Unpublished Letters at Fullham, Library of the Bishop of London; Wm.& Mary Qrtly., Vol.9, No.4 Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Unpublished Letters at Fullham William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vo. 9, No. 4. (Apr., 1901), pp 218-227. UNPUBLISHED LETTERS AT FULLHAM, IN THE LIBRARY OF THE BISHOP OF LONDON. These letters were copied and the copies communicated to the editor by Dr. Joseph Leidy, of Philadelphia. They give some interesting information about the College, and especially about Dr. William Dawson and his brother, Rev. Thomas Dawson, both of whom served as President. Dr. James Blair was President from 1693 to 1743, Dr. William Dawson from 1743 to 1752, Rev. William Stith from 1752 to 1755, Rev. Thomas Dawson from 1755 to 1761, Rev. William Yates from 1761 to 1764, Rev. James Horrocks from 1764 to 1771, and Rev. John Camm from 1771 to 1777. Dr. Blair, the two Dawsons and Rev. James Horrocks served also as commissaries to the Bishop of London. PHILIP LUDWELL TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. Virginia, July the 10th, 1716. My Lord:-- The Visitors and Governors of the College of William and Mary being desirous on all occasion to testify the regard they have to Your Lordsh Judgement and more especially in the choice of fitt persons to supply the place of Masters have directed me in their name to request the favour of Yor. Lords. to take the trouble of providing a fitt person to be our Professor of Philosophy and Mathematics here, a Place which the great Expense of the Building has not till now afforded the means to establish. The Salary is L80 per annum and . . . . from each student, so it is Page 219. hoped may be sufficient encouragement for some good man to undertake that Imployment: and beside the College will defray the Charge of his passage hither for which he may apply to Mr. Micajah Perry, Mercht. in London Who has directions for that purpose. I beg leave also to acquaint Yor. Lords. that Mr. John Fontaine*, a clergyman who has for some time taught a private Academy at Dublin has been reommended to us, but as we would not adventure to fill such a place on any other Recommendation than Yor. Lordsh., I have writ to him to apply to Yor. Lordsh. and if you shall find his Character & Qualifications to be such as are requisite for that office The Governors of the College are well inclined to prefer him to any other of equal merit. But this they leave entirely to Your Lordships Choice being well assured Yor. Lordsh. will do in this what it is most for the benefit of a Foundation wch has the honr. of Yor. Lordsh. Patronage both as its Diocesan & Chancellor. It remains that I beg Yor. Lordsh. will be pleased to excuse this trouble, and allow me in the names of the Visitors & Governors to assure Yor. Lordsh. of the profound respect they have for Yor. Lordsh. and more particularly that I am, May it please Your Lordship, Your Lordships most obedient Humble Servt. Phil. Ludwell, Rector. JAMES BLAIR TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. Williamsburg, Setp. 8, 1729. My Lord:- I think I acquainted your Lordship of the arrival of Mr. William Dawson a gentleman in orders of Queens College in Oxford recommended by our late Chancellor, the Archbishop of Canterbury to be Philosophy Professor in our College; he was put in orders by the Bishop of Oxford and has a very good character, but I think he should have been advised to have brought likewise your lordships license . . . The transfer of the college is at last made to the President and Masters. Prayers and blessings James Blair. _________________________________________________________________________ *Rev. James Fontaine is meant. He did not come to Virginia, and Rev. Hugh Jones was made professor of Mathematics. Page 220. REV. WILLIAM DAWSON TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. My Lord:-- I beg to acquaint your Lordship that on June 28th, 1732, our new chapel was opened with great solemnity. The Governor and his family were pleased to honour us with their Presence, and, it being the assembly time, the member of both Houses came in great numbers. An holy Joy appeared in every countenance. The stated hours of morning Prayer are six in the Summer, seven in the Winter and always five in the evening. The same Time is set apart for Holidays, which, with all Humility and Deference, I think an Improvement upon the season observed in our College at Home. July 31. The foundations of a common brick House for the President was laid opposite to Brafferton. It is to be finished for L650 current money by Oct. 1733, according to the articles of agreement. These two buildings will appear at a small distance from the East front of the College, before which is a Garden planted with evergreens kept in very good order. The