USA > Virginia > Fairfax County > Fairfax County > The history of Truro Parish in Virginia > Part 7
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In 1780 no Vestry was held. November 27th, 1781, a Levy was laid of 10 lbs. per Poll, on 1442 Tithables. Daniel Mc.Carty and Thomazen Ell- zey were appointed Church Wardens or Overseers of the Poor. William Deneale and Cleon Moore were elected Vestrymen in the room of Thomas Withers Coffer deceased and Daniel Mc.Carty junior who refused to act.
1782. November 22d. The Vestry met, and Daniel McCarty exhibited an account on oath against the Parish which showed it indebted to him in the sum of twelve pounds eight shillings paper money, which was ordered to be certified. Vestry adjourned until the 24th, but that meeting was not held.
1784. 23d February. The Vestry met at Col- chester. "The Vestry of this Parish having ap- pointed meetings at different times for two years last past, and not a majority of the said Vestry
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meeting to proceed to business; It is now agreed upon and ordered that those of the Vestry who have resigned or removed others be chosen in their stead."
"John Gibson, Gent. is elected a Vestryman for this Parish in the room of His Excellency General Washington, who has signified his resignation in a letter to Daniel Mc.Carty, Gent."
James Waugh was elected in the room of Thomas Pollard, removed. Francis Coffer was desired to let the Vestry know at their next meet- ing whether he would continue to serve or not.
Peter Wagener and William Deneale were ap- pointed Church Wardens or Overseers of the Poor. A Levy was laid, which included 10,000 lbs. of tobacco for the temporary support of such of the poor as are at present unknown, to be laid out by the Church Wardens at their discretion. This they considered "absolutely necessary on ac- count of the severity of the winter and scarcity of corn."
Lund Washington was elected a Vestryman the room of Daniel Mc.Carty who now resigned. Present at this meeting :
Pet. Wagener, C. W.
Alex. Henderson.
W. Deneale, C. W.
Wm. Triplett.
G. Mason.
Edward Washington.
Daniel Mc.Carty. Cleon Moore .*
*This meeting of the Vestry, which saw the formal resignation of George Washington, was the last that was attended by three of his friends and old fellow-Vestrymen, George Mason, Daniel Mc .-
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The last meeting of the Vestry under the old Regime was held at Colchester, January 27th, 1785. Like the preceding it was occupied solely in providing for the support of the poor, and es- pecially for twelve families who are named. The old Colonial Church, which had been staggering for years under blows inflicted by successive Gen- eral Assemblies was now in the article of death. The leading men who, in the face of popular odium, stood by and attended it in its last hours, must have believed that when released from the coil of the State it would rise from the dust and put on more beautiful garments.
The new (Christ) Church in Alexandria had been finished about the same time with the new Pohick Church. Washington bought a pew in Christ Church on the day that the Church was turned over to the Vestry by the builders. He gave for Pew number 5, thirty six pounds, ten shillings. That pew has become historical. It was afterwards occupied by Gen. Robert E. Lee, and there are tablets on the walls of the Church in memory of these two heroic characters and de- vout Christians. This historic pew attracts every week streams of pilgrims to Christ Church .*
Carty and Alexander Henderson. Col. Mason and Capt. Mc.Carty were his seniors in point of service, having served continuously since 1749, a period of thirty-five years. Mr. Henderson was first elected on the new Vestry in 1765. The fifth and only remaining member of that Vestry, Mr. Thomazen Ellzey, was present at its last meet- ing two months later, and afterward continued to serve as an Over- seer of the Poor.
*The pew which General Robert E. Lee rented and regularly occupied when at Arlington was across the aisle from Washington's pew.
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Washington did not leave Pohick for Christ Church until after the Revolution, when services at the former became few and far between. April, 1785, seems to mark the date of his habitual at- tendance at Christ Church. On the 25th of that month he bound himself by a paper of record in the Vestry Book, signed in his well known hand- writing, to pay an annual rent upon his pew. The structure of this bond indicates that it was Wash- ington's composition. The following is a copy of it from the record :
"We, the subscribers, do hereby agree that the pews we now hold in the Episcopal Church at Alexandria shall be forever charged with an an-
On a fly leaf of Washington's diary for January, 1773, is the following memorandum:
"Sale of the pews in Alexandria Church-to whom-&ca.
