Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-19


OF Special Interest Now.
The papers are considered of special
interest because of the restoration of
Williamsburg to its pre-revolutionary
condition, now in progress with funds
provided by John D. Rockefeller, jr
Nicholson and the clergy of the eStab-
Lished church, at least considerable
faction of them, soon fell afoul of each
other, the letters reveal. Complaints
began to pour in to the headquarters
OF the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel for transmission to the
Bishop of London, detailing the scan
dalous conduct of the governor.
Thus writes one outraged clergyman:
After supper the said Col. Nicholson
went out with Col. j. into the garden
and there fell out with him into a very
loud and outrageous passion and threat
ened to kick him, using to the best
of deponents knowledge, the names of
rogue, rascal and thief Deponent
further saith that once on a Sunday
said Col. Nicholson called at the house
of deponent and kept walking to and
again for nearly six hours, together
with furious discourse concerning his
designs on his mistress father, brother
and other relatives, swearing his suit
must end in blood and he would have
satisfaction of Maj. Burnett, his
mistress father.
Fit Of Passion.
'Deponent saith that while waiting
on Col. Nicholson with Mr.. Shropshire
IA clergyman recently turned out of his
parish by some leading men of the vestry
without any just cause) at a meeting
of the college the said Col. Nicholson
teu into a fit OF passion and, cursing
the wives of some of the company, then
turned on some of the members present
and said he would beat them into bet
ter manners. He told Mr.. Blair he
would certainly cut the Threats of three
men II his mistress be married to an
other than himSelf-viz., the minister,
the bridegroom and the justice Of the
peace that shall give the license"
Tells Of Insult.
The unhappy clergyman continues to
recount that he was attending the ia
ther Of the governors mistress" who
was Ill, and was ordered by Nicholson
not to go near the house again. One
day the governor overlook him on
horseback and turned short upon me,
laid hold Of my hat and pulled 1t of
my head, and asked me how I had the
impudence tU ride with him having my
hat on"
Rev. Mr.. Blair complained of Nichol-
son that II have heard him villify the
gentlemen of the council using to them
the opprobriouS names of rogue, raS-
cal, cheat. dog, villain and coward and
swear that he valued them no more
than the dirt under his feet and would
reduce them to their primitive nothing.
have often heard him Immediately
after prayers rap out such volleys of
oathS that I never saw greater pro-
family nor SO profanely timed in my
life and I have heard from the best
hands Of his wicked rudeness to gentle
women in various parts of the coun-
try"
With the clergy and the governor at
swords points the college suffered The
principal was one Mungo Ingles, par
tisan of the governor. The papers con-
tain Rev. Mr.. Blair's complaint that
when he stopped at the college on
Christmas eve his door was barricaded
by the students and he learned after
wards that they carried arms. He was
unable to believe that this was an in
stance of spontaneous rowdyism. This
charge so aroused Ingles that he wrote
to the governor: Il think 1T my duty
to inform your excellency that l intend
to quit the grammar school, commonly
but very improperly called the college,
because he, Blair, has highly diSgraced
my school and myself in an affidavit by
which he has done what he could to
make my scholars bethought company
of cut Threats or a crew or bandits
that make no more of the life OF man
than the life of a hen, though they are
the best gentlemen's sons in the coun-
try, and of such virtuous disposition
that they are not easily to be matched
in most grammar schools"
ClOaked Like Gentlemen.
The burning of the college a few
months later Ingles blamed directly on
Blair, reporting to Nicholson: When
I first heard of its being burned I had
so much charity for all mankind that
was of the opinion that none under a
fury let loose from hell could be capa-
BILE Of SO much mischief. He that first
discovered the fire says in his deposit
ton that he saw three men, cloaked
like gentlemen, run from the college
across the New Kent road. hope If
there be such devils out Of hell God
Almighty will bring their work Of dark
ness to light. Beverly and some others
of the party kept drinking and ranting
and carousing all that night after the
fire and when the stone cutter went to
save the smoke house from being
burned, one of them cursed it and bid
him let 1t go with the college.
Another of them, but cannot learn
AE