David:
Yes, that's about the size of it. Ed Bond's point that the commissariat
got Blair and most of the other commissaries their seats on the Council,
is, however, an excellent one.
Interestingly, instructions from the Crown (Board of Trade) that
governors brought with them to Virginia always included a number of
responsibilities where the Church in the colony was concerned. They were
to see that the Book of Common Prayer was in use in every parish, that
there was an adequate parish church building (and chapels)in each
parish, for example. They were also supposed to "induct" ministers into
their pulpits. Many vestries, including Bruton Parish even with the
great Blair as its rector, refused to submit their chosen ministers for
induction, preferring to hire them on a annual basis. If inducted,
ministers could not be unseated except for extreme moral turpitude. I
dare say instructions regarding these matters were not top priority for
most Virginia governors, but on paper they were certainly charged with
"defending the faith."
Commissaries after Blair were:
William Dawson (1743-1752)
Thomas Dawson (1752-1760)
William Robinson (1761-1768)
James Horrocks (1768-1772)
John Camm (1772-1776)
All except Robinson were members of the governor's Council and
presidents of the College of William and Mary. Thomas Dawson and James
Horrocks were also rectors at Bruton Parish Church (as was Blair).
Linda
Linda H. Rowe
Historical Research
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
757-220-7443
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Kiracofe
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 11:54 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Genealogy and racial integrity
Linda: Thanks for the clarification on Blair -- I always assumed his
ecclesiastical authority was most limited by the power exercised at the
local parish level by vestries, but you're saying that the position
itself was more one of reportage to the Bishop of London than his agent
-- do I have that right?
Here's another question, did anyone replace Blair as commissary after
his death? I know there was an on-going debate about the establishment
of a bishop for British North America in the late colonial period -- an
unpopular sugestion to the vestries which reasonably feared a
diminishment of their autonomy should a bishop be appointed.
David Kiracofe
David Kiracofe
History Department
MAK 1060
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI 49401
[log in to unmask]
>>> [log in to unmask] 03/31/05 11:01 AM >>>
The English Act of toleration came in 1689 after the Glorious
Revolution. Virginia's General Assembly cited the English Act of
Toleration in a 1699 statute, by which time burgesses had long since
made concessions to Quakers in Virginia, such as allowing them to affirm
rather than swear oaths in court.
Blair was certainly a force to be reckoned with, but his position as
Commissary of the Bishop of London gave him only limited authority in
church matters. Divinity students from the College of William and Mary
had to go to England for ordination, and Blair did not have the ability
to consecrate churches, confirm the newly catechized, control vestries,
or regulate colonial clergy.
Linda H. Rowe
Historical Research
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
757-220-7443
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