Nos. Purchasers Price
4 Mr. Townsd. Dade .L 28
5 Colo. G. Washington 36.10
13 Mr. Robt. Adam 30 14 Mr. Robt. Alexander 30.10
15 Mr. Dalton 20
18 Mr. Thos. Fleming 21.5
19 Col. Carlyle 30
20 Mr. Wm. Ramsey 33
28 Messrs. Jno. Muir &ca. 36.5
29 Mr. Jno. West Junr. 33
L 298.10
Average price 29.17."
For some reason the Vestry of Fairfax Parish proposed to set aside the sale of these pews. Washington was informed by Capt. John Dalton when the meeting was to be held to determine the matter, and was invited to be present. In his letter to Capt. Dal- ton, dated 15th. February, 1773, he says: "I am obliged to you for the notice you have given me of an intended meeting of your Ves- try on Tuesday next." He explains why he would not come to make his protest in person, and adds: "The right of reclaiming the pews by the Vestry in behalf of the Parish I most clearly deny. As a parishioner I protest against the measure. As a subscriber who meant to lay the foundation of a family pew I shall think myself injured;" etc., etc.
Washington was a "parishioner" of this parish by virtue of be- ing a freeholder and tithe-payer therein. His protest seems to have had the desired effect, as he remained in possession of his pew.
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nual rent of five pounds, Virginia money, each; and we hereby promise to pay (each for himself promising to pay) annually, forever, to the Min- ister and Vestry of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Fairfax Parish, or, if the Parish should be divided, to the Minister and Vestry of the Prot- estant Episcopal Church in Alexandria, the said sum of five pounds for each pew for the purpose of supporting the Minister in the said Church. Provided neverthelsss that if any law of this Com- monwealth should hereafter compel us, our heirs, executors and administrators or assigns, to pay to the support of Religion, the pew-rent hereby granted shall, in that case, be considered as part of what we, by such law, be required to pay.
Provided also that each of us pay only in pro- portion to the part we hold of the said pews.
For the performance of which payments, well and truly to be made forever annually, within six months after demanded, we hereby bind ourselves (each for himself separately) our heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, firmly by these pres- ents. In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 25th day of April in the year of our Lord 1785.
Witness present at signing and sealing. David Griffith at
signing and sealing for (Seal) Philip Alexander. G. Washington, W. Bird Robert Adams.
T. Herbert & P. Alexander. M. Madden.
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Giles Cooke for T. West.
Barr Powell for W. Herbert. Geo. Washington (Seal)
Gr. Chapman for R. Adams. W. Bird (Seal)
Robt. Macgill for M. Madden. Thos. Herbert (Seal) Thomas West (Seal) W. Herbert (Seal)
And yet Washington occasionally attended Po- hick Church when it was open for Divine Service, as the following item from his Diary proves :
"Oct. 2d. 1785. Sunday. Went with Fanny Bassett, Burwell Bassett, Dr. Stuart, George A. Washington, Mr. Shaw and Nelly Custis to Po- hick Church to hear a Mr. Thompson preach who returned home with us to dinner, where I found Rev. Mr. Jones, formerly a Chaplain in a Pa. Reg- iment. After we were in bed about eleven o'clock at night, Mr. Houdon (sent from Paris by Mr. Jefferson and Dr. Franklin to take my Bust, in behalf of the State of Virginia, with three young men, assistants, introduced by Mr. Perin a French gentleman of Alexandria) arrived here by water from the latter place. 3d. October. The two Rev- erend gentlemen who dined and lodged here went away after breakfast." This is an illustration of the truth of the statement of his Pastor, Rev. Lee Massey, that Washington never allowed company at Mount Vernon to keep him from Church, and
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that he was the most punctual and constant at- tendant at Divine Service he had ever known. Mrs. Lewis, (Nelly Custis,) bears a like testimony as to his habit in New York and Philadelphia. As to the time of which we are now speaking she says: "General Washington had a pew in Pohick Church and one in Christ Church, Alexandria. He attended the Church at Alexandria when the weather and roads permitted a ride of ten miles."
We have reached the dark age of Truro Parish. There are no records to guide us, and we have to avail ourselves of such side-lights as come from other sources. It is not known definitely when Mr. Massey's official relations with the Parish ceased. Tradition says he was followed by a Mr. Kemp and a Mr. Moscrope, who did not walk worthy of their high vocation in several respects. Whether they had any official connection with the Parish, or were merely "temporary supplies," is not known .* Towards the close of the century, some say in 1798, the eccentric Mason L. Weems appears upon the scene. There is no proof of his precise relations to the Parish. In his popular Life of Washington he calls himself "Late Rector of Mount Vernon Parish," as if he did not know its name. It is certain however that he was officiating there about the beginning of this century. Mr.
