ST. JAMES'S PARISH, MECKLENBURG COUNTY.
This parish was separated from Cumberland parish, Lunenburg,
in the year 1761. The county of Mecklenburg was cut off from
Lunenburg in 1764. The City Church, as it is called, is still standing,
being an old frame building with a number of old Episcopal
families around it, who, I trust, will ever be as willing as they are
able to sustain a minister. Where the chapels stood I am unable
to say. There was an old house of worship, in the time of Bishop
Ravenscroft's ministry, called Speed's Church, which I believe was
one of former days. In later days one was built in a more central
place and called St. James's, and then removed to another position,
and then abandoned and sold for the purpose of building one at
Boydton. Another has been built about twelve miles from Boydton
by the name of St. Andrew's, another near the Carolina line
called St. Luke's, and, lastly, one at Clarksville, on the Roanoke.
The first minister of this parish was Mr. John Cameron, of whom
we have recently spoken. He is on our list of clergy from this
parish in 1774-76, the only one we have between 1754 and 1758
and 1785. It is probable that he was minister in Mecklenburg
from his first coming into this country, in the year 1770, until
1784, when he moved to Petersburg; though one of his descendants
informs me that he was living in Charlotte in 1771, where he
married a Miss Nash. He may have settled there first and after
a year or two removed to Mecklenburg. It has generally been
supposed that the Rev. George Micklejohn succeeded to Mr. Cameron,
but I can find no evidence that he ever was the regular
minister of the parish. Although there were Conventions from the
year 1785 to the year 1805, and then from 1812 to the present
time, his name never appears as the minister. He was ordained
for North Carolina by the Bishop of London in 1766, and removed,
no doubt, from thence to Virginia and settled in Mecklenburg. He
had either taught school in Carolina or Virginia before the Revolution,
if that anecdote be true which is related of him,—viz.: that
on being solicited by some of the gentlemen, after the war, to resume
his occupation and take some of their sons, he replied that
"he would have nothing to do with their little American democrats,
for that it was hard enough to manage them before the Revolution,
and now it would be impossible." He lived to a great age, was a
man of peculiar character, and never calculated to be useful in the
ministry. He preached very often in Mecklenburg, but to very
small congregations, not always to two or three, himself and an old
brother Scotchman being on one occasion the whole assembly:
nevertheless, the sermon was preached. He lived some years after
Mr. Ravenscroft's ministry commenced. The latter tells the following
anecdote of him:—On a certain occasion, when he (Mr. R.)
was preaching on the various testimonies to the truth and excellency
of religion, he alluded to the comfort of it to the aged and to their
dying witness to it, and, pointing to old Mr. Micklejohn, who was
present and before him, told the congregation that there was the
testimony of a century to our holy religion, supposing him to have
lived his century; but Mr. M. immediately corrected him, crying
aloud, in broad Scotch, "Naw, naw, mon,—ninety-aught, ninety-aught."
But he outlived a century. Mr. Ravenscroft was the first
minister of the parish after the relinquishment of it by Mr. Cameron
in 1784. He was of an ancient Virginia family, to be found about
Williamsburg and Petersburg, according to the records of the House
of Burgesses and the vestry-books. He himself was related to old
Lady Skipwith, of Mecklenburg. He was educated at Williamsburg.
John Randolph, who was there at the same time, used to
say that his nickname was Mad Jack while there, and that he deserved
it long after by reason of the vehemence of his temper,
speech, and manners. The religion of Christ took strong hold of
him, and made a great change in his views and character, so that
he felt necessity laid upon him to preach the Gospel. He at first
united himself to the Methodists, but, on examination, gave the
preference to the Church of his fathers, and became a lay reader
in Mecklenburg and Lunenburg, producing no little effect by his
most impressive and emphatic manner. In the year 1817 he was
minister of St. James's parish, in which he continued until his
election to the Bishopric of North Carolina. He was succeeded
by the Rev. William Steele, who was followed by the Rev. Francis
McGuire. He continued its minister until obliged to retire from
full duty by reason of ill health, though he still lives in it and
performs some services. The Rev. Mr. Chesley took the place of
Mr. McGuire, and was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Rodman. It is
now vacant.
Although there is no vestry-book of the church in Mecklenburg
from which to give a list of the early vestrymen from the year
1761, we cannot forbear the mention of a few names of persons well
known to us, who contributed much to its revival after the year
1812. Major John Nelson, son or grandson of old Secretary
Thomas Nelson, of York, settled toward the close of the last
century in Mecklenburg, on the Roanoke. The Rev. Alexander
Hay, of whom we shall read when we come to Halifax county, resided
as teacher in his family. The old man and his numerous
sons entered zealously into measures for the revival of the Church.
Mr. John Nelson, Mr. Robert Nelson, and Major Thomas Nelson,
especially, were the active coadjutors of Mr. Ravenscroft and his
successors in raising up the prostrate Church in Mecklenburg.
The names of all of them are to be seen on the journals of our
State Conventions, and those of two of them on the list of delegates
to the General Convention. Major Thomas Nelson signalized
himself in the last war with England, and was for some time a
member of Congress from his district. He recently died at Columbus,
in Georgia, to which State he removed some years since,
beloved and esteemed by all who knew him. To these I might add
the venerable name of Goode and his descendants, and the Lewises,
Cunninghams, Baskervilles, Alexanders, Colemans, Sturdivants,
Tarrys, Daily, and others.
