2. Key questions to consider…
• Has the church always been small? If so, why? (geography, politics,
economic development, etc.)
• Think about the relationship between the Presbyterians and the
Episcopalians…. If many of the first wardens and vestrymen were
dissenters ( not devout Anglicans), wouldn’t they have mostly transferred
their loyalty to a Presbyterian church? Who was left?
• What individuals and families have been most responsible for the growth
and survival of this church?
• What important events and political context framed the church’s history?
3. Timeline leading to the Botetourt Parish
• 1738 – decision by the House of Burgesses to allow non-Anglicans into the western
territory…to provide a buffer against the French and Indians.
• 1740’s - flood of eager landowners
• 1748 – Augusta County established ( Staunton, county seat)
• 1754 – 1763 - French and Indian War
• 1763 – King’s Proclamation
• 1764-1770 - continued uncertainty over land claims
• 1770 – Botetourt County is formed…Fincastle becomes county seat…
7. • With the demise of Fincastle County on December 31, 1776, Botetourt
Parish was split into four parishes to conform with the boundaries of the
counties of Botetourt, Montgomery, Washington, and Kentucky, formed
January 1, 1777.
12. Diocese of Virginia in decline…
The sad state of the church during this period is reflected in
the records of the annual General Convention of the Diocese
which shows that attendance steadily declined from
a high of 101 in 1785 to a low of 16 in 1813.
15. Some things we know, and some
things we’re not so sure about…
In 1956, Tiffany’s declared it to be from the time of George II.
In 2011, Bob Miller, of Ken Farmer Auctions, concluded that it was
from the Victorian era
19. Work to be done….
1) Seek information from church families
2) Seek information from other churches
3) Gather copies of other histories relating to Botetourt Co.
4) Other???