The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-04-25
ST, Georges Church.
FIFTIeTH ANNIVERSARY OF COMPILE
TON OF PRESENT BUILDING
OBSERVED
Extracts From Sermon Preached by Rev.
W. d Smith on the Occasion.

A large congregation attended st.
Georges church at the morning service
Sunday which was of unusual interest
as il was the occasion of the fiftieth an
niversary of the completion of the pres
ent edifce. The sermon, which wa:
preached by the rector, Rev. W. d.
Smith, showed great research, and Is
valuable contribution to the historical
records of the church. We publish q
few extracts and regret that we haven
space for the entire sermon. After q
graceful introduction Mr. Smith, among
other things, said
The first meeting of the vestry of st
George Of which we have record was
held in January, l126. lThis record
WAS found by MIR John Minor, of this
| place. IN Williamsburg. The records
| from % tO'26 were doubtless torn ont.
The vestry at that time was composed
of Rev Theodosius Stage, minister
Augustine Smith and John Grayson
| NuuIEu MdlNfHH Itfnl ~
Francis Thornton, Thomas Chew, Will
liam HansfOrd Stephen Sharp and Geo.
| Wheatle Among the duties imposed
| by law on the vestry at this time was
the superintendence Of the procession
ing of land and the cultivation OF to-
baccO The parish was divided into
precincts by them. and two honest, in
telligent freehOlders III each precinct
were appointed TO see such procession
ing performed Thus the revenue OF
the parish was raised.
In l12S Sir William. GOOch. Gov
ernor) there seems 10 have been three
churches in the parish-One at Ger
mamma, one near the present site OF
Fredericksburg and the third at Mat
taponl. which was called the mother
Church" probably because it was the
| place Of worship for the inhabitants OF
the frontier before the parish Of st
| George was erected In li2S Colonel
| John Waller was directed to provide q
set Of books and plate for each Of their
Congregations. In lt2' an act OF AS
sembly had been passed founding the
town Of fredericksburg which was
named for Prince Frederick. father Of
George II. Thus we see that the parish
is several years older than the town.
In 1880. as the parishioners of st.
| George had scattered over a large ex-
tent Of territory an act was passed
cutting of ST Marks Parish On 10Th
of April. 1882. Colonel Henry Willis
/ contracted to build two churches, one
AT Mattaponi. and the other on the
site Of the present st Georges church,
fOI each Of which he was 10 receive 80.
900 pounds Of tobacco.
1851 the first bell was put up in the
church. being the gift Of John Spots
wood In 1913 an addition was made
To the church, and in li54 dial WAS
provided in the church yard TO regulate
the time Of going to church. In Loo
| by an act Of Legislature the vestry OF
the parish was directed to purchase or
rent a tract Cf land for the maintain.
ance and employment of the poor. In
obedience TO this order the yestry OF
| st Georges rented house with 100
acres attached, and this was the poor
| house" in the county of Spotsylvanla.
We have not mentioned the ministers
who had served the parish, but we can
not fail to mention the Rev James
Marye and his son who ministered
faithfully TO the people Of tins parish
| from 1875 TO 1880.
A French Protestant driven from
France and taking refuge in London,
the elder Marye was sent 10 Virginia
by the Bishop Of London. and minis
tered to this parish for thirty-two
years. till lio1, when he was succeeded
by his son.
In 1851 committee was appointed to
| choose a minister for the parish, which
| had been vacant for seven years aud
| also 10 devise ways and means Tor ms
support. On December / Rev. Thomas
| Thornton was elected, and the Ways
and Means Committee published IN the
| Virginia Herald an appeal to the friends
of the church, stating in substance, that
as nothing can be more conducive TO
morality and religion than constant
attendance at church. and that as the
| benevolent inhabitants Of this town,
have hitherto literally contributed to
the support Of the church, they are now
humbly requested to sign notes payable
| quarterly for the ensuing year. The
result of this appeal was the collection
| Of el69.
In l79i Rev. James Stephenson was
| elected rector. and 1t was during his
rectorship that the Male and Female
Charity Schools were established. The
Male Charity School was incorporated
in 1896.
The Female School had it origin in
| couusels of few benevolent ladies Of
Fredericksburg in 1902 1t was incor-
porated in 1903, but was dependent
chiefly in yearly contributions, until
Miss Carter, of Berea, left 1t $40. 900
In 1902 the Virginia Herald records
The anniversary of ST. John, the
Evangelist was celebrated on Friday last
by the Masons.
About / 1 o clock they moved the grand
procession to the the church, where an
appropriate discourse was delivered by
Brother James Stephenson.
In Nav. 1914, the corner stone of the
second church was laid, and at the
Council in 1916 Mr.. Mcclure reported
its completion, and the addition OF sixty
or seventy members to the communion.
In 1858, when DR. Mcclure mad
grown too feeble to officiate regularly
lightweight persons were presented Tor
confirmation, among them large num-
Der Of gentlemen of standing and in
nuence. Soon after thirty more were
confirmed II was a great scene-"the
most glorious day ever witnessed III ST..
GEORGES church. This was the clos
ing act Of Dr. McGuire's ministry. On
Friday of the same week he died sue
denly and without pain, and thus, we
believe. closed one of the most remark
able ministries in the history OF Nlr
GINA. In tracing the spiritual results
of Dr. McGuire's ministry we have al
ticipated its temporal growth. Eleven
years before the event just noted, In
1919, because the building was toe
small for the congregation, efforts
were put on foot TO build larger
church DR.. Mcclure wrote TO DR..
Slaughter, who was then in New
York, to select for him plan for
church, with at least 600 sitting, at 8
cost of about $lS, 900. With the advice
of Mr.. Upjohn he selected the plan of
| ok,~oh w Ia icb tho aYchita nf WAS huildlnl