The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-12-01


which the colonists, under Captain John
Smith, erected for Powhatan on lovely
bay of York River. If the beautiful
story of Pocahontas and her heroic rescue
of Smith is to be accepted still as verita-
bic history, we can visit almost the iden-
teal spot on which the scene was enacted
two hundred and seventy-two years ago.
The very same spring from which the
girl Pocahontas drank, remains as clear
and musical as when a child she played
about her majestic old father home over
looking the York River not far from the
present site of Gloucester @. II. Near
by stands Roosevelt" the ancient man
sion Of John Page, once distinguished
member of the colonial council, and one
of the earliest friends of Patrick Henry
and the other Revolutionists against Gov
ernor Dunmore at Williamsburg, in 1775
Roosevelt still stands, and is occupied by
its present owner, Mr.. Deans Here,
some affirm, Jefferson penned his original
draft of the immortal Declaration" 3"
For some cause the pioneers of Presby-
terianism in Virginia overlooked this
whole region. Francis Mackenzie was on
the Eastern Shore and near Norfolk from
1886 to 1710; Robinson, Roam, Blair, and
Samuel Davies, were in Hanover county
to the west of Gloucester from 1743 to
1850; and DR.. James Waddell and others
labored successfully in the Northern
Neck, to the northward, from 1857 to
1880, but none of them seem ever to have
extended their missionary tours to Glou-
cester. The explanation probably lies in
the fact that but few Presby terians from
Scotland or elsewhere came to this section
of the colony. 1t is likely that the first
settlers were nearly all English people of
the Established Church. Consequently
the Episcopal denomination has had two
churches III the county for generations
past That Church, however, reaches
but small part of the population in this
day, as actual statistics show, but the
members of that Church are of the very
best people in the county. I was inform
ed by an intelligent gentleman of the
county that the two Episcopal churches
together only number about one hun
dred and forty members, whilst the Bap-
lists had about five hundred and the
Methodists about nine hundred. Good
old Bishop Johns of the Episcopal Church
was want to speak of the county as "god-
less Gloucester, in allusion to the pleas
ure-loving character of the well-to-do
class he was most conversant with, The
present population of the county is about
10000, of which number a little more
than half are negroes.
My first visit to this county was made
in August, 1879, at which time I found
quite number of families of Presbyte-
rians and others kindly disposed to our
church. Some of them were native Vir-
ginians; but the majority were people
from the north of Ireland, who had re-
sided in the Northern and Western States
of the Union, and had recently settled
in this section. I was most cordially
welcomed and invited to repeat my visit.
which did in the following November,
accompanied by brother Jones of Peters
burg. Last May paid third visit ac-
companied by Mr.. Walter H. Robertson,
the present representative of Presbytery
in the field. He was most kindly receiv-
ed by the people, and his faithful and
selfdenying labors there during the last
six months have opened the way for the
organization so happily effected on the
18th ult Bro. Jones and myself went
over early in the week in order to hold a
series of meetings before Sunday and
visit all our people The meetings were
well attended, and the audiences were
composed largely of people of more than
ordinary thoughtfulness as to personal
religion We we're favored, whilst there,
with the pleasant company and efficient
aid of an excellent brother, the Rev. Au-
gustus T. Dobson of Chester, Pa, who was
on a visit to his son who has recently set
tied in the county. The organization
was effected on the Sabbath (Nov. 14th)
and two excellent brethren were elected
Ruling Elders, to wit: Mr.. Robert II.
Franklin and Mr. James Gass. Mr..
Horace w. Jones, merchant at the
county seat, was elected Deacon. The
roll of the new church shows twenty-one
communicates and twenty-eight baptized
non-communicants. There are five or ten
other persons who are expected to ioin
the church soon. That this little band
intend to grow, will be Inferred when I
say that two of them, gentleman and
his wife, generously decided to the trus-
tees chosen by the church most beauti-
ful ten-acre plot Of ground on the main
street Of the village for house of wor-
ship, manse and school house. This Gift
was estimated to be worth about one
I thousand Jo11or-