Pages 62-3
“Rev. Jacob Ware, Henrico parish. He died in 1709. A deposition in Henrico, 1716, states that he was minister of Henrico parish for about twenty years, and that his eldest son was named Francis.”
Pages 47-8
“[Address Of The Clergy To Nicholson.]
To his Excellency Francis Nicholson, Esq., Her Majtys Lieut. & Govern. Gen’le of Virginia.
May it please your Excellency:
In obedience to your Excllcys command, we are now assembled at Her Majtys’ Royall Colledge of William & Mary, this 22nd day of February, 1704-5, according to our usual Custome of meeting once a year & Wee do in an humble & dutifull manner Pray your Excellency to accept of our most upright & sincere intentions to do your Excellcy Justice & to vindicate your Excellcys Honour in this and all other Addresses wch We have formerly made to your Excellcys since the unhappy controversy has been raised between your Excellcy & ye Revend Mr. Commissary Blair. And we do hereby ratify & Confirme those Addresses wth our most Solemn Protestation that we do Dissent from and Disown those unfair Clandestine measures wth his Reverence has taken to accuse your Excellcy without our consent or knowledge. We pray your Excellcy to transmitt unto the most Reverd Father in God, his Grace ye Lord Arch Bishop of Canterbury, our Congratulatory Address to her most Sacred Majty, together wth our address to his Grace also ye Right Honble & Rt. Rev’d Father in God Henry Lord Bishop of London, our address to his Lordship & to ye Rt. Honble ye Lords Commissioners for Trade & Plantations, our Remonstrance, humbly referred to their Lordships’ Consideration. And we do again repeat our solemn Protestations that as we have no Just reason to Desert your Excellcys Cause so We shall be ready upon all occasions to give a further demonstration of our Gratitude to your Excellcy for your many and repeated favours your Excellcy has bestowed upon us, as also upon all our Brethren in ye neighboring Colonys. We hope our Candour & Sincerity herein will wipe off ye reproach of Ingratitude wth the undecent Actions of two or three of our own Coat might have cast upon ye Reverd. Clergy in America. So with our hearty Prayers to Almighty God that your Excellcy unblamable behaviour, Especially in relation to ye Church & Clergy may be clear and manifest, Wee . begg Leave to subscribe
Your Excellency’s Most obliged & obedient servant,
Pages 48-9
“[Address Of The Governor And Clergy To The Queen.]
To the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty. The Congratulatory address of the Governor & Clergy of Virginia:
May it please your Majesty. We your Majesty’s most dutiful and Loyall subjects the Governor & Clergy of your Ancient and Great Colony & Dominion of Virginia having in a Decent and Solemn Manner return’d our hearty thanks to Almighty God for that Signall and Glorious victory obtained by your Majtys forces & the Allies against the French & Bavarian forces under the Conduct of the renouned Duke of Marlbrough in our several Parishes in the happy Anniversary of your Majtys Birthday. And being now assembled together think ourselves obliged in all Duty, further to Demonstrate our unspeakable Joy & Satisfaction on this remarkable occasion; wherein Heaven seems in a peculiar manner to have heard the Prayers of the church and rewarded your Majtys Extraordinary Piety & Charity wlh the most Eminent victory of the last Century, not to be Equalized with the preceeding Actions of your Majties most fortunate Predecessours. May the same Divine Power that has hitherto blessed your Majtys during the whole series of your
matchless reign be your Almighty Director & Defender, that your Majtys may be a Curb to the boundless ambition of France, as the Illustrious Queen Elizabeth was to the Exorbitant pride of Spain.
And that we may long enjoy the blessings of your most auspicious Government are and shall be the continued Prayers of
Your Majesty’s Most Dutifull & Loyall Subjects,
ffr. Nicholson,
James Clack,
Solomon Wheatley,
Peter Kippax,
Guy Smith,
Jacob Ware,
Edward Portlock,
Sam. Gray,
Owen Jones,
Ralph Bowker,
And. Monro,
Wm. Rudd,
John Carnegie,
John Shropshire,
Phillipe de Richebourg, Minister of Manakin town,
James Boisseau,
Geo. Robertson,
James Burtell,
Ja. Wallace,
Rich’d Squire,
Jno. Monroe,
Tho. Edwards,
Peter Wagener,
Dan. Taylor,
Isaac Grace,
Bartho. Yates,
Thomas Sharpe,
Emanuel Jones,
Arthur Tillyard,
Lewis Latane,
Wm. Williams.”
