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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from John Boyd to Edmund Gibson
Boyd, John
April 12, 1735
Volume 04, Page 7

[From North Carolina Letter Book of S. P. G.]

North West Parish No Carolina
April 12th 1735

My Lord [Bishop of London]

Upon my coming here I waited upon Govr Burrington & delivered a Letter directed to him from the Honble Society, he received me very kindly and promised to do me all the service lay in his power. From thence I went up into the Country & agreed with the Vestry of North West parish in Albemarle County for 10 months reserving 2 months for visiting the other parts of the Country they were to pay me £400 of their currency, (which at 10 for 1 is not at par with sterling) & I have not yet received 50 The parish I live in is of a vast extent being upwards of 100 miles in length & 50 in breadth I preached in 7 different places which obliges me to ride every month 260 miles I have baptized about a thousand infants and 30 adults. The first time I administered the blessed sacrament of the Supper I had only four communicants the last time 20

We have as yet no church or Chapel in this parish but since my comng the parishioners have raised by private subscriptions enough to build four. We are very happy in having no different sects or opinions in this part of the Country but I have great reason to complain of a Laodecean luke warmness immorality but lower down in the Country there are a great many Quakers and Anabaptists in my last journey I had a great many of them as my Auditors & I baptized 5 adults that formerly professed Quakerism & I believe were there a minister settled among them they would mostly come over to the Church & a better way of thinking.

There are 2 ministers in the more southern parts Mr Garsia from Virginia in pamphire [Pamlico?] & Mr Marsden in Cape fair.

I never could get any of the library that was left here by Dr Newnam.

I am my lord & c.
JOHN BOYD