Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian: A Plantation Tutor of the Old Dominion, 1773-1774.

[Letter of Philip V. Fithian to John Lowe]Nomini Hall June 25th 1774.To Mr John Lowe. Bushfield.

Sir.

I should have waited on you immediately after my return from Philadelphia, to acquaint you with what was done in regard to the business you intrusted me with, and to return the certificate which I now send inclosed; but necessary business detain'd me for a few days at home, and when Bob was at the Dance at Mr Washingtons he informed me you proposed shortly to be here. As I expect to see you shortly I shall write nothing particular, but only inform you that your intention was considered and approved:

I am, Sir,

Your humble Servt:

Philip V Fithian[JOURNAL]

Sunday 26.

Mr Smith to Day is out of the Parish so that we have no sermon – I shut up myself therefore in my chamber to reading – Eleven I am sent for to see Mr Lowe who is come – I invite him to my Room, where we sit til Dinner – He informed me of the Manner of Trials in Scotland, which Candidates undergo. It is similar & indeed almost the same as with our Presbytery Evening Mr Carter returned about seven o-Clock from Williamsburg; He has been unwell himself while there, & he informs us that many are indisposed in that City While we were at Coffee I was taken with a Sudden & unusual pain in my Breast, a sickness at my stomach, attended with a trembling and dizzy faintness; I retired to my Room immediately, laid myself down in bed but had a Fever most of the Night —

Monday 27.

I feel myself perfectly reliev'd blessed be God who upholds my Life Mr Carter says the people are reaping on the Road as he came. He opened & shewed me a curious Case of mathematical Instruments price ten Guineas; He shewed me Bens Seal five Guineas – We have to day several plentiful Showers – Evening at Coffee the Colonel shew'd me a book of vocal Musick which he has just imported, it is a collection of psalm-Tunes, Hymns, & Anthems set in four parts for the Voice; He seems much taken with it & says we must learn & perform some of them in their several parts with our voices & with instruments. – Lightning in several parts of the Heaven Mrs Carter is much afraid, & can never eat if a cloud is rising nor lie down to sleep.

Teusday 28.

Warm this morning. Mr Carter rode to Court. I wrote some at my sermon but it goes on slowly —Ben is not perfectly well, he studies, however, at times a little, to day he makes Doctr Jones a visit – The Day very hot; people I understand are reaping in this County – Evening we have in the West & North-West amazing Lightning – Mrs Carter retired to her Chamber, where She always chooses to sit quite alone in bad Weather —

Wednesday 29.

Writing at my Sermon – The day cool & agreeable. I was never so much confined as now, not even when I was at College, for I used to go with my sweet mates, as Virgil calls them, about the Fields, or to the Brooks to wash, & often ride to Trenton for exercise & pleasure – & sometimes to Newington & spend an Afternoon with that dear girl Laura– Here in Virginia I have no Call out, people seem sociable & kind but I want Spirit to improve & relish Society Soon, however, soon, if I keep my Health, I shall be again at Liberty.

Thursday 30.

The morning pleasant none too hot to be agreeable – My Charge seem rising slowly, & uniformly in their several Parts – Harry begun at Reduction & is now working Fellowship; he improves too in Writing. Bob began at Addition and is working Compound Division: he is the best writer in the School – Ben begun with reading Salust he is now reading Virgil & the Greek-Testament. He writes extremely bad – Priscilla began Addition & is working Division; She improves in writing, & reads tolerably – Nancy mends fast in writing, but reads carelessly thick & inaccurately.

– I mentioned to Day Mr Peck to Mr Carter He objected at first to his Age as rather too young for the Duty of a Tutor, he assented however & requested me to write him word that he is desired to come by the Time I shall leave Virginia —

Fryday July 1. 1774.

I rose at six. The morning bearable Breakfasted with us 'Squire Lee. – About one came in Captain Blackwell, Mr Grubb, & Lancelot Lee. the two youngsters came suddenly into our Room, bold gay & noisy. We conversed with them till the Bell rung for Dinner, when we all repair'd to the dining-Room: Captain Blackwel is to sail in about ten Days for London. I gave the Children the afternoon for Recreation.

Saturday 2.

Mr Grubb called again about twelve with an intention to ride out to the Potowmack but there came on a Rain & kept us at Home – We spent the afternoon sociably in our Room. Miss Nancy Carter last Night or this morning, in some whimsical freak, clipt off her Eye-Brows; She has a very good Skin; exceeding black hair, & black-well arched, full Eye-brows, which, as I said the other day are much esteemed in Virginia – She denies positively that She cut them herself, & swears some mischievous person has done it when She was sleeping. But I am inclined to think it is an experiment She has been making on herself to see how she can vary the looks of her face. It made me laugh when I saw it first, to think how early & how truely She copies Female absurdities.