Hall and Chapel, joining to the west Front towards the Kitchen Garden, form two handsome wings . . . now my lordship if our humble Proposal to lay out part of the Brafferton money wch. is in Mr. Perrys hands for the Purpose of furniture and books meets with approbation and encouragement from your Lordship, we have a very convenient room for a librry over the Indian School. My Lord Burlington I am informed has promised to present us with the Honble. Mr. Broyles Picture, which we intend to hang up in the aforesaid Libary. His Philosophical and Theological works, together with those which wre written by his encouragement, may perhaps be thought no improper part of the collection*. The Books published by our Right Rev. Lord and Chancellor wd. do honour and service to the College. A complete set of the Classics is very much wanted. The President has bequeathed his Study, but if nothing should induce him to alter his will, he has not many good editions of the Fathers, etc. But I humbly ask pardon for giving your Lordship this delay. The whole being unanimously submitted to your wisdom and direction. May it please your lordship, etc., W. & M., Aug. 11, 1732. WM. DAWSON. _______________________________________________________________________ *The portrait of Hon. Robert Boyle by T. Kersboom, "the gift of the Earl of Burlington" (words engraved on the frame), and his works are still the property of the College. Page 221. REV. WILLIAM DAWSON TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. My Lord:-- As our college is honoured with Your Lordships Protection, it will not I hope be improper to hand your Lordship the following Particulars in relation to it. Sometime, my Lord, in Sept. last we presented a Petition to the Assembly wherein we set forth--That by the fraudulent Exportation of Tobacco to the Plantations the duty of a Penny per pound had been for several years de- clining and was at last quite sunk.--That the traders in Skins and Furs likewise defrauded us of the duties appropriated to us:--That our Fund which is raised chiefly out of the said Duties by reason of the said Frauds. was much in arrears, prayed such Relief herein as they shd think mete. They have My Lord unanimously agreed to several methods for pre- venting Frauds in the Exportation of the fore-mentioned Commodities, a particular acct. whereof wd. I fear to too tedious to your Lordship. In the Year 26 my Lord they gave us L200 per ann. for 21 years out of the duty of 1d. per Gallon upon Liquors, butt his last Session they have given us the w hole Duty of 1d. per gallon upon Liquor, after the 25th of Oct. 1735 which will be an addition of between 2 and 300 l. per annum. They have directed that some part of the money be appropriated to the buying of a Library. When the said Term of 21 years is expired, We have reason to hope for the Renewal of their Bounty for the Gentlemen of the Country seem very well inclined & even resolved to support and encourage the College. They have likewise My Lord exempted all Persons belonging to the College from being listed and paying Public, County, and Parish Levies. The Act passed nemine contradicente. The numbers of Scholars My Lord is considerably increas'd of late. I am, May it please Your Lordship, Your Lordship's Very Dutiful Son and Most obliged Humble Servant, WILLIAM DAWSON. William & Mary, Novr. 22, 1734. Page 222. SIR WILLIAM GOOCH TO BISHOP OF LONDON. My Lord:-- The Bearer Mr. Ford, Master of our Grammer School coming to England to wait on Your Lordship for Priests orders to qualifie himself for holding a Fellowship at Oxford. . . . . . . . . I don't intend to make any Reflection, when I tell Your Lordship our present Prospect is to have, when the time comes, that office (Commissary) well executed, nor do I pretend to lay any stress upon a recommendation supported by the wishes of the best men in the country, because my meaning, My Lord, is rather to keep out, than to put in, But if we might be allowed to name our Philosophy Professor -- Mr. Dawson is the Man. This Professor, My Lord, is a thorough Scholar, a good christian and Orthodox Preacher, in his Be- havior as much a gentleman as we anywhere meet with, and in all respect fitted for Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, and in short my Lord such a one as I am satisfied your Lordship earnestly desires the Church Officer should approve himself, who is to supply Your Lordships Place in so remote a part of your Lordships Diocese. He is well allied here by marrying a niece of the late Sir John Randolph, one of the best Familys in the Country, and I make no questions on the first occasion after the Commissarys Death he will be unanimously elected President of the College and have his Parish. I now beg your Lorships pardon for this Freedom to which every Body is a stranger