*Bishop Meade, from whom this tradition was drawn, had heard that these Ministers "Occasionally officiated at Dumfries, Pohick, and perhaps at Centerville,"' (doubtless a slip of the pen for Brentsville). I do not find their names in any lists of the Clergy of that period.
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Davis, a teacher in that section, published a work dedicated to Jefferson, and entitled, "Four and a Half Years in America." In it he says: "About eight miles from Occoquan Mills is a place of worship called Poheek (sic) Church. Thither I rode on Sunday and joined the congregation of Parson Weems, a Minister of the Episcopal per- suasion, who was cheerful in his mein that he might win men to religion. A Virginian Church- yard on Sunday resembles rather a race-course than a sepulchral ground. The ladies come to it in carriages and the men make their horses fast to the trees. But the steeples of the Virginian Churches are designed not for utility but for or- nament, for the bell is suspended from a tree.t It is also observable that the gate to the Churchyard is ever carefully locked by the Sexton, who retires last. I was confounded on first ; entering the Churchyard at Poheek to hear "Steed threaten Steed with high and boastful neigh." Nor was I less stunned with the rattling of carriage-wheels, the cracking of whips and the vociferations of the gentlemen to the Negroes who accompanied them. But the discourse of Parson Weems calmed every perturbation, for he preached the great doctrines of Salvation as one who had experienced their power. In his youth Mr. Weems had accompanied some young Americans to London where he pre- pared himself by dilligent study for the profession
+It is hard to determine what could have suggested this remark, as Pohick Church had neither bell nor steeple.
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of the Church. Of the congregation about one half was composed of white people and the other of negroes. Among many of the negroes were to be discovered the most gratifying evidences of sincere piety, an artless simplicity, passionate as- pirations after Christ and an earnest endeavour to do the will of God."
The light thus thrown by Mr. Davis upon Po- hick Church for one Sunday reveals a very ani- mated and picturesque scene, and one by no means discreditable to Mr. Weems. This single glimpse into the darkness which shrouded Truro Parish is the only authentic tidings we have of it until 1812, when the Rev. Charles O'Neill is in charge. We first meet Mr. O'Neill in St. Thomas' Parish, Orange County, where he officiated and taught school in 1797-1800. He was one of the old-time schoolmasters, (as we have seen in our History of St. Mark's Parish,) who believed in what Hudibras called "Apostolic blows and knocks" more than he did in the Apostolic Succession. His whipping post was the back of a negro man, on which the bad boy was suspended and flaggellated with hick- ory switches. He taught at Col. Taliaferro's, near Pine Stake Church, and also in Bromfield Parish, Madison County. Judge P. P. Barbour, of the U. S. Supreme Court, and the Hon. Jeremiah Mor- ton and Dr. George Morton were his pupils, and retained a lively impression of his discipline. He also preached and taught school in Hamilton Par-
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ish, Fauquier County, and represented it in Con- vention in 1805. He was likewise in Dettingen Parish, Prince William County. The date of his incumbency in Truro Parish was the time of Bishop Meade's effective ministry at Christ Church, Alexandria. The family at Mount Ver- non were attendants at Christ Church at this time, and some of them were among the first fruits of his ministry there. Mr. Meade was consequently intimate at Mount Vernon, and tells an amusing anecdote of Mr. O'Neill. He says: "The family at Mt. Vernon and at Rippon Lodge (the Black- burns) were fond of him. He, (O'Neill,) always spent his Christmas at Mt. Vernon, and on those occasions was dressed in a full suit of velvet, which Gen. Washington had left behind, and which had been given to Mr. O'Neill. But as General Wash- ington was tall and well proportioned in all his parts, and Mr. O'Neill was peculiarly formed, be- ing of uncommon length of body and brevity of legs, it was difficult to make the clothes of the one, even though altered, sit well on the other." (Mr. O'Neill died, it is thought, in 1813.)
Judge Bushrod Washington, (the, son of John A. and nephew of General Washington,) who in- herited Mt. Vernon, was now living there. He was a devout Communicant of the Church, and at- tended Divine Service in Christ Church, Alexan- dria, which he represented repeatedly in conven- tion. He was also a member of the Standing Com-
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mittee to the end of his life. He married Jane, daughter of Col. Thomas Blackburn, of Rippon Lodge, Prince William County, which was a cen- ter of Episcopal influence. Two of the Misses Blackburn, Jane and Polly, married nephews of General Washington and lived in Jefferson Coun- ty, and one, Judy, married Gustavus Alexander. The first Richard Blackburn married a daughter of the Rev. James Scott, of Overwharton Parish.