Towards evening we rode out merely for exercise, & straggled at last to Mr Simpsons; near his house we saw two trees standing near each other both of which have lately been struck by Lightning & are torn to shivers in several parts —

Mr Grubb agreed to stay the night. we supt on Artichoks, & Huckleberries & Milk – The toasts, after Supper, were the King, Queen & Royal Family, the Governor & his family, & then young Ladies of our acquaintance – We were alone. Mr and Mrs Carter left us immediately, so that we spent the evening without restraint.

Sunday 3.

We were all to go to Church to day, but we were prevented by a storm of thunder & Rain; the Ground is now sufficiently wetted – I have not heard a Sermon on Sunday since the fifteenth of May; a longer Vacancy from publick worship than I have ever had since my first remembrance. About ten an old Negro Man came with a complaint to Mr Carter of the Overseer that he does not allow him his Peck of corn a Week – The humble posture in which the old Fellow placed himself before he began moved me. We were sitting in the passage, he sat himself down on the Floor clasp'd his Hands together, with his face directly to Mr Carter, & then began his Narration – He seem'd healthy, but very old, he was well dress'd but complained bitterly – I cannot like this thing of allowing them no meat, & only a Peck of Corn & a Pint of Salt a Week, & yet requiring of them hard & constant Service. We have several Rains this day so that the Ground is sufficiently wetted – I spent the greater part of the day writing at my Sermon.

Monday 4.

I begun to read the first Volume of Tristam-Shandy – He is droll in the account he gives us of his Birth & Family – We have several good showers to day, the weather is warm, funky, very damp, & I fear will not turn out long to be healthful. With us in Jersey wet Weather about this time not only is prejudicial to the Harvest, but is generally thought, & I believe almost never fails being a forerunner of Agues, Fall-Fevers, Fluxes, & our Horse-Distempers – Fearing these, any of which so far from Home, would be painful & expensive, I keep myself much at Home, contrary to the repeated & strong invitations of the youngsters – And indeed my Duty, seems to require my Presence pretty constantly; & I am forced to produce an Example for what I find it necessary to enforce on our Boys, in order to do it with some face, for they always call upon me for a Reason for every one of my precepts – It is now the Height of Harvest – There is at Mr Turburville's a young Lady, from the Isle-of Wight, Miss Betsy Lee,[183] a Sister of George & Lancelot Lee's– It is proposed that Ben & I go this Evening to the Captain's & Invite her here – Accordingly after School we rode on our errand, We found besides Miss Lee– Mr George Turburville, his Wife, Mr Grubb, & Lancelot Lee– After the ceremony of Introduction, & our Congees were over, we took our seats in a cool passage where the Company were sitting; all the Company when we entered were laughing at Master Lee, who had been gathering Mulberries, & either through carelessness or Greediness had stained his ruffles – At any Rate they looked like a scarlet Clock in a Bunters stocking, both indilicate & impudent – The attention of the Company however being wholly taken up with Mr Lee, I had the opportunity, which I wanted, of examining the person of his Sister, without being interrupted either by the notice of others, or by my own timidity – Miss Betsy Lee, I am told is but lately entered her twenty sixth year; She is a well set maid, of a proper Height, neither high nor low – Her Aspect when she is sitting is masculine & dauntless; she sits very erect; places her feet with great propriety, her Hands She lays carelessly in her lap, & never moves them but when she has occasion to adjust some article of her dress, or to perform some exercise of the Fan– She has a full face, sanguine Complection, her Nose is rather protuberant than otherwise; Her Eyes are exactly such as Homer atributes to the Goddess Minerva; & her Arms resemble those which the same Poet allows to Juno. When She has a Bonnet on & Walks, She is truely elegant; her carriage neat & graceful, & her presence soft & beautiful – Her hair is a dark Brown, which was crap'd up very high. & in it she had a Ribbon interwoven with an artificial Flower – At each of her ears dangled a brilliant Jewel; She was pinched up rather too near in a long pair of new fashioned Stays, which, I think, are a Nusance both to us & themselves – For the late importation of Stays which are said to be now most fashionable in London, are produced upwards so high that we can have scarce any view at all of the Ladies Snowy Bosoms; & on the contrary, they are extended downwards so low that whenever Ladies who wear them, either young or old, have occasion to walk, the motion necessary for Walking, must, I think, cause a disagreeable Friction of some part of the body against the lower Edge of the Stays which is hard & unyielding – I imputed the Flush which was visible in her Face to her being swathed up Body & Soul & limbs together – She wore a light Chintz Gown, very fine, with a blue stamp; elegantly made, & which set well upon her – She wore a blue silk Quilt – In one word Her Dress was rich & fashionable – Her Behaviour such as I should expect to find in a Lady whose education had been conducted with some care & skill; and her person, abstracted from the embelishments of Dress & good Breeding, not much handsomer than the generality of Women —

