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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Charles Ebenezer Taylor to Daniel Burton [Extract]
Taylor, Charles E.
August 24, 1772
Volume 09, Pages 325-327

[N. C. Letter Book. S. P. G.]
Revd Mr Taylor to the Secretary. (Extract.)

No. Hampton County
No. Carolina
August 24th '72

Reverend Sir,

I wrote you an account last fall of my being at that time in St George's Parish Northampton County in order to make a Trial of it, as well to be acquainted with the parish as to give them a knowledge of my conduct and abilities that there might no dissatisfaction arise hereafter on account of our being unacquainted. I now inform you that having made a trial of 10 months, and approving of the parish, the vestry and people unanimously agreed to recommend me to the Governor for Induction. I have not yet waited upon His Excellency having been so closely engaged in the Spring, as I had a very sick parish, and been under a necessity of riding for some months together upwards of 130 miles per Week, my parish as I informed you in my last being very extensive. Thank God, people are in general pretty healthy at present, but the weather is, and has been so extremely hot, that I find it sufficient to give my own parish

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due attendance; I expect however, an opportunity of seeing the Governor in October, who has gone up to Hillsborough to spend the Summer, and purposes returning this way home.

I am extremely happy in my Parish having the united affections of the People. The Vestry have not yet purchased a Glebe as they have been at great expence in building 2 new Churches and repairing and enlarging the others since my coming here, I have rented a Plantation in the centre of the parish, that I may be as convenient as possible to my churches.

In my last I acquainted you with there being a great many Dissenters in this part of the country. I don't know what they call themselves, some term them Anabaptists, some New Light Baptists, and others Baptists. I have talked with some of their preachers, who are surprisingly ignorant, and pretend to Illumination and assurances, they are so obstinately and wilfully ignorant themselves and teach their fellows to be so too, that they will hearken to no reason whatever, but are obstinately bent to follow their own absurd Notions. They increase surprisingly in Virginia, and in some parts of Carolina, but I bless God they rather decrease in my parish. Multitudes of them having left their Teachers are constant attendants at my Churches. We have a few Quakers in this Parish but they are no way troublesome.

In my last I acquainted you, that from the 19th July to the 29th September I baptized in my parish: 60 White Infants, 29 Black Infants, and 38 Black Adults, from thence to the date hereof, I have baptized in my own parish: 2 white adults, a Quaker and one who had been brought up a New Light Baptist, but never initiated into their profession by their method of plunging, 112 white Infants, 46 Black infants, 55 Black Adults, who seem to be very desirous of instruction in their duty. I have administered the Sacrament twice-round my parish, which is eight times in the year and had the first time 51 Communicants at the different churches, and the last time 63. I took a Journey this Summer to St Mary's parish, Edgecombe County which has been some time vacant by the resignation of Mr John Burgess. I travelled 219 miles in the space of 6 Days and preached 4 Sermons in that County, and baptized 159 white and 4 black infants the 3 first days, the last day being very rainy, no children were brought, the People in that County are in general Poor and the parish so extensive that they have little probability of a Minister's settling

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amongst them, there are many parishes in that part of the Country in the same unhappy situation.

In my last I acquainted you that there was great want of Parish Books here for the 4 churches and I presumed so far upon the Society's good nature as to request the favor of them for the parish, as I imagine they would be made as good use of here as in any parish that has been favored with such a present. For my own part a few Books would be of great utility as you know my circumstances in England would not admit of my procuring many. I humbly beg my duty and service to the honorable and laudable society and I shall always use my weak endeavours to promote the laudable design in this part of the Country, and that God may prosper their handy work in all parts of the World shall ever be the prayers of their most obedient humble Servant, and

Yours &c
C. E. TAYLOR