsidered their former order and resolved to build a church of brick, eighty feet long and
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- thirty feet wide in the clear, with twenty feet pitch, to be finished completely in best manner by first day of November, 1776. Thirty thousand pounds of tobacco to be paid next summer, and the balance to be paid in three equal an- nual payments.
This is the old brick church in the Little Fork which has stood for one hundred years, the mute memorial of other times and other men. The walls of this centennial church once resounded with the voices of sires, some of whose sons now pass by on the other side, or look coldly at the shrine where their fathers worshipped, and speak lightly of the anthems they sung in days of auld lang syne.
And rudely sighs the wandering wind, Where oft, in years gone by,
Prayer rose from many hearts to Him, The Highest of the High.
The tramp of many a busy foot That sought thy aisles is o'er,
And many a weary heart around Is stilled forever more.
Oh! could we call the many back Who've gathered here in vain,
Who careless roved where we do now, Who'll never meet again,
How would our souls be stirred
, To meet the earnest gaze
Of the lovely and the beautiful .- The light of other days.
The churchwardens are ordered to let the following buildings on the glebe-land, viz .:- A kitchen thirty-two by sixteen feet, with an inside brick chimney with two fire-places, covered with good shingles, and boarded with feather-edged plank. A quarter, twenty' by 'sixteen feet covered with long shingles, and boarded with ' good oak-boards,, and an inside wooden chimney. Also, a dairy and meat-house twelve feet square, each to be done in the best. manner ; a stable twenty feet square, of sawed logs, covered with long shingles: also, seven hun- dred feet of sawed paling, five feet long, with sawed rails three square. The wardens are also ordered to let the building of a gallery in the.Lower Church. John Green and James Pendleton are ordered to agree with Peter Bowman for two other acres of his land, for the use of the church.
1774. Benjamin Roberts and John Green are appointed churchwardens for the ensuing year. 1
1775. The vestry met to tay the parish levy, but the inspecting law ceas- ing, they are in doubt what method will be pursued through thiscolony for levying and collecting the same, and, conclude to await the opinion of the General Convention.
1776. The vestry met and proceeded to lay the levy. Robert Gaines was inade clerk of the Lower Church, in place of John Hume. It is ordered that Peter Bowman be paid two pounds for one and a half acres of land for the use of the brick church, and that Edmund Vass be paid five pounds for two plans for the brick church. The collector is ordered to pay Samuel Clayton three pounds seven shillings and sixpence for laying off the brick church lot. and Mr. Ball and James Pendleton are made church wardens for the ensuing year. Richard Yancey is chosen vestryman in the place of John Green, IN CONTINENTAL SER-
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VICE. (This is the only allusion to the Revolutionary War in the vestry-book. The vestry seem to have limited themselves rigidly to their duties, and never to have invaded the political sphere, although several of them were officers of the army, and all sympathized with the American cause. Culpeper county was conspicuous for the services of her sons in the old Revolution, having con- tributed eight companies of eighty-four men each to the army. Those com- panies were raised by the following captains, viz .: John Green, John Thorn- ton, George Slaughter, Gabriel Long, Gabriel Jones, John Gillison, Captain McClanahan (a Baptist preacher), and Abraham Buford. In the notes and il- lustrations at the end of this volume will be found some interesting details up- on this point. We return to the acts of the vestry.)
1777. Ordered, that the churchwardens advertise the vacancy of this parish and the renting of the glebe. As Mr. Jones had not resigned, this looks like a broad hint that his resignation would be accepted.
1778. The General Assembly having suspended the salaries of clergy- men, the vestry met to fix on somne method of paying the salaries of the officers of the church, and recommended subscriptions for that purpose. The recom- mendation is signed by French Strother, James Slaughter, William Gray, Robert Green, Robert Yancey, Benjamin Roberts, Cad. Slaughter and James Pendleton. Burkett Davenport is made vestryman in place of Wm. Williams, deceased.
1780. February 21st, the Rev. Edward Jones this day came into the ves- try and resigned the charge of this parish. In March the vestry met at Capt. Bradley's, and ordered that the Sheriff collect of each tithe in the parish five pounds tobacco, or in money at the rate of twenty-five per hundred. Robert Pollard and Lawrence Slaughter are appointed vestrymen to fill the vacancies. In the ensuing April the vestry met at the glebe, and agreed to receive the Rev. Jaines Stevenson as minister of their parish, according to law, and Thom- as Stanton was made lay-reader at the Little Fork Church, in the room of Philip Pendleton, resigned. The vestry met again in December of this year, and ordered certain payments to be made to John Jameson, clerk of the coun- ty, Henry Field, Reuben Long, Robert Latham William Terrill, and Michael Sloane, for the benefit of the poorof the parish. Lawrance Slaughter and Rob- ert Pollard churchwardens for the ensuing year.
1771. Robert Coleman made collector, and ordered to collect of 1957- tithes seven pounds of tobacco each, for the clothing, feeding, and providing medical attention for the poor distributed among the farmers.