What made me desirous to see, & curious to reconnoitre this young Lady, was, a Sentence that was dropt yesterday by a respectable Member of our Family, intimating a Desire that I may, on seeing Miss Lee, after having known, by report, her faultless character, be so pleased with her person as to try to make her mine, & settle in this Province – That kind Body, who is for making me happy by settling me in Virginia, & connecting me with one of the best families in the Government, little knows how painful it would be if I was indeed compell'd by any accident of Fortune to spend the remainder of my Days in Virginia if is the pleasure of Providence that I am to continue for any length of time in the World – Strong, & sweet are the bands which tye us to our place of nativity; If it is but a beggarly Cottage, we seem not satisfied with the most elegant entertainment if we are totally seperated from it – But if a Princess should solicit me to accept, together with Herself, 50000£ a Year – I declare, with as great pleasure as truth, that the esteem, & Fidelity which I possess for my dear, dear Eliza would make me without reflection, evade & refuse the Proposal – Ben & I returned Home before dark – We had the 'Squire to drink Coffee with us – He brought us a Newspaper containing the debate, of the House of Commons concerning the Repeal of the Tea-duty.

Teusday 5.

While we were at Breakfast came from Hobbes-Holes Mrs Oakly a Woman who has acted as nurse for several of Mrs Carters Children with great credit – All the family speak of her with Love & regard – This day is very warm, but no rain – I gave all the Girls this day to chat with their old acquaintance – Tho' the weather is warm & very Damp we have here no Musquetoes; I have not seen one, since I came into the Province as I can now recollect which seems to me a little strange; for at Princeton in Jersey some warm evenings in July & August they are so numerous as to be troublesome, & that is more than twenty miles from Salt Water, this not more than three times as many Rod. – In the evening, among several other things Mr Carter informed me that he has on this plantation a Negro Man called Prince who is now unwell of a Strain – This Man, he swears, he would not sell for 500£ ready Cash – I was almost ready to say it is more Money than I would give for all he owns on his Estate – The evening is very pleasant I had an oppertunity on the Pavement before the Hall Door of shewing away on Astronomy to Mrs Carter, I lectured for half an hour on the Milky-Way, on several of the Stars, on Jupiter in particular, & on the Course of Comets —

In bed by half after ten as usual.

Wednesday 6.

Ben seems pretty well recovered – We dined to day on the Fish call'd the Sheeps-Head, with Crabs – Twice every Week we have fine Fish, & every Day good Fruit for Dinner, caudled Apples, Hurtle-Berries with milk &c – Yes, says Mrs Carter at Supper, this hot weather takes away all my life; the small Lightning that we now have makes me uneasy & melancholy – I love to see her in such Distress —Beauty & Virtue when combined together & Strugling against Misfortune; O how such objects move, & awaken the most delicate sensations of our Souls – Call in Nancy to her Guitar, says the Colonel. In She minces slow & silent from her supper – She scratches her Instrument, after a long preparation, into the Air of "Water parted from the Sea." What, pray Miss Nancy, what bewitched you with a desire of clipping your Eye-Brows – The Genius of Woman shines forth in this little Girlish trick – Pray Mr Fithian, was you ever taught Singing? Yes Sir, I attended two years – Had you any instructions in particular for using the Shake[184]– I am giving Nancy some Lessons, but She is vastly indolent – Nancy, play over and sing the Funeral Hymn – Excuse me, Papa, I have lost the Verses – Happy Soul, thy Days are ended, – Go on – How steady & how sharp it lightens in the North too – Good Night.

Thursday 7.

