been erected above fourteen or fifteen years from this time, (1740); the place is a new settlement, generally settled with people from Ireland, as all our congregations in Pennsylvania, except two or three, chiefly are made up of people from that kingdom." This congregation therefore must have been settled previously to the year 1726.

After the choice locations in Pennsylvania and Maryland were filled up, the emigrants crossed the Potomac, and stretched rapidly to the Catawba, along the frontiers in Virginia and North Carolina. Great efforts were made by the civil authorities, in Virginia, to induce these adventurous people to take their residence in the vast wilderness of the "Ancient Dominion." The protection of the frontiers was an object of legislation at an early period. In 1664, in order to prevent those murders, which the weakness of remote settlements invited from the savages, it was ordered "that noe person shall hereafter seate above the plantations already seated, but with forceable hands well armed, at his first setting down." In the year 1679, the Legislature determined to build four houses for garrisons, on-"the heads of the ffower greate rivers,―att the head of Potomack river, Nicapico near Occoquon,-att the head of Rappahannock,―att the head of the Mattapony at or above the Indian townes,-att the head of James River, on the South side, above Capt. William Bird's;—and that every forty tithables within this colony be assessed and obleged to fitt out and sett forth one able and sufficient man and horse with furniture well and completely armed with a case of good pistols, carbine or short gunn, and a sword." This law was found inadequate, and was soon repealed, and the defence of the country committed to a company of Rangers. The same year encouragement was given to individuals to plant villages ;—" Major Lawrence Smith will settle or seate, at or near the place on the Rappahannock River, where the ffort was built the yeare 1676, and have in readiness upon all occasions, at beate of drum, ffifty able men well armed, in defence of the inhabitants of Rappahannoc." The conditions was that he should "seate" two hundred men, besides the fifty soldiers, within the space of one mile along the bank of the river, and one fourth of a mile back from the river's edge, over whom he should exercise military authority. For these things he was to have about fourteen thousand acres of land lying along the river five and a half miles in length and four miles in breadth. An agreement was made by William Bird for a military colony, at the falls on James River, in consideration of a tract of land lying each side of the falls, about five miles in length and four in breadth. In 1701, large bodies of land, from ten to thirty thousand acres with exemption from taxes for twenty years, to compa

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nies settling on the frontiers,-on conditions, that there should be, in two years, on the land, one able bodied well armed man ready for defence, for every five hundred acres; and that these should live in a village of two hundred acres area, in the form of a square or parallelogram, laid off in lots near the centre of the tract; and that a fort should be built in the centre of the town. In 1705 it was enacted that every person, male or female, coming into the colony, for the purpose of making settlement, be entitled to fifty acres of land: families to have fifty acres for each member; no persons possessing less than five tithable servants or slaves, were permitted to take more than five hundred acres; and no persons whatever were to take up more than four thousand acres in one patent. These laws did not produce the effect designed. Villages did not spring up along the frontier as had been expected.

The settlements in the Valley of Virginia were not made in consequence of these laws, whose provisions were offensive. They were effected principally by the labours of three individuals to whom Governor Gooch made grants of extensive tracts of land, on condition that within a given time a certain number of permanent settlers should be located on the grants; Burden in Rockbridge County, Beverly in Augusta, and the Vanmeters on Opeckon in Frederick. Great efforts were made by these gentlemen to persuadé emigrants from Europe. and also from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, to take their residence in the Valley of the Shenandoah. Advertisements, describing in glowing terms the beauty and fertility of the valley, and offering a home to the poor emigrant on easy terms, were sent abroad in every direction, and attracted the attention of the hard working tenants in England, Ireland and Germany, to whom the offer of a farm in fee simple was the offer of wealth.

Joist Hite having obtained the grant of the Vanmeters, came in the year 1732, with sixteen families from Pennsylvania, and fixed his residence on the Opeckon, a few miles south of the present town of Winchester, on the Great Valley route, at a place now in possession of the Barton family. His three sons in law, Bowman Chrisman and Froman went a few miles further south. Peter Stephens took his residence where Stephensburg, Newtown, now is. The other families were scattered on Cedar Creek and Crooked Run. This was the first regular settlement west of the Blue Ridge in Virginia. From this time the emigration to the Valley of the Shenandoah, and to the region at the eastern base of the Blue Ridge, was rapid.

Michael Woods, from Ireland came in the year 1734 and settled at Henderson's quarter near Wood's Gap, in Albemarle. Three sons and three sons in law came with him and settled near. One of the sons in law, William Wallace, took his resi

dence on Mechums river, in Albemarle, and his descendants occupy in part the possessions of their ancestor. These were the founders of Mountain Plain Congregation.

In the same year Richard Morgan led a company to the neighbourhood of Shephendown on the Cohongoroton or Potomac, in Jefferson County. Among the families that came with him we find the names of Harper, Stroop, Forrester, Friend, Swearingen, Forman, Lucas, Lemon, Mercer, Stockton, Buckles, Taylor, and Wright.

About the year 1735 William Hoge removed from Pennsylvania and settled on the Opeckon, about three miles south of Winchester. Opeckon meeting house stands upon his track of land. The families of Glass, Vance, Allen, Colvin, White, and others soon joined him and formed the Opeckon Congregation, the oldest Congregation West of the Blue Ridge.

About this time a settlement was made on Cub Creek in Charlotte County, and one on Buffalo Creek in Prince Edward, by the influence of Mr. Caldwell; the former was then in Lunenberg and the latter in Amelia. This was followed in quick succession by settlements at Concord and Hat Creek in Campbell County; and Rockfish, in Nelson County, then a part of Albemarle.

