History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ...

DESCENDANTS OF PETER MONTAGUE. 55
erable land along the river in Lancaster as early as 165 1 or 2 can
scarcely admit of a doubt, though the records that are preserved at
Lancaster do not show it. Jan'y 16, 1658, he was granted 200 acres
on the Rappahannock river [Va. Land Office Book 4, p. 340] and
this is the last recorded purchase he ever made. He had now
become a large land owner and a leading citizen of the Colony, a
man of intelligence, of moral worth and of influence. He represented
the County of Lancaster in the Assembly [House of Burgesses] from
165 1 to 1658. [See Hist, of Va. by R. R. Howson, p. 309-310.]
"In 1657-58, he represented the County of Lancaster in the House
of Burgesses at James City."—See Hen. Stat., Vol. 1, p. 431.
Failing health at this time no doubt was the cause of his resigning his
official duties in that capacity. In his will, dated March, 1659, he
says he is " weak of body but of perfect memory." He was a member
of the Established Church, and the absence of church records will
not prevent the fact being recorded here—that he was a leading-
member, prominent in all good works, one of the founders of the
church in Virginia.
" There were two parishes in Lancaster on the
north side of the river, St. Marys and Christ Church. The White
Chapel Church was in the parish of St. Marys. These two parishes
were afterward united into that of Christ Church, Lancaster. The
first vestry book known was dated 1654. The church was completed
in 1670 under the direction of Mr. John Carter, the great ancestor of
many bearing that name in Va. The present church, built upon the
same spot by Mr. Robert Carter [known as King Carter] son of John
and was completed in 1732. In 1654 Rev. Samuel Cole was the
minister of this church, [the same who was minister in Middlesex in
1664] he was at that time the minister for the whole Co. both sides
of the river. After him the Rev. Andrew Jackson was minister, and
he was succeeded by Rev. John Bell, who was minister from 17 13 to
1743. Rev. David Currie succeeded him until his death in 179 1,
nearly fifty years. From 1796 to 1805 Rev. Daniel McNaughton
was minister and James Ball, William Montague, and Martin Shearman
were lay delegates. In 1732 a new church was built upon the
site of the old one and was standing in 1857 in good state of preser-
vation, being very solidly built, the walls three feet thick. The first
White Chapel church was torn down, the present one was built in
1740. In 1724, Mr. Bell, who had been their minister for twelve
years, informs the Bishop of London that there were three hundred