USA > Virginia > Spotsylvania County > Spotsylvania County > History of St. George's parish, in the county of Spotsylvania, and diocese of Virginia > Part 5
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It would seem as if the providence of God had been training him for this special work. When therefore, the African mission was presented to the students, during his teri at the seminary, we are not surprised, that, after a prayerful consideration, he offered himself for this field of labor. In 1836 he was ordained, and not long after sailed for Africa. After laboring faithfully for two years, he returned to the United States to recruit his health. On the
48
A HISTORY OF
23d of January, 1840, he was married to Miss Mary Stewart, of Baltimore; sailed, with his wife, from Norfolk, on the 15th of February, and arrived at Cape Palmas on the 5th of April. For three years more he devoted himself to his work with unremit- ting zeal. Our space will not allow us to recount his labors. All who saw them testify that they were labors of love. His health had been gradually giving way for some time, until the 29th of May, 1843, when he finished his career with joy. Among his last words were these, " I do not regret having come to Africa;" and fit words they are to be en- graven on a missionary's tomb, expressing as they do a noble testimony to the power of Christian faith to illuminate the dark valley of the shadow of death.
The present writer was a fellow student with Mr. Minor in the seminary, was intimate with him, and loved him as a brother. There was a noble disinter estedness about him, a high disdain of every thing that was mean, a singleness of eye, a manly courage, and a firmness of purpose, blended with a humanity and gentleness which excited the admiration of all who knew him.
Hle had a heart warm with every generous emo- tion, and a hand open as day to melting charity. IIe loved to visit the sick, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to preach the gospel to the poor; and al- though his careeer on earth was short, it is believed that there are hundreds of those who experienced his kindness that will bless and cherish his memory.
Such is a brief sketch of the brief carcer of these
49
ST. GEORGE'S PARISH.
young missionaries; and shall it be said they have lived in vain? If the blood of the martyrs be the seed of the Church, who can tell but that from the graves of Launcelot Minor and of Susan Savage there yet may spring a " noiseless band of heavenly soldiery," who, in the full armor of the gospel, will carry the war into Africa, and plant the ensigns of the gospel "high on the pagan hills, where Satan sits en- camped ? "
The time may come, Their names shall beat the alarm, like Ziska's drum.
On reviewing the history of St. George's Parish, we see many reasons for devout thankfulness and congratulation. We should be thankful to God, who put it into the hearts of our fathers to bring the Christian religion along with them to this new world. We should cherish with gratitude the memory of those pious pioneers who organized parishes, built churches, and sustained a ministry, by which means were handed down to us those institutions to which we are indebted for all our present blessings and fu- ture hopes. And above all, we should adore the for- bearance of God, who watched over the Church in the wilderness, and although the fire upon the altar often burned low, and the glory above the Mercy- seat had sometimes nearly departed, did not remove the candlestick from its place nor suffer its light to be utterly extinguished.
In comparing the leanness of many preceding years with the abundant harvest of the present cen- tury, no devont man can restrain the exclamation, 4
THE NEWDENN 1 .....
50
A HISTORY OF
"Lo, what hath God wrought!" So surprising is the change, that, in the contemplation of it, no words are so apt to express our feelings as those of the Psalmist, "When the Lord turned again the captiv- ity of Jacob, we were like them that dream; then was our mouth filled with laughter, and onr tongue with singing. Then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them, yea, the' Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."
In meditating upon this subject, it becomes an in- teresting inquiry, by what means was this revolution wrought ? , In our judgment, the answer is plain: it is to be ascribed to the revival of clearer views of Evangelical truth, and a more lively and earnest ex- hibition of it. It was an honor put by God upon the preaching of the gospel "in simplicity and godly sincerity," and upon the diligent use of all scriptural methods of pressing truth directly and pungently upon the hearts and consciences of the people. The men who have been instrumental in effecting these changes in society, have been uniformly characterized . by dwelling with great emphasis and frequent repe- tition upon the great doctrines of human depravity, the necessity of a new birth by the Holy Ghost, and justification by a faith in Christ, which is lively and fruitful in all the works of the spirit. Of this truth the parish of St. George, under the ministry of the Rev. Dr. McGuire, is an encouraging example. Such a ministry generally raises up a number of subordi- nate agencies, such as Sunday and charity schools,
51
ST. GEORGE'S PARISH.
