Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian: A Plantation Tutor of the Old Dominion, 1773-1774.. Fithian Philip Vickers
href="#n86" type="note">[86]– His eldest Son, who seems to be a Boy of Genius and application is to be sent to Cambridge University, but I believe will go through a course either in Philadelphia or Princeton College first. As to what is commonly said concerning Virginia that it is difficult to avoid being corrupted with the manners of the people, I believe it is founded wholly in a mistaken notion that persons must, when here frequent all promiscuous assemblies; but this is so far from truth that any one who does practise it, tho' he is accused of no crime, loses at once his character; so that either the manners have been lately changed, or the report is false, for he seems now to be best esteemed and most applauded who attends to his business, whatever it be, with the greatest diligence. I believe the virginians have of late altered their manner very much, for they begin to find that their estates by even small extravagance, decline, and grow involved with debt, this seems to be the spring which induces the People of fortune who are the pattern of all behaviour here, to be frugal, and moderate. You may expect me at home by the permission of Providence the latter end of april next, or the beginning of May; and as I proposed I shall present my exercises for the examination of the Presbytery; and if they think proper I shall gladly accept of a licence in the fall: I must beg your favour to mention me to such of my acquaintances in Deerfield as you think proper, but especially to Mrs Green, Miss Betsy, your family, and Mrs Pecks – I must also beg you to transmit so much of this intelligence to Mr Hunter as that my relations in Greenwich may know that I am through the mercy of heaven in good health. I beg, Sir, you will not fail to write, and let it be known to Mr Hunter, that a letter will come as secure by the Post as from Cohansie to Philadelphia; the Letters are to be directed to me thus, To Mr Philip V. Fithian at Mr Carters of Nominy, to be left at Hobes Hole[87]
I am, Sir, yours
Thursday 2.
Busy in School.
Fryday 3.
Busy in School. Expence to Boy for trimming my Horse half a Bit. Evening after School walked in the fields with Mrs Carter, Miss Carter, and Miss Nancy.
Saturday 4.
About Eleven Ben and I rode to Mr Lees walked over a Part of his Farm; from his House we see the Potowmack, and a fine River putting from it. We returned in the Evening, found Mr Fantleroy, and Mr Walker at Home; at Supper I had the pleasure to toast in my turn Miss Corbin – But I meant the absent Laura!
Sunday 5.
Rode to Richmond upper Church, a Polite Assembly; Mr Gibbern gave us a Sermon on, O Death I will be thy Plague &c., a warm discourse Dined at Home.
Monday 6.
Mr Walker left us after Breakfast. Busy in School.
Teusday 7.
Mr Stadley Miss Priscilla's Music Master arrived this morning – He performed several peices on the Violin. Expence for an Orange half a Bit.
Wednesday 8.
Miss Priscilla with her Music Master, they performed together to day —
Thursday 9.
Mr Stadley left us. Busy in School.
Fryday 10.
Miss Nancy is beginning on the Guitar. Ben finished reading Salusts Cataline Conspiracy.
Saturday 11.
Rode and Dined with Captain Walker – Saw and dined with Miss Simpson & Mr Warden.[88]
Sunday 12.
Rode to Nominy-Church, parson Smith preached 15 minutes – Advertisement at the Church door dated Sunday Decemr 12th Pork to be sold to-morrow at 20/. per Hundred – dined with us to day Captain Walker. Colonel Richd Lee,[89] & Mr Lanclot Lee. sat after Dinner till Sunset, drank three Bottles of Medaira, two Bowls of Toddy! —
Monday 13.
