The Lady and the Parson: A Bit of Virginian History

A BIT OF VIRGINIAN HISTORY.

THE Lady was a widow, and her husband had been no less superb a person than Alexander Spotswood, lieutenantgovernor of her Majesty’s colony of Virginia. He had been an aide to Marlborough at Blenheim, and through the great soldier’s influence had received from Queen Anne the appointment to do the work for which the governor, the Earl of Orkney, received by far the larger salary — and stayed at home.

Spotsylvania County was named in honor of Spotswood, and there on a “ horse shoe peninsular ” he built a castle, with its village, church, vast parks, and adjoining estate of forty-five thousand acres. He called it “ Germanna,” because the Germans whom Queen Anne had sent over were clustered around his estate. On his lands iron ore was abundant, and to him, as the first manufacturer of iron in Virginia, posterity owes no small debt.

Six years after Spotswood’s arrival in Virginia his restless spirit longed to penetrate the sealed fastnesses beyond the mountains to the westward, and to find a gateway to new lands through the hills, and a company of gentlemen followed him. We find them halting, at Spotswood’s command, to drink the king’s health in champagne (Anne’s reign had ended) and to fire a volley in the monarch’s honor. After a short distance they stop again to drink the health of the princess in old Burgundy, and that of the rest of the royal family in claret, — nice distinctions of honor, — with fresh firing of volleys. Then the loyal following would have the governor’s health. In this manner they proceeded, breaking the monotony of the journey with the hunting of deer, bears, and foxes. Daily the mountains drew nearer, and finally the brave gentlemen stood upon a rugged peak which Spotswood named Mount George in his sovereign’s honor, doubtless with much drinking of the royal health. His companions then forced their way up a twin peak near by, and, to their leader’s glory, named it Mount Alexander.

To each member of this band Governor Spotswood presented a golden horseshoe set with jewels and inscribed with the motto " Sic juvat transcendere montes,” and from that time on they were called " Knights of the Golden Horseshoe.” Not one of these trophies is known to be now preserved by a Knight’s descendant. Here, however, is a letter to show that their memory has not perished: —

ST. JULIEN NEAR FREDERICKSBURG,February 25, 1841.

DR. WILLIAM A. CARRUTHERS :

MY DEAR SIR, — I have received your letter of the 5th inst., and in reply to it can only say that I have seen in the possession of the oldest branch of my family a Golden Horseshoe set with garnets and having inscribed on it a motto, which I always understood was presented to my grandfather as one of many gentlemen who accompanied him across the mountains.

With great respect, yours,

FRANCIS BROOKE.

It is not possible that the governor who led this expedition could have been other than a picturesque figure, and his wife, whom he married in 1724, two years after his office was taken from him, through a curious disaffection, must have shone in a strongly reflected light. She herself, indeed, was Lady Butler Braeme, godchild and kinswoman of the Duke of Ormond, and had met her husband at the court of Queen Anne many years before marrying him.

There were four Spotswood children, John and Robert (the former killed by the Indians, a shocking return for the governor’s interest in a treacherous nation), Katherine and Dorothea. Katherine was the beauty of the family, and married Bernard Moore, of Chelsea; she was the great-grandmother of Robert E. Lee, and to her death was a defiant Tory, thereby incurring the displeasure of her family. Dorothea married Nathaniel West Dandridge, and was the mother-in-law of Patrick Henry.

At Germanna Governor Spotswood and his lady maintained considerable state and elegance. The place was itself a principality, and in addition to it he had other lands, mines, a house at Williamsburg, a plantation near York, and not a little personal property. He mentions in his will “ two cabinets of plate, weighing one thousand and eighty ounces and four pennyweight of silver according to an inventory.”

A letter from William Byrd, the exponent of Virginian grace and refinement, gives a pretty glimpse of life at Germanna. He was there in 1732, eight years after the governor had become a Benedict, and wrote : —

“ The famous town of Germanna consists of Spotswood’s enchanted Castle on one side, and a baker’s dozen of tenements on the other. Here I arrived about three o’clock and found Mrs. Spotswood at home, who received her old acquaintance with many a gracious smile.