1782. Ordered, that the churchwardens inform the poor claimants of this parish three months before meeting that they attend the vestry (if able) and let their situation be known.
1783. Bowles Armstead appointed vestryman in the room of Benjamin Roberts, deceased.
1784. Resolved, That the church wardens provide the goods for the poor on the best terms they can and report the result. James Jett is appointed clerk of the vestry, and Samuel Clayton and Robert Yancy churchwardens.
This is the last meeting of the vestry recorded in the old register, which began in 1730. This gap in the record of the parish can only be filled with a general outline of its history, which must be gathered from many scattered sources. Rev. James Stevenson probably continued to be the minister of St. Mark's Parish until he exchanged places with Mr. Woodville, the former going to Fredericksburg and the latter coming to Culpeper.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH IN VIRGINIA. 1785. The Episcopal Church in Virginia had its first legislative council.
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20 € For 175 years it had been in bondage to the Crown and Parliament of Great , Britain. For political reasons it was not allowed to have a Bishop, nor to . make a law for its own government, or for the discipline of its ministers and , members. One of its first acts after becoming free, was to meet in convention and frame a constitution and code of discipline. Mr. Stevenson, with James Pendleton, lay deputy, represented St. Mark's in the Convention of 1785. One of the first acts of the Church, when free, was to divide the State into districts. the ministers in each district forming a " Presbytery. " To supply, in some measure, the place of a Bishop, a clergyman was appointed to visit each dist. triet and to preside in its presbytery. Mr. Stevenson was made visitor of the district composed of the parishes of St. Mark's, St. George's, Bromfield, and Berkley. In 1786 St. Mark's was represented only by Robert Slaughter, lay delegate. Mr. Stevenson was the minister of Berkley Parish, Spotsylvania, in the interval between 1768, when he was licensed for Virginia, and 1780, when he took charge of St. Mark's Parish. Col. Taylor. of Orange, in his diary of 1787, says :- " I went to James Taylor's to the marriage of Thomas Barbour and Jane Taylor by, the REV. JAMES STEVENSON," and in 1788 he says :- "Thomas Barbour's son was baptized and named James Taylor."
In January, 1794, he was elected by the unanimous vote of the people as- seinbled at the market-house in Fredericksburg. It was during his charge of . St. George's that those two institutions which have done so much good, the male and female charity schools, were instituted.,
In 1799 Mr. Stevenson preached the annual sermon in behalf of these schools,, whose pupils were required to go to church and be catechised by the minister, for which the teachers were bound to, prepare them. In 1802 he preached an appropriate discourse on the anniversary of St. John the Evan -. gelist, before the Masons of Fredericksburg. Soon after he . was confined by a protracted illness in Culpeper, from which he never sufficiently recovered to resume his ministry. The following correspondence will explain the occasion of his resignation:
DEAR SIR:
FREDERICKSBURG, JULY 25TH, 1805.
In conformity to a resolution of the trustees of your church, at a meeting on the 24th inst., we beg leave to express the just sense entertained of your past services, and the sincere regret that your indisposition has so long deprived us , of their continuance. It has been intimated that you had expressed yourself doubtful of your health's enabling you to perform those clerical duties, so justly appreciated; though from motives of personal consideration, the trus- tees feel a repugnance in the discharge of this duty, yet the welfare of this church requiring every attention that can promote it, and well knowing your unremitting zeal for its interest, we flatter ourselves that you will excuse the request we now make, of being informed of your intention of continuing in the office of your present appointment.
With sentiments of affectionate regard, we are, very repectfully. dear sir, your obedient servants,
WILLIAM TAYLOR, JAMES BROWN, CHURCH WARDENS.
[ANSWER. ]
CULPEPER, JULY 29TH. 1805.
GENTLEMEN:
Your letter of the 25th current came to hand yesterday; and I am request- ed by my husband to make his acknowledgements for the sentiments therein contained, both in regard to his past services and health. As to the latter. he has but little hope of its being established so far as to enable him to perform the duties of a parish; but he begs you will believe, that the zeal he has hith- erto manifested towards your church is still alive, and to hear of its welfare , will ever be grateful to him. He therefore recommends it to the trustees to provide a minister as soon as they can, and that he may be one every way suitable is his sincere wish.
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With much respect and esteem, I am, gentlemen, yours. &c .. FRANCES STEVENSON.
Mr. Stevenson married Miss Littlepage, a lady of fine intelligence and cul- ture. The Hon. Andrew Stevenson, who was Speaker of the House of Repre- sentatives and Minister of England, and the late Carter Stevenson, were his sons. The Hon. J. White Stevenson, late Governor, and present Senator in Congress from Kentucky, is his grandson. Mr. Stevenson survived his resig- nation of St. George's several years, and departed this life June, 1809. The following brief item from the VIRGINIA ARGUS furnished the only intelligence we have of the event: "Died on Friday in Culpeper after a tedious illness, the Rev. James Stevenson, a gentleman much and deservedly esteemned by an ex- tensive acquaintance."