Pages 49-52
“[Address Of The Clergy To The Commissioners Of Trade And Plantations.]
To the Right Honblc the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations.
May it please your Lordships:
We are very Sensible how ill it becometh persons of our habit to be found intermedling in affairs without ye line of their own vocation, nor should we have been so preposterous as to have incur’d the same guilt ourselves wch we condemne in others had not the occasion of laying this our Remonstrance before yr Lops, been such as in manner extorted it from us & therefore may we hope by yr Lordships favorable interpretacon apologise for our presumption in offering it.
We are indeed mightely surprised or rather perfectly amazed to understand by our last advices from England that Virga was in such an horrid state of distraction & confusion even to a degree of threatening nothing else than an Insurrection or at least a desertion (news to us who are upon ye spot, we declare it perfectly new), and yt such representations had been laid before her ma’ty by way of Complaint agt our most Honed Patron ye Honble Frances Nicholson, esqr., her Ma’tys Lieut. & Govr Genll of this Colony.
That there reigns among us anything of such a genll way dangerous dissatisfaction as we are dispersed throughout all the parts of this Province & may therefore be supposed to have some knowledge of ye pulse of ye people (speaking as to ye generality of them), of all sorts & Conditions (we might had there been no other occasion), honestly & we hope inoffensively declared to be a thing altogether unknown to us who are most strangely ignorant of ye temper of ye people of this Provience if they be not as Loyall & peaceable Subjects as in any of her Matys. Dominions & as well satisfied with their present circumstances.
Yet we should not have thought it proper for us to have interposed one Syllable in this affair, but have left every one to have answer’d for himself, had we not (to our inexpressable regrett), some even of our own coat also (though God be thanked but very few), and those such of whom we may say in ye style of ye Apostle that they went out from us but were not of us, for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out yt they might be made manifest, yt they were not all of us, engaged in an affair so unbecoming their character as is yt of despiseing Dominions and speaking evil of Dignities & more especially his Reverence ye Revd Mr. Comissary Blair who by ye station he has so long maintained amongst us may be supposed a person ye most capable of representing ye state of our affairs & ye Common Sentimts of ye Clergy of this Province wch (amongst other things), he having as we find by ye copies of severall affidavits presented to you Lops, assumed to himself to do & yt in a most unfair & not wthout too broad innuendoes yt is only necessity dependance on an overawing power wch restrains even us ourselves also from Joyning wth him in the same Complaints.
Hereupon we cannot but do yt Justice both to our most Hon’ld Patron ye Governr whom we find & know (as far as relates to our affairs & lyeth w’thin ye compass of our knowledge to be most injuriously aspersed & causelessly accused, and to ourselves (whose very Silence in this case might reasonably pass for a consent or at least indifference) most humbly to enter before yo’re Lordships’ this our Solemn Protestation, That
May it please yor Lops., we do absolutely disclaime & disavow those most unconscionsable complaints wch. we find have been laid before yorLops. agt hisEx’cy our Govr in relation to his behavior towards ye church & clergy, that we know not by what Comission Mr. Comissary Blair took upon himself not only wlh out our knowledge & Consent, but in direct contradiction to our most known & publickly avowed sence & Experience to the Contrary to make such unfair representations on our behalfs. That so far is ye Govr of Virga from being a neglector from ye Interest of ye Church or an oppressor of her ministers, yt he is ye greatest Patron, Protector & Benefactor to both that (we suppose those parts of the world has ever had or (he once lost to us) can readily expect to have, w’ch being a matter of fact so notoriously known we cannot but wonder yt. anyone (tho under the security of three thousand miles distance) should have the confidence to intimate ye Contrary, how far Mr. Commissary’s memory has failed him in ye sevll instances of his charge agt. ye Govnt upon this head many of us are able of our own certain knowledge & by undeniable proofs to demonstrate as will appear when we shall be duely called to give our Evidence in forme upon yu in ye meantime being now mett together in a Body (according to our custom, once a year), we could not but in our own vindication, as well as in Justice to his Exc’y, transmitt to yor Lops, on ye first opportunity this our remonstrance agt. so wrongfull an accusation, humbly imploreing yor Lops, to accept as a testimony both of ye veneracon we bear to ye sacredness of authority (especially so nearly representing maty itself), as doth ye Govr of our Province of the gratitude as well as duty w’ch we owe to so signal a Patron & Benefactor & of ye averscon we have to such unchristian as well as unclerical practices as we cannot but judge those to have been, which enforced us upon this presumption of giving yor Lops, this trouble.