“ I was carried into a room elegantly set off with pier glasses, the largest of which came soon after to an odd misfortune. Among other favorite animals which cheered the lady’s solitude a brace of tame deer ran familiarly about the house; and one of them came to stare at me as a stranger, but unluckily spying his own figure in the glass he made a spring over the tea table that stood under it, and shattered the glass to pieces, and falling back upon the tea table made a terrible fracas among the tea china, but it was worth all the damage to show the moderation and good humour with which she bore the disaster.”

In 1740 Governor Spotswood died, and his widow entered, as a possibility, into the list of the persons frequently mentioned in colonial newspapers and manuscript marriage records after this wise : “ Mr.——with Mrs.——, widow of the late Colonel ——, who is possessed of a fine figure and a handsome fortune.” As the mistress of Germanna, with its cabinets of plate, fine furniture, horses and coaches, and outlying lands, Lady Spotswood must have seemed, of all women, a marriageable widow.

In this very year 1740 the “Parson” — the Rev. John Thompson—appears upon the scene as the rector of the church at Germanna. In 1741 Lady Spotswood presented the church with a velvet altar-cloth, and perhaps it was this little olive branch that made the young divine bold enough to aspire to the hand of so exalted a widow; for soon afterwards he began to storm Germanna and its proud mistress, who, strange to say, was not averse to receiving the attentions of a handsome preacher. Indeed, she seems to have gone so far as to give him assurance of her affection. Then arose a protest from kinsfolk and acquaintance : “ Could she, Lady Butler Braeme Spotswood, godchild of a duke, who had mingled with lords and ladies, descend to a union with a poor parson, a pensioner of her late husband and herself ? ”

In the light of these circumstances, it was a good fortune to find in a dusty garret, not long ago, a box of old letters,¹ yellow and crumbling, yet vividly alive with the affairs of the Lady and the Parson. Let us untie the close knot of faded ribbon and see what falls from the package at last unbound.

First we pick up the ancient commission to the ministerial office from Edmund Bishop of London to “ the beloved in Christ John Thompson,” and a torn bill which tells what John Thompson had to pay for his deacon’s and priest’s orders. Then there is a sermon by the young clergyman, torn in the fold of the paper. His text is, “ Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ” (yea, perhaps better) ; and in his own handwriting there is a list of his appointments, namely: “Ye lower Church;” “Ye Court House ; ” “ Ye little Fort church ; ” “ Mt Poney church ; ” “ Buck Run church.” One would scarcely suppose he had time for love-making, but his first letter to “ Lady Butler Spotswood ” is big with suggestion of a mind filled with sentimental as well as religious purpose : —

MADAM, — I send you my servant ye bearer according to promise hoping he will prove useful to you in reaping your harvest or in any other business you may have occasion to put him to. Madam I am extremely sorry to find your thoughts should all of a sudden take such a turn, but this I ascribe more to the malevolent influence of others than to your own generous disposition.

However Dear Madam I hope you will consider my case wth. a passionate affection. Consider I say Dear Madam how ardently I adore you, yt my very life and soul is wraped up in you, yt rather than be deprived of your agreeable person, I would chuse death wth. all its terrors. 'Tis true Madam, you may chuse whether you will make me happy, but in spite of all opposition I shall ever love you most passionately. And upon all occasions will shew myself, wth ye profoundest respect, dear Madam

Your most Affectionate Humbl Servant JNO. THOMPSON.

June 20, 1741

P. S. Madam I should have waited of you, but I am necessarily obliged to ride to baptize a child.

The letters seem to prove our suspicion that Lady Spotswood must have first encouraged and then repulsed her lover, and finally have told him in plain English that she was too good for him ; for nearly a year after his first epistle he writes again, and the corpulent old letter with its broken red wax seal is the next to be unfolded. The argument it contains is, “ A preacher may marry a princess if he choose.”

The egoism in the epistle must be condoned if we remember the high stakes for which our lover was playing.

