mond county after the year 1692, which can nowhere else be found, as we have no vestry-book of that county, except that of North Farnham parish, from the year 1787 to 1804. The first justices of the peace were Captain George Taylor, William Underwood, Captain William Barber, James Scott, Captain Alexander Swan. From that time to the Revolution, the principal families in the county were Stone, Glascock, Deane, Donaphun, Colston, Thornton, Travis, Peachy, Tayloe, Conway, Brockenbrough, Gwin, Tarplay, Downman, Slaughter, Parker, Sherlock, Davis, Robinson, Beale, Smith, Woodbridge, Heale, Barrow, Taverner, Barber, Griffin, Fitzhugh, Fauntleroy, Gibson, Taliafero, Ingo, Bellfield, Tomlin, Grymes, Metcalf, Newton, Barnes, Sydnor, Jordan, Hornby, Hamilton, Carter, Mountjoy, Flood, Plummer, Beckwith. Of all these, my informant says, a very few have descendants in the county at this time who are called by these names.

According to the records of the court, he says, there were once three parishes in the county,-North Farnham, Lunenburg, and St. Mary's, having separate ministers.

Of the three ministers mentioned on the records, from the year 1693 to 1742, the account is sad. The two first-John Burnet and John Alexander-were always in court, suing or being sued. The third-the Rev. Thomas Blewer-was presented by the grand jury as a common swearer. A particular account is drawn from the records of different families. From the votes on election-days, the Woodbridges and Fauntleroys appear to have been at one time the most popular. The Carters and Tayloes, of Sabine Hall and Mount Airy, were active and useful men. The Chinns first appear in 1713. "From Raleigh Chinn," he says, "descended those model males and females of that name who have served to give character to our county in modern times." The McCartys were an ancient family, springing from Daniel and Dennis McCarty, who are first mentioned in 1710.

Having furnished this general account of individuals and families from the court records, we proceed to give the information in our possession concerning each of the parishes separately.

First, of North Farnham. This was established in 1693, when Rappahannock county was stricken from the list of counties and Richmond and Essex erected in its stead, and South Farnham parish created in Essex. The first minister of this parish whom we have on our lists-though there were doubtless many before--is the Rev. William Mackay, who was there in 1754, and continued

until 1774.* From his long continuance in the parish and the respectability of the people, we have grounds for believing that he was a worthy man,—although in a few years after his death, or departure from the parish, it seems to have been in the most deplorable condition, as we shall soon see. The Rev. John Leland, a worthy minister from Northumberland, officiated statedly in Farnham for some time after Mr. Mackay disappears. Then the Rev. Thomas Davis, from one of the parishes of Northumberland, gives them a portion of his time for two years. After this a considerable interval occurred in which there was no vestry,-several efforts at an election having failed. At length, a partial meeting having been had, the following address was prepared :

"FRIENDS AND FELLOW PROTESTANT EPISCOPALIANS:

"Permit us, surviving members of the late vestry of this parish, to address you and entreat you, for your own sakes as well as that of the rising generation, to come forward on this occasion. Although our church, from various causes, has been most woefully neglected for a season, we flatter ourselves that the time is at hand when the members thereof--of whom there are not a few-will throw off their lukewarmness and exert themselves in the cause of that profession of Christianity handed down to us by our forefathers, who-God rest their souls-left us a goodly fabric to assemble in and pay our devotions to the Almighty Creator and Preserver of the universe, as they had done,- although by our neglect it is mouldering into ruins. The first step toward a reform is the appointment of trustees; for, until that is done, our church must remain in that miserable condition we see it. There is now a probability of procuring a minister to perform divine service once a fortnight; but this cannot be done until there shall be persons authorized to meet and consult on the ways and means of affording him an adequate compensation for his services. Awaken, then, from this fatal supineness. Elect your trustees, and they, we doubt not, will make the necessary arrangements, in the accomplishment of which, aided by your hearty exertions and concurrence, our church will be restored to its former decency and rank as the temple of the living God. "We are your Christian brethren and friends of true religion,

Great pains were taken to circulate this; and yet on the appointed day less than thirty persons assembled, and half of these after two o'clock, and so there was no election.† Five or six of those present agreed to appoint Whit-Monday for another meeting, and

*It should probably be McKay, though it is written Mackay in our printed lists. This was probably less than the number hitherto required by law.

to get a neighbouring minister to preach on that day. This was successful, and they paid the minister four pounds ten shillings for coming.

The vestry direct Mr. William Peachy to write to Bishop Madison for a minister, to which the following answer was received:

"WILLIAMSBURG, August 1, 1794.

"DEAR SIR-It would afford me great pleasure, could I give you an assurance of being speedily supplied with a worthy minister. I sincerely regret the deserted situation of too many of our parishes, and lament the evils that must ensue. Finding that few persons, natives of this State, were desirous of qualifying themselves for the ministerial office, I have written to some of the Northern States, and have reason to expect several young clergymen who have been liberally educated, of unexceptionable moral character, and who, I flatter myself, will also be generally desirous of establishing an academy for the instruction of youth, wherever they may reside. Should they arrive, or should any other opportunity present itself of recommmending a worthy minister, I beg you to be assured, if your advertisement proves unsuccessful, that I shall pay due attention to the application of the worthy trustees of North Farnham.

"With great respect, I am, dear sir,
"Your most ob't servant,

"JAMES MADISON."

