Matthew Ashby, born about 1725, son of a white woman and a slave in York
County, had children Harry and John by his wife Ann, a slave.
In November 1765 his slaves Harry and John were among thirty-four slaves who
were attending the "Negro School" in Williamsburg which had been established
by Dr. Bray's Associates, and his free children John and Mary Ashby were
among twenty-nine attending the school on 16 February 1769 [Stephenson,
Notes on the Negro School in Williamsburg, 1760-1774, Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation (1963), Appendix no. 1, iv, citing Manuscripts of Dr. Bray's
Associates, American Papers, 1735-1774, S.P.G. Archives, London]. (He
purchased his wife and 2 children in 1769).
The William & Mary College Quarterly, volume VI (1977) page 188 has a list
of the students in 1754 and includes (separately) Indians John Sampson, Chs.
Murphey, Gid. Langston, Wm Cooke, John Langston, Thos. Sampson, Wm. Squirrel
& John Montour.
The Langstons were Langston Hughes' ancestors.
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: Terry L. Meyers
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2016 1:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VA-HIST] 18h C. gatherings of mixed classes/races
I’ve been intrigued for some time by an account given by William Dawson (2nd
President of W&M) of Lenten instruction he offered in 1744. As I read what
he wrote to donors in London, he seems to describe a single class attended
by a variety of people:
I employed our Youth; every night last Lent, in reading audibly, distinctly,
and solemnly of this excellent Work [The Knowledge and Practice of
Christianity Made Easy to the Meanest Capacities; or, An Essay towards an
Instruction of the Indians; London, 1740], as the Understandings of the
Hearers, in general were able to receive, and their memories to retain. For
beside the Scholars [W&M students, presumably the youngsters in the Grammar
School], there were near 40 white Servants, Indians, and Negroes, who
constantly attended. And as many of these as can conveniently be present,
daily report unto the House of GOD.
Though Dawson’s language seems pretty clear, some I’ve talked to think it
unlikely such an integrated gathering would have occurred in the
Williamsburg of that era.
Are there accounts of other gatherings, similar or dissimilar, that might
help shape one reading or the other?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terry L. Meyers, Chancellor Professor of English, College of William and
Mary, Williamsburg Virginia 23187 757-221-3932
http://wmpeople.wm.edu/site/page/tlmeye/
<http://wmpeople.wm.edu/site/page/tlmeye/>
http://www.ecologyfund.com/ecology/_ecology.html
<http://www.ecologyfund.com/ecology/_ecology.html>
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Have we got a college? Have we got a football team?.... Well, we
can't afford both. Tomorrow we start tearing down the college.
--Groucho Marx, in "Horse Feathers."
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