James Boisseau,
James Burtell,
Barth” Yates,
Sam” Gray,
James Clack,
Wm. Rudd,
John Carnegie,
Jacob Ware, minister of Henrico
Lewis Latane,
Philippe De Richburgh. (Minis’ of Manican Town),
Arthur Tillyard,
Peter Kippax,
Emanuel Jones,
Thomas Sharpe,
Solomon Whately,
Dan” Taylor,
Tho. Edwards,
Guy Smith,
Andrew Monro,
Owen Jones,
Edward Portlock,
Richd Squire.
Ralph Bowker,
Whatsoever has occured since our arrival in ye Country & is specified in this Remonstrance we subscribe unto.
Isaac Grace,
Peter Wagener,
Wm. Williams.”
Pages 52-3
“[Address Of The Clergy To The Archbishop Of Canterbury.]
To his Grace the Lord Arch Bishop, of Canterbury, Primate & metropolitan of all England. The humble address of the Clergy of Virginia.
May it please your grace:
We the Clergy of Virginia being assembled together at her Majtys Royall Colledge of William & Mary this 22d Day of February, 17o4/5, in lieu of our usual & annual meeting. And having Congratulated her most Sacred Maj’r for the Glorious success of her Majtys Forces as the happy Effects of her Majtys Singular Piety & Exemplary Charity.
With all humility We pray your grace to present our address to her Majty on that subject, and we do the more presume upon your graces Benignity, partly because We understand our most honored Diocessan is often retired into the Country for health & partly because We are Well informed that your Grace has re-
sented the Injuries & Indignities offered (by two or three of our own coat) both to our Governour & to ourselves for wch. we do return your grace our most hearty thanks.
And we beg leave to Acquaint your grace that we are grieved that our governor (who under her majesty is the greatest support of the church in America) is Scandalized & Impeached after such an unfair & uncharitable a manner, than that we are charged by the same person (as men of no Conscience), wlh Flattery, Bribery, & Servile Obsequeousness, not only by incoherent Depositions but also by such Scurrilous Pasquills & Lampoons, as the most profligate Enemies to the Church never belore presumed to insinuate upon ye Clergy in an English Government.
We most humbly Pray your Grace favourably to accept this address, from
Your Grace’s most obedient Sons, Servants, &c.,
James Boisseau,
Owen Jones,
Sam Gray,
Wm. Williams,
James Clack,
Peter Kippax,
Jacob Ware,
Emanuel Jones,
And. Monro,
Rich’d Square
Wm. Rudd,
Solomon Whately
John Carnegie,
Peter Wagener,
Thomas Sharpe,
Arthur Tillyard,
Dan. Tayler,
James Burtell,
Guy Smith,
Phillippe de Richbourg, Manakin Town Minister,
Ralph Bowker,
Lewis Latane,
Isaac Grace,
Bartho. Yates,
Tho. Edwards.”
Pages 53-4
“[Address Of The Clergy To The Bishop Of London.]
To the Right Honblc Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bishop, of London.
May it please your Lordship:
We the Clergy of Virginia being assembled at her Ma’tys Royall College of Wm. and Mary this 22th day of February, 170 4/5, and having taken into consideration the Deposicons of the Reverend Mr. Commissary Blair together with two more of our Coat as far as relates to ourselves the make bold to acquaint yor
Lordships that we are strangely surprised at their Assertions, but what we have at present to say in answer thereunto we have declared in a Remonstrance to your Lordship & the other Honble Lords of Trade & Plantacon.
We hope your Lordship is satisfied of our unbiast Sincerity in representing matter of fact by our former address to yr Lordship and we do again assure yor Lordship that no By-ends whatsoever, either by fear of ye Governrs Authority or by bribes or by private insinuacons or by other unwarrantable means hath induced us to advocate the Honr of our injured Governr in opposition of Self Interest, but of pure & upright intent to do Justice to his Excy and to preserve the happiness of ye Church wch has hitherto so flourished under his Excy’s Patronage.
