THE MINISTERS OF FREDERICK PARISH.
The Rev. Mr. Gordon was the first; when his ministry commenced
and ended, not known. The Rev. Mr. Meldrum comes next, and
continues until 1765. Between him and the vestry a long law-suit
was carried on, which terminated in his favour. The vestry applied
to the Legislature for relief, and obtained it. Mr. Sebastian was recommended
by the vestry to the Bishop of London for Orders in 1766,
and became their minister, but after two years removed to Northumberland
county. The Rev. Mr. Thruston became the minister in
1768, binding himself to preach at seven places scattered over the
large parish of Frederick, Shepherdstown being one of them. Mr.
Thruston was a native of Gloucester, where the name still abounds,
and was captain of the militia in that county. The vestry of Petsworth
parish, in Gloucester, recommended him for Orders, and he
was their minister for some years before coming to Frederick. He
laid down the ministry and entered the army in 1777. After the
war he lived at Mount Zion, in Frederick. In his latter days he
removed to the neighbourhood of New Orleans, and, it is said, was
preparing to take some part in defending that place against the
British when they were defeated by General Jackson. He was
the father of the late Judge Thruston, of the District of Columbia,
and the ancestor of many respectable families in Virginia and elsewhere.
From the time of Colonel Thruston's resignation in 1777
to the year 1785, there was no minister, so far as we can ascertain.
In the year 1785, a vestry was elected, consisting of Colonel R. K.
Meade, George F. Norton, churchwardens, John Thruston, Edward
Smith, Raleigh Colston, Girard Briscoe, John Milton, Robert Wood,
Major Thomas Massey. By this vestry the Rev. Alexander Balmaine
was chosen minister. He had been chaplain in the army
of the Revolution, in which a number of the above-mentioned vestrymen
had served. Mr. Balmaine was born in Scotland, in the
neighbourhood of Edinburgh, in the year 1740, was educated at St.
Andrews with a view to the Presbyterian ministry, but relinquished
the design. Himself and his brother, who was a lawyer, were
warm friends of the Colonists in the Stamp Act difficulties, and
became so obnoxious on that account to the loyalists about Edinburgh,
that they thought it best to try their fortunes elsewhere,
and moved to London, where they became acquainted with Mr.
Arthur Lee, who recommended Mr. Balmaine to the family of
Richard Henry Lee, as private tutor. While there, he prepared
for the ministry of the Episcopal Church, and upon receiving Orders
became rector of Augusta parish, then extending to the Ohio River,
and including, it is believed, Pittsburg itself, for the paid several
visits to the Episcopalians in that place. When our difficulties
commenced with England, true to his principles adopted in Scotland,
he took an early and active part, was chairman of the Committee
of Safety in Augusta, and drafted the resolution adopted
by that committee. Soon after this, he entered the Virginia line
as chaplain, and continued so until the very close of the war.
Mr. Balmaine was the rector of the parish of Frederick until his
death. I was his assistant during a number of the last years of
his life.
