1722-1726.
Drysdale, Governor--Intemperance among the Clergy--The Rev.
Mr. Lang's Testimony--Acts of Assembly--Death of Governor
Drysdale--Colonel Robert Carter, President--Called King
Carter--Notice of his Family.
IN the month of September, 1722, Hugh Drysdale assumed the
administration of Virginia, amid the prosperity bequeathed him by his
predecessor, and being a man of mediocre calibre, yielded to the current
of the day, solicitous only to retain his place. Commissary Blair wished
the governor, when a vacancy of more than six months occurred, to send
and induct a minister as by law directed; but what Spotswood had not
been bold enough to do, Drysdale feared to undertake without the
authority of a royal order. Opinion is queen of the world.
There were frequent complaints of the scandalous lives of some of the
clergy; but it was difficult to obtain positive proof, there being many
who would cry out against such, and yet would not appear as witnesses to
convict them. Intemperance appears to have been the predominant evil
among the clergy, as it was also among the laity.
The Rev. Mr. Lang, who was highly recommended by the governor and
commissary, wrote, in 1726, to the Bishop of London: "I observe the
people here are very zealous for our holy church, as it is established
in England, so that (except some few inconsiderable Quakers) there are
scarce any dissenters from our communion; and yet, at the same time, the
people are supinely ignorant in the very principles of religion, and
very debauched in morals. This, I apprehend, is owing to the general
neglect of the clergy in not taking pains to instruct youth in the
fundamentals of religion, or to examine people come to years of
discretion, before they are permitted to come to church privileges."
Referring to the prevailing evils he says: "The great cause of all which
I humbly conceive to be in the clergy, the sober part being slothful
and negligent, and others so debauched that they are the foremost and
most bent on all manner of vices. Drunkenness is the common vice."
Mr. Lang was minister of the parish of St. Peters, in New Kent
County.[412:A] The religious instruction of the negroes was for the most
part neglected. There were no schools for the education of the children
of the common people; no parish libraries.
The assembly was held from time to time, according to long established
custom, by writ of prorogation; the people being thus deprived of the
right of frequent elections. An act regulating the importation of
convicts was rejected by the board of trade. To relieve the people from
a poll-tax a duty was laid on the importation of liquors and slaves, but
owing to the opposition of the African Company and interested traders,
the measure was repealed as an encroachment on the trade of England.
Acts prohibiting the importation of negro slaves were repeatedly passed
by New York, Maryland, and South Carolina, and were invariably rejected
in England. Governor Drysdale congratulated the Duke of Newcastle "that
the benign influence of his auspicious sovereign was conspicuous here in
a general harmony and contentment among all ranks of persons." Hugh
Drysdale dying in July, 1726, and Colonel Edmund Jennings, next in order
of succession, being suspended, (for what cause does not appear,)
Colonel Robert Carter succeeded as president of the council. This
gentleman, owing to the extent of his landed possessions, and to his
being agent of Lord Fairfax, proprietary of a vast territory in the
Northern Neck, between the Potomac and the Rappahannock, acquired the
sobriquet of "King Carter." He was speaker of the house of burgesses for
six years, treasurer of the colony, and for many years member of
the council, and as president of that body he was at the head of
the government upwards of a year. He lived at Corotoman, on the
Rappahannock, in Lancaster County. Here a church was completed in the
year 1670, under the direction of John Carter, first of the family in
Virginia, who came over from England, 1649. A fine old church was built
about 1732 by Robert Carter, on the site of the former one, and is
still in good preservation. He married first Judith Armistead, second a
widow, whose maiden name was Betty Landon, of the ancient family of that
name, of Grednal, in Hereford County, England, by whom he left many
children. His portrait and that of one of his wives, are preserved at
Shirley, on James River, seat of Hill Carter, Esq.[413:A] The first John
Carter was a member of the house of burgesses for Upper Norfolk County,
now Nansemond, in 1649 and in 1654, and subsequently for Lancaster
County. Colonel Edward Carter was, in 1658, burgess for Upper Norfolk,
and in 1660 member of the council.
FOOTNOTES:
[412:A] Old Churches, i. 385.
[413:A] The Carter arms bear cart-wheels, vert.