[Page 1]
My Dear Sir. I had arranged to come
to Gloucester this Morning with Mr
Stevenson but my Wife is sick and
I cannot leave her. She has now
been down two days with a very
bad cold & fevers & I fear She
has also had a chill.
We have been looking for you
and your Family here for a long,
long time and have not heard from
you all since your favor advising
me of your intention to visit us
as soon as you could do so.
As I am now busily engaged in
stacking my Fodder which I have
to have at least 6 miles and
when that job is done must
commence my Wheat seeding.
I fear that I shall not have
[Page 2]
it in my power to come to Gloucester
very soon. It is now more sickly
here than it has been during
the fall. Temperance and
Odd fellowship is all the go and
otherwise things remain as usual.
With our best love to all
and hoping soon to see you,
I am,
Most truly yrs
S Jones
Octo 4. 1847.
[Page 3]
Mr. T. B. Montague
Care of Mr Stevenson Gloucester
[Page 4]
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[Page 1]
Williamsburg Octo 5th. 1849.
My dear Sir. I had quite a time of it, the
day I left your House, the Rain pour'd
down and the Wind blew tremendously before
I arrived at the Ferry - found the Boat
and hands on this Shore and the ferry
Keeper not at home - his Wife utterly
refused to make any effort, and said
it was impossible to set me over
the River. I went down on the beach
and arranged for $1.50 my own passage
and had quite a rough time of it, but
got safely over myself leaving my Horse
and Gig on your Shore and had to
send after them the next day. As
it was, I attended the Funeral, according
to promise and came up to this place
late in the Evening - found all well,
except the loss of a Beef, stolen in
my absence, a part of which had been
found before my return in one of
the Negro Cabbins of Doctor Waller. So
[Page 2]
you see what with Ferriages going &
returning, House feed, loss of Beef &c. I had
quite a profitable Trip of it.
As yet, I have not heard any thing
from the Division at King & Queen
but expect to go on the 27th according
Waller and Slater have lately disagreed,
as I understand, and Slater has his Ferry
now located at Saunders's and from
thence over to shelly or some where
in that Vicinity. Be that as it
may, I have seen him, and he has
promised that on Tomorrow he will
safely deliver to your Man at Shelly
the Wheat I promised to send you / Ten
Bushels /and my Overseer has had my
directions to see that it be sent accordingly.
[Page 3]
On yesterday I baptized One Gentleman
and two Ladies at the Grove Wharf - from
thence we repaired to Cheese Cake and
there Constituted (with the aid of
Doctor Martin and Bishop Amory)
Mount Calvary Baptist Church consisting
of seven Gentlemen and Nine Ladies.
I was unanimously elected their Pastor
so that my Labors are not likely to
diminish in this region of Country while
I remain at this place.
I hope, most sincerely, that you
will by some means or other be en
-abled to secure the valuable services of
that good brother sent you by the
Association and that the Course of the
Gloucester Baptist's will be Onward
and Upward.
With kindest Love to all, I am,
faithfully yours
In the best bond
S Jones
If the Lord permit,
I shall have quite
a baptizing on
Sunday - and on
Monday, I expect to leave home for the Association.
Some 8 or 9 Students, including those of this place, are all that have yet arrived -
The College will open on Monday - Professor Washington is with me -
He would not be denied and his Name got him here. Others I refused.
[Page 4]
Capt T. B. Montague
Gloucester C House
With Ten bags Wheat
containing one bushel each
My dear Sir.
It was not until last Night
that I resumed home from the Association
at Beulah where we had the most harmonious
and delightful Session of the body which
it was ever my good fortune to witness.
I there saw many of the Richmond Brethren
and inquired of them concerning the
Appropriation for a Missionary for
Gloucester, and just as I told you when
we were together so I found, that the
Appropriation had been made, and am
authorized to say to you that even
beyond the sum voted /$250/ the Board
is both ready and willing to go if
Necessity require. I am delighted at
this, tho' it is only what I told you
before, and the more so, as now, your
little band may safely go ahead, and
engage the Services of our good Brother Huntingdon
without incurring the least personal Risk. I
was farther informed that the Secretary of
the board had written to the effect above
stated, but lest it may not have been
recd I hasten to give you the intelligence.
There was, infact, no unwillingness to
make the Appropriation for Gloucester -
the seeming delay was occasiond by a failure
[Page 2]
on the part of some of the Members of the
board to form a Session at an earlier day.
On my return home, I found an
Invitiation (a very kind one indeed,) to attend
the Meeting at Pocoson on the 27th inst -
I wish, of course, to comply, but am not
positively certain that it will be in
my power so to do : and if I should, I am
in doubt about troubling you to take
me up, as I can go by some other rout,
and so not take you away from your business.
