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Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects
1958
Commissary James Blair of Virginia: A Study in Personality and Power
Margaret Tressler Scott Harrison College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences
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Recommended Citation Harrison, Margaret Tressler Scott, "Commissary James Blair of Virginia: A Study in Personality and Power" (1958). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539624507. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-cw91-x116
This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. OOMtSSARY JAMES BIAIR OF VIRGINIA:
A STUDY I I PSRSOHAK'TT AID K M
A T hesis
Presented to the Faculty of the apartment of History
Hie College of William and Mary
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Bequiremente for the Degree
Master of Arts
by
Margaret Scott Harrison July 1958 m w r & SHBBT this thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts
t .. Author
Approved:
Hichard tee" Morton, Ph. D
William. W. Abbot, Ph. D,
lawreno© W. Tomier, Ph. 0 ., Chairman.
July 195# J
TAB IE OF CCSMENTS
page preface » * » * CHAPTER I smvc m m m viaoonA ...... 1 chapter n HEXES or F08 ER ...... 17
ME COUSffi mx> STRCOGIE WITH NICHOLSON ...... 3 7 CHAPTEH IV
STKUGGIE WITH SPOTSSOOD ...... 4 8
CHAPTEH V
PEACE At© PROGRESS Di UTER SEARS ...... 62 PREFACE
Surprisingly l i t t l e has been w ritten about James B lair $ 1656*»1?43» Prominent in many fields of activity in Colonial Virginia* his career- coincides with and complements the history of the Church* the State Mid the College of William and Mary for the closing years of the seventeenth Century and almost half of the eighteenth century# Able* conscientious* and contentious he was a part- of all that went on in his long years as colonial administrator oar- excellence# It is hoped that a scholar will come along and put lames Blair in a book all his own# I 'have enjoyed knowing Hr* Blair through the scattered pages of history# % research in the fine library at the College of William and Mary was made possible by the help of James A*. Servies* L* librarian* and Herbert W. Canter* activist* I appreciate their interest and assistance# % thanks also go to the professors at the college who ’offered 'suggestions and read the manuscript % Dr# Hichard Lee Morton * Dr# William W* Abbot and Dr# Lawrence W, Tomer ** especially the latter who eschibited rare patience and perseverance | Dr. John M. Jennings* Director of the Virginia Historical Society for use-of the Gooch Papers on microfilm in the library of theResearch Department of Colonial Williamsburg* Incorporated5 and to w good friend* Mrs* Virginia Swain* mthout whose attention to detail and nimble fingers on the typewriter* this • thesis could never have been completed. 1
CHAMSB I
max mm m nmmu
% cost laborious asm"1 m s im sm fifadi* of Coloniol %rginla. He ms Canaieeafy of tbs Bishop of londan for fifty-four years* is me on* of the founders of the College of EiUlsm and %*y m& its President for fifty years* During these ease years* ho me from tine to tie* a Hester o f ttes Oovemor's Council, ^sesiieiii of that Ctaeagli for & jpifl&i# and at me time eetlag vm rntm t m the Wm? eti m Virginia feea M m to m $ that 414 net tills eematii# tlerle# pol£tteii% emi o$£erel.0er of power* (If the magf- #**
th* next six years, so far as w© know, were spent out of formal academic life,. probably at home, studying for the ministiy with his father* tu 16?9, Hebert* discount of C&fulrd, owner of the advowson of the parish of Cranston In the diocese of Edinburgh, presented the young mm to the Eight Beimrend John Wishari, Bishop of Edinburgh, for ordination and admission to the pastoral charge of Cranston* Be was ordained by the- Bishop and served as Sector there for 'two years Blair had his first brush with civil authority when he refused to take the te s t Oath enacted by the Scottish FarMament under the aegis of Bemaa Catholic James, Wee of fork, Charles II* s coumissioner in. Scotland J* Consequently he was ejected from his parish* Be left Scotland for louden with a letter of ro commendation from the Bishop o f Edioburghi ,ffo a ll conceded, these are to certify & declare, that the bearer hereof, Mr*. las* Blair, Presbyter, did officiate In the Service of the Holy Ministry as Hector In the "'Parish' of ’Cranston,, in my Bieees© of Edinburgh for several years preceding the year 1602, with m m $>l&iy diligence, care and gravity, & did in a ll the course of his Ministry, behave himself loyally. Peaceably & Canonically, & that this is a truth X certify by these presents, written and Subscribed with my om hand, the 19th day of Aug1!* in the year- 16B3 *!*^ % resistin g the government, he lo st not only his parish, but also all hop©' of getting another church position in Scotland or £hgland“*~a fact which was to influence his whole life in Virginia* 3
la tendon* dames B lair worked for three years at the secular ei^loymenh of Clerk In. the office of the Master of the Belli# Being a sin iste r in the- Church of Scotland* and In'poor standing at that* fee was not eligible to hold a clerical position In England# The shaky Shglish Parliament m $ demanding a kind of loyalty from i t s Church leaders th a t dames B lair was not ready to give-. But he soon came to the attention of Br* Henry Compton* Bishop of louden* who ms ever on the lookout for good men to fill the many benefices Wider Ms care* farth er afield# The Bishop of iondon was not only responsible for his English Diocese* fee was also charged with the supervision of tbs Church of England beyond-the seas# The origins of this colonial power of the Bishop are obscure * But the policy seems to have been established, by Archbishop laud as part of the Stuart plan, to extend the Church to every part of the world where Sfegland was in power# laud wrote to the merchants of Belpfe on duly 17, 1634* that it ms the ^King’s wish th at you conform to the Motrin# and. discipline of the Church of England under the Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Xond©n.M^ - Betting missionary clergy to go to- the colonies « not easy# in a land where life itself ms insecure* such ministerial matters as salaries* tenure of office* and living conditions were also uncertain# The English clergymn in Virginia must have f e lt themselves' to be in the backwaters of culture as they tried, to establish church life among the people of their Sprawling parishes; The rough* unsettled times worked against the orderly organization k o f the Church of England. ft is to the credit of Bishop 'Compton and the general r m o f English clergy that many good men did corns over in the late seventeenth century to serve in the church* Philip Alexander Bruce has written that* 11 All the surviving records of the Seventeenth century go to showthat* whatever.! during th at long period* may have teen the infirm ities or unworthy tr a its of 'individual clergymen! the- great body of those officiating in Virginia were men who performed a ll-th e duties of their sacred calling in a manner entitling them to the respect* reverence* and gratitude o f th e ir pariahoners.” So it was that in 1685 the Bishop of tendon gave- dames Blair a license to preach in. the Colony of Virginia* .an. orderm the Treasury for & 20 to pay his passage over* and a certificate to present to the Savemor* lord Howard, of Effingham* temporarily in Xondon. Blair received instruct ions from the latter, as Ordinary or deputy of the King* The H@w World must have looked strange and yet inviting to the young mm who had grown up on the misty moors of Scotland and who had recently lived among the sooty chimney-pots of london. He w used to poverty and f ilth and cold* But in Virginia* a contemporary historian wrotes lfThey live in so happy a climate,* and have so fertile a soil* that nobody is poor'enough to beg or want food*11^ The pariah to which Blair was,sent was Vafina*'or Henrico* in one of the oldest- settlements in the colony* on the dames River fall-line east of the present City of Richmond* I t was s t i l l fro n tier 5 land and. thin ly settled, fhe .small community* with i t s church* jails courthouse* and a few homes* ms on the north hank of the river*. Travel was generally by water* and when Blair went tailing m his. parishioners* he went down the river in his sloop*, stopping off at small farms and plantations on both, sides of the curving river* Hie plantation homes were always open to v isitin g clergy** men** "Wakefield *n the home of Colonel Benjamin Harrison* .in -Surry County on the south side of the dames River* mast have, been especially hospitable* The Colonel* s seventeen«*year^old daughter* Sarah* caught Blair*s eye mid* .after only three, month’s courtship* they were married in 168?. We know very little of the lady who was Mrs • lames Blair* Perhaps ill health or a retiring disposition kept her oat of 'the public ©ye* Several very small tid-bibs give a slight hit of color* but absolutely no substance* to an unfortunately shadowy figure# The double gravestone of Sarah Harrison Blair- and dames Blair in the old church-yard at Jamestown is split and cracked open by a huge sycamore tree th a t has grown, up between the two graves* Family trad* ition claim- that nature is paying her back and it serves her right** she refused to say "Obey1* in the marriage ceremony I ' She is alleged to have said' "Wo Obey" three times when questioned as many times by a probably startled clergyman. William Byrd of "testover*1 refers to Sarah Harrison Blair some nine times in his diary* Host of the .references were simply to her being present at some gathering* But once she was in "good 6
health and good tator#*1 &A usuM Bite ma %iok Mid talked longest mi%mnm occurs m March 2$ XW* T*I was very mtik surprised to find %eu B lair drta% which 1# growing p w tif mmmx with her# and -her relations. disgaiss i t under the name of' consolation*I!^ Mad in1713 and her husband nm m i , flit couple had no chtMrani so she w dented that m » olaln tot&m that m e t colon ial m m n had# dai^Msdanfet© MXalr** marriage to tha daughter of « s of the Influential « of them 'km .did mmk to bring Mm Into the public #fs and to gU* Mm social ond $*&&£&& abending* f t w a t neceaoarilr buiau giwer him. a m b broader ttUUn of colonial offairs thanM mnlQ M m he4 from til® email parish at the edg® of the wilderness* fha twent^dd faMfto® tte m m beginning to ct&soiid&ic into a distinct olaoo of landed aM^ooradf isoloc®od few outsiders or w o M ^ 3hter-^arriage m» the general nxlo« ifesfc of the founder© of theas faisiliea had eomt well-endowed to the mlrn^s fk&38tfa %rri©on I mo one of the ton who had arrived inconspicuously* Wo do not know when or from whence ho tamo* f i r s t mention ofMm mm mad© when lie was Clerk of the Boyal Commit In 1634* % m0 elected to the House of - Siftge&oeB from, $#%? Bomty In 1642* Mu son* Benjamin IX# Sarah1® father# was also a Burgees# .later being tapped for the Bomcil* According to the record# brains# business m m m and good- looks m m \% a Harris® heritage* ?
A brief glance at thio class of colonials will show that Blair had definitely %rrived,f upon the public seme* tt% this time#0 writes Bernard BaHyn, % permanent ruling class was in evidence In Virginia# broadly based .in .loading county families and dominated at. a provincial level by a privileged officialdom, * „ there was m acceptance of the fact that certain families were distinguished from. others in riches and dignity# and th at to the® p o litica l authority was as a natter of course to bo accorded*,** Seldom has a governing 12 group so fully Justified itself, 11 ■ lames Blair1® first five years at farina# 1685-1690# were uneventful, % have no .reports or letters for t.hls period but he must have been busy getting to know the workings of th is now land and i t s government., While there was l i t t l e o ffic ia l connection between the forty-eight parishes in the Colony 'in the. way of conventions or jo int .reporting# he was learning how the- Church of England was faring in. its colonial field. ^ -'Ha was. laying the groundwork for a struggle for personal power that would at one time or another in the fifty years after 1690 involve his family connections# the local church vestries# the clergy con vocations# the House of Burgesses# the Governor*© Council# the loyal Governors# the Privy Council# the Arch bishop of Canterbury and the King himself . la 'Inconspicuous man in an out-of-the-way comer of one of England*© many colonies was spending five quiet years laying away trouble for a great .many people* He was to be part of the movement that, shifted the locus of powerfrom the King to the colony*and the lives of many mn m m changed in the struggle* But .before this .struggle w even begun# dames Blair had 'to find out about his new world* the Church. Of Stagland.in Virginia in 1690 was more under the thumb of the King than of the Bishop of leaden*. But Bishop Compton in London continued to be interested in. the welfare of the colonial parishes that, m m only partly under his Juriadiebim, The Governor received instruction concerning the- church in his' colony from the Privy Council# representing the ling# and not from the Bishop of London, Beginning about .1680# Mid with, the strong urging of Bishop Compton# an instruct!® from the Crown was given to each governor to see "that God be duly served# the Book of Common Prayer# as is now established* read each Sunday and Holy Bay* and the Blessed Sacrament administered , according to the rules of the Church of England. And our will and pleasure is that m minister be preferred by you to any ecclesiastical Benefice in our colony without a certificate from the lord Bishop of louden* -Of his being conformable to the Doctrines of the- Church of England,"3^ v The laws- passed by the General Assembly in Virginia show that the leaders of the colony were just as concerned over the proper functioning of the Church as were the King and Privy Council in England* Ih the e a rliest extant records of th is body* from 1619 on* there are laws requiring that a place be set apart for a church m every plantation* 9 that attendance h® m te obligatory, m& th al a ll shooMmmtmm to the Canons and tuetgpe.of the Ohmroh offttatand# f t e IxiheMta&te «e** to- show the olargf proper respect and to p ythen "out of the f i r s t ani heat toteco m $ m m **®
tem igh tfm y«ar% mm m%® m m added mM oM m m ■msp%UU4 to etreogtheei the psiiioa of to terolt ettd the emditien of the elorgp* the twvietax of a ll iHe ism of' the oolong In M62 eetaft&UtiMt the im m m ^k fo r the camples; m%M%lm®M>P «f efwoh eml etate which stood for the reminder of the colonial period* lam# which In Sngtasd wore fsado m& carried emt b§? ootlooiostiooi pmm&p m m made nod. eeforeed here by MMI oMhortiiee* the teertio? of Virginia had the reip oneiM ilty of in te tin g l»to the peeitffae* the oMrgymeo when the Bishop ©f ■Sendon had m M m ^ M m s 'he# also# who p*oMt#inA3M end ^rented mrriege fto tm three tm m im n b elied to the Mehegpe in iogtaid# thus the pow of the Chereh mm m m United in the colonies than in the mother emttxy* fhere had teen talk aewM&'tliass during the eera&eenth century of a resident bishop in the oolooiei* In 3$72 a charter jsma dram op M &t$m& i m the creation of a B&oeose of which m e to - Inoliide ternxda*, % M?§ an %M friend o f the king/* ,&tacmte teey* me selected ee Mohop^oelgoato# he had eerred te e Pariah In Olmeoater (hmtf* terlnga were hsli npm Me «pelifioatimt for the position ®d then the hook i# e&eeecU %oord# are too- frsgM tey to determine esR&eUy what happened to e&uee the f h lt o a o f th is plan* the charter was rnwr signed by the King .end so the- tem n d Mr* tteay and m itm for m kmwMm tplteopstt dropped far the Mm feeing tx m m lm i& l Xator# others advocated a bishop£m flmglnlm* Bishop GomptQ® In 1W pointed -oat the oferioiss need for adecpato episcopal staperrlstat % tsgfes&ei that nm absolute Bishop weald m t be #o proper at lea st to begin with as a Its earefttlif fiorksd-ost plan never had a trial* although the Soilotf for tie Propagation of t ie %aptl In Foreign Parts also agitated for a bishop for all tit mlmi&B* Caserns tee was definitely intoroiloi* tot- she .anft Bishop G$s$feom died wiiMn a fear of esoh other smt their reepertten esootssore were- ^interested la the problem* I bishop form rnm m ctmHtwm did mot boeM * rmaMtr omtil after the fteveln&lom* Ibm the km pivm feishop«to**b@ had t# go to SoofcXantf for his Hit fir s t mm&Mmsfr m i the first bishop In ^iglislr^iJoaldsg Hortli fm rlb m 'Both m m to power btemgh the side tern* of Ssotlamd* Ideal eteeh $ m m m & in the foriy*»e$#ib scattered parishes of Virginia* sefirtmg it s 4$*9Q$ inhabitants* woe In the 'hands of the imdivlde&i church ¥ostrl#a* His re st# In Virginia* t.hengh inherited* fmn 9bglaft&* .one in', £eftt.*tta$ed % the oeaditioms in ami metis of lif e In the eoiooyv *lnm m f Parish* by the low of that Ocwtrr* there is a fotttf consisting of tae&ve I%m* show at first all the inters of -PanUtae In the ?ariOh» Hnjp tw o a power to ombimitp thmeXv*** fo r as one # # s om r sm m out of the la.