Yes Fanny may sit down to Breakfast – Where's Ben – The Weather is hot & Ben for enjoyment had stript himself naked – Of every thing but his shirt & Trowsers – Where's Ben – He is not very well, Madam, – This Day says the Colonel after having Prefac'd our Breakfast with a – "God bless us in what we are to recieve" – is our Rye yonder to be mown down; mown down thinks I, do they mow their Grain in Virginia – Yes two Negroes take naked Sythes & mow down the Grain; others are imploy'd in raking it into heaps, but much of it is left – Shall I help you, Mr Fithian, to a Dish of Coffee? – I choose a deep Plate, if you please, Ma'am, & Milk – Our Corn, Madam, in Jersey is inferior to yours in this Province – Or your Cooks, Sir, are less Skilful in managing it – Well, Nancy, I have tuned your Guitar; you are to practice to Day with Priscilla, who is to play the Harpsichord, till twelve o Clock; You can repeat the Verses of the Funeral Hymn? – I can Sir – What, Harry, do you hesitate at that plain Sum in Arithmetical Progression? —Bob, attend to your Business – When I am bedizen'd with these clamorous children, sometimes I silently exclaim – Once I was told, now I know I feel how irksome the Pedagoging Scheme is – Fanny – I say, Fanny, dont you hear me, Fanny, and Betsy, sit down – pray, Sir, must I multiply here by 32 – Yes, thick-Scull – But Mr Fithian, I dont know how to divide by 5½ – Look, Sir, do you see what Mouth's Harry Willis is making? – I can say my Lesson – Buz, Buz – To divide by 5½ you must double both your Dividend & divi[sor] – Half after two we were rung to Dinner; poor Tasker, his Fever has continued high since yesterday afternoon, he lies quiet, and asks for nothing – If his Disorder does not abate to night, I shall give him in the morning a dose of "James's Powder" – Will you lend me Jack, he meant my Horse, says Mr Randolph, to ride tomorrow to Captain Cheltons; Yes Mr Randolph, I will oblige Jenny so far.

Fryday 8.

I swear, says Bob, Harry belies me. I never told the Nurse that Harriot should stay in School all Day – It was Mama's order that so long as Mrs Oakly the Nurse stays, Harriot is to go into School after Breakfast, & after Dinner, & say a lesson each time – I was passing through the Hall from Breakfast – The Nurse, a short Stump of a [wom]an, who blundered by mere accident, when she was young, out of the road in which Virgins commonly travel, & felt the difficulties of being a Mother, several years before She enjoyed the Pleasures of being a Wife – She call'd to me, & begg'd me to close the Quarrel; You shall have, said I, dear Madam, with the greatest Freedom my consent – Harriot shall be with you – At Breakfast – Where is Ben? – He breakfasts with the House-keeper Madam – At School – What a likeness there is in the manners of Boys; Bob, & Harry had skulk'd behind the writing-Table with their Slates on their Knees, & their Faces close together, just as I have done a thousand Times, in our little School-House in Greenwich– But once I was threshed confoundedly for a piece of such hidden play —Tom Parks [blotted] asleep, poor Fellow he is now sleeping in the Dust; – Then he was fast asleep on a Bench, with his mouth open – I fill'd his mouth with Snuff! – He sprung up – Nature was in distress, & found all her Avenues too scanty at that time to clear out at once the tickling penetrating Powder – He snuffed – He coughed – He – He told the Master, & then I was tickled – Indeed he made my Feet beat time to his Lash – Says Bob to Harry, behind the Table, I wonder Mr Fithian has not fallen in Love yet with some of our Nominy-Girls – Here he sits from Month to Month – (Not many Months longer said I to myself) – Mr Marshal[185] was always out; I suppose Mr Fithian never thinks of Girls – Indeed says Harry, drawing his chair clos[e &] lowering his voice, I never in my Life saw a Man who thought so little of these things – Here Tom the Coachman came in with a wood Tarripin which he brought to be a resident in our Room to catch the Bugs & Cockroaches —

Yes, Harry, & Bob, Fithian is vulnerable by Cupids Arrows – I assure you, Boys, he is, Not by the Girls of Westmorland – O my dear Laura, I would not injure your friendly Spirit; So long as I breathe Heavens vital air I am unconditionally & wholly Yours – At Dinner, Mrs Carter call'd for the Chariot, Mrs Turburville will think me rude, unless I welcome her Home. I will take Priscilla this Afternoon & make her a visit – I saw in a moment that Miss was better pleased with the notion of trotting off in the Carriage, than to be [blotted] up with Multiplication & Division – O yes, says Mrs Oakly, I know Dadda Gumby at Williamsburg. I think you look as brisk, as hearty & as young now as you did ten years ago —Gumby– I & my old Woman, here Master, are the two oldest Negres in Mr Carters Estate. Here we live, Master, on our worthy Landlords Bounty – The Nurse, Betsy, & Harriot were at Gumby's House which stands about twenty Rod from the Garden – I was walking, with a Book in my Fist, musing & stumbling along – I saw them, I went up, & with a lower Bow than I should give to a Nurse, if Women were plenty, says I, pray Mrs Oakly do you know Dadda Gumby? We stood chattering with the old African, or rather he stood chattering with us, relating one story after another, leaving some of his Narrations half untold, beginning others in the middle having entered into the true Spirit of Loquacity – Dennis, in the Height of a Story about his Grandfathers Uncle's harpooning a Porpoise summoned me to Coffee – Mrs Oakly, will you walk? – Come Betsy – Where's Ben? – Says the Colonel has Ben r[e]tired from the World? – He rode out this Evening, Sir, about five o Clock for Exercise – Mrs Carter, Mr Carter, good Night —

Saturday 9.