Bible classes, missionary and other societies, which a late modern writer calls those " wheels in the intri- cate mechanism of society, which are bearing the earth along from its wintry and torpid position, nu- der the influence of serener heavens and an awaken- ing spring."
Accordingly, Dr. McGuire* tells us in his reports to the annual convention, that when his church was most prosperous, they cherished with zeal and affec- tion the Sunday school, from which much precious fruit has been realized ;" the bible classes, to which " no small share of the spiritual improvement of the congregation is to be ascribed ;" " the missionary so- ciety, which had done great good in supplying desti- tute congregations, and in settling several ministers permanently in parishes;" the education society, "which rendered important aid to the seminary;" and the charity schools, " which gave a Christian edu- cation to the poor." The Common Prayer Book So- ciety was also "active and useful," and, in the lan- guage of Dr. McGuire, "there prevailed many evi- denges of a true love for the church."
More than thirty-three years have now elapsed since Dr. MeGuire took charge of this parish. Dur- ing that time he has baptized 807 persons, of whom 50 were adults; he has joined together in matrimony 524 persons; buried 473; admitted to the holy Com- munion 444, of whom 294 have removed or died, leaving him a flock of 150 communicants, of whom
*In 1838 the degree of D. D. was conferred upon Rev. E. (. MeGuire, by Kenyon College.
52
A HISTORY OF
he is the honored and beloved pastor, who still' de- lights to lead them into green pastures and by the still waters.
' There is apparently but one thing wanting to the ontward prosperity of this congregation, and that is, room for its growth. The present church edifice is too small for the congregation. There is a number of families who are excluded from its courts for want of room. This ought not to be. It is a grievous fault in many of our parishes. It was the sign of Christ's office that he preached the gospel to the poor, and his ambassadors should have the privilege of going into the highways, and proclaiming to every poor wanderer from the fold of Christ, "there yet is room in the courts of the Lord's house on earth, as well as in the many mansions of our Father in Heaven." We cannot expect the fullness of God's blessing, so long as in the structure and arrangement of our places of worship we have respect of persons. For if there come into our assemblies a man with a gold ring and in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, and we have re- speet to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, sit thou here in a good place; and say unto the poor man, stand thou there, are we not par- tial in ourselves? We are happy in being able to state that the rector and parishoners of St. George are making most praiseworthy efforts to erect a building that will supply this defect, and at the same time be a suitable offering to God, and a beautiful ornament to the town. There are those who say,
53
ST. GEORGE'S PARISH.
that God is a Spirit, and if worshipped in spirit and in truth, this may be done as acceptably in one place as another. This, in a certain important sense, is true, and yet holy men of old, as well under the law as under the gospel, moved either by the express command of God or by the secret inspiration of his spirit, and acting agreeably to their own reason and sense of the natural decency of things, have erected houses of worship, and separated them from all worldly uses, in order to fill men's minds with greater reverence for his glorious Majesty, and affect their hearts with more devotion in his service; which pious works have been approved and graciously ac- cepted by our heavenly Father."
Again there are some Christian people who think that they may very consistently dwell in houses of cedar, may clothe themselves in purple and fine linen, and fare sumptuously every day, and that any house is good enough for God. Such was not the opinion of David, the man after God's own heart, who said, with a feeling of shame, "See, now I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth in cur- tains." And Solomon, the wisest of men, executed his father's pious design, and built a house for God at an immense cost, and of the rarest and most pre- cious materials. And God hallowed the work, per- vading it with his presence, and filling it with his visible glory.
We trust that the parishoners of St. George will go on in the good work which they have begun, and
* Office of Consecration.
