The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-26

was tnere any mystery III 'hV a. -
brick-making? Is that art as old as
known history? Was 1t Known to Baby
lon and Nineveh. and to the Israelites in
Egypt? Were there any brick-makers in
London and In England I'm 1907. and were
there any comps ny OF brick-makers mem
toned In the charters Of Virginia? Was
there no clay, no water. no wood, no
brick-makers except IN jamestown, and
in James City county? Was county
that was on the other side CT the river
from jamestown, only a few miles below,
settled only a few years after James
town represented I'm the Grand Assem-
bly, OF 1919. such IAN outlying settlement
as 20 he without the pale Of civilization
and ignorant even Of the art OF making
brick; ! can hardly think so. d'ner
with Professor Tyler, with modesty, OF
course.
''But no such men appears in the lana
records or in the records Of Norfolk
county. adjoining" etc.
There must be typographical error.
nc meant only TO say that no such IAN
as the first Joseph Bridger. the father
OF Gen. JOS. Bridger appears in the lana
records OF Isle OF Wight. He did not
mean 10 say in the records Of Norfolk
county, adjoining" for Norfolk county
does not adjoin. and he knows IL just as
well as / DO. II was only an inadyer-
tence-a mere slip Of the pen, or some
thing Of that sore There vas no at
tempt &c create the counties Of upper
and lower Norfolk counties. and TO take
them from Isle If Wight until 1890,
and II was not finally consummated I'M
III 1929. The county Of upper Nor
fox did not receive the name Of Nsnsi-
mum until l6i5-46 W. could not. there
fore, expect 70 find any records In Nor
folk county until 1914, and thereafter
we would expect 10 find INFORMATION Of
Mr.. Joseph Bridger. who superintendent
the building of the Old Brick church
and was the father OF General Joseph
Bfidger. only in Isle cf Wisht. But, nm
fortuT ately the records C this county
prior TO 1900 nave been lost 10 us by de-
cay resulting from dampness and burial
Of them in ISL. II there are doubling
Tyiers who will not believe anything
that they can not see, ana demand the
record" prior TO 1860 all we can do Is
humbly. 10 say we are the victims or
misfortune and cannot produce IT,
do not believe Professor Tyler would
be as unjust as that 10 anything or about
anything that related 10 jamestown or
TO Williamsburg. There are none so
blind as those who do lot wish TO see."
"The mere impression Of the figures
1852 on brick without further words s
not sufficient 20 constitute direct evil
dence as to the founding Of the structure
IN which it enters
OF course not. Whoever thought Il
was, or said IL was?
The direct evidence" Of the building
Of that structure is dead. II las been
dead fer n good lcng whichever since
1850, l6oo, 1870. lc, 1870 or 100. just as
you choose 10 estimate the age Of the
people engaged in building IL. and the
shortest or the longest period Of human
life
We have no direct evidence" but we
nave a whole lot Of circumstancal evil
dcnce. That evidence is ia the main pro-
duced in the paper on the Ola Brick
church which was read before the Viz
sinia Historical Society in December.
1891. and is published I'm the N. volume
Of the Virginia Historical Collections.
and Is kindly referred 10 by Mr. Tyler
IT occupies thereby two pages Of that
volume. As he referred 10 IL. / did not
think / ought 20 say even word in eN-
r'anation OF the paragraph that / have
quoted from his excellent and most adj
mrable address, but leave everybody in
terested in the subject TO read the two
papers and TO come TO their own cor cit
sions. But others said. truly and power
fully, that thousands heard and read
that address who never heard or will
read tho paper on the Old Brick church
in the volume of Historical Collections
alluded TO. so / have yielded to their adj
vice and seek only 10 offer n few sug-
gcstiors against his conclusions and to
invite public attention TO fuller paper
that they may cor suit If they wish 10 do
So. That paper takes up the cifcum-
stantlal evidence from lG42 when Mr..
Faikrcr was Testor Of all the churches
I'm this county. and comes On down from
William Hodsden, pastor 81 this church
and Of the church near chuckatuck. in
1850. General Joseph Budger. Colonel Jos.
Br'fcer. his widow Colonel josiah
Parker Airs Cowper. Br. John r. Iur-
die y. =. Young. Judge Richard 81.
Baker. Joseph Noteworthy. the four Ar
thur Swats. tho Hodsdens. the Handys.
the Woodlcys. the rhomases. the old yes
trv hook IN the bricks Of 1855. No owl
dence Of The axe Of the church discussed
,n n paper OF thirty-two pages Is alluded
N c-,tpt that Of the two bricks acct
dentallv found In the debris Of l>0. and
MOI evidence only occupies two pages
Of the thirty-two. Tho only rierence
that / could draw from the address oi
Professor Tyler IS that that was the
only evidence relied on.
l. that fair? Is II fair 10 create an
erroneous impression? or IS it mere tair'
If Won are going 20 combat an argument
10 give the whole argument
do not. for a moment. believe Profes-
snr TYLER meant 10 De unfair, nut 40
believe he was a little tootghtless ana
inconsiderate. He would have been more
irs. 10 us If he had stated plainly that
our records prior 20 1850 were uhlortu-
noteiv dccaved anl that we al great
deal 90 frSt-ciass unqucsflonef ana I'M
questionable evidence Of the age or tne
Ola church. besides che two bricks that
no human being known 10 us over heard
Of until the roof ana part az me eastern
vail fell I'm 1855. and they were uheN-
rectedlv found IN the debris ocfaslonea
bv that fallen wall and roof
This evidence Is discussed IN the paper
allu led 10. I had three or four hundred
comics of that paucr printed and sent
them largely 10 the lawyers or the
State. | have vet 10 meet with Gre VINO
did not think the argument conclusive.
! have letters from some OF tnsm whose
ovlnions Mr. Tyler would respect ! am
not without the hope that he VIII concur
I'm this universal opinion and oehet u
h. will come over here and let M sho"
him the church. the place where the
bricks were made. the Bridger farm'
The ruins OF the brick mansion house
and other matters Of local interest.
Thee words are written 'in sadness.
and not in anger" There are so many
people outside Of this State that are