In his Convention Address in 1838 Bishop Meade thus describes a visitation made to Pohick Church, and its condition, in the preceding sum- mer :
"My next visit was to Pohick Church, in the vicinity of Mt. Vernon, the seat of General Wash- ington. It was still raining when I approached the house, and found no one there. The wide- open doors invited me to enter,-as they do in- vite, day and night through the year, not only the passing traveller, but every beast of the field and fowl of the air. These latter however seeemed to have reverenced the house of God, since few marks of their pollution were to be seen throughout it. The interior of the house, having been well built, is still good. The chancel, Communion table and tables of the law &c. are still there and in good or- der. The roof only is decaying; and at the time I was there the rain was dropping on these sacred places and on other parts of the house. On the doors of the pews, in gilt letters, are still to be
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seen the names of the principal Families which once occupied them. How could I, while for at least an hour traversing those long aisles, ascend- ing the lofty pulpit, entering the sacred chancel, forbear to ask, And is this the House of God which was built by the Washingtons, the Mc. Car- tys, the Lewises, the Fairfaxes ?- the house in which they used to worship the God of our fathers according to the venerable forms of the Episcopal Church,-and some of whose names are still to be seen on the doors of those now deserted pews? Is this also destined to moulder piecemeal away, or, when some signal is given, to become the prey of spoilers, and to be carried hither and thither and applied to every purpose under heaven ?
"Surely patriotism, or reverence for the greatest of patriots, if not religion, might be effectually appealed to in behalf of this one temple of God. The particular location of it is to be ascribed to Washington, who, being an active member of the Vestry when it was under consideration and in dispute where it should be placed, carefully sur- veyed the whole parish, and, drawing with his own hand an accurate and handsome map of it, showed clearly where the claims of justice and the interests of religion required its erection.
"It was to this Church that Washington for some years regularly repaired, at a distance of six or seven miles, never permitting any company to pre- vent the regular observance of the Lord's day.
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And shall it now be permitted to sink into ruin for want of a few hundred dollars to arrest the decay already begun? The families that once wor- shipped there are indeed nearly all gone, and those who remain are not competent to its complete repair. But there are immortal beings all around it, and not far distant from it, who might be for- ever blessed by the word faithfully preached there- in. The poor shall never cease out of any land, and to them the gospel ought to be preached.
"For some years past one of the students in our Theological Seminary has acted as lay reader in it, and occasionally a professor has added his ser- vices. Within the last year the Rev. Mr. John- son, residing in the neighbourhood, has performed more frequent duties there.
"On the day following I preached to a very con- siderable congregation in this old church, one third of which was made up of coloured persons. The sacrament was then administered to twenty persons."
Some years later the Bishop wrote : "I am happy to say that this report led the Rev. Mr. Johnson to its use, in a circular, by means of which he raised fifteen hundred dollars, with which a new roof and ceiling and other repairs were put on it, by which it has been preserved from decay and fitted for such occasional services as are performed there. A friend, who has recently visited it, in- forms me that many of the doors of the pews are
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gone. Those of George Washington and George Mason are not to be found,-perhaps borne away as relics. Those of George William Fairfax, Mar- tin Cockburn, Daniel Mc.Carty, William Payne, (read Triplett,) and the rector's, are still standing and their names legible."
