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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from William Tryon to Richard Terrick
Tryon, William, 1729-1788
April 30, 1767
Volume 07, Pages 456-457

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[From Tryon's Letter Book.]
Letter from Governor Tryon to The Right Reverend Richard, Lord
Bishop of London

Brunswick the 30th April 1767.

I was honored the 5th of January last with your Lordship's letter bearing date the 17th September 1766: When Mr Stuart arrives with the recommendation from the Society for Propagating the Gospel I shall follow your Lordship's inclinations: I must beg leave to observe there is a young clergyman under like circumstances with Mr Stuart, He has produced letters of ordination from Doctr Edward Willis, Bishop of Bath and Wells who by coming out of the west of England at the invitation of a principal merchant here trading to Bristol, was ignorant of the necessity of getting a license from your Lordship to perform the duty of his office in America. He has been resident of Wilmington upwards of one year and has given general satisfaction to all. From the amiable manner in which he has conducted himself, I have contracted an esteem for him, therefore hope I shall meet with your Lordship's concurrence for my giving him letters of Presentation. The establishment of a minister dependant on the caprice of a Vestry is too precarious a device for the option of any man of real merit; therefore without this indulgence I imagine Mr Wills will return home. I have wrote this day to Doctr Burton, Secretary to the Society, and sent inclosed a state of the ministers now in this province, to which letter I desire leave to refer your Lordship.

I have the honor to transmit to you the mode of presentation and induction I have observed since the Clergy Bill passed, with the directions for the person who inducted the ministers, all which I submit to your Lordship's amendment. I also inclose to you my Lord an Act concerning marriages passed last session of Assembly; My reasons for passing that Act are stated at large in my correspondence to the Board of Trade.

The Reverend Mr Fiske brought over letters of ordination and licence from your Lordship for which indulgence do me the honor to accept of my acknowledgements. Your caution in granting liberty for the clergy to execute their functions in this young colony is of the most essential importance, for as those of useful abilities and exemplary

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morals will draw down blessings on all those they watch over; so such who are deficient in the one and careless in the other will leave their parishioners in a worse state than they found them by giving a sanction to that disregard which is so generally shewn by a neglect of public worship

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