Parish* the resawing Vestrymen ehuse another in his room, these Vastry-men lay the Parish levy* and manage a ll other parochial letters* the Power of presenting Ministers is in them by the law of th a t Country,these self-perpetuating vestries had many duties other than parochial* they supervised the land processioning*, or surveying* each year* they m m responsible for the charity work of the community* and in general they supervised the moral welfare of the parish as a whole* that church and state were inseparable in the lower echelons in Colonial Virginia was shorn by the composition of the ecclesiastical and the political ruling bodies in the local communities . Many Vestrymen m m Justices of the Peace and* as- such* comprised the local courts* Many members of the Souse of Burgessesm m vestrymen back home* These leaders were men of substance and education and I t worked well to have the ‘hrestries fee the depositories of local power in Virginia* The churchwardens* chosen each year by the minister* had specific tasks* They were required to keep the church building in repair* to collect and pay the ministers salary* and to present to the County Courts those persons charged with %ffenses against morals and religion*^ lay leaders were also Important members of the ruling group in the local church* Many parishes were too large for one church to serve all the inhabitants * so provision, was made for wchappslls of ease1’* email buildings* to fee built and to be served la
laymen* “grave and sober persons of good life and cm versation***22 A house and farm land* known as- the glebe* m m to be furnished the minister .in addition to a salary nto be paid in valuable and current comodityea of the country*n an amount equal to at least eighty pounds sterling a year*^
the proper payment' for a preacher was a subject for frequent debate and legislation* Sometimes his semens were worth their weight in tobacco and sometime they were not* this salary was actually paid in tobacco and getting the proper amount and grad© of tobacco to equal a cash settlement of eighty pounds required some legerdemain* the induction of clergymen was mother d iffic u lt problem. Hie vestries were instructed by law to present their minister to the oh Royal Governor for Induction* % in turn had been instructed by the Ring to induct those mm when presented for induction* A minister* thus- presented and then inducted* could hold his parish job for life. Theoretically everyone then lived happily ever after. But actually the parishes sometimes got stuck with an unsatisfactory gentlemen of the cloth. Consequently* few clergymen were presented* It must be remembered that none of the seventeenth century clergymen, were native sons., they came as- strangers to a new and changing land* And they were strangers to th e ir parishoners. So the vestries did not present th e ir clergymen for induction* but merely engaged them on a year-to-year basis. Blair' referred to th is practice as «a contrary custom of making annual agreements with the ministers 13 which they c a ll by a name coarse enough, vie. Hiring of the Minister, "2-* This system was not necessarily a disadvantage, To Robert Beverley, it seemed actually an advantage, "Ho qualified clergyman ever returned to ingland for want of preferment in V irginia,!t he wrote, "The minister failing to secure induction; enjoyed by force of his agreement with the vestry a ll the pecuniary advantages possessed by the one who had been inducted# %e average clergyman in Virginia was in a better position* from a worldly point of view* than the average member of his calling residing in the rural districts of England."26 James B lair in 1690, after five years residence, found the Church of England m H*est ablished in Virginia* The final authority in church affairs was the Royal Governor, who received hisorders from the Privy Cornell in England* acting for the Sing* Thus the locus of power was definitely the Crown. W© have no records of any kind to show what James Blair thought about affairs* but m m y well conjecture that ' the young clergyman wondered; he may well have wondered i f the Church
in Virginia would not be 'better off with more power in colonial hands* particularly i f those hands were his . Instance prevented Bishop Compton from coining over to Virginia to see how his missionaries fared* He may have heard rumors that church matters were disorganised, with each parish handling its own affairs# On paper, of course* the Royal Governor* as King’s Ordinary, was the ecclesiastical leader, and church laws were ail written 14 dm* actually eaoh ir&stgy me the power in %fm parish* Bishop (kmpbm appointed a cesaBiss&ry -In 168$ who was to ho .his personal reprao^tatiire la ftrgiaia* £®m& B lair m& choice* t t shall. t*y to i f the ®olm$ and the starch w e either* or both of them* hotter or worse o ffwhen, in X743* feses B lair was la id to rest React to Sarah Harrison Blair in feesiem at the end of his career* 15
m m m m
1* Bishop William Jfeade, Old Churches» Ministers and. Families of V i r g in i a {Philadelphia^ m W > % . 2. William Gooch# ”Cooch Transcripts, 1721*1751# from P. H* 0. and Fulham*n Pour' volumes cm microfilm in library -of Besearch department of Colonial Williamsburg^ In c., Williamsburg, Virginia. Used by courtesy of owners, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, Virginia, le tte r to Bishop of london, May10 , 1743® H , 726 . 3* George Macloren Brydon, Vlrrciniafs Mother Church, and the Political Conditions .under Which It* ^ 1947), I* 275* 4® Brydcn., X, 5-* Brydon, X, 276. 6 . William S. Perry# Historical Collections Relating to the American Colonial Church {Harfcford,1B70),' X,T 247. " 7. James S„ 1, Andersen# The History of the Church of Hhgland .In the Colonies and Foreign Ibpendpnelssof the B ritish ( london8 1856 ) ," l, 4 X1 . Philip Alexander Bruce in Hhgb Jones, The. Present State PJ , Bichard. 1. Morton, ed. {Chapel H llIJ 1956)# p> 254... 9# Hobert Beverley# the History and Present State of Virginia (london, 1705), louls 8 . Wright, ed. (Chapel P allT m ?)# p. 223. 10. William Byrd, Ih^Sesret Biaryof Mllism A rj^r, 1709*1712. Xouie B, Wright and Marion Tinling, eds. (Eichmond, 1941), 3P* 11. U# Clifford .Boifdey# Hm..Great. Plantation. ,„a.Profile .bfj^ekda. I ffldred^and PlantatiQn_ 4^Vlm lnla, from Jamestown tQ, Amomatto^ {Hew *ork$ 1957), £asg&* 12. Beznard Bailyn, unpublished paper entitled ’’Politics and Social Structure* Virginia in the Seventeenth Century 11 read at Williamsburg, Virginia# April, 1957# to be published by the 'Institute of Early American History and Culture. 13o Edward 1. Goodwin, The. Colonlal ^ u rch in Virginia (Milwaukee, 1927), p. 75« u
14. Arthur Xyon Cross# and the American , Colonies (Hew fork# 1902)7p # 26* 15*. William Waller Honing*...... Being, ...a. Collection ofr„aH. t he .laws, of . . V i r g i n ^ .J^glelatum in.'thefear 1619 3imT7 122-124# 114-149, 155-160, 239-43, 290-326, 341-43# 399-400, 416# 433-34, 457S 11, 29-30# 37* 16# William H. Seller# unpublished paper entitled "fh© Church-State in 'Seventeenth Century Virginias The Anglican Parish As a Religious and Secular Institution” read at Williamsburg, Virginia# April, 1957# to foe, published by the Institute of Early American. History and Culture# 17* Cross# Appendix A# pp.* .277-276* IS* Brydon# I# 4 6 *
19* Henry Hartwell# James Blair# and Edward Chilton# Hie Present State .of Virginia and the College (london# 1727)* Hunter D* Parish# ed* (wiliiamsburg# 1940X pT&Sl. 2 0 * .Ifeade# p* 151* 2 1 * Hening# 11# 51- 52 * * * * * .2 2 * -Philip 'Alexander Bruce* Institutional History of Virginia, in . the Seventeenth Century -(Hew Xork# iVXO)# 1 # 28-54* 23* Bruce# X# 162-167* 24* Hening# II# 46* 25* Hartwell# Blair and Chilton, p* 66; 26. Beverley# p* 213* 17
Q u m m x i
m m s of poieb
Blair *s commission as commissary was issued b y th s Bishop of london on December15, 168% and m s brought to Virginia fey Colonel Francis Nicholson when he came as the new lieutenant** governor in the spring of 1690. Nicholson presented his own credentials. to the Council and took the oath of office as lieutenant-governorm dune 3s 1&90* Cm the following day ha presented Blair*s commission to- that body* In the Council*© reply#. ?,fhe Xieuienant-Governor ms requested to return to his- Lordship the humble thanks of this Board ‘for his pious--care in this affair# aid the reposing the trust in one so m il deserving thereof as the said IIr. Blair**1 1 daises B lair’s commission read as follows* Henry# fey Divine permission Bishop of London# to all the faithful in Christ to whom this present Writing may come* Creating eternal in the Lord* Know ye that we# the Bishop of Imdon aforesaid# to whom every ecclesiastical jurisdiction# and in every way# under Virginia situated in. America# by BoyaX Constitutions is generally recognised to pertain# (except the power of granting licenses for Celebrating marriages# probating wills of deceased persons and conferring benefices)# have named# made and constituted# and by these presents do name# make and constitute# James Blaire* Clerk# our Commissary in and throughout a ll Virginia aforesaid# trusting v e r y greatly Ms learning* probity and industry* with all. and every power of carry ing out and performing* (previous exceptions -.excepted)# whatever pertains and belongs* or ought to pertain and belong# to the office of our Commissary aforesaid# fey law or custom according to the laws# canons and constitutions followed and observed* in the Church of England? with IB
power moreover to set one or more clerk or clerks ■ as substitute- or substitutes in Ms place* 3h confidence and in testimony of all and singular of which premises' we have caused our Episcopal Seal to be placed upon these presents* Given on the fifteenth day of the month of December in the year of our lord* 1669* and in the twenty-fourth year of our Translation* H* london . ^ The duties of the new commissary were vaguely worded in this Goiamission® The formal language of the day perhaps served to cover up indecision in the Bishop1© mind, i^nd perhaps personal letters* now lost* passed between th e two mn$ already friends. Certainly in the document we have there was not much real power given to James B lair. Be started on his quest- for power within sisc weeks of receive ing his commission. On July 23$ 1690*- he called- all the Virginia clergy to** gather at Jamestown. There is no record of who attracted nor any minutes of the meeting. But action was taken by the clergy on two important matters. They approved Blair's startling plan for ecclesiastic al- courts and they passed a resolution appealing for help in establish**' ing a college in Virginia. Blair's proclamation about, the revolutionary plan for the courts was- presumably sent out to the minister and vestry of every parish and to the civil officials of every county. There is no mention of this momentous document in the records of the General Asseidoly or any place else in colonial records* Ifoowledge of its 19
■existence cam© to light only a few years age when copies of colonial papers In- the Pahlic Becorda Office in london m m sent to the library of Congress, The preelection announced that the new eoffimtasasy Intended H o revive .-and put into execution the ecclesiastical .laws against a ll cursors * swearers and blasphemers s a l l whoremongers* fornicators and adulteress all. drunkards* ranters* profaners of the lord’s Day and oontemers of the S&crameaisf and all other scandalous persons whether of the clergy or the laity within this colony and Dominiono f Virginia, t o carry out Ms plan* he proposed to divide, the- colony into four districts* with a minister as his assistant In each* with orders to hold a court twice a year., these -ecclesiastical courts would supersede the civil courts of the counties which had hitherto had jurisdiction -over cases against moral law presented to them by the vestries of the local parishes, Judges were to he appointed by Blair .and answerable only to hiauA Use whole idea was so different from the looselyorganised legal system then prevailing in- Virginia* that the outcry must have hem considerable* There is a reference by Iieutenani>Ctevernor Nicholson* ardent supporter of Blair at th is iims* to a “great clamour against the bishop’s commissary So James Blair’s first bid for personal power came to naught* I t is impossible to trace the demise of the proclamation because there are no records of its being publicly discussed* In fa c t, the public bodies who must have received a copy did not even 20
m tia e i its receipt In their record© o r Sm$i i t 1m their filss* Xb b@@mm the Im of the land* tit# pirn. had to he accepted by the Hme of SUrgeae#** Berhaps th* tepsBe# refused to consider it* Berhapa Blair sounded net a'few peoplp In trying to get public reaction and# v an finding opinion decided not to sena 11m to th r 11m m , Shatewsr tte m m ,, Blair's first brigM eehms to shift pmmt closer to M iw lf m e to torae received the silent treatments K nmfamr of :]M i later# the; Gossnisgary «obe Bishop Bofelnson that B&s&opIkm ptm had “instructed him. chiefly to restrain the. Oloxfip Mtfeoub nBdNlling tdift the Initp m ill, the Virginia Xa®s should recognis® .hie rig h t in the iatboiM1^ Xt is w p f pmMiMm th at thie advice m» forthcoming nhen the Bishop of london heard of the proposed ooortSfr fkigh donee In ter ?iret% **& Virginia there is no ■ sooleslaaiicaX eeort* so that vice* prophane&oes#m i im omlity am
not suppressed no much as might he, ftst people tete the naan
of the bishop* a court* ^ Certainly there is no evidence th a t l$y people nere ®m& brought toaccount by the Ctadeeaty* B lair v restricted Ms. attrition to tha clergy. Sis did tm m the p&mm to take- away the lionise to preach, from any minister he judged UKMvtl^* But Jft all Ms years a$-COs^ 0ea^ ho snip suspended its© olat^sacn, ffoewlsdge that the eocr^saary had that power was probably enough to heap the mioisiora in line. Clergy wore too herd tom m by 'to- fee dismissed lig h tly , fTBeeause o f the 21