MADAM, — By diligently perusing your letter I see that there is a material argument which I ought to have answered, upon which your strongest objection to completing my happiness seems to depend, viz ; that you would incur ye censures of ye world for marrying a person of my station, by which I understand that you think it a diminution of your honour and ye dignity of your family to marry a person in the station of a Clergyman.

Now if I can make it appear that the ministerial office is an employment in its nature ye most honorable, and in its effects ye most beneficial to mankind I hope your objections will immediately vanish, yt you will keep me no longer in suspense and misery but consummate ray happiness.

I make no doubt, Madam, but yt you will readily grant, yt no man can be employed in work more honorable than what immediately relates to the King of Kings and Lord of lords, and to ye salvation of souls immortal in their nature, and redeemed by ye blood of ye Son of God.

The powers committed to their care cannot be exercised by ye greatest princes of earth, and it is the same work in kind, and ye same in ye design of it with yt of ye blessed angels, who are ministering spirits for those who shall be heirs of salvation. It is the same business yt ye Son of God discharged when he condescended to dwell among men which engages men in ye greatest acts of doing good in turning Sinners from the errors of their ways, and by all wise and prudent means in gaining souls unto God. And the faithful and diligent discharge of this holy function give a title to ye highest degree of glory in the next world, for they that be wise shall shine as ye brightness of ye firmament forever.

The Greeks accounted the priesthood with equal dignity with kingship, which is taken notice of by Aristotle in several places in his politicks. Among the Latins we have a testimony from Virgil yt at ye same time Aeneas was both priest and king. Nay Moses who was prince of Israel before Aaron was consecrated officiated as priest in the solemn sacrifice, by which ye covenant with Israel was confirmed.

And ye primitive Christians always expressed a mighty value and esteem for their clergy as plainly appears from ecclesiastical history. And even in our day, as bad as the world is, those of ye clergy who live up to ye dignity of their profession are generally reverenced and esteemed by all religious and well disposed persons. From all of which it evidently appears yt in all ages of ye world whether Jew, Heathen or Christians great honor and dignity have always been conferred upon the Clergy.

And therefore dear Madam from hence yon may infer how absurd and ridiculous those gentlemen’s notions are who would fain persuade you yt marrying with the Clergy would derogate from ye honor and dignity of your family whereas, in strict reasoning the contrary thereof would appear, and yt it would very much to support ye honour and dignity.

Of this I hope you will be better convinced when you consider the titles of honour and respect yt are given to those who are invested with ye ministerial functions as are amply displayed in ye Scriptures.

Those invested with that character are called ye ministers of Christ, ye Stewards of mysteries of God, to whom have been committed the word of reconciliation, ye glory of Christ &c. And then it is moreover declared, that whosoever despiseth them despiseth not man but GOD.

All which titles shew that upon many accounts they stand called and appointed to God himself; and therefore if a gentleman of this sacred & honorable character should be married to a lady though of ye greater extraction & most excellent personal qualities (which I am sensible you are endowed with) it can be no disgrace to her, nor her family, nor draw ye censure of ye world upon them, for such an action. And therefore, dear Madam your argument being refuted you can no-longer consistently refuse to consummate my happiness.

JOHN THOMPSON.

May 1742.

But instead of inducing the Lady to relent, this argument seems to have filled her with indignation; though her counselors, I dare say, were in part responsible for the following sharp letter : —

To THE REV. MR. THOMPSON.

SR, — I had almost let a resolution never to converse with you agan in this manner or indeed in any other for I think its to very little Purpose to make use of repetitions in such a case, its certain, two years is a sufficient space of time for any person to know their own mind. [The love-making must have begun in a very short time after Governor Spotswood’s demise.] I have often told mine to little purpose, and assure you Sr, have no thoughts of marrying as my affairs are at this times circumstanced

I am sorry to find Finlason and you have had words, being sensible such things take air and in the end may turn out to your disadvantage in ye thoughts of a people who are Strangers to honour or Generous principles. This is all I have to offer except desiring you to desist from any further pretensions to me than those of friendship which will oblige Sr. in a particular manner her who is yr. Humbl: Servant

B. SPOTSWGOD.

July 29. 1742.