We presume to acquaint yor Lordship that we have prayed his Grace, ye Lord Arch Bishop of Canterbury, to present our Congratulatory address to her most Sacred majesty, not out of any disrespect to yor Lordship for no clergy in the world can have more veneration for their own Diocesan than ye Clergy of Virginia, but because we have been often informed of yor Lordships Indisposition & retiring unto ye Country for health, that yor Lordship may (by Divine Assistance), recover and continue in health for the greater advancement of the Glory of God & ye welfare of ye church, are & shall be ye hearty prayers of,
Yor Lordships most obedient Sons and Servants, &c.,
Richard Squire,
Thomas Edwards,
Dan’ll Tayler,
Wm. Rudd,
Wm. Williams,
James Clacke,
Peter Kippax,
Jacob Ware,
Ralph Bowker,
Guy Smith,
Solomon Whately,
John Carnegie,
Peter Wagener,
Thomas Sharpe,
Isaac Grace,
And’ Monro,
James Burtell,
Phillippe de Richburgh, Manican Town Minister,
Edward Portlock,
Emanuel Jones,
Bartho, Yates,
Owen Jones,
James Boisseau,
Arthur Tillyard.”
“[Certain Clergymen Of Virginia To The Archbishop Of Canterbury.]
To His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury,
Primate & Metropolitan of all England.
May it Please yor Grace:
We again presume upon yor Graces favour, tho’ we are only
a part of the Clergy of this Colony, mett together to take leave of our much esteemed & Reverend Brother Mr Thomas Edwards, whom we have requested to wait upon yor Grace wth our following Address:
May it please yor Grace:
We have acquainted most honrd Diocesan, the Lord Bishop of London, that the late Reverand Mr. Commissary Blair lyes under ye Scandal of being a Perjured Person. The Grand Jury, the Genll Assembly & ye major part of the Country ground this allegation upon Mr. Commissary’s Deposition in England, a Copy of wch is sent over here by the Lord Commrs of Trade & Plantation & exposed to public view.
Therefore we most humbly pray yor Grace to intercede wth the R’ Honble & Rt Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London in our behalf, that the Imputation of Perjury might not be objected agt the head of the Clergy of this Colony for the time to come. Subscribing ourselves yor Graces most Dutiful & Obedient Sons & Serv’ts,
Virginia, June 3rd, 1705.
Not being present when our Brethren mett nor having seen those Votes & Papers they seem to refer to, presume our Bretheren would offer nothing but what is Justifiable.
G. Smith,
James Clack.
Sr—I do hereby entreat you to subscribe my name to two addresses dated both July 3rd, 1705, the first to his Grace my Lord Arch Bishop of Canterbury, the Second to my Lord Bishop of London, & herein you will oblige yor Humble Serv’t,
Jacob Ware.
Virginia, July 9th, 1705.
Directed For Mr. Wil. Robertson at the Royall College of William & Mary, these.”
Pages 275-6
“[Certain Clergymen Of Virginia To The Bishop Of London.]
To the Right Honble & R’ Reverend Father in God, Henry, Lord Bishop of London.
May it please yor L’ds’p:
We have some few of yor L’ds’p Clergy in Virginia met together take leave of our Revd & beloved Brother Tho. Edwards, & Since wee have such a fair opportunity of Communicating to yor L’ds’ps view an acc’ of ye State of our Affairs in ye Colony, wee presume to Acquaint yor L’ds’p y’ to our great grief & Surprise not only ye Grand Jury & Genll Assembly have obliquely Branded ye Rev’d Mr. Commissary Blair wth an extravagant & unwarrantable Deposition, but also ye better part of her majties good & Loyall Subjects (upon ye same acct) seem to charge him wth little less ye Downright perjury.
As for us wee are tender of Men’s characters & Therefore Shall not agravate Mr. Commissary’s Misfortune, & were it not purely in Regard to our Duty to yor L’ds’p & ye good of ye church, we should not have troubled yor L’ds’p wth such unpleasant news. But as Cases now stand, we know not how to sattisfy our own Consciences nor yet to Stave of ye Reproaches of ye people from ye whole Clergy in Genll (by Reason of ye ill Conduct of their late leader), unless ye late Revd Mr. Commissary Blair Clear himself from ye Imputation of perjury.