want o f clergymen to fill vacancies", Blair wrote ia 1724 * ,fI choose rather to lean to- the gently than the' severe aide *M That f ir s t clergy 'conference in M90 had education, as m il as ecclesa&iical courts, on its agenda*' Naming has ever been a concern of the Church* Blair has been in Virginia only- a few f 1 years when the-'lack Of educational facilities- in the Colony began to worry him* A eontempory wrote of hi®, ffIh ile his thoughts were wholly intent upon doing good in. his office,, he observed with true concern, th at the want of schools, and proper seminaries f or Heligion and Teaming, - was such a Damp upon all great'attempts for the Propagation of the Gospel, that little,could be hoped for, without first .removing that Obstacle *
M b long as all- the clergy! coming to the Colony mca . foreign-born and foreign-trained with their abilities and their personalities unlmem^the .Church in- Virginia would lack a basic element of cohesion. Only if the coimdssary, the clergymen, and the vestries all knew each other m il# would any measure of s ta b ility be attained*' So a Virginia-born and Virginia-trained body of clergy was B lair1 s ■ next dream*- The m inisterial candidates s t i l l would have to to |p the Bishop of Xondon to be ordained and to-obtain a license* But they would begin th e ir work where they were known* And the Church would have its clerical roots in the s o il in which i t was to grow* %t: ^Section of a college for Virginia had been made twice before and tentative plans had been ’laid* In 1619, h 1500 was 22
raised in England and 10*000 acres of land were set aside in E nrico County, George Thorpe was appointed manager and had bricks laid and pupils lining up when the Indian massacre of 1622 wiped the' project out* Then in 1660* the Virginia Assembly passed resolutions fo r the founding of a college* "for the advance of learning* education in of youth* supply of the ministry* -and promotion of piety*'n But the proposal received no support in England and no college was established* Blair* as Comic eary* presented to the Virginia government the petition for a college from the clergy convocation of 1690* The plan was quickly approved by the General Assembly and the governor. Funds were so licited immediately. Nicholson ‘'promised i t a ll imagin able Bacouragement*^ !fe appointed forty-two eonmdasloners* dames Blair leading the list* whose task was to 'raise money and tfto try to. Humour the people in general*1^ feral and financial support was forthcoming from the Virginians and enthusiasm rail high. The next step was to .send someone to Hbgland to arouse interest there and to secure a charter* dames Blair was obviously the best choice and the General Assembly in June of .1691 sent Mm off with a long l i s t of instructions and requests*, and a generous expense account of b 2 0 0 The general outline for a college had already boon decided upon and its many similarities to the Scottish* rather than the English* universities show Blair’s hand in the planning* The inclusion of a preparatory' department as an integral part of the college was one of its Scottidi characteristics* A Board of lay trustees was another**^ 23
James Blair had a busy and successful v is it in London, During his eighteen month’s stay* he saw- and convinced many people* among them the Queen who influenced the King la te r, H© returned to Virginia in the spring of 1693 with a charter for the College of William and Mary signed February 1693* The faculty of the college was to consist of six professors and a president* Blair being "created and established first president during his natural life,** Also there were to be "an hundred scholars more or le ss*11 there was to be a board of not more than twenty trustees headed by lieutenant Francis Nicholson* which was to run the college u n til such time as i t Should be in good working order and then i t was to hand the governing power over to the professors and president who were to become «& BodyP olitick and Incorporate*51^ These provisions show a thoughtful and careful consideration on the part of the Grown. Blair also had path him a master for the proposed grammar school. School work was to begin at once on a pre-college level. And he had a set of architectural plans • for the main building from the aged S ir Christopher Wren*^ There was an assured income for the college from public funds* M outright gift of-nearly $ 2000 from Virginia taxesaccumulate ed in the royal treasury was made. Then a t m of a penny on ©very pound of exported tobacco from Virginia and Maryland was levied for the college* The profits from the Colonial Office of Surveyor were assigned to the new institution* lastly* 20*000 acres of vacant 24 land m m givon the college m condition that a quit^rent of intin 17 verses bo paid each year. Obviously, the majority of o fficials in England wished the new college well. So Benjamin Franklin*s amusing folk tale points up the attitude of only a fewB ri/tish officials* the Queen, in the story* asked the attorney general for & ^>00 cash for* Blair for the college5. That worthy objected* saying that he saw no need for a college in Virginia* Blair explained th at the college was to train mn to be ministers, of the Gospel and that the people of Virginia had souls to be saved just as did the people of mgland* !?Souls,H exolaimad the attorney-general, {,dam th e ir souls* let them malt© tobacco 19 Blair has been accused of being avaricious« He did seem to have had a way of acquiring funds not nailed down. Two examples can be shorn from th is trip to 'England. He- heard of the w ill of the- Honorable Hubert Boyle which had in i t a pemanent tru s t fund of sizeable proportions for the purpose of Christianising the American Indian# Blair appears to have had no difficulty in pro» curring the money to build and maintain: an .Indian school at the college* Brafferton fell was later built with this largesse, and* ; although the Indian school was never-a great success, the capital stayed in the college exchequer. 20 ' The other unexpected or ’^accidental” income for the college really took some imaginative finagling* Blair made a deal as with thre© pirates* who tel plied their trade out of Virginia porta ami '#ho wore in ja il In Imdoa* that he would get tham out and get back for them th e ir llX ^gottat gains in return fo r § 300 fo r Me mm college* With the add of a couple of friends* ho did so* Blair w ot# hone to Sieholsoa in. Idfa* II1 present 3jr ©mplcgred the Aroftbishop of Oantcrburr and Bishop of loadm who Mm so managed i t with the Council that the Council le very glad of th© e&pedlent*One of the few tine# in Blair*# .long life ofmmtwmmmf tiheu m sg w e involved with Mm oatt* out happy* th is tr ip to- tm&m to give the dream of a collegefor Virginia aoira aubetanc®,.was, as m sh all m eP the first of five trip s ■ abroad for 4mm® B lair m public bttMneae* lech time he returned h®m a l i t t l e m m po m viu l himself m d with nmm inatltutim In Virginia the stronger for Ms advocacy* Ifeie time a new institution was mated* the church mm stronger in th© promise of future home leaderships and Blair himself had future claims 0*1 a prominent position as fresltot of the collofs and& prosdeod income of € 150 a jn a r in hit nm office* Blair new had high hopes for the church in ?irgiui% hut he also realised that the present status of the clergy needed immediate attention* -Be had had them In Mad in Snglaud when lie was asking for mone^ for the college* it Ms suggestion* the Queen seat an order to lieuteaaiit^Ooimraor HioheXson that a great part of the income from Blair and Andros soon team to verbal blows over money and policy*. Blair accused todros of sneaking urmeual items into the quit-rent fund expenditures so that there w ild not be any surplus for the clergymen* s salaries* He also claimed that Andros hindered the building of the college and opposed ecclesiastical discipline#, the e m issa ry pronounced the governor an enemy to college, and religion*^ the Council was an orderly body- and the noise must have confused them# They mated to suspend the clamorous commissary.^ The Kings however, sent orders to Andros to- re in s ta te him the following year* in 1696. Blair would be down after some of his bouts but he would not be out* Be- was always a dangerous and v ita l adversary. to. unhappy impasse was- reached and the Archbishop of Canterbury and' Bishop Compton of London held a hearing in tog!and in 169? on the whole dispute at which both B lair and' representatives of the Governor were- present* Charges and counter-charges flew back- and forth* The truth of the matter was hard to find* the curiosity of other o fficials in England was aroused by this dispute as. it was being aired-at lambeth Palace in- 1697* the recently appointed lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations (known also as the- Board, of Trade) were interested* dohn locksp one of the founders of the Board of Trade and an architect of its policy* was .particularly .interested in Virginia* Letters passed between 2.B looke and Blair show a personal regard and a ©haring of mutual interests * Iccke asked Blair for %eeds of all strange and curious plants and a plentiful stock'of peach stones*n*w On th is occasion# whan B lair was -in Xondon, locks'was the one responsible for getting from him a written report on affairs in Virginia-—a fact only recently discovered by historians*^ In late August or early September# 169?# locks took him to his private rooms and had hi® write out a tre a tise m Virginia® lock© than dictated# in Blair1© presence# a list of searching queries* this list of questions was 'Sent out officially by the Board of trade to three men# well-versed in Virginia affairs* Blair was one# of course# and Edward Chilton# formerly attorney-general in Virginia another* Hie third- was Henry Hartwell who had been a councillor in the Colony* the result was the Present State of Virginia and the College , one of the most frequently cited sources for Virginia history of that period* The account opens by declaring that those who described Virginia as !>fche best# and. the worst country in the world11 may both be right* lfThat as to all the Natural Advantages of the Country# it is one of the best# but as to Improved Ones# on© of the worst of aH the English Plantations in .America if we enquire for well- educated children# fo r an happy Government in Church and State ••• it is certainly on© of the poorest# miserablest and worst Countries in a l l America, that is inhabited by Christians no doubt i t is chiefly- to be imputed * * * to the ’narrow# ©elfish Ends of most of m their QamrmrBp who go easily intomw to je e totoroby t o y aay nalce a present gain**2® fho dbaeriptlms of to land with its natural wealth and potobi&Mties a$a probably aooura&o hut the e r itio liw of t o Q om m ot along with cmumnta m j^I&itet and religion mat' bo token oatttloo&3y« t o book was wrlttea by o il throe- m « bub Blair# being Juab off the host frcm firglnie# woold naturallyMm had the deciding word® Md ho cam© to Ssgland# not to disseirin&te in fo n » ti« hot to getMdnm sgmtodp In whieh endeavor ho wae successful* Baek In Virginia# Blair mm In a stronger position-than ever to nee hie p&mw to help hatter the a m d itim of the olos^y on to salary and tool® god then to got hie college ranlly atotad* Several tlnstf before# Blair had petitioned t o Conors! Asoetdbly to raise to - Oloxgy salaries and pay tom 'from -colonial fhnda^ Hitherto# clergy 'had to n paid from local pariah tom&* low Sn 2j696 to toeuMy voted to make a ll fstaltox*-* salaries 1600- pounds of tobacco* pay** able# as imal# by t o VftSfcries*^ todiig questionsm to to kind of tobaooo to -to was to pay to to mfor u lc tin g and t o oaeking charge arose, 'often but t o HOC pounds of tobacco stood as the standard etorleal m ® m $m m u n til t o SevoXtiliexu to e #psgem b for the olstgy ass kept in to tods of to local to pariah taxaa being payable In tobacco* Blair1# plan to- mgsnai these salaries tom eoXo&i&X or Imperial coffer® did not succeed* Hit ha did- improve clergy 30 aalari©© by ingesting on pragrtiM # of pay ani a good quality of tobacco being $$wm to the doMni©* 86 bottom %Bsm& m m palmed o ff m t o parson wMl© Blair mm- mmm&* M t o lemg ran B lair was to aao th at i tmm bettor to tear the real fXM* of the ©tech localised in tbs wctr&a* At a labor date he wen a battle -to to p the power of to cestrica Sntaet®. A ©tweh that was strong at its base was bit aim* It is significant that Blair m m r m m nantlmd a hitop for Virginia* Old ho think a Bishop would tin the fiislnia torches too closely to %glam|1 to Ho afraid of a Bitop carrying out clerical o to rs from tbs 'King moms meticulously than a BcyaX Owmmor? t o to tadop©nd®nc© of t o firginia torch mors important to Blair ton to fact to t the churchmm mad© up of unconftosd motors? % msh© perhaps afraid of losing Ms c m powert M# ordination in t o torch of Scotland would Have mad© has © liability fo r t o Jobquestionable* % hair© no record gam of Ms a&ttlattag. t o letter* Hot being a reticent ma% h© probably Juab did not wish the question dimmed* Blair had m m of the prestige* If not any of t o power* of a bishop In Virginia* and h© mm% bmm enjoyed t o perquisites of that prsatigo# Induction, of t o clergymm the next matter that Blair took up upon Ms return from his successful bout forpower with Andros in MfV* Blair -ms probably influential In getting t o King to appoint Colonel Francis fficholdoa as X4©utQnsat* In I69S. The orders that were given the new lieutenant -governor by the Privy Council included, as they always did* instructions to Induct mini sters into the parishesa ffoweverj. the Virginia act of 1662 which allowed the vestries to take the initiative was still in force* Nicholson knew colonial churches and he must have seen both 'sides; From the clergy side* it' would be secure and pleasant to have a Job for life. From the lay side* it would'be uncertain and perhaps catastrophic to accept an unknown minister from ingland for his life-time• To clear up the problem, Nicholson submitted a query to Sir Edward fferthey, ‘ the Q m m '® Attorney-General^ in 1703* The opinion of Norbhey was to the effect that the law of 1662 was still in order, Ho objections were raised to the asserted right of the vestries as "patrons" to select ministers and present them to the governor for 'induction; -$ui* If the vestries did not "present some suitable minister within s ix months" for collation, then the 'Governor was to go ahead and select and induct m m tm s X# Henry Bead HeXlimine* ad## Executive Journals of . the Council of Colonial Virginia* I6B0-1699 (Richmond, 1925)7^^^ 4 ^' x ^ b , X, XX* 2* George Macloren Brydon, Virginia* e Ifatheg, Church and the Political Conditions under Which I tr€fc muKolSS 2SQ. 3*. Brydon, Z9 285* 4? Brydon, X, 285 * 5* Francis Nicholson, "Papers Relating to Nicholson, and the College,r? Virginia ttoaaine. o,f History (October> 1899), VII ^ 156-159* 6, William S* Ferry, Historical Col3ections Relating to the. American Colonial Church (Hartford*' X87Q)', J s m i Blair S i i S i m , November X?s 1716, I , J30. 