USA > Virginia > Virginia colonial decisions : the reports by Sir John Randolph and by Edward Barradall, of decisions of the general court of Virginia, 1728-1741, v. I > Part 13
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The " old field schools " were well recognized aids to primary education, although they were very limited in their scope. It is said by Mr. Fiske3 that George Washington learned in one of them "to read, write and cipher," but he does not tell where he learned to spell.+ The Rev. Hugh Jones says that " as for edu-
'Economic History of Virginia, 408. Cold Virginia and Her Neighbors, 247. 31.1. Arte page 39. Present State of Virginia. Howe, 330.
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cation, several are sent to England for it." They were hardly so few as to justify the use of the word " several," for the names of quite a number who went back to England to study at Oxford and Cambridge are given in the various published narratives.
One of our reporters, Sir John Randolph, studied law at Gray's Inn, London, and his son, Peyton Randolph, also a well-known lawyer and patriot, studied his profession at the Inner Temple, London. Both father and son had graduated at William and Mary College previous to going to London.
Gabriel Jones, known as the "Valley Lawyer," born within three miles of Williamsburg, was taken at a very early age to England, and there, when fifteen years old, was "apprenticed to a lawyer " in Middlesex. He returned to America in time to be appointed King's Attorney for Frederick County when he was nineteen years of age, and of Augusta County when he was twenty-one. 1 At that time these two counties embraced all there was of Virginia west of the Blue Ridge Moun- tains. This list might readily be greatly enlarged, if need be, to prove that it was quite common for the young men of the wealthier classes to be educated in England.
A sad account of all this is given by Mr. Lodge2 who seemed to think that there was little or no means of education in colonial Virginia, and that what there was of it was bad,3 and that even of those sent to Europe, the young men brought back more of vice than of acquired education. And yet while this is spoken equally of the times just preceding the Revolution,
1West Virginia Historical Magazine. Vol. II, 21.
?English Colonies in America, 73 et seq.
3See Mr. Fiske's contrast between educational conditions in Virginia and in New England, and the reasons for it. Old Virginia and Her Neighbors. Vol. II, 252.
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the system in Virginia, good or bad, was equal to producing in that emergency a rather rare race of patriots and statesmen, who adapted themselves fairly well both to war and civil government.
Nevertheless, it must be confessed that the study of books was not universally the first or most ardent love of the Virginian. There were rivals in nature there which no books could fairly compete with, and the climate was a constant incentive, both in their occupations and amusements, that led much more to out-of-door life than conditions in New England did. The comparatively milder and much shorter winters of the more southern colony did not suggest near so strongly the fire, the lamp, and the book. But all of education is not from between the lids of printed books, and it has perhaps been as well for the country on the whole that its founders were taught in both schools.
The private libraries, lists of the books in which appear so often in the recorded inventories of estates, were the source as they were the evidence of a large degree of culture.
Mr. Fithian, several times before quoted from, says in a letter to Rev. Enoch Green,1 that Col. Carter had an " overgrown library of books " of which he allowed him the use. These consisted of law books, Latin and Greek classics, a large number of books on Divinity, but chiefly by writers of the Established Church; almost all the works of Locke, Addison, Young, Pope, Swift, Dryden, etc., " in short Sir, to speak moderately, he has more than eight times your number." As to Col. Carter's ability to appreciate such a possession, Mr. Fithian says of him: " He seems to be a fine scholar, even in classical learning, and is remarkable in Eng-
'Of Deerfield, New Jersey.
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lish grammar, and notwithstanding his work, which in general seems to countenance indulgence to children, both himself and Mrs. Carter have a manner of in- structing and dealing with children far superior, I may say it in confidence, to any I have ever seen in any place, or in any family."
The inventory of the library of Dabney Carr,1 who died in 1773, besides a considerable collection of law books, religious books and a large number of books of sermons, shows among others a number of books of history, ten volumes of Shakespeare's works, Tristram Shandy, Stern's Sentimental Journey, Locke's Essays, Thompson's Seasons, various poetical works, nearly all the Latin books and many of the Greek books used at school, a number of French books, and other books of a miscellaneous character.