No one can say that the following answer is not full of dignified resignation:

HONOURED MADAM, — May ready success still meet yr. honourable designs. May the sincerity of yr. friends prove worthy of yr. innocent confidence in them. May ye charms of your body be as lasting as those of your mind. And may no pain interrupt your ease nor misfortune yr. felicity.

But should I follow the dictates of my heart whilst it is pouring out blessings upon you I might tire YOU, but never ye zeal of my love.

Having thus made ye Will of dying hopes I will trouble you no longer but let them in silence expire. From Madam Your faithful Serv’t.

JOHN THOMPSON.

This proud relinquishment of his hopes perhaps alarmed the Lady, for at once she addresses the following letter of solicitous tone : —

To REV. JOHN THOMPSON.

Sr. — Mr. Rose came according to expectation, and set out on Friday at 4 o’clock with Mr. Camell for his quarter. He is to preach for Hartwell at ye Court House this day and expect him here again at 5 or 6 o clock this evening to meet Mr. Benger.²

They both intend to stay at Germanna until Wednesday next. I have not heard one word of the affair. I have writ you a letter yt was proposed but care not to trust it in this manner, so yt you must defer yr. intended journey until I can see you. You have a very good excuse, for it is too hot, and unfit to Travel, and there is a necessity for my speaking with you upon the subject of the letter. This is all I have to offer but that I am as usual

Your Friend and Humbl. Serv’t

B. SPOTS WOOD.

P. S. I have enclosed your Sermon as an excuse for THIS.

Our widow was a trifle sly. John Thompson perceived in this symptom a weakening of purpose; again he writes :

HONOURED Madam,—You must either give up your cause or else acknowledge yourself guilty of great insincerity and ye most monstrous ingratitude and execrable cruelty.

But I would fain persuade myself yt cruelty and ingratitude can never harbour long in so serene a breast as yours, & yt this storm will soon be over, that so your heavenly graces may shine forth with greater lustre and again admit to favour Madam

Your most faithful &

affectionate Serv’t

JOHN THOMPSON.

Now comes a broken bit of parchment:

“ Witness this document that in the year of our Saviour 1742, on the ninth of November I joined in Matrimony Mr. Thompson with the lady Butler.

“ Signed the same year and day.

“ JAMES MARYE,

“ Rector of St. George’s Parish in Spotsylvania County.”

The next letter unfolded has scribbled upon it, “ The copy of a letter to my Father.”

HONOURED AND DEAR SIR. — Being sensible of ye respect due from a child to a parent ... I hold myself in duty bound to acquaint you wth all ye occurrences of my life, but more especially wth those yt bear a propitious aspect, & therefore make bold to inform you of my different scene of life, having changed my former state for that of wedlock and am entirely happy with a lady of most exquisite and amiable qualities, of an ancient and honourable family who was formerly married to Colonel Spotswood, late Governor of Virginia who at his death left behind him four children (two boys & two girls) extraordinarily well provided for. To his eldest son he left lands, Iron Works &c, in value about £2000 sterling per annum, to his youngest son £3000 sterling, and to ye girls £2025 sterling each, and to his lady (now my wife) a jointure of £500 sterling per annum, one half of which before my marriage with my consent she settled upon her children. The other we reserved to ourselves as a competent maintenance.

We all live together ye mansion house being in my parish & shall until the heir come to age who was 17 last Christmas. I received Brother Robert’s letter dated ye 28th of May & shall take care the next opportunity to answer it. In ye mean time give my sincere love to him & to all my brothers & sisters. I shall ever remain with ye profoundest respect Dr. Parent

Your most dutiful & obedient son JNO. THOMPSON.

June ye 9th 1743.

Beneath the letters and the diary is a tiny parcel in crumpled paper. Unfolding it carefully, we bring to light a nest of flashing red stones. Did they fall from a golden horseshoe ?

Sally Nelson Robins.