The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-02

Christianity came to this country
April. 1907. and landed first upon
that point - iana AT the mouth OF
the Chesapeake BaY, which is now
SO familiarlx known as Cape Henry,
! To which also they gave the name.
! After their long voyage they reVollcd
! in the beauty Of the Nerdure anu In
/ the vastnfss of The wooued glory
about them feeling that they had
come upon a eeodly land white they
dreamed Of tho wealth which should
come to them from SO rich soil.
There they would have continued and
! planted the first colony upon so favor
able spot had not their leader been
| IN Joined To seek further inland for
"a more permanent settlement, as the
| danger from their near neighbor and
rival III the schen me OF American
colonization was imminent anywhere
/ upon the coast, danger which might
i he escaped by sailing further up the
great body of water which came from
the interior They therefore set sail
III their three tiny ships and landed al
a small village or settlement of the
Indians. called i'll their language kc-
/ ceughtan. THE town" says one Of
the aHthoritteS. "containeth eighteen
houses pleasantly seated upon three
acres Of gronnd, upon PLAIN half
eDNironed ~ great bay of the
great river, the other part with baye
81 the other river failing into the
great hayc. with Il little Isle tit for a
castle in the mouth thereof; The town
adjoining the maine b. neeke Of
]. land sixty yards.
Captain john Smith gives a quaint
Vet interesting description Of the
place: The houses. says ne. are
built like our arbors--of small young
springs fsprigsp bowed and tiede and
50 Close covered with mess or barks
OF trees. very handsomely. that not
withatanding either wind. rain or
weather they are warm az stoves, but
very smokey, Yet at the top OF the
houses there is "A hole made for the
smoke, 10 go into right over the tire.
After this time the town was again
visited by the whites. He writes Tor
Instance of the year zoos: six or
IN days the extreme wind trosls
and SHOWS caused as IT, keep Christ
mas among the saIvages where we
we're never mc4rier or icade on more
pIonte Of good oysters fish. flesh, wiinc
fowl and good breau, nor never had
better iircs in EnGIand than In the
warm smVkte houses OF kecougntan."
Il has "A convenient harbour for fish
cries, boats or small boats. that SO
epnN euicntty turnetn itself into bayes
] Pheasant 10 inaabit. Their corn fields
beng girded thereon as peuiusulars.
The first, ami next the moutn. are
the kecoushtans Who beside their
woman ana children, have not pass
twenty lighting men. such goodiy
place could hardly escape the cupidtty
~ the early settlers, and SEA We iiud
them istH ia possession Of the mouth
at the river, &ncre upon either point
i,tI1l a for m
permanent occupation.
The coi"nists evidently occupied the
site Of the ancient indian village and
became heirs eli all their possessions.
where without doubt the first church
was built. There IL lett not q trace
Of this first building in Which the
forefathers OF the hamlet worshipped,
except q small clump of trees on what
was once the giebe land OF the PARISH.
now part nj tho estate of tine Tahb
family. lust north oil the road which
leads from Hampton 10 Old POINT
Comfort The building was supposed
~ Of wood, most OF the colonial
houses were at first
Al that time the whole number of
settlements WAS included IN four
great corporations. al which Elizabeth
City was one, This corporation was
eo-extensiVe with the parish. Among
the early ministers Was enc jonas
stockton, who enjoyed the distinction
of being. says President Tyler. OF VII
liam and Mary College. tho earliest
exponent OF the idea that the only
good Indian is dead Indian stock
ton had warned the settlers of the
impending massacre of 1872. and 1t
MAS possibly while suffering from the
panic Of the times that he advanced
the famous idea, for otherwise. from
all accounts. he was q cody ana
humane man.
At this time, 1919. there lived with
in the bounds Of the parish the first
English couple married In Virginia.
John Layden and Anna, his wife. with
their children. Virginia. Alice and
kathlenc. II Is also To be noted that
Virginia Layden was the hrst Eng
fish child born IN America after Viz
j GINA Dare. born on Roanoke Island.
Raleigf's.y colony, whose history ends
with her birth. Ia is2A another child
was born to these parents Layden
, is listed as a carpenter. aud his wife,
Anne Buras. al u ladies' maid.
The town II Hampton. where the
present st Johns church is located.
+ vas founded hy an act OF the lHgi$
lature In 1859, though that act ssas
suspended and re-enacte1 In 1e9l
ana again in 1905, whence the legal
existence OF hampton is dated. What
heeafnt 81 inc oiu cHureh IN the
meanwhile Is predetermined. since a
writer In 1915, while recording that
| II was place Of some hundred
l,houses. said that ii was without
! church.
The settlement had changed. had
been removed To the opposite side
of the river. and the old building
being disused. as was natural went 10
| decay. There was O church. though
at Pembroke farm, about one mile
west Of the present site * ST. Johns.
where arc the toInbs OF sumo Of the