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Date: | Sun, 6 Sep 2009 20:49:45 -0400 |
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Fellow List Members:
A question has arisen on another forum that needs some expert answers.
I'll try to be as concise as possible:
1. Were German Protetesants ever required to attend services at the
established Church of England? Some are saying that since this
compulsory, I am of the opinion that they were not, since they had
their own ministers and paid for their minister and churchs.
2. Were German Protestants required to pay parish levies after the
expiration (in this case Spotsylvania County) of their exemptions from
"publick" levies.
3. It is my understanding that there were three types of levies (not
including port fees and clerk's fees, and the like:
a) "publick levies" to fund the colonial government
b) county levies to pay for the local county government
c) parish levies to pay for the church and its sundry duties to the
community.
I realize that the enabling legislation creating Spotsylvania County
was quite vague on this point, and even more vague on the question of
whether the Germans (in this case First Colony who removed to
Germantown in Fauquier County) were exempt from paying their parish
levies or not. This and many other vagueries in the enabling
legislation led to no end of troubles for Alexander Spotswood. (But he
had only himself to blame, as he was the primary author of the
legislation.)
I am not seeking a rehash of Hening's Statutes at Large, but a deeper
and broader understanding of the items above. Other than having to
attend just one communion service, and various oaths of loyalty, in
order to become Naturalized, I cannot imagine any circumstances under
which the German Protestants would have been required to attend
Anglican Services.
To gives this a broader scope, who else (if anyone) was also exempt
from compulsory church attendance? Quakers, Presbyterians? Or even
broader, a discussion on all taxaton policies of colonial Virginia.
If there is an article that has been written on this topic in more
detail than that provided by the LVA Research Note on this topic, I
would be happy to learn of it.
We are looking at the time frame from 1720 to the Revolution. I
realize laws MAY have changed. The primary question here is the issue
of paying parish levies even if one was not a member of the Anglican
Church.
All help greatly appreciated.
Craig Kilby
Lancaster, VA
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