ST. MARGARETT'S, CAROLINE COUNTY.
This parish, as we have seen, was established soon after the
year 1727.
In the years 1754 and 1758, the Rev. John Brunskill—one of
three ministers of the same name—was in charge of St. Margarett's.
By another document in my possession, I find that he was
in this county before the year 1750. From 1758 to 1773 we
have no means of ascertaining who ministered in this parish.
From 1773 to 1787, the Rev. Archibald Dick, who was ordained
in 1762, was the minister of St. Margarett's. After the disappearance
of Mr. Dick from the journals in 1787, we know of no other
regular minister in St. Margarett's until the year 1829, when the
Rev. Caleb Good represents this parish,—as also in 1830. His
zealous labours contributed not a little to revive the hopes of the
Episcopalians in that parish. Services were from time to time
afforded to Bull Church, or St. Margarett's, by neighbouring
ministers; and after some time a church was built at the Bowling
Green, which, whether in St. Margarett's or St. Mary's parish, was
connected with the congregation in St. Margarett's. In 1833, the
Rev. Mr. Friend became the minister of St. Margarett's, and continued
so for some years, until his removal to St. Mary's of the
same county. Since the removal of Mr. Friend, St. Margarett's
has been connected with Berkeley parish in Spottsylvania county,
first and for some years under the charge of the Rev. Mr. Ward,
until his removal to Westmoreland, and then of the Rev. Dabney
Wharton, its present minister. We have no old vestry-books from
which to learn who were the early friends of the Church in this
region. We can only mention the names of a few families known
to ourself,—the Temples, Tompkinses, Swans, Hallidays, Rawlings,
Minors, Hills, Harts, Keans, Leavills, Phillipses, Dickensons, Harrises,
Nelsons, Fontanes,—as now belonging to this part of Caroline
and Spottsylvania.