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ALEXANDER HENDERSON
This gentleman was the son of Rev. Robert Henderson, Minister of Blantyre in Scotland. He came to Virginia in 1756, and settled as a mer- chant in Colchester, in Truro Parish. He married Miss Sallie Moore of Maryland. His son, General Henderson, says that during the Revolution he re- tired to a farm in Fairfax County for fear of fall- ing into the hands of the English, as he had taken a very decided part against the mother-country. He, General Washington and George Mason, were commissioners on the part of Virginia who met with the Maryland commissioners, Stone, Chase and Jenifer, at Mount Vernon on the 28th of March, 1785, made the compact as to the navi- gation and exercise of jurisdiction in the waters of Chesapeake Bay and Pocomoke. Col. Henderson represented Prince William County in the General Assembly in 1798, having in the meantime moved to Dumfries, which had long been one of the chief marts of commerce in Virginia. The late Murray Forbes, of Falmouth, son of Dr. Stirling Forbes, an eminent physician of Dumfries, when a boy be- came one of his clerks, living in his family and sharing his kindness with his sons. Col. Hender- son established a branch of his business in Alex-
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andria in connection with his cousin and son-in- law, known as "Scotch Sandy." In process of time he sent Mr. Forbes to Alexandria to man- age his share in the firm. When Mr. Forbes had become of age Col. Henderson told him he would like to keep him in his service, as he had con- ducted his business to his satisfaction and to his own credit. But he added, "You should go into business on your own account. Here is a check for $5000 in compensation for your services, and I will give you a letter of credit for $5000 more. Mr. Forbes was overwhelmed with surprise at the proposition, but the Colonel insisted, and Mr. Forbes became the accomplished merchant and gentleman so well known in Falmouth. He cherished a profound homage for Col. Hender- son's memory, and told his eldest son to hold his name, character and lineage, in high respect. Col. Henderson died in 1815, leaving six sons and four daughters. John, Alexander and James moved to Wood County, West Va. Richard was an emi- nent lawyer of Leesburg. Archibald was Gen. Henderson of the Marine Corps, U. S. A. Thomas was a distinguished Surgeon of the Army, and one of the founders of the Theological Seminary of Virginia. One of his daughters, Sarah, was a de- vout and sweet poetess, and married Gen. Francis H. Smith, the Superintendent of the Virginia Mil- itary Institute. This old Vestryman is now repre- sented in the Parish by one of his lineal descend-
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ants, Mrs. Dr. Nevitt, of Accotink, who, like her great grandfather, worships in the same old Po- hick Church.
LUND WASHINGTON, who became a Vestry- man in 1782, was the son of Townshend Wash- ington and Elizabeth Lund, of Chotank Creek, King George County. He was born October I, 1737, and died in 1796. In his youth he was a manager of a large estate in Albemarle and Orange. He was then appointed manager of Rav- ensworth in Fairfax by Col. Henry Fitzhugh, of King George. Subsequently he was chosen by General Washington to superintend Mt. Vernon, which he did until 1785. He was a man of great bodily strength and activity, and made money for his employers and for himself. He married his cousin, Betsey Foote.
EDWARD WASHINGTON was chosen Vestry- man in 1779. Lund Washington says of him: "Edward Washington lived a few miles from Col- chester when I went there to live in 1786. My uncle, Lawrence Washington and I believed him to be a relative from his strong resemblance to the family." His father was living in 1788, a very old man.
DR. PETER WAGENER, Vestryman in 1771, was an Englishman, and was Clerk of Stafford County before Fairfax was established. It was on his land that the town of Colchester was founded in 1754, and he was one of the original Trustees
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with Daniel Mc.Carty, John Barry, William Elzy and Edward Washington. He married a sister of Mr. Speaker Robinson of the House of Burgesses. (1750.) Their daughter Elizabeth married Rev. Spence Grayson of Dettingen Parish, (1781- 1797). Peter Wagener, son of the foregoing, was chosen Vestryman in 1774 to succeed his father who died that year. He was Clerk of Fairfax County, and married a daughter of Daniel Mc .- Carty. Their son, Beverly Robinson, married in 1790 a daughter of Col. Benjamin Harrison of Prince William County. A daughter of Peter Wagener married Dr. Morton of Colchester, and 2d. Col. Porter of Prince William.
LAWRENCE LEWIS, of Woodlawn, was the son of Col. Fielding Lewis, of Fredericksburg, and his wife Betty, only sister of General Washington. He was born April 4, 1767. Col. Fielding Lewis, by his last will, dated October 19, 1781, devised to his son Lawrence one thousand acres of land in the County of Frederick, one sixth of his ne- groes and one third of his stock of cattle, horses, &c. When Lawrence had attained the age of twenty one he was engaged by his uncle to live at Mt. Vernon and aid him in receiving strangers and entertaining the perpetual flow of company to that hospitable mansion. In his letter Gen. Washing- ton said :- "Your Aunt and I are in the decline of life and are regular in our habits, especially of ris- ing and going to bed. I require some fit person
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to ease me of the trouble of entertaining company, particularly of nights, it being my inclination to retire, and, (unless prevented by very particular company,) I always do retire either to bed or to my study, soon after candle light. In taking these duties, which hospitality always obliges me to be- stow upon company, off my hands, it would render me a very acceptable service."
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