54
A HISTORY OF ST. GEORGE'S PARISH.
build such a house for God as will fill men's minds with greater reverence for his glorious Majesty-as will be a fit monument of their thankfulness for the great things which God has done for them-a suit- able reward to their venerable pastor for his life- long devotion to their service-a temple into whose gates their children and children's children may enter with thanksgiving, and worship the God of their fathers in the burning words of our old Liturgy.
1
The following votes of thanks by the Vestry were omitted under their proper heads:
1789. To Dr. Ch. Mortimer, for an organ.
1818. To Win. A. Knox, for an ornamental chandelier.
1827. To John Gray, for handsome service of plate for Com- umuion table.
1829. To Bazil Gordon, for baptismal font.
1845. A rector's library was established by the congregation, for the use of the successive pastors of the church.
APPENDIX.
.
APPENDIX
AN ACCOUNT OF GOVERNOR SPOTSWOOD'S EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS.
BY THE REV. HUGH JONES, A CONTEMPORARY HISTORIAN.
"GOVERNOR SPOTSWOOD, when he undertook the great discovery of a passage over the mountains, attended with a sufficient guard of pioneers and gentlemen, with a supply of provisions, passed these mountains and cut his Majesty's name upon a rock upon the highest of them, naming it Mt. George, and in complaisance to him, the gentlemen called the mountain next to it Mt. Alexander. For this expedition, they were obliged to provide a great quantity of horse-shoes, things seldom used in the east- ern parts of Virginia, where there are no stones. Upon which account, the Governor upon his return presented each of his companions with a golden horse-shoe, some of which I have seen, covered with valuable stones, re- sembling heads of nails, with the inscription on one side, 'Sie juvat trancendere montes.' This he instituted to encourage gentlemen to venture backward and make discoveries and settlements, any gentlemen being en- titled to wear this golden shoe who could prove that he had drank his Majesty's health on Mt. George. He built a fort called Fort Christina, not so far back, where I have seen seventy-seven Indian children at school at a time at the Governor's sole expense. The children
58
APPENDIX.
could read and say their catechism and prayers tolerably well. But this pious design being laid aside through opposition of pride and interest, Mr Griffin was removed to the college to teach the Indians placed there by the benefactions of Mr. Boyle. The Indians so loved and adored him, that I have seen them lift him up in their arms, and they would have chosen him king of the Su- poney nation."
THE SPOTSWOOD GENEALOGY.
The following genealogy is given upon the authority of a venerable lady (still living), who is the granddaugh- ter of Lady Spotswood.
Governor Spotswood married a Miss Brayne, in Eng- land. He had two sons, Robert and John. Robert (not John, as is said by Dr. Caruthers) was supposed to have been killed by the Indians. John married Miss Dandridge, and was the father of General Alexander and John Spotswood, of the revolution.
The Governor had two daughters, Kate and Dorothea, the former of whom married a Mr. Moore, and the latter a Dandridge.
The Indian woman, called Wirgina by some authors, was named Catena. After Governor Spotswood's death, she lived with General Alexander Spotswood, of Now- post, and then with Francis Thornton, of Fall Hill, where she died and was buried. When the family passed Germanna on their way to Culpeper, Catena
59
APPPENDIX.
would leave the carriage and wander over the scenes of her youth. She nursed General Alexander Spotswood, and whenever he met her in after life, he would throw his arms about her and embrace her.
Lady Spotswood, the Governor's widow, married the Rev. Mr. Thompson, of Culpeper, who was a very hand- some and accomplished gentleman. Lady Spotswood had been induced to break an engagement with Mr. Thompson, upon the ground that it would be a diminu- tion of her honor and the dignity of her family to marry a person in the station of a clergyman. To remove this objection the following letter was written, which is now published as a literary enriosity, as well as for the grati- fication of the numerous relatives of the distinguished couple .*
" MADAM,
"By diligently perusing your letter, I perecive there is a material argument, which I ought to have answered; upon wel your strongest objection, against compleating my happiness would seem to depend, viz. That you wou'd ineur ye censures of ye world for marrying a per- son of my station and character. By which I under- stand that you think it a diminution to your honor and ye Dignity of your Family to marry a person in ye sta- tion of a Clergyman. Now, if I can make it appear that ye ministerial office is an employment, in its nature ye most honorable, and in its effects ye most beneficial to mankind, I hope your objections will immediately van- ish, yt you will keep me no longer in suspense, and misery, but consummate my happiness.
