The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-03

abridged from Virginia Colonial
Churches by Courtesy of the Pub
fishers, the Southern Church
man Company, Richmond. Va.
About fourteen miles from Peters
burg and half that distance from
Prince George Courthouse stands
Merchants Hope church, at point
two miles inland from James river. on
what is known az the Church road.
The building, of ancient brick, Is six
ty feet long and thirty feet wide, with
walls twenty-five inches thick. and
rafters of such unusual size that their
weight proved menace even to those
sturdy walls which we're, some fifty
years ago, braced by iron rods to pre-
vent threatened damage. On one OF
these rafters the number 1867 was
found. 1t was taken to be the date
Of the erection of the church, and
this date Is now painted on the out
side cornice of the building. OF the
credibility of the inference antigua
rians must judge. The aisies. passing
from both doors and meeting at the
chancel. are six feet wide and are
paved with the original flag stones.
practically in perfect preservation at
ter all these years. They are eighteen
inches square, and were doubtless I'm
ported, as others of that day are
known to have been. On replacing one
OF these tiles which had become loos-
eneo, Ii was found to bear on its UNI
der surface a crown cut in the stone
us sort of stamp or trade mark.
Across the end of the church, oppo-
site the chancel. runs gallery. Pass
ing under this. the west door 10 reach
~ ka
vcsting room, lighted by a tiny win
dow into the church. ON the other
side a stairway leads TO the gallery,
/ The ceiling, following low curse.
WAS until recently of white plaster
1 like the finish Of the walls. but owing
to the difficulty Of keeping Its arched
! surface In repair, it Is now ceiled In
wood. The old lines were preserved
and the acoustic properties OF the
| church are said to owe their excel
ience to this form of roof. The old
! square pews remained In use TIL the
Civil War, and are now replaced by
the modern kind. while the chancel
destroyed at the same time, has never
been restored. The original rail and
gate are replaced by a curved wal
nut rail. The necessary Furnishings
are the simplest Within the mem
DRY of the father of the present senior
warden the high pulpit. with Its sound
ing board, stood midway down this
church. the minister leaving the chan
eel and traversing half the length OF
the aisle to enter it. The upright
beam to which the sounding boarc
was affixed Is detected beneath the
plaster now. The church's jewel Ii
an old Bible Of great beauty and in.
terest. The title pages are gone. but
20 t.sa h
New Testament Of 1893. which is APP
pended TO the Old Testament of 1870
! There seens ne, reason TO doubt thai
1t 10 John Westhrope's great Bible,
left TO the parish in 1868.
The church yard, lying beside thf
little church, contains no tompstones
nor Is there a tradition that any evei
existed. In that part bf the world
the plantations we're large and th<
distances great, and the custom oil
Iinterment in private burying grounds
70 a great extent prevailed. Ths
lchuruh yard Is carefully fenced. and
is still occasionally used aS a place
of burial. No monument or table,
nor trace OF such marks the church
walls. No old register exists. no new
one has been begun The spot Ii
mute as TO its own history. ana one
who would learn the story must CLEAN
far and wide and at last bring home
but a small sheaf.
The church takes Its quaint and sug.
gestive name from the old plantation
on which 1t stood. No part OF the
tract retains the name to-day except
Gods Acre. The small farms into
which 1t was divided long ago have
weil-known names OF their own.
bark called Yas Merchants Hope WA
plying between England and Virgins
in 1884. In 1896, under West, VIII
liam Barker. Mariner, Richard ouoy.
ming Quincy and John Sadler. mer'
chants. and their associates and com
pany, received a grant Of Il. 26o acres
OF land in the county Of Charles City
and extending into the woods from .
seat or grant OF lands called Aer'
chants Hope, formerly granted to tins
said Barker his Associates and Co.
-
In 1855 we hear for the first time
of court being held At Merchants
! Hope.
The parish of Martins Brandon. In
which Merchants Hope church Hes
was, says Meade, "a very early par
ish in Charles City" From 1t Bris-
tol parish was cut OF in 1912. Bishop
Meade mentions that Merchants Hope
and old Brandon were the only
churches In the parish. Their history
he dismisses with very few words.
! Probably the site Of the oldest
church of the parish is to be found
lat Brandon. The suggestive. name OF
Church Pastures clings to a small
farm on the estate. where there is q
church yard with few still decipher-
able tombstones. Hero are buried
some Of the lockers for Tuckers1. OF
Devonshire. and John Tirrey, Gent.
who died in 100. Near here 10 the
grave OF John Westhrope's wife. The
will of John Westhrope, Of London
merchant. made in 1865. after his re-
turn to England. and proved in 1888,
4 leaves ito the church Of Martin Bran
don. In virginia, 1000 pounds of mer-
charitable tobacco and caske, toward
the repairing or the building UP OF
a new church; provided. always, the
said. church be built upon the same
ground or place the saio church now
stands on; also 1000 pounds OF to-
bacco and caske to contain the sars
to bye q communion cnpp. also my
great. Bible and book called Bishop
Andrews sermons" 1.-THE commun-