even Mr. Dawson himself, and my principal reasons for offering it were that we might escape Mr. Waggoner, and your Lordship, when it pleases God, may depute a commissary for Virginia able and willing to do the Church and Religion good service which doth not yet know what a visitation means. Your Lordships Most Obedt. Hum. Ser't. William Gooch. May the 21st, 1739. REV. WILLIAM DAWSON TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. My Lord:-- My Brother, Mr. Thomas Dawson, waits upon your Lordship for Holy Orders. He has been in this College about five years; Page 223. the two first he studied under Mr. Fry late Professor of Mathematics, and during that time I have contributed my poor endeavours towards his improve- ment. At the expiration of this term He was chosen Usher of the Grammar School by the President and Masters, in which place he gave so great satisfaction to everybody that the Visitors unanimously elelcted Him Master of the Indian School, where he designs to continue till a Parish shall be vacant, and here I doubt not he will do good service to religion as well by Exemplariness of Life as by Soundess of Doctrine. For he has hitherto been a Person of a pious, sober, and honest Behaviour. As it is a great expense to cross the sea, I humbly beg your Lordship will be pleased to help him to L20 to defray part of the charge. I have presumed my Lord to lay an acct. of my Passage before your Lordship, Beside the two enclosed Receipts amounting to L20.13.5 there were other charges as Boat Hire to London to Gravesend, Expenses there at Deal, Portsmouth and Cowes, Tea, Sugar, etc., which by a moderate computation could not come to less than L5 now. My Lord, since every Scotch and Irish Missionary receives the King's Bounty, since Mr. Stith who came directly to the college though now a Parochial Minister obtained it likewise as he has assured me, I beseech your Lordship, with all Submission, to do the same favour, His case and mine being alike. For tho. sent hither at first, yet I have performed all Mr . . . . Commissary Parish Offices for several years last past. Give me leave to look back. I was three years under Mr. Wilkinkson's care at Lowther, not far from the Place which glories in your Birth. Nine at Queens, the seat of Learning which boasts of your education, and thos. I might have succeeded upon that Foundation (for they elected me Fellow since my arrival here), yet I have settled in the country where I thought my mite would be more usefully bestowed. If your Lordship shall think my Petition reasonable, I further most humbly desire the sum total may be laid out in a collection of religious books to be approved of, by your Lordship, for the benefit of the Negroes & the Poor of this colony. Let me prevail with Your Lordship, if not to Grant, at least to pardon the request. WILLIAM DAWSON. William and Mary, June 2, 1740. Page 224. BILL. Received Feb. 25, 1728, of the Revd. Mr. Wm. Dawson fifteen pound eleven shilling & eight d. for his passage etc. in the Williamsburg to Virginia. P E. Randolph common passage, L6 fresh provisions, etc., 8 6 8 building his cabin, 1 2 3 _______ L15 8 11 THE REV. WILLIAM DAWSON. TO BENJ. ALLEN. 1728. Feb. 26-- To 6 Gall. of Red Port, L 2 0 0 " 3 Gall. Mount., 1 0 0 " 3 Gall. Canary, 1 4 0 29 " 4 doz. 6 pt. Bott., 0 14 0 Stamps, 0 3 0 Carman, Porters, Waterage, 0 3 0 _________ L 5 4 6 JAMES BLAIR* TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. Williamsburg, May 28, 1743. My Lord:-- . . . . . . . . and now having occasion to mention Mr. Dawson to your Lordship, Though I dare not presume to make any recommendation for suc- ceeding Commissary to your Lordship as for myself, yet I hope I shall not hereby offend your Lordship for whom I have a profound respect, while I barely relate to you what your late Commissary said to him on his death bed relating to it. Mr. Dawson attended him frequently and gave him the sacrament, and Mr. Commissary, not doubting but that he would be chosen President, more than once earnestly recommended to him ________________________________________________________________________ *James Blair is supposed to have been a nephew of Commissary James Blair and was father of Archibald Blair, secretary of the Council. Page 225. to be careful of the youth at the college, that they might be well instructed in the doctrines of the church of England, and added in my hearing, that he hoped he would be appointed Commissary too, though he said at the same time your Lordship had not signified anything to him of that matter; but the Commissary had been witness of his behaviour for many years, for he had got him to assist him in his church soon after his coming to this country and had been his constant hearer for some years, while to the general satisfaction of all the parish he assisted him