"I make no doubt, Madam, but yt you will readily
* I am indebted for the original letter to Mr. Murray Forbes, of - Falmouth, who is allied by marriage to the family.
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APPENDIX.
grant yt no man can be employed in any work more hon- orable, than what immediately relates to ye King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and to ye salvation of souls, immortal in their nature and redeemed by the Blood of the Son of God. The powers committed to their care cannot be exercised by ye greatest Princes of Heb. earth, and it is ye same work in kind and in ye
i. 14. same in the Design of it, with yt of ye blessed Angels, who are ministering spirits for those who shall be Heirs of Salvation. It is the same Business yt ye Son of God discharged when he condescended to dwell amongst men. Which eng ges men in ge greatest acts of doing Good, in turning sinners from ye errors of their ways, and by all wise and prudent Means, in gaining souls unto God. And the faithful and diligent Discharge of this holy Function gives a Title to ye highest Degree of Glory in the next world; for they yt be wise, shall
Daniel, shine as ye brightness of ye Firmament, and xii. 3. they yt turn many to Righteousness as ye stars for ever and ever.
"All nations, whether learned or ignorant, whether civil or barbarous, have agreed in this as a dictate of natural Reason, to express their Reverence for ye Deity, and their Affection to Religion, by bestowing extraordi- mary Privileges of Honour upon such as administer in holy things, and by providing liberally for their Main- tenance. And yt ye Honor due to the holy Function flows from ye Law of Nature, appears from hence: yt in ye earliest Times ye civil and sacred Authority were united in the same Person. Thus Melchisedeck was King and Priest of Salem; and among ye Egyp-
Æn. 3. tians ye Priesthood was joined with ye Crown. The Greeks accounted ye Priesthood of equal Dignity with Kingship; weh is taken notice of by Aristo-
61
APPENDIX.
tle in several places of his politicks. And among ye
Latins we have a Testimony from Virgil, yt at
Ex.
ye same time Anias was both Priest and King.
xxiv. 6. Nay, Moses himself, who was Prince of Israel
before Aaron was consecrated, officiated as Priest in yt solemn sacrifice by weh ye Covenant with Is- rael was confirmed.
"And ye primitive Christians always expressed a mighty value and esteem for their Clergy, as plainly appears by Ecclesiastical History. And even in our Days, as bad as y" World is, those of ye Clergy who live up to ye Dignity of their profession, are generally reverenced and esteemed by all religious and well disposed Men.
"From all which, it evidently appears, yt in all Ages and Nations of ye World, whether Jews, Heathens, or Christians, great Honour and Dignity has been always conferred upon ye Clergy. And therefore, Dear Madam, from hence you may infer how absurd and ridiculous, these Gentlemen's Notions are, who would fain persuade you s' marrying with y" Clergy would derogate from " Honour and Dignity of your Family. Whereas, in strict reasoning the contrary thereof wou'd rather appear, and yt it would very much tend to support ye Honour and Dignity of it. Of this, I hope you'll be better convinced, when you consider the Titles of Honour and Respect yt are given to those who are invested with ye ministerial Function amply displayed in ye Scriptures. Those in- vested wthyt character are called ye Ministers of Christ, Stewards of yo Mysteries of God, to whom they have com- mitted ye Word of Reconciliation, y" Glory of Christ, Ambassadors for Christ, in Christ's stead, Co-workers with him, Angels of the Churches. And when it is moreover declared yt whosoever despiseth them, depiseth not Man but God. All which Titles shew yt upon many
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APPENDIX.
accounts they stand called, appropriated and devoted to God himself. And therefore, if a Gentleman of this sacred and honourable character should be married to a Lady, though of ye greatest extraction and most excellent personal qualities (which I'm sensible you're endowed with), can be no disgrace to her, nor her family, nor draw ye censures of ye world upon either, for such an ac- tion. And therefore D' Madam, your argument being refuted you can no longer consistently refuse to consim- mate my happiness.