About the year 1738 the Congregations of Tinkling Spring, Stone Church and Mossy Creek, in Augusta County; all forming the Congregation of the Triple Forks of Shenandoah took their beginning.

Soon after, the Congregation of Timber Ridge, Forks of James in Rockbridge, and the Congregation of Back Creek in Berkeley County, were commenced.

On the South Branch of Potomac, in Hardy County, settlements commenced about the year 1735; and soon after on the Cacopon, in Hardy and Hampshire Counties.

Cedar Creek, in Frederick County was first occupied by the sons in law of Joist Hite in 1732. But about the time that Opeckon was settled numerous families came to the creek, and formed a Congregation. Cedar Creek and Opeckon have always been united in their pastoral relations.

In about ten or twelve years from the settlement of Opeckon, which was 1735, Presbyterian Congregations of Irish origin, more or less direct, had been settled, at Falling Waters, in Berkeley; Elk Branch and Bull Skin in Jefferson; Peeked Mountain in Rockingham; North Mountain and the Pastures in Augusta; New Providence in Rockbridge; and Roanoke in Botetourt; all in the Valley of Virginia. The Congregations East of the Ridge were greatly enlarged; though the fertile Valley allured the greater number of Emigrants.

"The people of Potomoke in Virginia" mentioned in the

minutes of the Synod of Philadelphia for the year 1719, must have had their residence somewhere East of the Blue Ridge. And though reported as having been "put in Church order," no other mention is made of them on the records of Synod, nor can any certain information be gathered respecting them. It is supposed they had their residence in Fauquier or Loudon. The families that formed the greater part of the Settlements, moved in companies, and fixed their residences in neighbourhood, for the purpose of defence against the dangers of the wilderness, gratifying their social feelings, and enjoying the privileges of religious worship. The number of emigrants became so large, and their desire for the ordinances of religion was so strong, that the subject was brought before the Synod of Philadelphia in the year 1738. On Friday, May 26th—“Upon the supplication of John Caldwell, in behalf of himself and many families of our persuasion, who are about to settle in the back parts of Virginia, desiring that some members of the Synod may be appointed to wait on that Government to solicit their favour in behalf of our interest in that place:-overtured, That according to the purport of the supplication, the Synod appoint two of their number to go and wait upon the Governour and Council of Virginia, with suitable instructions in order to procure the favour and countenance of the Government of that province to the laying a foundation of our interest in the back parts thereof, where considerable numbers of families of our persuasion are settling, and that something be allowed out of our fund to bear the charges of said brethren, who shall be appointed, and that also provision be made for supplying the congregations of said brethren during their absence from them while prosecuting that affair: and that Messrs. Robert Cross, Anderson, Conn and Orme, prosecute said affair; and that Messrs. Thompson Dickinson and Pemberton prepare instructions for the said brethren, and write a letter in the name of the Synod to said Government, to be brought in and approved by the Synod-and it is further overtured that these brethren be allowed a discretionary power of using what money they have occasion for, to bear their expenses in a manner suitable to this design being accountable to the Synod for their conduct in this whole affair. Approved nemine contradicente.'

On Tuesday 30th, the following letter was presented and approved-"To the Honourable William Gooch Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Virginia, the humble address of the Presbyterian ministers convened in Synod, May 30th, 1738. May it please your Honour, we take leave to address you in behalf of a considerable number of our brethren who are meditating a settlement in the remote parts of your

Government, and are of the same persuasion as the Church of Scotland. We thought it our duty to acquaint your Honour with this design, and to ask your favour in allowing them the liberty of their consciences, and of worshipping God in a way agreeable to the principles of their Education. Your Honour is sensible that those of our profession in Europe have been remarkable for their inviolable attachment to the house of Hanover, and have upon all occasions manifested an unspotted fidelity to our gracious Sovereign, King George, and we doubt not but these our brethren will carry the same loyal principles to the most distant settlements, where their lot may be cast, which will ever influence them to the most dutiful submission to the Government which is placed over them. This we trust will recommend them to your Honours countenance and protection, and merit the free enjoyment of their civil and religious liberties. We pray for the divine blessing upon your persons and Government, and beg leave to subscribe ourselves your Honours most humble and obedient servants.'

The next year, Monday the 28th of May,-"Mr. Anderson reports that in compliance with an order of Synod, last year, he had waited upon the Governor of Virginia, with the Synod's address, and received a favourable answer, the substance of which is contained in a letter from the Governor to the Moderator of the Synod, which is as follows:-Sir: By the hands of Mr. Anderson, I received an address signed by you, in the name of your brethren of the Synod of Philadelphia. And as I have been always inclined to favour the people who have lately removed from other provinces to settle on the western side of our great mountains: So you may be assured that no interruption shall be given to any minister of your profession, who shall come among them, so as they conform themselves to the rules prescribed by the Act of Toleration in England, by taking the oaths enjoined thereby, and registering the place of their meeting, and behave themselves peaceably towards the government. This you may please to communicate to the Synod as an answer to theirs.

Your most humble servant,
WILLIAM GOосH.

"Mr. Anderson reports that his journey to Virginia cost fifteen pounds,—which the Synod allows out of the fund.”

The John Caldwell named in this transaction was grandfather to the Hon. John Caldwell Calhoun of South Carolina. The colony he was the means of introducing laid the foundation of Cub Creek-in Charlotte,-Buffaloe, and Walker's Church in