We hope yor Lo’ds’p will not let us Suffer in our Reputations so far as to Render our Ministry of none effect by Supporting ye Private interest of one man agt. ye Clamour of almost ye whole Country.
Wee have prayed his grace ye Ld Arch Bishop of Canterbury to Interceed wth yor L’ds’p in ye matter—and with all humility wee Rely upon yor L’ds’p’s Favourable Interputation. Subscribing ourselves your L’ds’p most Dutifull Sons & Serv’ts,
Jacob Ware,
Edward Portlock,
Wm. Williams,
Ralph Bowker,
Thomas Sharpe,
Richd Squire,
Wm. Rudd,
Ar Tillyard,
James Burtell,
Em. Jones,
Lewis Latane,
Dan. Taylor,
Barth. Yates,
Tho. Edwards,
Peter Kippax.
Virginia, July ye 3rd, 1705.
Not being present when our Brethren above mentioned met our having seen those votes & papers they Seem to refer to, presume our brethren would offer nothing but wth is Justifiable.
Guy Smith,
James Clack.
Sr—I do hereby entreat you to subscribe my name to two addresses dated both July 3rd, 1705, the first to his Grace my Lord Arch Bishop of Canterbury, the Second to my Lord Bishop of London, & herein you will oblige yor Humble Serv’t,
Jacob Ware.
Virginia, July 9th, 1705.
Directed For Mr. Wil. Robertson at the Royall College of William & Mary, these.
Sr—I do hereby intreat you to Subscribe my name to two addresses dated both July 3rd, 1705, ye first to his Grace my Ld Arch Bishop of Canterbury ye Second to my Lord Bishop of London, & here in you will oblige,
Your humble Serv’t,
Jacob Ware”
Pages 366-8
“Address Of Certain Clergymen To Nicholson.
To his Ex’cy, Francis Nicholson, Esq’, her Majty’s Lieut. & Govr Genll of Virginia.
May it please yor Exc’y:
We, the Clergy that reside near the seat of yor Excellys Governmt, having this thirteenth of July, 1704, waited upon yo” Exc’y to return our hearty thanks for your Exc’y’s assiduous Care to promote ye Generall interest of the Clergy in this her Sacred Ma’ty’s ancient & great Dominion of Virginia cannot but freely and Spontaneously (without any amazement or fear from your Excellcys, Authority or bribes of what nature soever, as yor Excys & our Adversaries are maliciously pleased to insinuate to blast our Reputation, acknowledge y’ it is by virtue of yor Exc’y’s Conduct y’ some of us are already Inducted by Presentacon, And ‘tho yo’ exc’y may meet wth much difficulty in carrying on so excellent a worke, yet knowing ye generous temper & invincible Courage of yor Excy in advancing ye work of God, wee make no doubt of a further progress therein, and therefore do with all humility, submitt ye future managem’t thereof in all respects to yor Excys wise & prudent Conduct, & so with our Gratefull Acknowledgemt & sincere Prayers, we begg leave to Subscribe,
Yor Exc’y’s most Obliged Servants, &c.,
Ch. Anderson,
Richd Squire,
Edward Portlock,
Tho. Edwards,
Barth. Yates,
Thomas Sharpe,
Isaac Grace,
So. Whately,
Wm. Andrews,
Jacob Ware,
Ja. Clack,
Wm. Williams,
Ralph Bowker,
Guy Smith,
Em. Jones.
I concur with my Brethren in this address.
John Carnegie.
Aug. 10, 1704.
I do sincerely subscribe to this, ‘tho I could not be present at time above mentioned.
Ar. Tillyard, J. Fraser,
Dan. Taylor, Lewis Latane.
I can feelingly Subscribe to this, I being lately inducted upon his Excellcys recommendation of me to my Parish.
Peter Kippax, Wm. Rudd,
Owen Jones.
Feb. 24th, 1704-5.
I may say for my part & for others, too, that the character & Dignity of a Clergyman in this Country would Sink very lovv without his Exc’y’s great & tender care of the same.
Andrew Monro.”
Reference Data:
The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 8, by Virginia Historical Society, 1901
