 | The history of Truro Parish in Virginia, |  |
Vestry Dissolved, and a New Vestry
Elected
In 1744 it was represented to the General Assembly
that divers members of the Vestry of Truro
Parish were not able to read or write, and were
not otherwise qualified. The Vestry was dissolved
County was ordered to call a meeting of the freeholders
and housekeepers to choose a new Vestry
of the "most able and discreet persons in the Parish."
In obedience to this order the following
persons were chosen to compose the new Vestry,
viz:
| Capt. John West | Capt. Richard Osborn |
| Capt. Lewis Ellzey | Mr. Daniel French |
| Mr. John Sturman | Mr. Edward Emms |
| Capt. John Minor | Mr. Robert Boggess |
| Mr. Hugh West | Colo. John Colvill |
| Mr, Andrew Hutchinson | Mr. Charles Broadwater. |
These persons, having taken the oaths required
by law to be taken, subscribed the test, and to be
conformable to Doctrine and Discipline of the
Church of England, were sworn Vestrymen of the
Parish of Truro.[13]
Bishop Meade expresses surprise at this dissolution
in view of the number of intelligent men in
the Parish, and supposes that it must have taken
place elsewhere. But the Rev. Charles Green
made a note in the Vestry Book which explains
the proceeding. He says that "One of the causes
assigned for the dissolution of the Vestry was that
of them illiterate, namely Edward Emms, who was
reelected." The truth seems to be that the Delegates
to the Assembly and other leading men
often had Vestries dissolved when they displeased
them.[14]
John West and Lewis Ellzey were sworn as
Church Wardens, and William Henry Terrett was
elected Clerk of the Vestry.
1745, April 15th. Messrs. John West, Hugh
West, Hutchinson, French, Boggess and Broadwater
were appointed to "view the most convenient
place between Salisbury plain, Little river
and Potomac river for a Chappel of Ease to be
built, and to treat with the workmen about the
building thereof," and report to the Vestry.[15]
Also
French view what necessary repairs are wanting
at Goose Creek Chapel and agree with workmen
therefor; that a gallery be built in the west end of
the upper Church and the Church Wardens agree
with workmen for the same; and that the Minister
make choice of proper persons to officiate as Readers
at each Church. May 21st it was ordered
"That a Church be built at or near the spring nigh
Mr. Hutchinsons and the Mountain road," 40 feet
long, 22 feet wide and 13 feet pitch, weather-boarded,
shingled, and "ceiled with quartered
plank beaded and plained,—with pulpit, desk,
Communion Table, pews, doors, windows and
seats after the manner of the upper Church." The
Clerk was instructed to prepare deeds for Mr.
Hutchinson's conveyance of two acres of land for
the Church and churchyard, and articles of agreement
and bond for Hugh Thomas, who undertakes
to build the Church for 24,500 pounds of tobacco,
to be finished by the end of October 1746. On
October 14th, 1746, John Summers, William
Harle and Thomas Darus were appointed "to view
the new Church, and to report on oath the state
or not." Also it was "Ordered, that the
Minister preach eight times in the year at the New
Church, and that he do proportion the times
equally from each Church."[16]
The following items from the accounts current
show the payments to the officers of the Churches,
etc.:
| Rev. Charles Green, Salary and cask |
16,640 | lbs. of | tobacco |
| Clerks at Pohick, Upper Church, New Church, and Goose Creek, each |
1200 | " | " |
| Clerk of the Vestry | 500 | " | " |
| Mary Bennit, Sexton at the Upper Church |
400 | " | " |
| Do. for washing the surplice | 125 | " | " |
| Philip Howel, Sexton at Pohick, and washing surplice twice |
550 | " | " |
| Hugh West, for account book |
110 | " | " |
| Do. for bringing said book from Williamsburg |
50 | " | " |
| Dr. Robinson, physick and attendance on poor |
1200 | " | " |
| Dr. Daniel Hart, per account, for poor |
3880 | " | " |
| Various items, relief of the poor, one year |
4630 | " | " |
These political oaths were three in number, and the third was
quite long. They were oaths of allegiance and of abjuration of
Popery and of the Pretender, etc., and were required of all Civil
and Military officers by the laws of England and of Virginia. They
may be seen in Bp. Meade's "Old Churches, Ministers and Families
of Virginia," Vol. II, p. 41. It seems to have required as many as
six oaths and subscriptions properly to qualify a Vestryman in those
days.
The Act of Dissolving the Vestry of Truro was proposed in the
House of Burgesses by Lawrence Washington, Esq., Oct. 15, 1744.
It will be found in Hening's Statutes, Vol. V, p. 274. The preamble
states that "many of them were never lawfully chosen or
qualified; that several are not able to read or write." While the
charge of illiteracy was doubtless overstated there can be no doubt
that some of the Vestrymen were not lawfully chosen; for while
the law was very explicit in limiting the number of Vestrymen in
a parish to twelve, there were at least sixteen at one time in Truro,
and on three occasions thirteen were recorded as being present at
a Vestry.
By an Act of Assembly in 1745 the election of the new Vestry
was confirmed, and the said Vestry was established as the legal
Vestry of the Parish. Hening, Vol. V, p. 380.
This Church was not built by the "Truro Vestry. On October
7th of this same year it was "Ordered, that the Church to be built be
built at Rocky run instead of the place already appointed, it appearing
there is no water there, and that the Clerk prepare deeds for Capt.
Newton to sign and execute for land for the use of the Church."
After this we hear nothing more of it in the Vestry Book, and no
tobaccoo was levied in this Parish for its erection. The site selected
fell in Cameron Parish upon the division in 1749, and that
the Church was built immediately thereafter we discover from a
fragment of the records of the County Court of Fairfax for that
period which escaped destruction. On July 21, 1752, the Court
ordered "That Lewis Ellzey, Hugh West jr. James Hamilton, Demsie
Cairde and James Halley, or any three of them, view and mark
a way for a road to be cleared the most convenient way from
Alexandria to Rocky Run Chappell, and report to the Court." On
November 21st the same parties were sworn and ordered to open
the road. Doubtless this is what is now locally known as the old
Braddocks Road; and if a part of Gen. Braddock's force did pass
over it in the spring of 1755 they may have found it in such an
unfinished condition as to compel them to do further work on it,
so giving rise to the tradition that it was opened by Braddock.
The site of the Chapel would seem to have been at or near the
point where this road crosses Little Rocky Run, about half a mile
east of Centerville.
This Church was probably located near the present village of
Dranesville. The deed from Hutchinson to the Vestry is on record
in the Clerk's Office of Fairfax, dated August 19th, 1745. He conveys
two acres, near the Mountain road, to be laid off at the expense
of the Parish, so as to include the Church intended and
agreed to be built thereon, with a spring, etc. On the division
of the Parish this Church fell in Cameron.
| The history of Truro Parish in Virginia, | |