7. Hhgh Jones, ^e...freeent.1.gtatf...^ Virginia (london, 1724). .Richard 1, Mbrton, ed, ( Oj£jpel fill,^ 1956), ^ XlS Bm Berry* James Blair to Edmund Gibson, Ifey I3# 1724* X, 252. 9. the Reverend Doctor Daniel Waterland in introduction to James B lair, Our. Saviour is Divine Berman on the Mount* Second edition { Xmdon,1 1740 /* jp1# 2-• rJ**wi«wiO''uJTU>*-iiT>T 10* William Haller Bening, The Statutes at large* Being a Collection of a ll the laws o f Virginia from the First Session of the legislature jcW 'Tear 1619 '(Phiiadetehia, 1323), IX," 25. ! : 11* Robert Beverley, The History and Present State of Virginia (Imdon, 1705), touts B.' ’Wright, ed. ^Chapel M i l / 1947X P- 37. 12. Beverley, p* SB* 13* Henry Read IlcXXwaine, ed*, Journals of. the. House orf ...Bargesse3ja Virginia* 1659/60-1693 (Richmond* 1914;. no* 34V373*passim* 14. Bailey A* Cutts, "The Educational Influence of Aberdeen in Seventeenth Century Virginia* "William., and Mary College Quarterly* Second Series, XV, (July, 1935), 229-249. .35 15® ^Charter granted by King William and Queen Mary fo r the Pound ing of William and Mary College in V irginia,” Henry Hartwell* lames Blair and Edward Chilton* the Present State of .Virginia» and the College (london, 1727). Hunter D. Parish, ed. (IVilHaBSburg, 1940), pp. 72-94* 16* lanes* p. 6?. However* M^cus Whiffen* architectural historian fo r Colonial Williamsburg* believes th at the plans fo r the early building showed the influence of Wren* but were not his. 17. Henry Hartwell* lames Blair and Edward Chilton* The Present State of Virginia and the College (Iandlon, 1 7 a ). ifonter D. Parish, ed. iwiillaiasbur^ p. 93. IB. Benjamin Franklin «■: The Writings of Beniamin Franklin* Albert A, Scythe* ed. (Hew fork* jL 9< y y 9 '19, See the unpubl, dies, (University of Cnic&go* 1940) by Samuel R. Mahler* “CoEimiesary lames Blair* Churchman * Educator and P olitician of Colonial Virginia*” p. 346. 20. Daniel I . Motley* 'life of CoBBd.ss.ary. Blair* Pounder of William, and. College (Baltimore, 1901), p. 38 . 21. 1{Sir Francis licholscn Papers* 1691-1692*” archives of Colonial Williamsburg* 'Inc.* Williamsburg* Virginia, 22. Brydon* p« 313* 23. Brydon* p. 313» 24- Perry* WA True Account of a Conference at lambeth* December 27* 1697,* 1* ■36- 65, 25. BeXiw&ine* Executive Journals of the .Councils April 19* 1695. I* 394. 26. Cutts* p. 249, 27 . Peter I&slett* wlohn locks* the Croat Recoinage* and the Origins of the Board of Trade? 1695-1697," William and Mary Quarterlyft third Series* Volume XI? duly* 1957)* 370-403. 28. Kartell* Blair and Chilton* pp. 3-4, 29. Brydon* p. 3X8 . 36 3®* Brydon* t $ 322* 31* MsXlwaine*> Executive Journals of the Councils March % 1703-04. xx, 356* 32. Brydon* Appendix W L 1 $ 1# 517-533* 33* Mohler^ '‘Twenty of the Clergy to the Bishop of Ionian September 22* 1703/* Bawlinson MSS, (l.C .) C933, fo. 4®* IWlham M3Sf 7a. (1* 0.) 3rd* ed.* box* no. 4&. p. 108. 34# Brydon* I, 295* 35* Brydon* I # 241. 37 d m x n rm mtmm m> mmmm mm wmmm® t o College of 'Wi.l2J.cua and Jfery mo the ooecmd college founded l«i t o tm H & m Cototo* Itwas; a credit to Colonial ?irgiM&o0 who wanted ah educated l&adesmhip and to f e e s Blair #10 wanted an Indigenous bodf of clergy* Blair had secured a charter fm» to if Majesties InW9% %m the and th at the to r c h ’ In Virginia aay ho furnished • with a Seminary of Itnlotora of the Gospel# and t o t the tooth asgr bo piously educated In Oood Bstiers and W mmm§ and th at the Christian fa ith isay bo propagated aissogsb the %st©m 2tadtoe«”^ ’Ife to spmdt to root of his years try-* in§ to fulfill its ato* 4 s ite fo r tli® college w t chosen a t Middle flo ta tio n {later M lllasetos) t o the $OK»e*$toe of the eoHoge building mao laid with proper esrsa»iy cm August g* 1695* t o Cornell suggested to Ckwmor t o t o * wit w ill bo mm a furthar onooumipiuaat to the said m jk$ if Mo fceX Itoy please to go# and to genileisan of to Council will bo rto y to attend Mis at to lading of to ©aid fotmtoiowu^ Oooo built#t o college woo eocnin financial difficulties* to toss levied m exported t t o t o and ren tals from college to d were not m large as expected* A considerable ocas, of m @ || 2500 •or a&re* had to n subscribed by flrgtoane# to only a&sail part co»M 3B be collected# It was charged that "the college is in Banger of being ruin'd W the Backwardness of th e Blair biassed Andros for this* asserting at the trial in leaden in 169? that the Governor had' urged his friends not to pay up*^ Nonetheless* "Soholastick fibsercises'1 took place in May of 1699# at which time the colony could assess Its embryo college# Colonel Francis Nicholson m e Governor again and a lmm l well bet m m him and Blair# The Governor* the Councillors* and the Burgesses closed govermsntal shop fo r a day and a l l rode over from Jamestown for the gala ceremony at the college# Governor Nicholson read a speech in which he praised the lite ra ry attainment© of the young scholars# Then an address of thanks to the’ Assembly ms presented by the. three members of the faculty# President Blair# Mr* Ingles# and the usher# Five students also spoke* Their recorded speeches show mature minds and -must haw impressed the audience with the need for greater support for the college to give them further training* The third student speaker urged the government to consider moving its headquarters from James- town to Williamsburg* The statehouse at Jamestown had .recently burned and plans for a future, building m m uncertain* The student insisted, th at the change would be "of benefit for the Colledge and will be a great help towards the making of a Towns# and the Tome 1 towards the improving of the Co Hedge*" 39 ?ihoev©r conceived the idea of hairing the Uommmmt and the College use the collage building jointlymust have 'regretted i t more than mm* the record ha© it that nthe frusteea and Cksvemoura of the Colledge offer toHI© Excellency whatsoever room he Heeds #*♦■' living in makeshift quarter© in lamestwon5 the Governor was undoubtedly delighted to mover over- to the handsome new college building in the spring of 17G0. 1© can visualise the Governor* the Councillor©* the Burgesses, and th e ir respective retinue© making themselves at home in the ©mail village and using the atill^unfinish- ed Wren Building a© headquarters* fhey arrived complete with th e ir appurtenance© of power, %ix of the smallest Pieces of Ordnance, together with the Great Shott*'1^ At the same time* the college people were moving into the building* 'which they ‘used for dormitories as well for school rooms* ”Jn this pari are contained all convenience© of cooking, brewing, baking, etc. and convenient rooms for the reception of the President and masters with many more scholars than are a© yet mm to it* la 10 this: part are also the hall and school room.,f Friction between Governor KichoXson and President Blair soon became apparent. Although there are voluminous records of the struggle for power between these twomm * it is almost impossible to find out what made, the two former friend© enemies * Possibly the trouble started when these two strong-willed m ti feegain to us© the 11 same property for different purpose©* Some personalities need 40 both physical and spiritual space to function properly and perhaps there was just not enough room in the Iren Building for both men* Blair Said of Nicholson, MI have heard him swear that he w ill seize the College for' the King's use and he crowded Into- i t the Secretary's office, the Clerk of the Council1 a office, the Olerk of the Bouse of Burgesses* office, and a l l th e ir lodgings, with himself and all their committees, and had all his public treats In. the great 12 hall, to the great disturbance of the college business*11 Blair was obviously not the gracious host he might have been, nor was Nicholson a considerate guest* Bad temper did not help m already tense situation* °ihe governor governs us as ifm were a company of Oalley slaves, by continual roaring and thundering, cursing .and swearing, base, abusive billingsgate language to that degree it is utterly Incredible to those who have not been spectators of it*n^ On top of his personal quarrel with Blair, the unhappy Nicholson was In love with a young lady who would have none of him* Eight een«year-“ald lacy Burm il paid no attention to the sentimental forty^s3ac*-year*old bachelor who- composed saccharin Valentines and puerile poetry and love letters written at 2 A* M, to Dove*‘|3^ Nicholson swore that., if she married anyone else, he would cut the throats of the bridegroom, the official issuing the license, the parson who performed the ceremony, and members of luey Harwell's fam ily ,^ Nicholson imagined th at Br* Archibald B lair, brother of 41 the President*. was bis rival* and "conceived the strongest objections to Mm m i all bis relatives*11 He sent for Blair and abruptly addressed him in these words.* "Sir* your brother is a villain* and 16 you have, betrayed Hardly dignified behavior fo r a Royal Governor! Mother undignified episode was the "barring out" of President Blair just before Christmas vacation, of X?02* Blair accused Hicholson of encouraging the students to barricade the college, building against the president and the masters and of furn ishing the boys with m m and, arammiti^m* Only the timely warning that the students really meant to fire saved Blair from a danger which he had ,ftoomuch reason to suspect was contrived on purpose*f? However* this noisy practice was a customary prank of the tiroes* being used by students to gain extra time a t Christmas* B lair was probably not in danger of losing his- life* just h is d ig n ity .^ the personal feud soon involved others# In May of 1701* six councillors signed u petition to Queen Jtae asking that Bicholson be recalled* the grounds for complaint were "the many great grievances and pressures endured by reason of the musuall* 'insolent and arbitrary methods" of the .governor and of his "wicked and scandalous life. A petition always has more force when presented by a forceful man* Xiho was better qualified than dames Blair* a council member hiai&if* a known enemy of Hicholson* and a man who has 42 successfully ousted me governor already? So Blair left for Ehgland in the summer of 1703 to spend, the next two years In negotiations leading to the recall of Nicholson, Blair had the f ir s t ugo^round?f in the hearing before the lords Commissioners of trade and Plantations^always an advantage in any struggle.* He was on the spot with the petition in his hand and plenty of tine to formulate charges* Many of the charges brought by him m m fa ls e $ .many wore exaggerated* many m m silly* and many were ’ true* It was hard to sort them out then and impossible now* Blair represented the members of the council* that group of wealthy land-owners who m m tryin g to get m m and m m power in their own- hands* It was the group that Blair.was an Integral part of because he had married into it and because he shared their ideal of centering power in the colony* not England# IM s group neverpm * tended to have democratic .aim * But when they* dreamed of the future for themselves and their country* they envisioned themselves* not an English Parliament* at the center of power* ihey expected to remain loyal to the Crown but they wanted to he governed by their peers here* not in England* Nicholson represented the power of the Bhglish Crown* At the hearing his .agent in london* John Ihrale, asserted that the power that Nicholson claimed was not for himself but for the Queen* and that the mm in Virginia did not- understand the true function of a Royal Governor*^ Thrale put up a steady defense* discounting the 43 personal accusations and stressing the fact that Nicholson had been active in keeping the power of the English sovereign supreme in a land where the inhabitants wanted more power themselves*. When Thrale died* after only & few months of the hearing* Nicholson, lo st his voice in court* Papers had to be sent bade and forth across-the ocean* Once they got waylaid in New fork City in tra n sit to him* and once his answers m m thrown overboard by pirates who. captured the ship which carried them* So Nicholson*s side was never adequately presented*. tod Blair*© statements to court were taken more seriously than the facts now seem to warrant*^ Nicholson was recalled to 1705* Most of the remaining twenty-three years of Ms lif e were spent to government .service* 3a 1713 he became Governor of Nova Beotia, after leading military expeditions against the French there* tod‘to 1720 he undertook his last colonial governorship‘to South Carolina* Be seemed to have had trouble working with people wherever he went* -to Indian, who once saw him to a fit of rage, is said to have.remarked that he 21 was “born dumb.” Blair returned home to 'resume his many duties., He found his clergy to rebellion against him* the convention he called to August, V?Q5i) was a storey one, with most of the clergy still support* tog Nicholson# who had been their staunch supporter* Twenty-three clergy signed their names to a document stating that Blair*a charges against Nicholson were “frivolous, scandalous, false and malicious.” ' It was an acrimonious meeting to which Blair*a leadership.was weakened. closed tils letter* H i by various. &xB&w&mnte$ it has not attain* i t s totondid perfection* i t would fe© tr&na to ihtok hssXptog i t to fe© what i t wants to he than to destroy tahgb i t&®*n' Im m h®m struggling during these quiet ya&rt to stay alive alter'--the destructive of 170$* Perhaps classes- wre held Informally to bom* Odrtatoljr the desire aid mthmi&Bm tor a collage never died 3OT01ES Harvard College was founded in X636* 2. ^Charter granted by Kind William and Quern Ifety fo r the Founding of William and Mary College in Virginia.ft Henry Hartwell, dames Blair and Edward Chilton, The Present State of Virginia, and the Coiled (Icndon, 172?). !