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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Alexander Stewart to Daniel Burton [Extract]
Stewart, Alexander, 1725-1772
March 20, 1763
Volume 06, Pages 976-977

[From North Carolina Letter Book. S. P. G.]
Mr. Stewart to the Secretary (Extract.)

Bath, North Carolina, March 20, 1763.

Revd Sir:

As the time for my writing again draws nigh and there may not be another opportunity again of writing for some months, I make bold to inform the Society that the state of my Parish is much as when I wrote last, and that I baptized since the date of my last 29 white and 7 Black children, and administered the Sacrament to 76 persons, I observed to the Society likewise, the division of my

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Parish and the upper part of it, now Pitt County, having lately employd a person who calls himself a Presbyterian Minister. My attendance there has not been thought so necessary this winter; one thing I would recommend to the Society, and hope they will not take it amiss, to be cautious of recommendations from No. Carolina, for many, it is probable, will be the attempts to impose on them, the Person whom I mentioned above is a native of Ireland. Educated as he says at Shrewsbury, calls himself John Alexander, and says he had a Presbyterian Congregation in the north of Ireland, from whom he had liberty 3 years to travel thro' America. He is between 25 and 30 years of age, tho' he calls himself younger, a small man and marked with the Small Pox. He wrought upon the People so much in Pitt County that they were preparing a recommendation for him to the Bishop of London and the Society and I had many enemies because I refused to sign the recommendation, but he discovered himself by his unguardedness and overhot temper too soon, and by that means stopped their proceedings. I thought proper to mention this to the Society, lest the same person should obtain letters recommendatory either from the South part of this Province where it is probable he will attempt it, or from South Carolina, for it is certain, he is an unworthy person. The Laws of this Country being repealed, the assembly rather than give the Episcopal Ministers a seat in their vestries, have made no vestry act, so that at present tho' the Law ascertains a Salary to the Orthodox Clergy, yet as there is no Vestry to lay a tax for that purpose, we must serve for the Society's bounty, and how insufficient that is to maintain a family in this Colony, every one that knows it must be a judge of.

I am, Reverend Sir,
The Society's dutiful and your Obdt Servt
ALEX: STEWART,

Missy at St. Thom., Bath Town.