The will of John Carter,2 "the immigrant" and ancestor of Col. Carter of Normini Hall, speaks of, but does not give, the names of his books, and leaves one sixth part of them to his son Robert, with the rather singular provision: "My son Robert, in his minority, is to be well educated for the use of his estate, and he is to have a man or youth servant bought3 for him that hath been brought up in the Latin school, and that he (the servant) shall constantly tend upon him, not only to teach him his books, either in English or Latin, according to his capacity (for my will is that he shall learn both Latin and English and to write) and also to preserve him from harm and doing evil."
William Fitzhugh, whose granddaughter (the daugh-
"Virginia Historical Magazine. Vol. II, 225.
"Dated January 3, 1669. Virginia Historical Magazine. Vol. II, 235.
3Presumably an indented servant.
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ter of his eldest son, William) was the wife of our re- porter, Edward Barradall, left his "study of books " to be divided between his sons William and Henry.1
The inventory of the estate of Henry Fitzhugh, son of the last named Henry, and brother2 of Barradall's wife, shows "books, per a catalogue (not given), valued at £258.7.9."3
The inventory of the estate of Dr. John Henry of Middlesex County includes seventy-seven books, " Latin, English, Medical, religious, law,4 etc."
A letter from Mr. William Fitzhugh (the elder) before referred to, dated July 10, 1690,5 speaks of the various books needed for the education of one of his sons, and says to his correspondent: "This year I was designed to have sent home6 my eldest son? to school there, and did intend to request of your care of him & kindness to him but accidentally meeting with a french minister, a sober, learned & discreet Gentleman, whom I persuaded to board & Tutor him, which he hath under- taken, in whose family there is nothing but french spoken which by a continual converse will make him perfect in that tongue and he takes a great deal of pains & care to teach him latin, etc."
The inventory of the estate of Robert Berkeley, 8 who died Februrary 4, 1734, gives his books by name and number of volumes, and fills three printed pages in double columns. They are books of history, religion,
WVirginia Historical Magazine. Vol. II, 277.
2Id. Vol. II. 278.
3Writing July 21, 1698, to a Mr. Hayward in England, Mr. Fitzhugh orders him " punctually and without fail to send me" the second and third parts of Rushworth's Collections, Burnett's Theory of the Earth, all the works of the author of the Whole Duty of Man, Bacon's Remains, Cotton's Records of the Town, The secret history of " King Chas, the 2nd & King James the 2nd," a large fair printed Bible, a large Common Prayer book, and many other books.
Virginia Historical Magazine. Vol. III, 4.
SId .. 9.
"England.
"He was afterwards the father-in-law of Edward Barradall.
"Virginia Historical Magazine. Vol. III. 38S.
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philosophy, natural history, law, mathematics, astron- omy, many of the classics, Latin, Greek and French books, The Adventures of Telemachus, Paradise Lost, Æsop's Fables and, among others, "The fair Circasion," "The curious maid, a Tail," and "Ye victory of Cupid."
Arthur Smith of Isle of Wight County, 1645,1 leaves to one of his sons "all my Books," and charges upon his executors, "also the bringing up of my children in the fear of God and to learn to read and write." The will of George Yeo of Elizabeth City County, dated March 15, 1742, gives to his cousin John Seldon, all his law books, some of his miscellaneous books, in- cluding, as all of them seemed to do, "The whole Duty of Man," and then divided the rest of his books among others of his kindred.2
But further enumeration would be tedious. It is enough to say that the records are full of wills and inventories showing the quite extensive and valuable libraries owned by citizens of Virginia in colonial times. On page 299 of Vol. VII, Virginia Historical Magazine, is a partial list of the names of such persons, one hundred and nineteen in number, giving in many cases the value and numbers of their books. The list is accompanied by the statement that "all students of Virginia history are assured that there were in the colony a number of libraries, which for that period, were quite large and valuable," and com- ment is made upon the fact that "even a friendly writer, like Mr. Fiske," should think that these were exceptional cases and that this love of books and reading were confined to some of the wealthiest and best educated class.
The list does not include the large libraries men-
'Virginia Historical Magazine. Vol. VII, 115 2Id., 194.