$mter D* xFaris"h7 sd* (W iliiamsbi^ ppi 72*-94. Henry Head McXXwatee, ed., Staacutiva Journals oT the Council of 4* Hartwell, Blair and Chilton, pp. 70-72. 5. William S. Perry, Historical Collection Relating to the Americaa Colonial Church (Hartford,' XS70 ).- "A True Account of a Conference at I&rabeth, December 27 , 1697.f’ I, 44. 6 * Henry Head Mcllwatoe, ed.. Journals of the House .of. Burgesses jja Virginia. 1695-1702 (Siotaond, 1S14) pp. 155, 161kS2, 16$. 7. "Speeches of Students of the College of William and Mary Delivered May 1, 1699." William and Mary College Quarterly. Second Series, X {October, 1930), 329. • 8 . Executive Journal of the Council. April 24, X?Q0 . p. 61. 9. Executive Journal of .the Council. May22 , 1700 * p. 63. 10. Hoberfe Beverley, The. History and 'Present State of Virginia (london, 1705). Iouis B. Wright, ed. (Chapel k ll, 1947), pp.' 215^167^ 11. George Mactoren Brydon, Virginia,* s lo t her Church and the P o litical Conditions under .Which I t O re^CSchmond. 194731 X. 296'." " 12. Ferry, “The further affidavit of James Blair, Clerk, concerning Oovemor lichols Me fpti *fSarlF Preeldaate of William m i Man#*1* f i l l i p First Serl&&* I (Octobers m* X?® »A Barring Qot at William a«i# tfuqr WUtas*** First %ria% Kfl (J&miory* 1 W /7 'IS S w Me $&#$?* «Counoa.l of- firgiaia to 4 7 * / ’The Mstar to Hr* *fchn I r t * f fSX O m m m 1900)* m » 9 l» 20c Brrdosa# I ,29 ?® 21* Mortard Wo iabaree, '^aaoi© IliohoMon* C fetork* 1933).# p* SOI# 22# lioboMonp®$mm In Boioalai aH&tase* flife«TOanda& of OlargF to Bishop of Iosdo% Aigoot30* 1705©” Also ,3 4 * *$»« Blair to.Omxv&r io ttM HepS$r to Jhglaa's Charges %aiOit flteelf aad the M&lftls&r&tlGft of theCollege*1* Tjm inia Hbtttttaft of History,, f i l l C%ril* IfCE* 3 8 0 * 3# WilXtei %**!# f_ __ ^TQML^jLq* Xotiis B» Wrlgjit and Marioi faniing^ ©ao* {liitem l# Miguat 4, 1709#. P* 67* 26* i r f t o * 1# 297# GHAPTBE I f STRUGGII3 with SPOTSW0GD Alexander Spotswood was bom at m- English- m ilitary post il Tangier. Alter spending Ms childhood in military camps, ho entered the arsy and sewed wider the Duke of Marlborough fo r &om years* At the Battle of Blenheim he was badly woimded. Upon re tire - j menfc from the army, he went directly Into colonial c iv il service as lieutenant-governor of Virginia in. 1710* Thirty-four years old, he was already trained to command.^* Barely, i f ever, did. Virginia have as governor a rnn with such a'fortunate combination-of sound business sense, clear grasp of fundamental problems, genuine interests in moral and religious condi tions, and loyalty to the Crown, let there hav© been few governors who failed as unhappily as he did in putting into effect the plans o he formulated^' However, he started Ms colonial career auspicious ly by aiding the college and the church* * * The fire of 1705' had left the college without a place to meet or to house its students and faculty* Queen Anne had imcrn of th is need and sent over % 500 from the colonial quit-rents* The large, main, building was soon ^rebuilt, and nicely contrived, altered and adorned by the ingenious direction of Governor Spotswood, rising 'Phoenix-like, revived and improved out of its ownruins*later two smaller brick halls were to be built, one for the Indian School 49 and on© for th© hom of the President* thus, soon after Spobswood’s arriv al, the ©oliege moved from i t s makeshift quarters in to m back to Its own campus* lb. 1711 * the college took its f ir s t step in emerging from the period in which i t was only a grammar school* Governor Spoiswod, anxious fo r William and Mary to complete her faculty and become a %rm college* mmwmndod to the Board of trustees a Mr* Tanaquil lafevre* Mr* Xefevre was offered a position as Professor of Math ematics and Mature! fhilosphy at a salary of t 80* Be was a m inister of the Church of England and licensed both to preach and teach in Virginia.^ Students cam© in. increasing numbers* lot us follow the course of one of them*. Xoung Benjamin Harrison left his family’s flourishing plantation home at "Berkeley Hundred" and rode down the river road to attend his Uncle James Blair college* probably some tame during 1718* the new scholar from Berkeley* prepared at Ms father’s tutor schoolon the plantation*, undoubtedly found other students at the college whose’ preparation was similar to his. He had studied much latin and some' Greek,* a knowledge of which was considered, in eighteenth century Virginia, am indispensable require^ g meat of every gentlemen’s education*’1 1 though the faculty was limit** ed to two or three masters, the college was divided into two parts* The Philosophy School was .roughly1 equivalent to our under-graduate college and the Divinity School carried m into graduate work and JO 7 theological training*1 Benjamin Harrison and hie peers studied such subjects m rhetoric« logic* ethics* physics* metaphysics* and mathematics . Che of th e ir masters* the Beverend Hugh Jones* commented at some length on the college and its students. *lm@a came to the college in the winter of1716-1717. it the clergy contention in-1719* he led the opposition to the commissary. Eolations must hare been strained on the .campus* for Jones left for Sngland in 1721. Its book* ,fh^:. Present State, of Virginia. published three years later* shows little love for the place. «lt is now a College without a Chapel* without a scholar** ship and without a statute* there is a library without books* there have been Disputes and Differences* these things greatly impede ih# Progress of sciences and.learned arts*?? His view of the students was pessimistic* the majority being !ldesirous only of learning, what is absolutley necessary in the shortest, and- best method*” kid later* "another thing prejudicial to the college* is the liberty allowed th© scholars* and the negligent observance of college hours* .and the opportunity they have of raflfcf'-4 ^ ^ « . — m m than th© young mn who- attend them. do. Vidians wandering around the .green in front of the w&m Building must have added, color i f not academic lu ste r to the college. Governor Spotswood mentioned in a le tte r to the Bishop of london in 1712 that there was nearly twenty Indians* in attendance**^ They gQLLEGE Q£ WILLIAM & MARY to the ot&tago* binding i®oo§fe to to i®oo§fe binding ot&tago* the to mMiiimM- tim*B thor Iw O SaM lf &la$K3dd Into- in fid e lity -and b attaiam ihemeeXws* attaiam b -and lity e fid &la$K3dd in Into- lf SaM O Iw thor ptes of tin %risblaa foIigio% M il il M foIigio% %risblaa tin of ptes ruco* tr Ige* o ruh o i h m n 9 as M92 Mm In th id r ow brought ho m d master Ingles* Itaro troufcloo* e&msrlced s is peim^par-gallon baas on. laportoi baas on. laportoi peim^par-gallon tto r rotumod tw% instead -of o fo ilig ln i m l l m i ln ilig fo o -of instead tw% rotumod r tto noia itto hi cln** %J -n X?2% %aJn -in a colony***^ is th f o imtitoo ingonioaa sefc&a&ohip bhi for 1*00$ H gifing oaXXego f I o ed n nl# ad &r bo orNy *.too .n prinei***/ .In taaght i i*i.st»oto# h&irn and e t imre oaroNJy boon nrlt## and %sr read *b*y»to end tuti&m of' Oolloge tte poor In f theee op ferasght of oonvcftliig teiaris tot Mttiert# !m along along for for % t n « es mt &sfi h s soea Hr* l&isefii soooetabsd &$$£*$ etmritf the mat 1 hers '%$tan&« Otriatiaaitf« Otriatiaaitf« £m&® tmm m& r i e t t Warn ith w l i m tagi'n eaitc«r atr h fM a i t fuM the ter la eoa %$ 51 **& 52 the collage w entirolf selfish* that tm mm not entitled to the to p #ato$> that he used the position as- a %tnildtei*^iifse^ against the gmmmw® is ol&iaod th at the jfw w al of i|^ lr%mptmm imm the ©ehooi caused others to follow suit and that of the. students hail. dgpasted*^ lufl#s i^signti mxi spumed to inland* Sot he did ease hmk dm IfM and tenblftwl m head- of the graEimr school untilIds death In W%% started his bom m tkmwrnw with good public relations with the college aM It# president®MMozmm® m om la te r m m other miters# But the entopd co llet building* the %#£* Building* -efeeed a# witnes# toSpotsgoodwill and interoat In. sda cation® Bruton Parish Bhonsh a lso needed a new .and larger bull#* ing In 17J0& %ot»»odt #® a eoimftioanif helped with the sreotl«m o f the mm edifice* % large* strong pi©##, of briotorls In thetom o f a cress* n ic e ly *?tjpito and eaw eotoft# and adorned as the best ohurehe© lii todon***^ 1% agreed to .stand the eKgeaee o f twenty* iim im % of its length* lie mm clearly ingratiating M wslf -with Br* Blair and the colonists of gom m i %mm«. 1hm Spcfcawd arrived* Hair was s till Hector of the J&meshom Church* though Miring, in W iM to^tog* so®© sensssn miles aifOf*. Set In. lit® he ® s called to Bmton toieh'dfam li at the cap* itol« to .regrot att&ming is shorn In the following letter to the Bruton; Parish Vesttyi m % e© tor h* 1?K* It is ijm% t hmm m tmw obligatimm to the Pariah of toaes Oit^ that nothing tut to urgentnaoooaity of htalto often W s t o t o g tdiibeP Jmiftseft* t o a fear that at 090 and infimitiaa ixumaao* * &wX not to able to attend that sortie© (Mug at fto* a distance) so pmdtnaU^r as I hate hitherto 4000$ CK*x24J&atfe Indeed at to entertain anything m of to tla g tbm *m Cfmmh attendance in the earl^r eighteenth ceatoy was s till coiBputorr* A few w e oMtooito mmM p alaetoi% tut the Stsimrond lfo» Blair saw » s t of the popaiatto of Wilto»!ssi:if to n ho lookedm% from fcg£ high pilplb in t o to Parish on. a 3mdsr coming* a b e ll mmm®$ the worshippers who arrived on foot or in coaches® People- stood,mrnmd outside goeeipitig* t o to church was both a social and a religions otoer* Passing too the torch* theam #a& on the north olds and the wcwi m the aoutliaide of the- alto* to high* shears boto~in pews had aafrew# uncomfo-rtablo t o e t o * t o college students sat together in mm gallery and t o fltgro ©eluants and ita m t M anotor# Hie teoitooir totkmrnm- arrlto tot# taking Me seat In hta sills* c o p ie d pm in to choirs- to tonsil of tob% to Hsus© of Burgesses to to Sawe$or toeral allm $ In offto&sr asalgnci places0 t o olaripM and to eongregatian were all heli©irers In order to eon* to service in Bruton Parish torch did not differ m t o ia ll r from Anglican aarricos in- S s#toUBoth need the asms 54 Boots ofQomm Ifceper* flta&ver# a slig h t t o iia^o rtto different© between the Gimmb of Ihglto InM glm i to ill firgSnia wimM too been o n to m a t/*tor^^iiog night «^bm the \m im m of the parish m s tranetoedU fhe i^lattoitep tom mthe %m%?$ and the mm mm ilffaawt* la £ogto&* wteo the MahegaImm to pariahs© m i to itohe^wa# it «a£ rolatliroli* e&a^ to fit mmto to to ether m i iitdatsi eler^ism Into c ita to ' tor® the? wisiM adjto« eeant lif e tenure* 3& fiiflni% however* t o pariah wtoarlee did not tow to elergswn to tm m from Btagjto* fhero m s no bishop horo to ad just differences to pmior of Stoefeto to gito bjr to tom to t o Bqysel Q&mmr* But- vestries were eatsticms t o adopted t o o^odito of e©king ©lorgpafi to sorsm on a fessM^^&i* Male* % to il eee Xtor to this .totsym lm tm m to frosto their ©Xoifs?