Since the foregoing pages were written we have received from Dr. Payne, of Tennessee, some valuable illustrations of the lives of his grandfather Wood- ville and his great-grandfather Stevenson. Of the latter he says he was an in- valid in his last days, having been stricken by paralysis, and was the guest of Mr. Woodville at St. Mark's glebe. Your father, he adds, Capt. P. Slaughter, was one of his vestrymen, and gave me many interesting incidents of his pri- vate life. His last family residence was Hopewell, near Fredericksburg, where the Hopewell nursery now is. His library was bought for a mere trifle by a gentleman of Fanquier, who designed returning it to the family, but died be- fore fulfilling his purpose. The following is a copy of his letters of ordination (now before us,) engrossed on parchment:
Be it known unto all men by the presents, that we, Richard. by Divine permission, Bishop of London, holding by the assistance of Almighty God a special ordination on Thursday, 29th of September, in the year of our Lord 17- 68, being the feast of St. Michael the Archangle, in the chapel of our Palace in Fulham in Middlesex, did admit our beloved in Christ, James Stevenson, (of whose virtuous and pions life and conversation, and competent knowledge and learning in the Holy Scriptures, we were well assured) into the Holy Order of Priests, according to the manner and form prescribed and used by the church of England; and him, the said James Stevenson, did then and there rightly and canonically ordain a Priest. He having first in our presence and in the form of law taken the oaths appointed by law to be taken for and instead of the oath of supremacy, and he likewise having freely and voluntarily subscribed to the 39 articles of religion,and to the three articles.contained in the 36 canon.
In testimony whereof, we have caused our Episcopal seal to be hereunto affixed. Dated the day and the year above written, and in the fifth year of our translation.
LONDON.
MARK HOLMAN. DEP. REG.
On the mitred seal appended is inscribed the seal of Richard Terrick, Bish- op of London, 1764.
Among the documents sent by Dr. Payne is an original Thanksgiving ser- mon preached by Mr. Stevenson at Mattapony Church, Berkley Parish, Spots- ylvania, on Thursday, 13th of November, 1777, on the occasion of the surrer- der of Burgoyne's army. In outward form the sermon is a curious relic of by- gone days. It is about four inches long and six inches wide. It consists of nineteen pages, with only nine lines on each page. In point of sentiment and literary execution it is excellent, and gives us a pleasing illustration of the piety and patriotism of one of our old colonial ministers.
REV. JOHN WOODVILLE.
In the progress of our narrative we have reached in Mr. Woodville a link between the two centuries, overlapping several generations. There are those now living who remember his antique face and form. Patriarchs who were
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once his pupils still linger on the horizon. Many survive upon whose brows he poured the water of holy baptism; some whom he visited in sickness, and to whom he administered the holy communion; and there are hundreds for whose fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, he performed all these offices, consigning them at last to the tomb in the burning words of our grand old burial-service. His official advisers, those venerable vestrymen, Robert Slaughter, of "The Grange"; Peter Hansbrough, of "Coal Hill"; Champ Car- ter, of "Farley": John Jameson, Clerk of the County; William Broadus; Sam- nel Slaughter, of "Western View"; John Thom, of "Berry Hill"; Isaac and Walter Winston, of Auburn, with whom he took counsel and walked to the house of God in company, are all gone. The parish register, in which were recorded his official acts, and which, like the old register we have been follow -. ing. would have been such a fruitful source of information for the illustration of the history of the parish and county, cannot be found. We are therefore limited to the few facts scattered through the extant journals, and the memo- ries of living men, for materials to construct a meagre skeleton of his admin- istration.
Mr. Woodville having been a teacher, with a boarding school under his charge, could not always attend the conventions, which were held in Rich- mond, the horse being almost the only mode of locomotion in those days. Mr. Woodville, who married a daughter of the Rev. James Stevenson, succeeded him as minister of St. Mark's. Mr. Woodville, like Mr Stevenson, was elected minister of St. George's Parish by a vote of the people assembled in the mar- ket-house in Fredericksburg. The vote was ninety-six for Mr. Woodville and thirty-four for Rev. Thomas Davis, whereupon Mr. Woodville was proclaimed by the senior warden, Mr. Day, to be duly elected. In the Virginia Herald of that date we find two brief notices of him. In June, 1792, he preached a well- adopted discourse before the Masons. In a poem of the day, written by a min- ister apologizing for levity of conversation with which he had been roproach- ed, oceur these lines:
"Deny him not those aids within his reach;
But let me laugh, and modest Woodville preach."
Mr. Woodville was Professor of the Humanities in the Fredericksburg Academy when Gilbert Harrow was Professor of Mathematics. These gentle- men were required to be examined by Bishop Madison in the classics and in the sciences. It is probable that Mr. Woodville spent some years in teaching before he was chosen as minister of St. George's Parish, as I find in the diary of Colonel Frank Taylor, of Orange, under the date of 1789, the following en- try: "Mr. Woodville preached to a large congregation on Sunday at Orange C. H., and he preached to a much larger one on the Sunday before at Pine Stake Church, near Raccoon Ford."
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