My new church, Mount Calvary, was
received into the Association. In my
Absence, one of my Members has died,
the same whose Marriage you attended
across the Creek some years ago, when
we had that hard fight with the
Ice. She was a good Sister and
most joyfully yielded up her Spirit
into the hands of her blessed Lord.
Brother and Sister Allen have just
written to me to go to Caroline to Preach
the Funeral of their dear little boy.
I must do it, of course - thus you
see how it is with me 3 churches
on hand and Friends far and near
claiming my Aid and Sympathy.
Among the Letters on my Desk
[Page 3]
at my return was one from a Stranger
in Amhert whom I know not, tho' he says he knew
me when he was young, statign that there
is much excitement his way about
the Brethren joining the [M]aons and
asking my Opinion as [h]e understands
that I am a Mason. Now here is, indeed,
a delicate Subject for the Pen - I must
write (if at all) about an Unwritten
Science, and to a Brother, evidently not a
little biased against Secret Societies.
Well, I shall do it, and will keep a
Copy and let you see it.
I was away 11 days and know
not the Condition of things in
my borders as I have not yet
been in the street. In my absence,
the Lord graciously preserved my
Family for which, I trust, I am
truly, tho not sufficiently, Thankful.
I have not heard a Word from
you all since I left Gloucester and
know not whether the Wheat which
I sent you was safely received.
With kindest love to all
I am, as ever,
Yrs in the best of bonds
S Jones
some 15 Students are now at College.
[Page 4]
Capt. T. B. Montague
Mail Gloucester C House
[Recto]
Shelly, Warwick County 3d May 1850
Cousin Scervant
I expect you have heard of the Death of
Bourbon Jones before this time he died on the 22d day of last
Month, he had been here Several days staying with us and went
from here to Mr D P. Curlis's where he was taken sick and died
in a few days I had a good neat Coffin made for him and put
him in the ground at William Wynne's where he always desi-
to be put, you will please inform Mr Montague of his death.
I expect from the best information I can get he has due him
about Seventy five dollars in good hands, he owes a little not
much I reckon, I suppose after paying funeral expenses &c
there will be some thirty or forty dollars left as far as I can at
present Judge, I suppose Mr Montague had better quallify on
his Estate in order to collect what is due or if he prefers that
I should quallify as it is inconvenient to him I will do so
as it is a Small Matter, I would have written to Mr Montague
but I did not know his address, remeber us to him & family
our love to you and family. Your Relation & friend in haste
Mr. S. Jones
[Verso]
Elder Scervant Jones
Williamsburg
va
Politeness of
D. P Curtis Esqr
[Page 1]
Wmsburg May 6. 1850
My dear Sir. The inclosed Letter speaks
for itself, and the sooner you come over,
or get W.S. Jones to act for you the better.
We are all tolerably well at present thank
the Lord for it, and hope that you and
yours are equally blessed. With our best
love to your Household and greatly
desiring to see them here, I am,
as ever
truly yrs.
S. Jones
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[Page 4]
Capt. T. B. Montague
Mail Gloucester C House
[Page 1]
Wmsburg June 17. 1850.
My dear Sir. Your favors have been recd
and the subject Matter of the last arranged.
Mr W. S. Jones has undertaken to collect
the debts due B. Jones and will do so
as soon as possible.
I presume that the regular
Masonic Committee here will Invite
all the Members of Lodge No 6 to
be present at the laying of the
Corner Stone of the Wmsburg Academy
on the 24th Inst. But out of abundant
caution, I now write and beg that
our Gloucester Brethren will all
be here - it is said that the
Fraternity (in great force) from
Richmond & Norfolk will attend.
Can't you bring your Family along?
With my best Love to Sarah, I am
as ever, truly yrs.
S Jones
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[Page 4]
Capt. T. B. Montague
Mail Gloucester C House
[Page 1]
My dear Sir. I presume that you
have recd mine of yesterday
requesting you to send early
on Tomorrow morng down to the
ferry at Gloucester Town for
our boys Elisha & George by
whom I now sent this note.
I need not say that both
My Wife & Self have every
Confidence that you will
do the best you can with
and for our boys. It is our
request not only that you
learn them their Books, but
also how to behave themselves,
to each other & to every body else.
Please pay special attention to
their Morals and Manners. They
have never been controled and
[Page 2]
know nothing about taking
care of their Clothes, Books,
or any thing else. I sincerely
hope that you will be able
soon, greatly to imporve them :
and to give them established habits
of propriety in all things, and
diligence in business.
Several of my Servants are
sick and I am so unwell
as scarcely to be about - but
with love to all & desiring
that you will write shortly
and let us hear how the
boys get on & how you
all are, I am, as ever,
Sincerely yrs.
S Jones
Saturday Eveng
Octo 5. 1850.