** » fee induction.mmmi trouble® to w irla s la Ctelcmi&X firginia*, a® we to o ssea, mat bodies of raspaoibl© sen* to im&tixy book of B m tm lariat* m& began in: 167% to ifeer to parish to fopto# to bookmxmroi a period of atoat a huadto rto% centitolog the minutes of the weetiy iwbings to re - a ll t o tetoas of to pariahm m oarrto on* t o toll itself to ton to t to groat parts of it were ©opto to shew an toeroefc* tag aide of colonial life* 18 G&re of to church property' was a © toiatog r^aptoibiiltf* O ito lands sad toMtags were in eenstant ato of repair* the torch 55 often needed a new roof or bricks for a walkway* or a new key for the cortege gallery* The new building that was began in 1710 took many pages of dbscuaaien* .labor problems beset them, too* M 1 7 1 3 ., one of their members endeavored to ‘beat down the extravagant prices of workmen* ^ Money for the various pariah projects seem-* ed to be gathered either in kind or in cash* Barrels of tar and casks of tobacco m m coin of the realm and were used to pay salaries, to purchase supplies and to pay other debts* Cash case in from parish levies on each biihable* She amount spent varied from year to year so must have been apportioned as the need arose* Poor relief ms a vestry charge* But the applicant had to be a lawful resident or he was '^forthwith -removed out of this parish.n Orphans and widows m m cared for, as well as the ill and indigent*^® dames B lair, as Oosmissary, had various differences of opinion, with the clergy of the colony with whom he worked. Bub, as Hector of Bruton Parish, he led a 'peaceful life, there is no record of .any discord in any of the vestry records during the more than 21 thirty years- he was in charge* it was just when he tried to get power away from the Soya! Governor that he had trouble* Spotswood held a belief in. the mercantilist theory o f the day* Eg was .an imperialist, being absolutely sure that the only excuse for the existence of the colonies m s to strengthen the mother country* His le tte rs of the .lords Commissioners of Trade and Plant** ations show his concerno v e r the "lsfic and dishonest habits ” the 56 po Virginians had been allowed bo acquire. letter of the law* n o t precedent, was to govern Spotswood?s future actions. He was detemined to uphold the prerogatives of the Crown, 'that justice is to bo done here to the Hagm m i l as to the Subjects! that the Bights of the -Sovereign are act to be parted with merely because an humoursom© people thinks they would 'be more conveniently lodged in their hands# Spotswood found justice moving slowly in 'Virginia, the General Court met only'in April and October so- that accused persons often spent .months in prison between court sessions, lb speed matters, the Governor created two additional courts of oyer and terminer to ( m e t in dune and December. By custom, judges in the higher courts m m a ll members of the Council. How Spotswood wanted to appoint others as judges- of the new courts. Sight councillors, Blair among them, drew up a remonstrance against the governor to the Board of trad e Spotswood -maintained that his action was necessary If the King position was to be- upheld, the power of the governor had hem “reduced to a gasp , n he wrote. And unless the Council- were- curbed, rtthe- haughtiness of a Garter, the hypocrisy of a Blair ... the malice of a Byrd” would rule the colony.^ fhe question of judges for the new courts went back and forth over tbs- ocean, until the lords Commissioners decided that gpotswood had the power to appoint any judges he chose, but they m hoped he would use discretion in. exercising- it# Spotswood subsequent-' 3y promised not to appoint any judges other than com eillors, protided they would acknowledge .his power to do so if he wanted to* loth sides saved face but n e ith e r was happy* fhe second matter to which Spot©wood showed his intransigence arose over the Induction of clergymen* Us royal instructions stated that the governor was responsible for inducting clergymen* upon presentation of their rector by the vestry of-that parish. Spotewood interpreted this to- mean that he ms to send clergymen, to the different parishes fo r them, to present toMm for induction.* lot since 162k9 when Virginia became a KoyaX Colony, had anyone seriously questioned the right of the vestries to choose their..ministers# Precedent had acquir ed a lawful color to 1703 when the Attorney^Ceneral had given his opinion that the selection of ministers toy to the hands of the vestries* Blair* as Cossaissaty* had struggled for years to improve the Iqt of the clergy* & had secured better salaries for them* he had improved their- living conditions* and he had at times tried to get the vestries to present them for ^induction* But never once had he* o r anyone ©lac* m m questioned the right of the vestries to choose their own rectors* So the demand of Coventor Spofcswood that the parishes recognise his right to send them ministers was an unwelcome Innovation* He had been quite correct when he had stated, to an early letter from Virginia,that the people wanted power conry* venieniiy lodged to their hands. Self-government for the colonies was still a thought a long ways off, but it had its roots in such struggle© as this one* this question of power came to a head when the governor forced two clergymen into parishes whose vestries had each voted to ask someone else* At a clergy conference, called in 171$ a t the request of the Bishop of tendon to discuss the welfare of the church, the ■ struggle was openly bitter* Spotswood had some clergy on his side* Blair had some clergy backing him* All the vestries, of course were against the governor, but they were at home and their voices were not heard^ to weaken Blair and his power, Spotswood hit out at the Commissary?s one uncertain claim to power, his ordination .into the Church of Scotland* A bishop .had performed the ceremony, but the Scottish Church had been Presbyterian, not episcopal, in 167$* This question was never settled* Blair refused to discuss it* ^ Spotswood in a fit of understandable exasperation, one© called Blair "that old combustion.***^ Blair needed a tria l case to regain Ms former power and to. restore that of the vestries* The convention of the clergymen in 171$ had generated only heat, no light* So he made his own situation a test case* He had been the minister of Bruton Parish for almost ten years but had never been inducted* The vestry had voted in a vestry meeting in 1695 not to call a rector on any other basis than yearly contract s "whoever shall be admitted as minister in this 59 parish a hall have no induction*But they now reversed themselves in view of the governor's attack upon their right to choose their a m rector* and preheated Blair himself for induction* The already incensed governor refused* Hie ensuing fracas must, have .Involved everyone In the colony*' Conflicting legal opinions came from, two legal authorities in tandctu^ The Council discussed it heatedly*^ Hie Bouse of Burgesses decided the issue affected every parish in the colony and they voted to employ a lawyer to prosecute the case before the Gen e ra l Court 'Both sid es threatened* no matter who wen* be appeal to the Ring* But the matter never came to a judicial head. The Privy Council must have been alarmed by the confus ing rep o rts coming in fromVirginia* The sim plest so lu tio n seemed to bo to remove the governor and return to the statusq u o, ante* I t is interesting to note that the Privy Council had the first-hand advice of James Blair to guide them. That ubiquitous gentleman just, just happened to bo in london in 1722 when th e decision to remove Spotswood was made. Throughout a ll this controversy over bh® Induction o f clergymen* Commissary B la ir stands out as the lo c a l St* George against the Dragon o f Boyal power across the ocean* 60 SHXiOtBS I. Alexander Spoiswood, The O fficial letters of Alexander Snotswood* Robert A. Brook* ed* C 2* George Maclomn Brydon* V irg in ia*6 Mother .Church, and P o litic a l Ifendtticma under Which I t 1917J* .1^0^' 3* %gh Jones* the Present State of. Virgin!^ (XonsSon* 1724)* Bichard l® Ifcrion* ed. {Chaj3 M il* i956;f p$7W$ i88* Mk* 4* Spotswood* O f f i c ia l lettera* X# 103® 5® Clifford Dowdey# the Great Plant at. Ions, a Profile ofBerkeley ppfee.4..snd.. Plantation. Bs^lnia® .from' Jamestmmjto Appomattox" 6. Jones* p. 249* 7* Cora 0* Dillard ^ nThe Grammar School of the College of Williamand Mary# I693-X88S®M M* A. th e s is in basement of lib ra ry of College of William and Mary® ' William S. Ferry# Historical Collection Relating to the American Colonial Church {Hartf■ordM j 70)* "Joumalof Proceedings of the Contention held, at the College of William and Mary# April*. 1719*" I* 199-242® 9* donee*, passim® 10. Spot6wood9 Official letters,.- X, 174® II . ^ones* p. .253® 12* William W aller Hening# The .S tatutes a t te rm t Being a Collection of all laws of Virginia from the First Session of the, legislature in ' tS T Y c S i m 17* 74* 13* Hening, 17* 143-50* 14* Ferry* nWr* Ingles to the Sterner* August 8 * 1705 *n 1* 139* 15* Jones* p. 70* 16* William A* R. Goodwin* Historical Sketch of Bruton Church* Williamsburg* Virginia {Petersburg# 1903)# P* 134* 61 17* Goodwin ^ passim. 18* {foodwSa# passim* 19* Goodwin# p* 127* 2 0 * Goodwin^ pp. 121-145. 2 1 # Goodwist# p*1 4 5 * 22* - Spotswoodp lottos,# I and IX, passim. 23* Spotswood# letters# II, 291*92* 24* Daniel Eaten M otley U fa of Commissary lames B lair* Foander of William and Haarar College (m ltiiS reJ113S0X p» ^3® i 25* thom&s J* Werfeehbsk&'r, ,fAl©3canden Gpolswood'1# Dictionary of, American Bjoaraphy {Hew York* 1933) * 26* Spotewood* O ff ic ia l- le tte rs . IX, 221-60. 27* Epotswood* O ffic ia l la tte r * II, 291° 28. Biydon*. pp. 340-353* 29* F erry , ?,The Journal of* tbs Proceedings of the Convention held at the College of William and Itay in April* 1719*« X* 199-242. 30. Dowdey, p* 135. 3 1 * Goodwin* p . 1 3 4 * 32. Brydon, p. 352. 33* Henry Read leXiwaine, ed»* Executive Journalsof. the. Council of Colonial flr& in la (Richmond* 1925)$ December 9# 1719* XXI, 5X7. 34* Henry Read tfeXXwaine, ed.* Journals .of the House of in V irginia (Richmond, 19X4) 9 December 15# 1719* XX* 30!.-* CHAPTER V PEACE AND PROGRESS HI MTER X8ARS The e c c le s ia s tic a l power o f Commissary B lair was In eclipse only once—the interval in 1724 between' the death of Bishop John Robinson (and the automatic lapse of the coiimssarial comission) and the decision of Bishop Edmund Gibson* his successor, to ask the King to renew the said eomi&sion. Blair wrote the new Bishop* urg ing him to hurry up with the commission because two unworthy clergy- men were taking advantage of him. He proposed to hold an investigation of the conduct of these two men who had been, accused of scandalous behavior, and if the charges were proven, he proposed ”to proceed to suspension of their license* which is only during the bishop’s p le a su re.”^ However, Bishop Gibson was a thorough executive and he wanted to check on affairs before asking any decision concerning the commissary*. Hues of comnminieatiorr between tondon and V irginia were w ell open by 1724 * so that- the bishop could easily check m rep o rts by .and about his colonial representative.. He had the recently published account of the colony* The Present. State of Virginia by the Reverend Hugh Jones who had been in Virginia five years as professor at the college* rector at James- town, and Chaplain of the General Assembly*^ Jones made a careful analysis of the church and wrote a detailed description, of its 63 workings* the clergy* the parishes* the church buildings* the Vestries* the church 'schools* the financial status are all des cribed "for the encouragement and intelligence of such good clergy men and others as are inclinable to go and settle there*" Among Ms- suggestions was the appointment -of a church leader who would 'horn more power than a commissary but less than a bishop* «He might be called Dean of Virginia*"^ Bishop Gibson also had the report of the new Meuienani- Governor* Major Hugh Brysdale* to guide Mia, in judging Blair* Btysdale wrote to him In 1724 * "on th e re la tio n o f th e s ta te o f th e Church and Clergy in th is dominion..** Tour lordship’s Commissary on whose tr u th -and in te g rity 1 assure your lordship may entirely depend*. He has discharged that trust with an unblemished reputation under the Commission of many o f your lordship* s predecessors* and to th e ir great satisfaction* let this behavior cannot secure him from the assaults of ill tongues* whose malignity brings innocence itself into suspicion* and makes the truth difficult to be known by those who have prepossessed by 111*"^ Drysd&Xe only lived a few years after his arrival in Virginia* his short "tern of office being one of harmony* Parochial reports were sent to Bishop Gibson in 1724 in answer to his Questionnaire* these reports give another picture of church life in Virginia* there were fortnight parishes in the colony* fifteen of which were vacant at the time, thus the twenty- eight clergy who replied represented almost all of the churches*^ 64 The average length of time served by the clergy responds ing to the questionnaire was twenty-five years in the colony* with an average of twenty-one years in their present parishes* Only m e oSmtgymn m e known to have sieved to another colony to better his lot# Ctoly five of these men had been inducted* The parishes were large in else -and small in. number of souls by comparison with English standards* the ave-rage parish was twenty miles square .and served 1^0 fam ilies 4 The parishes Often had two or more church buildings within their bounds* all under the same rector* Bishop Gibson is not known to have commented on the state of church affairs as shornby these reports* but he made no drastic charges. The very great difficulty of the church throughout the whole colonial period was that it e&lsted simply as a group of separate parishes with no- center of life and unity around- which -a £ corporate life could grow* ’ Blair had nothem given power to effect this unity* But he did keep ccmunication alive between the parishes by calling convocations. Md he did coordinate their functioning by getting regulations 'passed by the -Bouse of Burgesses* There are no- records of his personal relationships with either the clergy or the vestries* but they must have hem many. By h is long l i f e and h is forceful personality* he must have lent an air- of continuity and power to the Virginia Church. Our Saviour*s Sermon on the. Mount■» in fo u r volumes* contain* ed m e hundred and seventeen of Blair’s semons* Published first in 1732, i t rm through at least two editions t» them$®m dictum that %o s m l is mm& a lte r the f i r s t to n ly minutes*3 vm M tore horrified hath clergy eoct laity in the early eighteenth ccntey, So these « « « * » » t o p re tty heavy reading tod&y*^ Blair ms a faithful reprover of sis# struggling to gale* his hearers isledful of their duty to S n a # m s on swearing he m m d^ i?The time is caging that the tans# m a fc he separated fro® the to-atf and to y shall he east with the e v ll^ to deirlX who laved hall | hut t o angels shall carefully g'aiher the wheat into Bed’s fes®4!! fed, is denouncing flasher dress, he m r n r n d his cesgre** gabion* «It is sot the outward gtoy Beaut?? that he m ints, hutt o ornaments of tbs mSsd^Ohristian grates and vttoes^whieh* is hie It sight, art of great price*1*' It can he auppoto that the sow bitop did sot find to incuafeeat oceadewy- wanting is seal or oraterloal a b ility * B la ir’s m m A m im was rammx!