Mr Carter is preparing for a Voyage in his Schooner, the Hariot,[90] to the Eastern Shore in Maryland, for Oysters: there are of the party, Mr Carter, Captain Walker, Colonel Richd Lee, & Mr Lancelot Lee. With Sailors to work the vessel – I observe it is a general custom on Sundays here, with Gentlemen to invite one another home to dine, after Church; and to consult about, determine their common business, either before or after Service – It is not the Custom for Gentlemen to go into Church til Service is beginning, when they enter in a Body, in the same manner as they come out; I have known the Clerk to come out and call them in to prayers. – They stay also after the Service is over, usually as long, sometimes longer, than the Parson was preaching – Almost every Lady wears a red Cloak; and when they ride out they tye a white handkerchief over their Head and face, so that when I first came into Virginia, I was distress'd whenever I saw a Lady, for I thought She had the Tooth-Ach! – The People are extremely hospitable, and very polite both of which are most certainly universal Characteristics of the Gentlemen in Virginia – some swear bitterly, but the practise seems to be generally disapproved – I have heard that this Country is notorious for Gaming, however this be, I have not seen a Pack of Cards, nor a Die, since I left home, nor gaming nor Betting of any kind except at the Richmond-Race. Almost every Gentleman of Condition, keeps a Chariot and Four; many drive with six Horses – I observe that all the Merchants & shopkeepers in the Sphere of my acquaintance and I am told it is the case through the Province, are young Scotch-Men; Several of whom I know, as Cunningham, Jennings, Hamilton, Blain; – And it has been the custom heretofore to have all their Tutors, and Schoolmasters from Scotland, tho' they begin to be willing to employ their own Countrymen – Evening Ben Carter and myself had a long dispute on the practice of fighting – He thinks it best for two persons who have any dispute to go out in good-humour & fight manfully, & says they will be sooner and longer friends than to brood and harbour malice – Mr Carter is practising this Evening on the Guittar He begins with the Trumpet Minuet. He has a good Ear for Music; a vastly delicate Taste; and keeps good Instruments, he has here at Home a Harpsichord, Forte-Piano, Harmonica,[91] Guittar, Violin, & German Flutes, & at Williamsburg, has a good Organ, he himself also is indefatigable in the Practice.
Teusday 14.
Busy in School – The Weather vastly fine! There has been no Rain of consequence, nor any stormy or disagreeable Weather, since about the 10th of last Month! From the Window, by which I write, I have a broad, a diversified, and an exceedingly beautiful Prospect of the high craggy Banks of the River Nominy! Some of those huge Hills are cover'd thick with Cedar, & Pine Shrubs; A vast quantity of which seems to be in almost every part of this Province – Others are naked, & when the Sun Shines look beautiful! At the Distance of about 5 Miles is the River Potowmack over which I can see the smoky Woods of Maryland; At this window I often stand, and cast my Eyes homeward with peculiar pleasure! Between my window and the potowmack, is Nominy Church, it stands close on the Bank of the River Nominy, in a pleasant agreeable place, Mr Carters family go down often, so many as can with convenience in a Boat rowed by four Men, and generally arrive as soon as those who ride.
The mouth of Nominy River where it falls into Potowmack is about 25 miles above the mouth of Potowmack or where it falls into the Chessapeak-Bay. And about 12 Miles below the mouth of Nominy the River Ucomico[92] puts up into the country, near which River, and about three miles from the mouth stands the lower parish Church of Westmorland County call'd Ucomic Church.[93] The River Potowmack opposite to us the People say is 18 miles over, but I think it is not more than 8. Afternoon Captain Grigg,[94] who arrived last Sunday moning into the River Ucomico from London visited Mr Carter. Evening reading Picteete.
Wednesday 15.
Busy
Hobb's Hole, the present town of Tappahannock, is situated on the Rappahannock River in Essex County. The town was a lively center of trade and shipping at this period.
John Warden was a young Scotsman. While a student in Edinburgh, Warden had been engaged by Dr. Walter Jones of Virginia to serve as a tutor in the family of his brother, Colonel Thomas Jones of Northumberland County. In the Jones home Warden had enjoyed exceptional advantages and he appears to have read law after coming to the colony. He later became a distinguished member of the Virginia bar.
Both Richard Lee (1726-1795), commonly called "Squire" Lee, and his cousin, Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794), who was known as "Colonel" Lee, lived on estates on the Potomac River in Westmoreland County. "Squire" Richard Lee's manor plantation was called "Lee Hall." The home of Colonel Richard Henry Lee was known as "Chantilly." A second Richard Lee, also known as "Squire Lee," and a cousin of the above mentioned persons, lived on the Potomac in Charles County, Maryland.
This schooner had been named for Carter's daughter, Harriot Lucy.
Carter described the harmonica as "the musical glasses without water, framed into a complete instrument, capable of through bass and never out of tune." Quoted in Williams, ed.,
The Yeocomico River.
Yeocomico Church.
Grigg, the captain of an English vessel, often mingled with the plantation families of the Northern Neck when he was in the colony.