JOHN THOMPSON." May, 1742.
EXECUTIVES OF VIRGINIA, 1710-1775.
1710, June 23,-Col. Alexander Spotswood, Lieutenant- Governor.
1723, Sept. 27 .- Hugh Drysdale, Lieutenant-Governor; died July 22, 1726.
1726, July 22 .- Col. Robert Carter, President of the Council Acting Lieutenant Governor.
1727, Oct. 23. --- Sir William Gooch, Lieutenant-Governor. 1740 .-- Between September 16, and December 5, land patents signed respectively by Sir Win. Gooch and James Blair, D. D., the latter as President of the Conseil, are of record; the latter was acting Lieutenant Governor during the absence of Sir Win. Gooch, in command of the expedition against Carthagena. The last patent signed by James Blair, was on July 25, 1741.
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APPENDIX.
1741, July .- Sir Win. Gooch.
1711, June 20 .- John Robinson, President of the Coun- eil, Acting Lieutenant Governor; died, 1751. 1751, Feb .- Lewis Burwell, President of the Council, Acting Lieutenant Governor.
1751, Nov. 20 .- Robert Dinwiddie, Lieutenant Governor. 1758, Jan .- John Blair, President of the Council, Act- ing Lieutenant-Governor.
1758, June 7,-Francis Fauquier, Lieutenant-Governor, appointed February 10, 1758.
1767, Sept. 11 .- John Blair, President of the Council, Acting Lieutenant-Governor.
1768, Oct. 28 .- Norbourne Berkley, Baron de Botetourt, Governor, died October 15, 1770.
1770, Oct. 15 .-- William Nelson, President of the Coun- cil, Acting Governor.
1771, Aug .- John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, Governor; appointed July 1771; fled June 1775 from the Seat of Government.
SUCCESSION OF VESTRYMEN OF ST. GEORGE'S PARISH,
From 1726 to 1817.
(The name of each Member is inserted, with the date of his first (lection.)
1725-6.
Augustine Smith,
William Hansford,
William Grayson,
H. Sharpe,
John Waller, Thomas Chew,
John Taliaferro.
1726-7.
George Wheatle,
Francis Thornton.
64
APPENDIX.
1728.
Goodrich Lightfoot.
Larkin Chew,
Z. Lewis,
Roger Dixon, Richard Brooke,
Charles Lewis.
1760.
Charles Carter. .
Ambrose Grayson.
1762.
1731.
John Lewis.
Henry Beverley,
Edward Hickman. 1732.
John Chew, Church Wardens. F. 'Taliaferro, y 1733.
John Waller, Jr. 1739. 1770.
Win. Robinson. 1741.
Rice Curtis,
Wilham Battaley,
John Taliaferro, Jr.,
(cia, d. T., decrase.) 1741.
Richard Tutt,
(rice, Grayson, decensed,) Jolm Thornton, Rice Curtis, Jr., 1715.
Win. Waller.
1746.
Edward Herndon, (collector.) 1719. Robert Jackson. 1751. John Spotswood. 1753. 1785.
Fielding Lewis.
1757.
Joseph Brock. 1759.
Hon. John Robinson. March, 1728- 9.
Henry Beverley. 1729.
1766. Charles Washington, Win. Dangerfield. 1768.
Charles Dick, Joseph Jones, 1
Edward Herndon.
Thomas Fox,
Lewis Willis, Thomas Colston,
Thomas Minor,
Michael Robinson,
William Wood, James Tutt.
1779.
Mann Page. 1780.
George Thornton. 1784.
Thomas Strachuth, John Chew, John Steward, Thomas Crutcher, D. Branham, John Julian.
J. W. Willis, James Lewis,
APPENDIX. 65
G. Stubblefield,
Benjamin Ballard, Thomas Sharpe. 1787.