# Blair ’s leadership is., to torch having bees assured by t o mm ho- w ta w to. ®mUmm to building up of the college* He had to n gradually strengthening its faculty and o#ih§ to its student ho#* Finally to provisions oft o charter OQ2oplioct w ithf 63* masb&t&'M& a hundred students, mew or less, is t o $ m m & school, and college eodbixied* **»© Blair .made his last trip- to % glto is 1126 to &m the transfer of to oimerehip of to college property frw to- Board of Trustees appointed by toC tqhii e Is 1693 to to president to faculty* The only obstacle to the proper and imasdiato transfer mm Blair‘s old enemy, Sir Francis Nicholson, who refused to sign the papers* Nicholson, Blair and the Beverend Stephen Fouac© were the- surviving members of the original board of visitors. Since the transfer involved real estate#, the formal deed of sale required all three signatures* the college had to wait three years for Nicholson to d ie . 10 February 27, 1729 is the date on the transfer, but it was actually August 15, 1729 before- **th# tra n s fe r o f the corporate 11 authority**.was completed.1’ August 16, 1729 is the earliest written record m haw of college business. Earlier records were burned or lost. It is interesting to note that the first- order of business for the President and six faculty members was the subscribing to the Thirty- nine Articles of the Church of England and the 'Oath He Fide 11 Adminis- tratione.1^ The first full-time Professor of Divinity was appointed in that same- year, lb that appointment Blair saw the beginning of his dream for a colonial-trained clergy come true. It would be years before the college could supply the need for clergymen, so lieutenant* -Governor William Gooch made the plea to the Bishop of london in 1729, ”The great want m are in of ministers, w lord, many parishes being vacant. *.*% lord, the laity all over this Province are so well inclined to Bellgion and Vertue, that *tis great pity they should want Instruction to- help them forward in their Buiy.”1^ 6? Ho- longer did young mm mad to go to Ihgland for ministerial training., there are no records to to ll how many of ?irglniafs*e3ar^mm wore bom and educated hem, Bat the fact that they could be. so trained gm® the colonial church a measure of independence forraerly lacking, But they s t ill had to ’go to tendon to be ordained® The Governor once reported to the- Bishop, “The Gentlemen your lordship mm pleased to ordain. are returned to tide country^- -and in their several parishes ham behaved themselves to the satisfaction of us 1mm$ and suitable to your lordship *s h op es* ^ Bishop lfeadet the church historian, asserts, "It is positively affim» ■ed by those most competent to speak that the best ministers m m those 15 educated at the college,** Blair was- trying in many ways to move power across the ocean* Training in leadership mm a sound basis for power* His college helped supply that training to many colonial leaders* Two years after Blair’s death in 1743$ Bieutenant^vernor Gooch declared, “There is not in any Fart of the World, a Gollegt where good order, Decency and- Discipline are better maintain’d^ where God Almighty is more constantly and devoutly worshipp’d and where greater m m i s taken, to train up young students in the Budia«its of Religion, loyalty, Science and Good Manners* ••than in. th isV 1*^' William Gooch was the only royal governor who did not have'some struggle for power with. Blair* Ha was appointed in1726 upon the- death of Hugh DrysdsXe, Xieutenant-^wmor for only four 68 years* At the t i m o f Gooch *s appointment, B lair was in london on college business* there are no records to show that Blair had atjy* thing to do with the appointment* but# if he had* it would not have been the first time# He would have been acting out of character had he not offered suggestions as. to choice of governor#. {?There is a perfect' understanding betwitcb hi® and m $ m i th a t makes a l l things easy both w ith Clergy and laity ,« wrote Blair to the probably astonished Bishop of tendon on October28$ 1 7 1727# Gooch officially kept on excellent terras with the aging em issary# Only his private letters to his brother* 'thorns* Bishop o f Norwich* show what h ie *real feelin g s were# nX have done all * * self hitherto^ and rule without any particular favourite* which is 'not liked by the Com Am m f who used to Govern# He i s an. unaccoimt~- able spark* hated abominably by a ll men but his countrymen, and when he can*b advise nor direct* he*s inclined to perplex* but as: yet we are good F r ie n d s and I intend to keep it bo'if X can® which w ill be d if f ic u lt. later the same year* Gooch wrote* rfthe Oonrniaeury i s a very vile old fellow but he does not know that I am sensible of it, being still, in appearance good friends# Unless he to all and does all* he Is not satisfied,_and if he did* very few in this country besides himself would be so#n^ 3a spite of these feelings, Gooch kept on good terms with Blair* 69 that the Ctemmissary s till had control over the clergy Id shown in a report made by Gooch to- the Bishop of tedon in1?$$.* ■ “Mr. - Smith has chose rather to surrender hie Parish-than to submit himself to an. Hearing in the CoimissaryTs Courtt he was charged with Grievous Crimes* and is such a suit, and so «&afc to mind as m il as body*} that he is neither f itt nor able to Serve a Cure * Varies Blair spent' his-' last days in quiet*' S till rector of Bruton P arish Church* • he held services reg u larly th e re . - He m s s till coasaissair but we have little record of any activity otter than letter writing* mostly to the Bishop of lento* He was s till a member of the Governor’s Council but there -is little in the journals otter than a "tea1* or Kaye.” $nd he was President of the college for his life-time* College affairs- went smoothly after the transfer of le g a l power in 1729,< B la ir assuming the- ro le of eld e r statesm an now th a t days of ccntroversy were over* He lieved in th e handsome b rick President’s House* begun ‘in 1732* -and from its vantage point right beside the college gate*’he watched the comings and goings at the college* ■ A 'beautiful ehapel, • attached to the main building* * had beer completed in 1732* Blair wrote to the Bishop of Xondon, - “Our Chapel in the College is now finished* and we- have prayers in it 01 morning and evening*0 'In-reference to the chapel end to Bruton Parish- Church* i t has been, w ritten* “Williamsburg was once th e minia ture copy of the Court of St. lames, somewhat aping the manners of th at royal place* while the old church grave-yard and the college chapel were the Westminster Abbey and. the 0t* Paul’s of Xondon* where the great ones were interred. B la ir was an old man. of eighty-four in 1740* but he was not too old for onem m bout. Governor Gooch 'had been called to lead a military addition outside the colony. In Ms,absence* Jam® t Blair* as senior member of the Council and president .of th a t body* became acting governor o f th e colony fo r te n months.* Some years be fore William Byrd 11 had raised objection to the eligibility of a clergyman for the .presidency and temporary governorship* even though the .law stated that the government should devolve upon the eldest councillor in case of emergency*^ Bo Blair, insisting on Ms rights* stayed on until Gooch returned* even though Byrd again objected*^ Byrd had been a member of the Council since l?0g but became president himself only npm Blair’s death* holding that position of honor for ju s t a year, until M s death* Wothing of importance transpired In those months of B lair’e- temporary political elevation, the position carried with it social duties* and m have record of his being host at the annual King’s Birthday Ball in the capital* William Byrd reported that “the President entertained well*11^ Gooch found affairs in good order upon his return* writing .to his brother, “the Virginians- were mlghiely rejoyced at sy He turn, Bay and Wight firing Guns* Bonfires and Illumi n a tio n s .1* He added th e tongue-in-cheek comment* “the good Commissary » kept believing be should never nee me again «n 26 fhe William %rd who objested to" H air 10 asmimpiion of power In 1740 was ih a same man who had taken Androo * side against Blair in the bitter neatest for power at lambeth in 1696* 3© it is pleasant to read that these two men became frien d s in la te r life * %rd*s diary mentions dining peacefully with H air often between 1739 (when the diaiy begins) and 1741 ■ (when, the diary ends)* Ihsjr seemed to have dined m such m ild foods a® "boiled ml lie0 and "boil** ed mutton*"2^ So w ider they did not argue! hblo executor that he was# Gooch anticipated the dor when a new Comfides&iy 'would be sent over to Virginia* Oooeh wrote the Bishop of teuton a. long letter on the subject in 1737# Burner had cone to him th at a certain ymmg lawyer, Waggoner, m s suggest-* th at hie father* a elsfgyxaam in England^ would like to be the oemfc Cssnissai^o Cboah had Impired about him and found him "much better remteabsred m a bad painter#'than a Divined1 ftcmrer* the Governor suggested# "But if no hers might be allowed to name# our Philosophy' Professor Hr# Dawson# is the man«*fS Be wrote fu lly of Damson^ qualifications and stated,# "And 1 sake no question# on the first occasion a fte r the Conmieeat^'*0 Death, he w ill be unanimously Elected President of the College* and have his Parish®'1^ In a later letter afmoumolfig B lair ?s death# Gooch told of Dawson *8 "being by the un~ animous vote of the Visitors' elected President of William and l&gy 12 College# as good a Testimonial of his Merit as four lordship could receive from Hence Dawson was also unaniisously elected minister of Bruton Parish Church.^® Subsequently, Bishop Gibson, appointed him Cbraatssary* "Old Blair died last month ,H wrote William Gooch to his brother in 1743 ^ "in his 88th year, and t© the great comfort of his nephew, his Heir,, has left h 10,000 behind him# A Bupture he ha® had for above 40 years concealed from every Body but one friend, mortified and killed him* , If his Belly had been as sound as his . Head and Breast, he might have lived many years longer® But he had iieved out a span of life longer and more laborious than most men® Chest for power had hem the main spring of James Blair's life. Personal power always dies with a man, but. power that a man gets for an institution or group lives on. There were institutions and groups 5a co lo n ial V irginia th a t were stronger In 1743 when James' Blair died than they had been in 1684 when he landed .in the colony. And they ware stronger partly because he had been concerned with them. The Church of England in Virginia was really a Virginia Church by 17434 True, its members were unconfirmed* Its clerical candidates had to go to London for ordination, although .many were trained at the College of William and Mary. But the power of the organisation remained localised in tbs church vestries. The church was thereby stronger and more ready to stand alone in the days after 1776. 73 The college was a going concern# It had been many years before a real college was established# Bub Blair never forgot it and kept working for the goal of a college to train Virginiamm for Virginia leadership* thus the origins, of the mm who were finally to win pmmr fo r the colony from the Crown were to be in the colony its e lf# The colony was also- stronger because James Blair had been a member of the Governor *& Council for forty-nine years* Eoyal instructions were s till given to the governors* but each succeeding governor must have realised that his power to carry them, out was becoming -less and less* Jamies Blair was there for many years to remind him i f he fo rg o t. The Governor*a Council was gradually taking over the governor*^ power. It was not a democratic movement for - power that Blair led* but it was a shift of power across the ocean. Virginia ©m s a debt to James Blaiz^-contentious * autocratic* greedy for power and wealth but s till honest* hard-working and a believer in the future of Virginia* The Virginia he envisioned m s powerful end he helped make it so. Perhaps m did not view himself as others did* It is said that he wrote his own epitaph^ which stands today on the weaiher-sBQOthed tombstone in the old Jamestown Churchyard. A free translation of the tatin msmorial gives us James Blair as he saw 'himself* 74 Here lie s buried fhe Reverend m d Htoor&bto James Blair* A* !«-*- who was bom in Scotland* was educated in the College of Edinburgh* and emigrated to Bn gland* and thene© to Virginia* in which colony be spent fifty-eight years as an Evangelist* Beacon* and P rie st of" th e Church of Bigland* and fifty -fo u r years as Commissary of the Bishop of London, He was the founder and first President of William and Mary College* a member of the Council* and subsequently its Presidentj m d m such to the absence of the representative of the Ktog> the Governor of the Colony, He sustained his various offices with the approbation of his fellomen* while he illustrated to his life those graces which adorn the Christian character# He had a handsome person* m d to the family circle blended cheerfulness with piety. He was a generous friend to the poor* and was prompt to lending assistance- to all who needed.it. He- was a liberal benefactor of the College during his lift i m d at Ms death bequeathed to it his library* with the hope that his books* which were- mostly religious* might toad the student to those things iwhich toad to salvation, ffe died on the . day of the Calends of 1% . . * to. the year 1743* aged eighty-eight years* exhibiting to the last those graces which .make old ag® lovely* and lamented by all* especially' by h is nephews* who have reared th is stone to .ecnansmorate those v irtu e s which w ill long survive the marble that records thm**? X#‘ Williams S* Perry# American C olonial Church (Hartford# 1370}# James' B lair to Edmund Gibson# Ifegr 13S:' 1724# I* 252-43* 2. *fcgh Jones# The Present State o£...Aifliiia (ixmdon# 1724)* Bichard. L. Morton# ed7 (Chap©l H ill^ 1956)7 p7 101. 