2005-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2005
Reverend John Alexander was hired to be minister of the Church of England for St. Barnabas Parrish in Hertford County NC from 1769 to 1771. His attorney, Thomas Jones of Edenton, alleges in this legal document of 23 Sept. 1771, which is directed at the Church Wardens and Derbymen of St. Barnabas, that unless Rev. Alexander is paid the salary due him for this period, the case will be brought before the Superior Court in Edenton the following month. The Church of England represented the official state religion of the colonies, with the parrish boundaries being coextent with that of the secular county system. In this regard, both St. Barnabas Parrish and Hertford County itself were formed in 1759, with the Parrish disappearing in 1776, when the new state constitution disestablished the Church of England's role in public life. Given the strong anti-British feeling already beginning to grow during the time period of Reverend Alexander's appointment, it is not surprising that financial problems ensued, particularly given the sparsely populated nature of this Parrish (only 900 white taxables in 1767). Ironically, Thomas Jones, Rev. Alexander's attorney in this case and the author of this writ, proved to be a leader of the revolutionary movement in Chowan County (in which Edenton resides) and is actually credited with being one of the primary authors of the State Constitution in 1776. Also ironic is the fact that Hertford County, itself, was named for the Marquis of Hertford, an English nobleman who was associated with pro-liberty actions on behalf of the colonies.
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