John Legg, Charles Mortimer, Charles Urquhart, Benjamin Day. 1789.
Francis Thornton, Jr., George Weedon, Ed. Carter,
R. B. Chew, George French, W. S. Stone.
1790.
John Herndon, Thomas Strachan,
Ed. Herndon, Beverley Stubblefield, John Welch, Edward Hemdon, Jr., John Wright.
1791.
William Stanard. 1793.
Williamn Lovell, Charles Yates,
David Blir,
Samanel Greenhow, Fontaine Maury.
1794.
Elisha Hall. 1802.
James Brown, William Taylor, John Chew, Hugh Mercer, Godlove Heiskell, Thomas Goodwyn,
William Smith, Robert Patton, David Henderson, David C. Ker.
1803.
Jacob Kuhn.
1805.
John Minor.
1806. Charles L. Carter. 1808.
William S. Stone, Benjamin Botts, John Scott, John Lewis.
1809.
Dabney Herndon, John Taliaferro,
4. Lucas, Robert Wellford, M. D., Jaines.Smock. 1810.
John Smith, Jr., William Bernard, G. W. B. Spooner, James Carmichael, M. D., Horace Marshall.
1811.
Robert S. Chew, Francis Taliaferro. 1813.
Robert Lewis.
1814.
Churchill Jones, George Hamilton, John Mandell, Alexander F. Rose,
R. Johnston, John Crump, Charles Austin.
5
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APPENDIX.
1815.
William A. Knox.
1816.
John Gray,
R. T. Thom,
John Hurt,
William F. Gray,
William Storke,
F. J. Wyatt.
1820.
John Metcalfe. 1821.
John T. Lomax.
II. O. Middleton. 1823.
Larkin Johnston. 1624.
George Rothrock, Jr.,
Yeamans Smith. 1826.
Thomas HI. Hanson.
1828.
Archibald Hart, (vier, Robert Lewis. )
1847. J. B. Ficklen.
1847 to 1865 .*
John Coakley.
Jolm F. Scott.
Reuben T. Thom. t
F. W. Jolmuston.
Thomas F. Knox. # James Cooke.
Alexander K. Phillips.
Elliott M. Braxton.
William Pollock.
William T. Hart.
J. J. Young.
Monroe Kelly.
* The editor, upon application to the officers of the church, was informed that the vestry-book for the period 1847-1865 had been lost, but he was kindly supplied with the above comprehensive list, by Mr. David Sterling Forbes, to whom he is also indebted for subsequent data to the present time. The elections for vestrymen were held annually on Easter Monday.
t Rouben T. Thom, was first clected in 1816. He died, May 7, 1868, having servod fifty-two years in the vestry.
# Thomas F. Knox, was first elected in 1836. He died June 24, 1890, having served fifty-four years, and as Senior Warden from July 9, 1874.
1829.
William M. Blackford, (rier, H. Mercer. ) 1831.
G. W. Basset, (cice, A. Klart,) Murray Forbes,
(cia, W. A. Knox.) 1834. E. II. Carmichael. 1836. Thomas F. Knox. 1×37.
R. B. Muary. 1839.
John Coakley. 1513. James Cooke. 1811. R. C. L. Moncare. 1845.
William Pollock.
.
67
APPENDIX.
Douglas H. Gordon. Dr. Brodie S. Herndon.
R. C. L. Moneure.
Horace B. Hall.
W. S. Barton.
J. Temple Doswell.
Murray Forbes .*
A. Wellington Wallace.
J. B. Ficklen.
11. S. Doggett.
Montgomery Slaughter.
J. F. Thompson.
John R. Taylor.
Robert Minor.
J. Arthur Taylor. David Sterling Forbes.
John S. Hayes.
A. B. Tapscott.
John Waterhouse.
William Henry Fitzhugh.
P. P. Burr. Jolm G. Mason.
Robert T. Knos.
April 17, 1865.
April 21, 1865.
Reuben T. Thom, Senior Warden. William T Hart,
John S Hayes, Junior Warden.
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