3# Jones# p* 119. 4. Hagh Prysdale. “Dawson Papers1* on microfilm in library of Research Department of Colonial Williamsburg# Xhc** Williamsburg# Virginia# Lieutenant-Governor Drysdale to Bishop Gibson* May7$ 1724. M *# 22-4. '5. George Mac loren Byydon# fim lniale, MotherGhurch# and. the Political Conditions under which It Grew (Richmond# 1947). ♦‘Parochial Reports made by Ministers in Virginia to the Bishop of London in 1724.n X# 370-93* 6* Brydoft* 1* 320* 7. . James Blair* ^ J e #o^r#M...a3dne..Sermon.on tM ioint. 4 volum es, (London# First edition# 1722* Second edition* 1740). 8. Bishop William Meade* Ojci Churches^ jan istcj^ ^^ V irginia (Philadelphia* 1857),# 1* 156. 9* “Transfer of the- Charter of the College of William and Mary to the Faculty in Virginia# February 27# 1729#** Bulletin of the College of .miliam and. Mary. VE (January# 1913)# 20-40* 10* Brydon# Z$. 301. 11. Vital Facts of the College of. William and Mary in Virginia. Compiled by the College Library Staff# Williamsburg# 1955* 76 13* William Gooch* "Geoch Transcripts* fromP* It* 0* arid Fulham *5f Four mlme& m microfilm, in library of Besearch Department of OoleniaX\%lMsm^xtg,s &MW Williamsburg* Virginia* Used by Courtesy of owners* Virginia Historical Society* - Bichmond* Virginia# letter to Bishop of London* June 29* 1729# I* 134* 14* Gooch tran sc rip ts* duly 23* 173$* 2* 198* 15# Paul JHco% "Services o f Commissary lames B lair' to th e Colony of Virginia*" South Atlantic Quarterly VXII {April* 1909)* 164-73. 16* Henry Bead MeXXwaSne* edV* Journals of theHbuae of Burgesses , in V irginia 1742-49 (Biehmond* 1 9 3 4 /p * 354# 17#' Persy* "James Blair to Bishop Gibson* October 20* 1727.” I* 352-53, ' ; ■ 18*, William Gooch* "Sir W illie Gooch- Papery 1727-1751.” M Archives of Colonial Williamsburg* Inc.* Williamsburg* Virginia. March 27* 1?28* 19. Gooch Papers* June 9* 1728* 20. Gooch Transcripts* April 20* 1?J8* II* 505. 21. James Blair* "Documents Bel&iing to th e E arly H istoryof the Gollogo of ?&lXiam andIfexy** W illlara...... College., ,,Qu^g&M* Second,Series* II (January* 1940/* 90* 22. Meade* p* 194* 23* James B la ir. "Documents R elating to Early History*,.**”James Blair to Bishop o f, London* August 4, 1732. II (January* 1940)* 118* 24*., WilHam’% rd . " le tte rs of th e % rd Fam ily." William Byrd to Major Otway* 'February XV 1740. firginla ...feasine of^lE.3t.ory^imi Biography* 37 (October* 1929)* 28*32. 25. william Byrd* Byrd. IfestMsr. for ..the lears. 1739-1741. ■ Maude II# Woodf in* ecU (Bioteoad* 1942)* October 30* 1740. p. 107* 26. Goocfu letter to his brother* quoted in Mother Secret .Diary October 13* 1741* p. 177. 27 . %rd* mim* 77 2S* Gooch Trmmtlpb®* lfey 21* 1739, II* 550* 29* Gooch T ranscripts* October 16* 1743* H * 773U 30* Willlaia A* H* OocxMiij H istorical Sketch of Bmtcn Church* Wlillanmburgu flr^iula (Petersburg* 1905T# $5F oi 1743, P* 1397 31-* Gooch Papers 0 May; 14* 1743* 32* 'Edgar 1* Pemtngtm* (Hartford* 1933)* P* 24* 33* Blair* Quoted bgr Bamel Eaten Motley*- Ufa of Conaaissarr .Jasaag Blair* Fomdor.of William .aM Mary $ k $ S m Appendix* p* 57» • • im o zkz fpiait% Grnp*. ______ staaftfa ~&£jgP 'M$mmmdfwm,4 Bmmp tel-O * °lisfe of Ifemsoripto t*i the Virginia Stist# Mbrarr*’1 of tbo Virginia Stmt# £&b$83$r* 1934# 'Bnm& t e l % t m U « n®m&m$ 193W&* m m m m r n m taaci% Thma&& l^pors* Ilteirf of tee&rah P ® p m o f 3ho* HisiofiM II ** M * 4# Qooeh* S ir HlHam© Papers* X?2?»1?$X* 0 ifcaBO*. % archives of (bUmiaX WitUm^bmg^ t e * Cfasrigi* Sir W illiam ’frana#rl|jta» from I** &* 0# and PuMtm* fmm mlmmm m. idorofila ta t&bm&f o f Be-staroh Ifepartoaaofc of Oolc^i&X te# Seed tr oooffcooy of #m#i% Virginia f&@horieaX iio te n % V irg in ia hichoXsoTsit ftm ® iev ?apm®$ 6&Hff3£>* % &3 t&fflB m& 1 irol*. 3b mtibkwm of ColonialrilM w^jsf| t o t & £j $ W# 3* Oraist** #ct# Colonial te le © * ' 2 ^ 1 % im $ m s 1910 ’ V f r f 9,--^ A > v.w Bevor2eys Jioborto &gyU!£Jiasgta4a* leaden, 1705* loul© Bo vlright, ad. Chapel K ill, 1947 7 9 Blair* toiesu in the fttn Vlth and VXXth Chapters of St# Matthew^ Gospel* fr a c tiM , . t n ...... D ivers .....Stppotp. m ^ M s c c u r m s♦ 4 vola* First edition* london* 1 7 2 2 * Second Edition* london* 1 7 4 0 , B lair* dames.. Facers j k la ilnft .M mM£aM$ik. london* 1 7 2 7 , Boston* 1 9 4 2# %rd* William* Anotlior A o r i t Marff o f m aila m Byrd o f Wsstmrer, Kaude H. Woodfin* e d . ftiehmond5 1 9 4 2, ■ * • * * Bjrd*< William# Hie Secret Mary of William. Byrd of Westover1709 - 1 7 1 2 * to u is B. Wright & Btarlcm fin lin g * eds« ' Richmond* 1 9 4 1* Calendar of State Papers* Colonial. Series, America and West Indies 1 7 0 0 # Cecil Headlam* ed# london* 1 9 1 0* , i ‘ 4 Calendar of State-. Paners and other Manuscripts . 1652- 1 7 8 1 * W illiam P* M, Palmer* ed. vol. 1 * Richmond* 1 8 7 5 * ’’The Charter and Statutes of the College of William and Mary In Virginia 0 • ■ William, and Mary College Quarterly. First Series, Vol. XXII (A p ril, 1 9 1 4) , PP. 281 - 2 9 6,. ^Documents R elating to th e Early H istory o f the C ollege o f William. and Mary#*1 Herbert 1 * Canter* ed. William.andIfegy .College.. Quarterly* Second Series* fol* XX {Four lumbers 1 9 4 0) pp* 113- 13?^ 212- 2 3 6 * 391- 3 9 6* 524- 5 4 4 # Executive Ipumals of the Comci2 .jjf rColpnial Vlrglma., %nry Read Mcllwalne* ed# 5 vols* Richmond* 192 5% Fithian* Philip Vickers* the.Auyf nunter u, rarxsn* ecu vaxxiamsourg* w w Franklin* Benjamin Albert A, Smyth ed . 10 v&fcu Hew York, 1 9 0?* Hartwell* Hsnrj* dams Blair* and Edward 'Chilton* The Present .State of Virginia and the College# london*1 7 2 7 # Itater D# Farish, ed. Williamsburg* 1 9 4 0* Honing* William Waller* The .Statutes at large t Being a CfcllectionM a l l the hm s of Virginia from the First Session of the Legislature in the Tear 1 6 1 9* 13 vols. Philadelphia* 1B2 3 * 80 'fanes* ffcgh. VfmSnMu ismtim, 1724* Bichard U Morton# ed», Chapel H&32, 1956* Journal of the Coiaaissioners for Trad© a**&. Plantations. Public Beoord Office? 14 vqIb* london, 1920. Journals: .of .the- House of Suritesses in. Virginia* 1619-1776« Henyy Bead Mcllmaina, ed. " 13 yelsu Richmond, 1914* 11 Journal of tbs Meetings of the President md Masters of William and itoy College, 1729-1784** Vote* 1-7 (1897-1902), passim. Henry Bead MeXlwaine, ed* 5 vote# ' Richmond, 1918# Miscellaneous papers pertaining to the College* found in the College » library, Folders 11-16, Perry, William 8# Historical Collections Relating to the American Colonial-Church* Vol. I. : Virginia* Hartford, 1870* Spot ©wood, Alexander* The O fficial letters. #f Alexander Spots wood. Robert A, Brock, ed. Richmond, 1865* i » “Transfer of the Charter of the College of William and Mary to the Faculty in V irginia, February 27, 1729** Bulletin., of the College Mary* Vol. 71 (January, 1913)* PP* 20-40* sm om m f warns i* Anderson, James Sff M# The -History of the Church. of, l^jan d. Colonies and Foreign Dependencis .of the B rititsh Empire* 3 m is . tondm, 1856. B ell, Sadie. The Church*, the S ta te , and Education ia .V irg in ia # Philadelphia, 1930# Bruce, Philip A. __ _ _ Century. 2 vols*. ' lew. fork, 1896. Bruce, Philip A* Century* 2 vote# Hew fork, 1910. ex Bruce* Philip A, fhe Virginia Plutarch* a vols* Chapel Hill* 1929* Bruce* Philip A* Social life in Virginia .in. the Seventeenth Century. Hchmoi«t| O T i Braden* George fee loreiu Hrginiak.llsiher^ , Political Conditions under Which It Oram* fol* I* Kichnmd* 1947* Burk* fehn feOy* lE a a J IL g tfiE g j^ ^ ^ First. Settlement feyolutlcii* 3 vols* Petersburg* 1804-1805i Graven* feeley Prank'* fh© Southern Colonies in th e Seventeenth Century * 1M7~I6M* Baton Kongo* 1949* Gross* Arthur Xyon* fhe. Anglican Episcopate and the American Colonies. I m fork* 1902* Cubberly* Ellwood 9. BftMttEtfB Cambridge * 1934* fedson* leonidas* University of Pennsylvania Press* 1932* Bowfey* Clifford* aiiftE aU Slffl^^ New York* 1957, Eckenrode* H* J s Separatioin,,of Church^and StaM.„ln^arMnia* f&dhnond* 1910* Godbold* Albea* fh eC h u rch , Durham* 1944* Goodwin* Edward 1* fha...Colonial .Church In V irg in ia* felwaukee* 1927* Goodwin* William A* K* H isto rical Sketch of Bruton Church* W illiamsburg* Virginia* Petersburg*. 1903* Hawks, Francis 1* C Hafetadter* i&chard ami 0® BeWihb Hardf* fork* 1952 Harasr* ftretortefe* Bleteculjf 1893; tteilijga.^ lohn *!feXyilX&* iotas m tl . the G®1 of .William m d Ifeawr .lir'S^SiM SF fi mjtemtoa*B9 1947* Einight* Edgar W< Boston* 1900, Knight* Edgar- W* A JSgfcgaxM Jsi^ I 860 * 5 yolO* a m ix* 1949# Itaross* William Wilson » Mew fork* 1950.# Mason5 George ■ Carringioiw .Colonial Churches of PXdewater M,Qhmmd:$ 1945* Hbtomell* 3® 0* History of tl Parting of tjfe ISam iol'ttiftlaid, o f ' Ke* s» fc, 1890, Ifeade* Bishop William* QM Churches <, M inisters and “- ‘ ‘ k* 2 w&u Fhiladolphi^ 1359* ‘ Morrison* Robert 1* me mstory of tn^....ggnae6 oi ’ mehaaand* 1874* Motley* Daniel Betel* li f e o f Coimaiesary James B lair* Founder of. William and Iferr College* J&ms HepkihS tMimrst% Studies9 1901 ® Pennington* Edgar £» OcBiiBla-eagy. B la ir® #182* S oldier $mt Servant Series* Church Mission Publishing Cotrnmg* Hartford* 1938* Pennington^ Edgar 1* lheJ^iroh j>f JSaflala* ffertfoi^ 1937* "' ' ' ' Ferry* William St©yeus# Tho^M story. of the .iteri.cm....,ii^aog>iial^gkmmM.* mm*7~t8&3* 2 vols* Boston* 1885* ,* Chapel E ll, 1952* Sfcrdnor* Charles S* f i . % lar* %tm 0* Brutm Church, Richmond* 169$-,. tg m 0# Sliteni4» Xf2l# 03 S&si&X* _ _ jb m i& p ^ tm k» w t$ W§m&t% ©d# S im la* £%ht fotk* XS£&-£BP9o Wiifi% lasis % jjte Jgiggft t« $m iW m $ California wflSZ £ m h $ s.'Centtilandtf nA Hoi© art $$& lofl& snoo o f Ckford upon HilJtiois. ana augjr Collage la the I% h t^ th Ota&tt?** ^p i ^ ^ . i 8 9 y a a m i l u a t e k . Second S»*Sns# Vbl XXI C lol^ 1%1), pp° 31&W* {Mm# 3» O b e r Bz&m* 'W illiam and Ifejrjr A llege* it fi, m* t m%)$ m * m s * 0i2tt% Ao Salley* ^Iha Bfeeatimal Ihf toast© of ^tomtom In t« n i CMair 'fte&xd&t* m Smm& fol# If (dulys 1935/*> Jc*g%. F l* « e r f f nfi^> iia to i© ^XXageas*11 _ _ _ |* MU 60 (Septataty 1919)* im S95-3C& M?fcpa&riQks tfofta B* *$h» C on stitu tion al • C ^ o lo p isn t ©f t t e C ollege of m ilto and William and tor m M m imrtm^ra Smm I Soortoe^ WU ft(4P*U» ' I&£x&* Bob-art I!# rfe ^ le s * and M b Colleges# ** 1 . 8 ,. C^erlr* Soeana MU HWW C^il^ 1933)* m W S + ft* toleii* Feter# ?I^!m!&&&, the Stoat Becotnag©* aid the Qri&to of the Beard rtf trade* M95«*M9$«W • jiffi A ^ r Third Sarins, Vol. XIV {*ay0 1957V 356-370. I h t m m # B@ w 3y* tJfbe BaXsing of fto ti by the O otaial ^College* 13 ^ Vnlfaw I fe a t^ l ft«rl«i, folo m m tt (tkmhp 1 9 5 2 ), BB# ^ ^ ...... Hoot** F&til* *the Setwieed o f C om ieaarf dsmos B lair to tho Oblongr of gfloth Jtlanhie c.Martarly Baityn* Bernard# mpibMafeed paper eft&ttCUxI ^Politics and Social atrootTO i Virginia in the Smnteecxth Oentut^f! .read at Virginia* % nlt 19$?* to be polished tqr tha Institute of Barl^ im r ic m I&etpgy and Coltsn* Dillard, Cora 0* flHio Oranmar School of the Colley of William -and Hargr* 169;HL888*W M* A* th e s is , 19$i« In library of College of lilllata aid itoqr* CkKKteto* lfe*7 H# #** ad* «Mietorical lobse* Hie A llege of William and Marr*n %pescripb* 1954* 5 ^ols« la library of College of f i l l i p and Mai^e Ssomiel Hoop* f,d w ie a a r f Earned Blair* Churchman* Educator and Politician of Colonial Virginia**1 > C&publtshed Ph.* 8* Disserts** ti« |* Moivofalt^ o f Chicago, 1940* 0®en* dafeta Kla&fmtgb* f*?he Virginia Vestry, a StudF la the- Decline of a Baling Claes*11 Unpublished Fh* 8* Mseertation* Princeton Bhivarsitp* 194?* Copg? oa microfilm is Mbmrf of Bese&reh Bepartmont of Colonial t&lHamsfeiiig, .Inc# as Seiler** William H* “The $t&te»*Church in. Seventeenth Century Virginia? The Anglican Pariah as a Religious and Secular ’jfeatitutim**f Unpublished paper read a t Williamsburg* Virginia, April, 1957* to be'published by the Institute of Early American History and. Culture* 4* Eneyclopedlae Johnson, Allen, ed# Dictionary of American. Biography* 21 vole* New fork, 1% 6+ ' f " Tyler, lyon G», ed* Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. New fork, 1915* 5* i m f e M , Abotta William W» A_Virginl4 (forqnolQgg*15M~23M* Jamestown 350th Anniversary Historical Booklet, Number- 2* Williamsburg, 1957* Adams, Herbert Baxter* TheCoiiege of William and Mary a a Contribute ,ts_^JSLstojeg..M . National Promotion, V/ashlngtonj 1874* The History of the College of .William and Ifegg from Its FoundationB 1660*1874* Compiled by Faculty of' the College* Richmond, 1874* % ler, iyon G, the College, .of William and .Jfery in Virginia? .. Its History W ^ ^ S m 19(yf* V ital ..Facts of the College of William. and Mary in Virginia* Complied by tho College library -Staff, Williamsburg, 1955* S6 v m Itog&rat Scott Harrison grew up in Mew Jersey and graduated from Smith College in 1932* Then she taught world history a couple year® in Iran Bethel School* Teheran* Iran* before marzying the Heverend Carter H* Harrison* rector of St* John1® Church in Hampton* Virginia* F in is