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tioned by Mr. Fiske,1 such as that of William Byrd of Westover, containing three thousand six hundred and twenty-five volumes; and of Richard Lee, of three hundred titles. Libraries of the size of that at West- over were, of course, exceptional, but not so that of Richard Lee, with three hundred titles. It must be remembered too that these were all dwellers in the country. Would rural libraries in the other colonies make a better showing?
Surely the conclusions recorded by Mr. Lodge are contradicted by the record. The wills and letters of these men do not indicate that they did, or that their sons, save in exceptional cases, could have brought back more of vice than learning from England. The sons indeed were many of those who figured con- spicuously before and during the revolutionary period.
But if the list of libraries already given were not proof enough of the almost universality of books (often not reaching the dignity of libraries) even among the less conspicuous people of the colony, the evidence of it is furnished by a much larger list, covering more than fifteen pages (389 to 405) of Vol. X of the Vir- ginia Historical Magazine.2 Nor does the list stop with these, for numerous other instances of the possession and use of books is given in subsequent numbers of the same magazine.
The inventory of the estate of Thomas Lord Fairfax,3 otherwise also a very interesting document, has among some more serious books a number not common in Virginia libraries, such as "Tom Jones," "Joseph An- drews," "Adventures of a Valet," "David Simple," "Peregrine Pickle," etc.
'Old Virginia and Her Neighbors, Vol. II, 244.
"Taken largely from William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. VIII, and from Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Antiquary, Vols. I, II and III.
Wirginia Historical Magazine. Vol. VIII, 12.
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Of newspapers there was ever a scarcity in the colonies. Indeed, there were comparatively few of them at that time in Europe and very few in any of the colonies. Newspapers have always been the product of cities or of the larger towns. There were none of either in Colonial Virginia. The first newspaper pub- lished in Virginia made its appearance on August 6, 1736, under the name of the Virginia Gazette.
As early as 1704 a newspaper was printed in Boston and a second paper was issued in 1719. Not until 1725 was a newspaper published in New York. So after all, Virginia was not so far behind in this kind of enterprise. Indeed, as early as 1682, an attempt was made to establish a printing press, for Berkeley had then only been dead five years, although he had ceased to be Governor about a year before his death.
The Virginia Gazette is described1 as "a small dingy sheet, containing a few items of foreign news; the advertisements of the Williamsburg shop-keepers; notices of the arrival and departure of ships; a few chance particulars relating to persons or events in the colony; and poetical effusions celebrating the charms of Myrtilla, Florella, or other belles of the period." The paper at the beginning of its publication was in size about twelve inches by six, and was published in Williamsburg by William Parks at the price of fifteen shillings per annum. After stating that newspapers had been established elsewhere in the colonies as well as in Europe, the publisher says in his introduction: " From these examples, the encouragement of several gentlemen, and the prospect I have of success in this ancient and best settled colony, Virginia, I am induced
1Cooke's History of Virginia, 330. A very incomplete set, with no numbers as early as 1743, is in the Virginia State Library. A few copies are in the Library of the Virginia Historical Society.
Ilowe's History and Antiquities of Virginia, 331.
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to set forth weekly newspapers here, - not doubting to meet with as good encouragement as others, or at least as may enable me to carry them on."
From the same source we learn that it was this publisher, William Parks, who in 1729 printed at Williamsburg, Stith's History of Virginia and the Laws of Virginia.1 Howe states that the paper was under the influence of the government, and when Parks died in 1750, it was discontinued.
In February, 1751, the paper was revived and carried on by William Hunter. He died in 1761 and it was then enlarged and published by Joseph Royle, after whose death it was carried on by Purdie and Dixon,2 and for several years by Purdie alone. The last issues of the paper seem to have been in 1778, when Dixon and Hunter were the publishers. Mr. Jefferson is reported3 as giving this account of this early news- paper enterprise: "Till the beginning of our revo- lutionary disputes we had but one press; and that having the whole business of the government, and no competition for public favor, nothing disagreeable to the governor could find its way into it. We procured Rind4 to come from Maryland to publish a free paper." This resulted, in May, 1766, in the issue of a second paper, also entitled " The Virginia Gazette," which, it was announced, was "published by authority, open to all parties, but influenced by none." The phrase, " published by authority," was omitted at the end of the first year, and William Rind dying in August, 1773. the paper was continued by his widow, and at her death,
'The Acts of the General Assembly.
See Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. IX, 411, 412, for an account of its various numbers, some of which are missing and some inaccurately numbered, with the names of the different publishers and the dates on which they published the paper.
3Thomas' History of Printing. Howe, 321.
Virginia Historical Magazine. Vol. IX, 412. Date, March 3, 1768.
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by John Pinkney. Still another " Virginia Gazette " was commenced in 1775 at Williamsburg and continued for several years under Clarkson and Davis.
This newspaper seems throughout to have been but a poor affair, and although useful, no doubt, to the politicians of the day, could have contributed but little to the general cause of education. At this day the newspaper can not be universally claimed to be the model dispenser of truth, but it may be some comfort to the average editor or manager to learn from such a source as Mr. Jefferson how news- papers stood, in his opinion at least, in 1807. He writes:1 "It is a melancholy truth that a suppression of the Press could not more completely deprive the nation of its benefits than is done by its abandoned prostitution to falsehood. Nothing can be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. ... I will add that the man who never looks into a news- paper is better informed than he who reads them; inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehood and errors."
Strange that it was not far from the same period that John Marshall, the consistent opponent of Jefferson, referring to attacks made by Jefferson's friends, and it was supposed at Jefferson's instigation, in the public press, upon certain decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, wrote to a friend: " There is on this subject no such thing as a free press in Vir- ginia, and of consequence the calumnies and misrepre- sentations of this gentleman will remain uncontradicted and will be believed to be true."
The issues of the Virginia Gazette contain indeed but little of interest at any time and less now to the
'Thomas' Life and Writings of Jefferson, 320.
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antiquarian of the present day. There is mention of the crops, of social functions among the gentry, marriages, and obituary notices, both often accom- panied by poetic effusions, and there were some trade advertisements which suggest the customs of the day in that respect.
Of more interest is an account in the issue of Novem- ber 12, 1736, of the annual visit of the president, masters and students of William and Mary College to the Governor at the palace, to present to him the customary copies of Latin verses. The president delivered his verses to the Governor and two of the students, sixty being present on this occasion, spoke theirs.
In another issue of the same year is a notice of a performance at the theatre, by the college students, of the Tragedy of Cato, and on three evenings of one week, by gentlemen and ladies of the county, of " The Busy Body," "The Recruiting Officer " and the " Beaux Stratagem."
An advertisement appears in 1739, of Edward Morris, " Breeches-Maker and Glover," who sells buckskin breeches and " buckskin gloves with high tops." Nor was the paper free of the item of interest that still attracts in the present country weekly, the mention of the biggest hog of the season.1
But the most marked educational movement in the history of colonial Virginia, was the organization and maintenance of William and Mary College. Only a brief account of it, however, is appropriate to this writing.
Dr. Blair, the Commissary, is the admitted founder of the college. He came to Virginia as a missionary in 1685, when he was twenty-nine years old, and at
'Howe's History and Antiquities, 331, 332.
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once took a deep interest in advancing both religion and education in the colony. William and Mary were King and Queen in England and Francis Nicholson was Governor in Virginia when in 1691 Blair was sent back to England to get a charter, and to solicit royal support for the scheme. In 1692 the charter was gotten, and Blair was named as the first president. Harvard dates from about 1638 and is therefore the senior of William and Mary by more than forty years, but William and Mary stands next in seniority among American colleges.
Considering their subsequent and very active enmity, it is rather strange that Governor Nicholson should have been the Commissary's most valuable assistant in getting up the college. Indeed, the Governor re- garded himself as the founder and Dr. Blair as the assistant.1 But whatever may have been Governor Nicholson's demerits in other particulars, he deserves a very large part of the credit which he claimed for this most meritorious enterprise.
Dr. Blair, then having been appointed Commissary of the colony and therefore the head of the clergy, at a convention held in Jamestown in July, 1690, laid before it in a paper prepared for the purpose, his plan for a college, the object of which was for the education of the white youth of Virginia, the training of ministers for the church, and the conversion of the Indians. The scheme was received with much favor and an appeal to the merchants of London trading in Virginia secured at once a pledge of three thousand pounds. Dr. Blair's visit to England was equally successful, and not only the bishops and other clergy, but the
'The bibliography on the subject of the founding of the college is collected on pages 155, 156, Vol. VII, Virginia Historical Magazine. To the list must be added Dr. L. G. Tyler's narrative in " Williamsburg," 110-204.
