The times., 1900-12-24
AN OLD PARISH REGISTER.
The Quaint Records Contained In an
Ancient Book.

this city this week. In order that 1t may
be read without damaging 1t, the old
volume has been rebound in board covers
and a leather back, bearing in gilt the
title. Register of Births and Deaths OF
Middleton and Bruton Parishes" The
leaves of the cid record, upon which some
long forgotten clerk of the parish" be-
gan to write nearly two and half cen
turies ago, although they are stained with
age, and their edges are torn and worn
by the handling of many generations. are
ing IS perfectly legible, and speaks well
for the ink made in the old days.
One curious feature of the document is
that it shows that the supposedly new
vertical style of handwriting is really
very old, indeed. The clerk who opened
this book in 1862 wrote in the vertical
style. Beautifully clear and distinct Is
the handwriting of this old Colonial. For
thirtyfive years he kept the record of the
births and burials in the parish with the
methodical care and neatness of a modern
bookkeeper In d business house. The ruled
lines and spaces for the dates and names
look strangely out of keeping with the
NNiAcH.' ulu-
English spelling. The clerks who followed
were much more careless lot. The hand
writing is not so distinct; the entries run
into one another so that at times it is
hard to tell just whose death or birth is
being recorded opposite a certain date,
and there are ink blots here and there on
the pages.
Another feature in the old book is the
record of the births and burials of slaves
belonging to Virginian families whose
names are now household words. Judged
by the record, George Washington looked
scrupulously after the spiritual welfare oi
his slaves. In the curious spelling of the
time it is recorded that on October 4.
1861 Susanah, daughter of Hannah belongs
TO Coll. George Washington" was bap-
tized Again, on June Z, an infant slave,
James Westoyer. belonging to Coll. Geo.
Washington, was baptised." Part of Mrs
Custis dowry must have been slaves. for
her name is entered as owEer of baptized
or buried slaves in several places. On
September 6, 1867, in a list Of infant slaves
Baptized. was Robert Irwind son of Acor.
belonging to Coll Custis' estate Colonel
Custs was the first husband of Mrs. Wash
ington) In the same list appears Lewis
son OF sukey Belong to Peyton Randolph
Esquire" On May 3, 1857, Sara an old
negro woman Belong to Randolph Peyton'
was buried. Or March IS, 1903, among
thirteen slaves baptized were 'Sukey be-
longing to William and Mary College"
and Jennie, daughter of Daffney. belong
ing to Coll. George Washington"
The old record makes it appear that
the dissenters of the colonial days were
wrong when they said that the Church OF
England parsons were sporting. card
playing. and dram drinking men. They
must have been too busy baptizing OF
burying slaves. On October 4, 1857, six
teen slaves were baptized. The masters
of some of them have lived in history
Some of the slaves were James, belong
ing to Col. Carter Burwell's estate, .
"Col. Lewis Burwell's 'Pompey, " "Aney,
daughter of Nell, belonging to Landon
Carter" and "Catharen. daughter OF
Lucy. belonging to Hon. Robert Carter"
On June 7, 1867 six infant slaves and five
grown slaves were baptized. One of the
latter belonged 10 Francis Fauquier, then
Governor of the colony. Other slave own
ers mentioned are Hon. John Blair, John
Coke, and Col. Daniel Custis, Mrs. Wash
ington's first husband. Among the names
given to slaves were: Cloe, Marlborough
London, Gabriel, Lady Frank, Squire, As
percion, and Hannibal.
Bruton Church, at Williamsburg, Va,
which Is in the parish of which record
is kept, is the oldest as well as the largest
and most interesting OF the old colonial
churches of Virginia. Mrs. Martha Gus
It's was an attendant there before she
married George Washington, and two OF
her children are buried in the old grave
yard beside the church. Colonel Wash
ington himself was a regular communi-
cant of the church, as were four later
Presidents of the United Statcs-Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe, and Tyler. The names
of many Revolutionary heroes are con-
nected with the church and appear in the
record. among them Peyton and Edward
Randolph, Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin
Harrison, and Archibald Carey. John Mar
shall. who was appointed Chief Justice
of the United States one hundred years
ago, was also a parishioner OF Bruton
Church.
On the walls of the church are many
mural rablets erected to the memory OF
parishioners who died centuries ago. One
tablet IS in remembrance of ''Ye Honble
Thomas Ludwell, Scty. who dyed Sth ye
First 18th january 1878" In the same
year "Honble Daniel Park, Secretary CT
State deceased Marche ye Sixth" The
tablet reads: Here lyes ye body of ye
Honble Daniel Park of ye County of Es-
sex Esquire, one of his Majesty's coun-
Virginia He died Ammo 1878. His other
felicities were crowned by his happy mar
riage with Rebeklka ye daughter of George
Evelyn of ye County of Surrey Esquire
She dyed at Long Ditton ammo 1872 and
left behind her most hopeful projeny.
The tablet to DR.. Cooke is uncOnsciously
humorous. 1t reads: He was born ot
Reputable parents in Sudbury in England
and was educated at Queens College Cam
bridge He was a physician of Unbounded
generosity and Of undisputed skill in his
profession as many yet alive can testify
He dyed suddenly sitting upon ye bench
in ye Court of ye Capital. His honble Sir
Alexander SpotswoOd, the Governor, with
ye principal gentlemen of We County at
tended ye funeral and weeping saw ye
corpse Inferred at ye west side of ye Alter
in ye Church"
Another tablet is to Col. John Page
Dcd We 23 day of January 1891" He is an
ancestor of Thomas Nelson Page of Wash
ington. and of W. II. Page of this city
Ii is said that Pocahontas was baptized IL
the old font in the church. The old rec
ord was brought to New York by The Rev
William Roberts, rector of Bruton Church
who is here as a missionary to receive
contributions for the restoration of the
church. That there may be no doubt oi
its antiquity or historical value, he has
brought along the old parish register. A
painting of Bruton Church in Revolutions
airy days is on exhibition in the Metro
politan Museum of Art.-New York Even
ing Post.