The Bishop, it seems, was as much troubled about getting a meeting of the Convention as the friends of the Church in Farnham had been to get an election of vestrymen. The following circular will too surely establish that :

WILLIAMSBURG, December 13, 1795. "REVEREND SIR :-It is, no doubt, well known to you that the failure last May in holding a Convention at the time and place agreed upon was matter of deep regret to every sincere friend of our Church. To prevent, if possible, a similar calamity at the next stated time for holding Conventions, the deputies who met last May requested me to send circular letters to the different parishes, exhorting them to pay a stricter regard to one of the fundamental canons of the Church. I fulfil the duty with alacrity, because the necessity of regular Conventions is urged by considerations as obvious as they are weighty. I need not here enter into a detail of those considerations; but I will ask, at what time was the fostering care of the guardians-nay, of every member of the Church more necessary than at this period? Who doth not know that indifference to her interests must inevitably inflict a mortal wound, over which the wise and the good may in vain weep, when they behold that wound baffling every effort to arrest its fatal progress? Who doth not know that irreligion and impiety sleep not whilst we slumber? Who doth not know that there are other enemies who laugh at our negligent supineness and deem it their victory?

"But, independent of these general considerations, there are matters of the first moment to our Church, which require the fullest representation

at the ensuing Convention. Those parishes which, faithful to their duty, have not failed on former occasions to send forward their deputies, as directed by the injunction of the Church, need no exhortation on this subject. The same laudable sentiments which have hitherto directed their conduct will doubtless continue to produce a similar effect. But to those which have been neglectful in making the necessary appointment of deputies, and in supplying the means for their attendance, I address myself with peculiar solicitude. Let me then, sir, through your agency, and, where there is no minister, let me through the agency of the churchwardens or vestry, exhort and entreat such parishes to be no longer unmindful of the interests of their Church, no longer to be languid and indifferent in what concerns her essential welfare,-no longer to treat her injunctions with disrespect,but, on the contrary, animated by a warm and laudable zeal, and satisfied how much the holy cause of religion must depend on wise and prudent exertions, let them evince, at the approaching Convention, that they will not abandon a Church which they cannot fail to love and to venerate so long as piety and virtue shall continue to maintain the least portion of influence in the hearts of men. Permit me only to add, that I feel a confidence that this exhortation will not be disregarded, and that the next Convention, which is to be holden on the first Tuesday in May next, will manifest to the Church and to the world that the zeal of both clergy and laity remains unabated. Such is the confidence and such the sincere prayer of Your brother in Christ,

"JAMES MADISON,

"Bishop of the Prot. Epis. Church in Virginia."

In the year 1796, the vestry obtained the services of the Rev. George Young, for one Sunday in three, (the other two being engaged to the adjoining parish of Lunenburg,) agreeing to pay him the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars, besides the rent of the glebe. In the year 1799, the Rev. John Seward offers his services one Sunday in three, and receives two hundred dollars with the glebe. Here the vestry-book ends, except an entry of an election of vestrymen in 1802.

The following is a list of the vestrymen from 1787 to 1802:

William Peachy, William Miskell, John Fauntleroy, John Sydnor, Leroy Peachy, Griffin Fauntleroy, Thaddeus Williams, J. Hammond, Benjamin Smith, Samuel Hipkins, Epaphroditus Sydnor, Jno. Smith, Walker Tomlin, Richard Beale, Bartholomew McCarty, David Williams, Ezekiel Levy, Charles Smith, Abner Dobyns, William McCarty, William Palmer, John G. Chinn, Vincent Branham, W. T. Colston, George Miskell, Peter Temple, J. M. Yerby.

If there were any other minister or ministers in this parish until the Rev. Washington Nelson, in 1835, took charge of it in connection with Lunenburg parish, of the same county, and Cople parish, Westmoreland, we have not been able to ascertain the fact. Under Mr. Nelson's charge the Old Farnham Church was

repaired at a cost of fourteen hundred dollars, and a new church built at the court-house, by the side of whose walls his body is interred. Mr. Nelson was succeeded in all his congregations by the Rev. William Ward. The Rev. Mr. Coffin succeeded him in Farnham and at the court-house, and continued about two years, resigning them both in the summer of 1856.

CHURCHES IN NORTH FARNHAM PARISH.

Besides the one now standing, there was another about half-way between it and the court-house, the foundation of which may yet be seen. It was probably deserted at the time that North Farnham Church was built; but when that was, cannot be discovered. We have mentioned that among the families once prominent in this parish--though now dispersed-were those of the Fauntleroys and Colstons. To each of these, within a few miles of Farnham Church, there were those unhappy receptacles of the dead, called vaults, which were so common from an early period in the Northern Neck. What the precise condition of the former is, we have not heard, though we believe a bad one. As to the latter, the following note, which I find among my papers, gives what I doubt not is

a true account:-

"The burying-place of the Colston family is on the Rappahannock River, about seven miles from North Farnham Church. The vault is in a dilapi dated condition. It was originally arched over with brick. A number of bones are exposed, -so much so, that with but little difficulty an entire

human frame could be collected.

The following account of Old Farnham Church in my report to the Convention of 1838 will complete my notices of this parish:

"My appointment next in order was at Farnham Church, which had recently been so much refitted, that on this account-because it is believed that none of the old churches were ever consecrated-it was on Tuesday, the 20th of June, set apart to the worship of God, according to the prescribed form. A considerable congregation assembled on the occasion, when I preached, the service having been read by the Rev. Francis McGuire, and the deed of consecration by Mr. Nelson, the pastor of the congregation. This church was first built more than a hundred years ago, after the form of the cross, and in the best style of ancient architecture. Its situation is pleasant and interesting,-being immediately on the main county road leading from Richmond Court-House to Lancaster Court-House.

What causes led to its early desertion, premature spoliation, and shameless profanation, I am unable to state; but it is said by the neighbours not to have been used for the last thirty or forty years. deserted as a house of God, it became a prey to any and every spoiler.

Thus

VOL. II.-12