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King and Queen promised their favor for the enter- prise. It took a year, however, to realize anything from these promises, but at last at a meeting of the privy council, at which Queen Mary, in the absence of the King, presided, a considerable fund in the way of income from quit rents in Virginia, taxes on tobacco exported, profits of the office of surveyor general, and large tracts of land, held on the condition of two copies of Latin verses to be delivered to the Governor or Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on the 5th day of November in each year,1 were appropriated for the building and endowment of the college. Other funds, too, were secured by the energy and shrewdness of the commissary, so that when the long delayed charter arrived, and the various red tape requirements had been complied with, the trustees appointed, the loca- tion determined on and the land (330 acres) bought, all of which was accomplished by the year 1694, the business of putting up the college buildings was begun. Sir Christopher Wren was the architect, the brick were made nearby, and by 1697 two sides of the con- templated rectangle were completed. The school had in fact been started on a small scale in 1694, but it was not until 1698 that the college buildings were put into use. Meanwhile troubles of all sorts had attended the enterprise. Dr. Blair was a man of war, and when that is the case there is no lack of other warriors. Governors seem to have been the com- missary's favorite antagonists, as if he did not regard smaller game as any sort of sport. But though he triumphed in the end, he and his family were subjected to much humiliation and even to personal insults.
Nicholson who had been sent away to serve as deputy governor in Maryland, and had made himself unpleasant
'Ante page 148.
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there, came back in 1698, succeeding Andrews, who had been in constant conflict with Dr. Blair, and had greatly discouraged the college enterprise. Great things were expected of Nicholson, who had been a warm friend of the college and a liberal subscriber to it at the start, and they were not disappointed. It was he who in 1699 was most influential in securing the removal of the capital to Williamsburg, and that was of much importance to the success of the college. So the partly constructed buildings were put in use and masters and students were gathered together, and by 1700 they had progressed so far that a very successful commencement was held. But there was no fence high enough to separate Blair and Nicholson. The church and the courthouse stood physically between the college and the palace, but neither religion nor law was a sufficient barrier to separate these eager combatants. So a merry war waged hotly between this deputy governor and this deputy bishop. Bad words not fit for a governor's mouth were spoken to Blair, but the Governor claimed to have much provocation and to have been justified in speaking " with some warmth,"1 writing in his defense that Blair's answer to him was "ye odious compillation of a bitter invective & gross Callumnies " and "every Body Knows yt a Gal'd horse will winch."2
As has been already told,3 the Commissary at last found the Governor's vulnerable point neither in law or war, but in love, and this was his quick undoing.
1Virginia Historical Magazine. Vol. VII, 387.
*Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. IX, 18. In the possession of the Virginia Historical Society is a new volume entitled " Papers concerning a difference between Governor Nicholson and some of his council: also concerning the college of William and Mary, copied from documents in the archives of the State of New York, Vol. LI." This manuscript contains a very full account of the controversy between the Governor and the Commissary. The book is printed in the Virginia Historical Magazine, commencing on page 153 of Vol. VII, and continued at inter- vals through that volume and volumes VIII and IX.
3Ante page 100.
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Although nearly all the clergy, and among them the Rev. Solomon Wheatley, who had so much trouble and had acted so diplomatically about the matter of the advowson, were on the Governor's side and signed a strong paper1 in which they made the " most Solemn Protestation that we do Dissent from and Disown those unfair Clandestine measures wch his Reverence has taken to accuse your Excellcy without our consent or Knowledge;" yet neither the combined clergy nor the laity as represented by the Governor and his friends, with even a majority of the burgesses, could meet the forces of the Commissary, and at last he won com- parative peace, which indeed he probably did not altogether want, but needed perhaps for the success of the college. But it was not until Dr. Blair had disposed also of the next Governor, Col. Spotswood, that permanent peace was established, for Governors Drysdale and Gooch, knowing the qualities of Blair and the fate of their predecessors, were wise in their day and generation and never broke with the Com- missary.
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