[Page 3]
T. B. Montague Esqr.
Gloucester C House
By Elisha & George Pollard
[Page 4]
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[Page 1]
Williamsburg July 31. 1851.
My dear Sir. Considering how much I have
desired to see you all since you were here,
I can scarcely realize the fact that I have
not been able to visit Gloucester during
all this year. Nor can I now say when
it will be possible for me to do so, but I
hope to come visit you some time during
the Fall. And in the mean time, you all
must come over here, as soon as your
Vacation will permit.
I went to the last York Court purely to
serve you. Your business in the hands of
W. S. Jones I had often tried to rearranged,
and the excuse was that Doctor Power
was Payor for Wright whose bond B. Jones
held. Power came very late, and did not
pay one Cent, and I do not expect the
business will be settled before some time
this Fall, when, the Bed left by Borbon,
which was sold on Credit, must be paid
for, and then, W. Jones says the whole
business shall be settled. I asked Wirt
to give you all the particulars and he promised
that he would do so.
[Page 2]
From Wirt I learned that a sweet little stranger
had appeared in your Family and that you all
were perfectly delighted with the event.
Well, be of good cheer, for I do verily believe,
that the Lord never multiplies our race
without also giving the needed supply of Corn and Oil.
My only Apology for not sooner writing &
acknowledging the rect of your esteemed favor
is, the multiplicity of my Engagements. Besides
the care of three churches, and of a large Family,
I have also two Farms to see after and one
of them at a distance of 35 or 40 miles - and
added to all this, my Health during the
whole year has been very bad until since
the Commencement of the extreme hot weather.
The only reason why my Wifes boys did
not return to your School was her great dread
that they would be sick and She forced
to Cross York River again, which She
protested She could not do. She says
and will ever say that Georges life was
saved by being sick in Gloucester, at your
House, rather than here, but still She
could not agree for them to Cross that River.
I was truly mortified as I greatly preferred your
[Page 3]
School to the one to which they were
sent. It is now Vacation here, and will be
until Octo. in which time they will, I fear, be
confirmed in idle habits.
The Family suit between Morrison, Wynne
Crafford and myself has at last been tried, and
instead of som $15.000 upon which they had
counted, I have been decreed to pay something
over $2.000. The result has made them
very wrothy and I have to pay upon Monday
the 11th. day of Augt. I must fear that I shall
not be ready as I am disappointed in receiving
aid from a quarter that I had considered most
reliable. They, the plts, will not give m[e]
any the least indulgence, and I know not but that
I shall be compelled to sell some of my Negroes.
Can you under these Circumstances procure for me
some part of th above sum, to be returned
in 60 or 90 days or sooner if the returns for
my Wheat (a good Crop both here and in NKent) be
available. If you can obtain for me, a small loan,
through Wirt, or Doctor Wiatt, or from any other Lender
and will send it to me in all [illegible] week, it will
be in time, and sall be [illegible], to the very
day designated. I should most cer[tai]nly have mentioned
this matter to Wirt at York Court, but I then thought
that my arrangements to meet this business were
fully completed. With my best love to All, I am
Very truly yrs.
S Jones
I have opened his to say, that I have this Morng.
arranged my business and shall not want
the loan.
S.J
Augt 1.
[Page 4]
T. B. Montague Esqr.
Mail Gloucester C House
[Page 1]
Wmsburg Agut 29. 1851.
My dear Sir.
May I ask the favor of you to enquire
of Doctors Wyatt & Jones the Amt of their bills apld me
on Acct of George B. Pollard my Ward? Also send me
if you please the Amt due yourself on Acct of
our boys. I wish to make some arrangemt to pay.
The Gust has done our Corn great damage over
here - indeed, I think it has injured my Crop
more than on any former Occasion within the last
20 yrs. Every thing over here is as dull as it
can well be. The great failure of Sheldon
and Maupin has injure many and cast
a gloom over the business of the place.
I am, almost the only one not affected by
the occurrence. Years ago I was pressed for
my debts, and I am now glad I was, as
the effect has been to put me far above
where I should have stood had those debts
been permitted to accumulate against me.
Still I owe some Money but with the Lords assistance
I hope the time is not distant when I shall
owe no man any thing. I am exceedingly anxious
to have a Farm on the River, to which I
might resort occasionally. Do you know
[Page 2]
on what terms, Col. Jones' place could now be
bought?
Inclosed I send an Advertisement which have the
goodness to put up for me at your C House.
A line or two, if you please, some time next week,
as I shall then leave for New Kent to stay a
short time, in order to effect a sale, if I can -
and at any rate to attend to the shipping of
my Wheat. With my love to Sarah
and the children, I am
As ever faithfully yrs
S Jones
[Page 3]
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[Page 4]
T. B. Montague Esqr.
Mail Gloucester C House