The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-23
Kr. R. 5. Thomas Comes Back al Pro
lessor Lyon G. Tyler.
QUESTIONS AT ISeUE STATED.
uo believes That the Tradition That the
Old Church Was Boili In 1882 res Con-
sIus.vely Esiablished- An Ex-
haustiye Statements

attention to a fuller paper, thal "t-
uevcd then. and believe now, success
fully combats his views respecting ''ae
old church. hoped. as both sides OF
the subject was indicated, That "ouiu
not be compelled 10 say any more on
the subject but professor tgl.i' no'
content with this. mas renewed the SUD
ssc, in your issue OF the SIN. ana neg
nsr8on for a few brief words In reply
rho only questions at issue between us
are. First was that paragraph HttcS-
earv: and. second, was 10 correct!
I mink i know the general Judgmeh.
az those who heard the address anu am,
rs have no fault TO ma win H. ! wa"
not say anything more about IL
w. that paragraph correcE l VIII
consider II briefly. in connection with his
letter OF the 9Th.
professor TYLER doubts the age or the
old church because. first. ne rois'"c9
tho letter of Governor Harvey as an
emphatic and explicit denial that lneIV
was any brick church al JamestoNn ptiDi.
"a ICES. and, second, because lhe "'sI
1oeorh Bridges was man OF such prom
ne,ce ne ought 10 have been mentioned
An inc public records OF Isle OF wight III
tho records of Norfolk county, anJoil-
ing or In the land records, or ~ ~, tne
Saissbury manuscripts, or III inc H0"''
son notes. co,.or,or
1,arvev's letter relating 10 brick houses
and brick churches. and every man can
construe - for himsei' ..,.o
s.,Xc are required TO ondoavor to seduce
and draw people into Townes wen. youts
nv noe means and wages 10 De tlieIIecu a
,Son nv con0ning the trade TO one place
,crh will draw merchants anu lIdt' w -
10 build and jBhabit together. IN pisu", ~
Of web, his Maues lhsuuN'ot'''
tbo last ycare p'pOund to the Assembly
accordingly nHSSe.
since which order there are twelve HOUSES
and stores built in the TOwne; one OF
brick by the Secrtaryc, the fairest that
ever was knowen IN this couhir!e' loi
substance ana unifornitXe, ny WnoSJ Mia
ample others have undertaken ~ Duli'
framed howses 10 DeauliiSe w f. ~.
consouant to his Mates instruction thae
NO should not suffer men TO build shhBl
cottages, as heretofore.
"Such hath bene our indeavour heIclh
that out of our owne purses VICE nav
largely contributed to the buhdlng OF
brick church, and both masters OF sh'pps
and others of the ablest planters nave
literally. by our p'suasion, underWil', YEN
"a this work a levye likewise. by ms
Nfa,tie's commands. is raised for the pulld-
ine of a state Howse at James Cluue'
and shall with an diligence be p'forinea.
..Wee beeseech yo'r Lorpp's favour 10
fhe information.
Now Al any man construes thdt mo
a positive and emphatic declaration ,iat
fhere were no brick houses or Drlck
churches in Virginia prior 10 los. tneh we
would suggest to him that there was ho'h-
ing new or mysterious about LIlck' .la t
they are as old as known history. 'i ma.
they were perfectly well KNOWN /" our ar
cesiors in 1901; that they had seen "
plenty Of brick houses ana chulcheS III
England, and could build them whenever
and wherever they pleased, ana some
other considerations.
Smith. in speaking OF the church at
Henrico in 1911, says 1t was IA hand
some church, and the foundation or
better laid TO be built Of bricke'
In 1921. or before. Il church was cunt
in Elizabeth CITY, the brick foundations
of which were found by the Rev. Dr. Nc
Cabc about The year 100.
BURNT BRICK EARLY.
They burnt brick I'm Isle Of wight
Q,owne's Plantation, Bass Choice were
i'm Isle of Wight, certainly as early as
fe22. for in the dreadful Indian massacre
OF that year Mr Baldwin. Mir. Harrison
ana Captain Ralfc Hamer dcfcnded tnem-
selves with powder ana shot as long as
II lasted. and when ii was all exhausted,
CAPTAIN Ralfc Hamer retired 10 his new
house. then a-buildine. from whence ne
came there only with spade, axes, and
hrickbats. he defended himself aud his
COMPANY llliv the SANNN'0 NNNftAi A''s
What sort Of "new house" was he
''a-buildinc' when he defended himself
and his company against the savages
with "brckbats"? II looks like he threw
them very strong and yer far and tnat
one OF them IA 10 be returned 10 us IN
1870.
In the late splendid address Of Philip
Bruce before the \. Il. y. A., i'm which
this subiec, Is extensively discussed, he
calls attention 10 the fact that hrick-nlns
were burnt i'm Honrlco in l6ll that bricks
were exported 10 Bermuda i'm 1921, that
brick-makcrs and brick-layers were so
numerous in 1924 that their wages had
to be regulated at so much per thousand
bricks; that in 1871 Governor Wyatt is
sued Instructions 10 the owners of 100
acres of land 10 have at ieasr--he first
stories of their houses of brick. 2iAl6, and
the owners of 800 acres and more. 10 have
them proportoinately enlarged, that I'm
1852 Thomas Warren. OF Surry, owned
brick house sixty feet long. built. pf0ba-
bly,. many years before ana that in l62-
Adam Dixon and John Berry built
mouse at the cost of one hundred pounds
fhen tequal TO $3.50 now. which must
have been of brick.
am very happy to say that | under
stand that the work of which the address
is a part Is in the hands OF the pub
fishers. and will soon be issued. II SO,
] very sincerely hope every man, wo-
man. and child in the state Will buy
and read IL.
But We are not without evidence that
amounts TO record evidence of the date
OF the erection OF our Old church. that
is just as authentic and just as reliable
as the letter OF Governor Harvey.
In 1881 the records of the county OF
Isle Of Wight were buried on the farm
now owned by John +. Scott. Francis
Young was the clerk In $780, Nathaniel
Young was clerk from 1901 TO 1871. and
he was succeeded by Nathaniel +. Young,
who still holds the office.
In 1852. DR.. John Il. Purdie, IN an ar
tce In the Southern Churchman of Oc-
tobcr 70. iSS2. abiding 10 the burial OF
the records OF t-e county. says: 81
have heard him Nathaniel Young say
that when a boy. there was In the office
an OLD record book. containing vestry
proceedings in which he noticed entries
relating 10 the old brick church. and his
recollection was clear that they were OF
the date Of 1892 Al tho time these
entries were discovered. the book CON
tanning them was In an advanced state Of
decay, caused by the dampncss whilst
they were buried. as ! have stated, and
soon yielded 20 the tooth Of time. Mr..
Young was remarkable for the STRENGTH Of
his memory and the accuracy OF his
statements"
Mr.. y. i. Young. In 1891. wrote 20 me
that che my father said that for many
years after be went into the clerk $ office
- Oh -.