as his curate, when his voice began to fail, till about 19 months ago. Then he accepted of the neighboring Parish of Jamestown upon the death of the then incumbent, a parish which the commissary had served for many years after his coming to this place to attend the business of the college. Upon his accepting this Parish, his brother the Rev. Mr. Thomas Dawson assisted the commissary as his curate till his death, very much likewise to the satisfaction of the Parish, for Mr. President not desiring to leave his Parish of Jamestown Mr. Thomas Dawson was unanimously chosen Rector of this Parish, having a very handsome recommendation thereto from the Governor. I cannot help adding, though I am sensible I trespass on your Lordships precious moments, That I perceive with pleasure a zealous disposition in our new President to co-operate with your Lordships pious endeavours for the instruction of the negroes here in the principles of christianity. I find his labouring among such as he thinks are well disposed that way to get a school set up here for the purpose. He has spoken to me of it, and, as I hope I shall always love to encourage such things, my poor assistance shall not be wanting. I beg your Lordships blessing on your unknown admirer and my Lords humble servant. JAMES BLAIR. Copy of the COMMISSION OF REV. WILLIAM DAWSON, D. D., TO BE COMMISSARY. EDMUND by Divine permission BISHOP OF LONDON, To our Beloved in Christ WILLIAM DAWSON master of Arts. GREETING. We Do by these presents Give and Grant to you in Page 226. whose learning and fidelity we fully confide full power and authority to exercise Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within the Colony of Virginia in America According to the tenor of a Commission of his Majesty King George the Second under his Great Seal bearing date the twenth ninth day of April in the first year of his Reign and not otherwise or in any other manner, and we do hereby Make and Constitute you our COMMISSARY during pleasure for the puposes in the said Commission contained and no other. In Witness whereof We have caused our Epis- L.S.E. copal Seal to be hereunto affixed this eighteenth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand EDMd seven hundred and forth three and in the first of LONDON our translation. ROBERT DINWIDDIE TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. Virginia, 21 July, 1752. My Lord:-- Annexed is a copy of my letter to you of the 5th of June to wch. I desire to be referred. I am sorry of the occasion to acquaint you that last night the Rev. Mr. Wm. Dawson Your Lordships Commissary and President of Wm. & Mary College in this colony died of a violent fever and much regretted by all that knew him. Give me leave to recommend to your Lord- ship his brother the Rev. Mr. Thos. Dawson to succeed him; he is a Gent. of an universal good character and a worthy divine; he is at present Rector of Williamsburg. I know not a clergyman in this Dominion so worthy to succeed his brother & I presume from the present state of Church affairs in the Dominion given in my annexed letter You will think proper to appoint a Commissary immediately & the recommendation above is from a long knowledge of Mr. Thomas Dawson who was also greatly esteemed by my Pre- decessor Sr. William Gooch, which I humbly submit to your Lordship, and am with great Esteem and deference Your Lordships Most Obedt. hum. sert. ROBT. DINWIDDIE. Page 227. ROBT. DINWIDDIE TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. Williamsburg, Va, 28th July, 1752. My Lord:-- On the other side is a Copy of my letter to Yr. Lordship of the 21st acquainting you of the death of your Commissary* here as your Lordsh. Commissary in this Dominion . . . I am sorry to acquaint your Lordship that the late Commissary died in low circumstances, he has left two children and a little before his death he send for his sister and four children which are now here and had no other dependence than the favour of the late commissary for their subsistence; this large family now must be taken care of by Thomas Dawson, and he will be much straitened in supporting of them unless he has yr. Lordships favour in appointing him Commissary, and I know not one Clergyman in this country better qualified for the Discharge of that important Trust. Mr. Thomas Dawson being rector of this city and perfectly well qualified to be Commissary I presume you will think it more eligible to appoint him than a Gent. at so great a Distance (STITH) from this Place & I do assure you it will be most agreeable to me to have him appointed & I shall esteem it a Favour done to Your Lordships most Obedt. humble servant, ROBERT DINWIDDIE. ___________________________________________________________________________ *Rev. William Dawson's mother's name was Troughear. -- Note by Dr. Leidy.