I was waked by Sam the Barber thumping at my Door – I was dressed – In Powder too; for I propose to see & dine with Miss Jenny Washington to Day. D – n the Bugs & Chinches, says Ben rolling over on the Bed, & rubbing his Eyes, I have slept none for them – Mr Fithian, do you rest any o-Nights? Dont these cursed Bugs keep you awake? – No Sir; for you see I commonly sit & read til half after ten, or eleven – So that by the Time I lay my poor Skin & Bones on the Bed, I am so much fatigued with the tumultuous Business of the Day, & the Study of the Evening that my sleep the rest of the night is sound & unbroken – Priscilla hangs her head a little this morning, She looks feverish, dispirited, sits on a low bench, with her Elbow in her Lap, & Leaning her head upon her hand, swings backwards and forwards, just as I have seen beautiful Quaker Girls when they are weeping at the frightful distortions & Grimaces of some deep-inspired Father. But Priscilla & Tasker are unwell – Fanny teizes me for a Picture, I must draw her a slip, she says, on Paper like the one I drew for Her the other Day with my finger in the Sand – I love the little careless Girl, & will oblige her – On the writing-Table in the School-Room I found this morning an old Book of Esops Fables done into English Verse; In the Margins of this Book up & Down Bob had in his scribbling Way recorded the Names of several young Ladies of Westmorland & Richmond Counties. I shall set them down, as I turned over the Leaves & found them – I do not insinuate, by writing this Story, the smallest reproach to either of the Ladies; I mention it solely to shew Bob's Taste, & the Meditations of his heart when wholly alone. In the Life of Esop, page 23, at the Bottom of the Leaf his own Name is written at full length & in as elegant a hand as he is master of with a Dash below.

Robert Bladen Carter

He has in the same manner introduced it a few leaves further on, he has done this to be a kind of Preface for what is to follow; he has also very cleverly interspersed it with the Ladies, either that the Ladies Names should be a foil to set his off to advantage, or that his Name be a Foil to adorn the Ladies – In the Life of Woglog the great at the first page

Miss Lucy Carter of Sabine-Hall.

Page 3d at the Bottom of the Leaf

Miss Lettitia Turberville of Hickory Hill.

Page 8.

Miss Betsy Carter of Sabine-Hall.

Page 9.

Miss Priscilla Carter of Nomini-Hall – his Sister:

Esops Fables Page 1st he writes the Name of the Girl he loves above all others

Polly Tayloe the Lovely of Mount-Airy.

Page 39th Miss Betsy Lee.

Page 41.

Miss Kitty Tayloe. Mount Airy.

Page 43.

Miss Lydia Pettit has d – m'd ugly Freckles in her Face, otherways

She is handsome & tolerable —

Page 45.

Miss Betsy Gaskins.[186]

Page 47.

Miss Sally Tayloe.

Page 50.

Miss Jenny Washington of Bushfield is very Pretty.

Then he Bolts in

Robert Carter.

Page 57.

Miss Polly Tolliver.[187]

Page 59.

Miss Steerman is a beautiful young Lady.

Miss Jane Corbin.

– Aphia Fantleroy.

– Edwards.

– Betsy Jones

– Sally Panton.

But this afternoon Mrs Oakly is taken with a Fever; I suppose, She was out last evening without any thing on her head rather too late, when I saw her at Daddy Gumby's —

Sunday 10.

A Sunday in Virginia dont seem to wear the same Dress as our Sundays to the Northward – Generally here by five o-Clock on Saturday every Face (especially the Negroes) looks festive & cheerful – All the lower class of People, & the Servants, & the Slaves, consider it as a Day of Pleasure & amusement, & spend it in such Diversions as they severally choose – The Gentlemen go to Church to be sure, but they make that itself a matter of convenience, & account the Church a useful weekly resort to do Business – I am told, for I have not yet been to Church since my Return, that all the Sermons are in the forensic Style, & on political Subjects. But I shall go to Church to Day – I am sorry that I may relate an accident which happened last night – By some accident; or by the carelessness of some Negroes Mr Turburville's Barn took fire and burnt Down – His loss is judged at 300£ which is something considerable for a Man who is with the greatest Anxiety turning every ear of Corn into Money – At Church Parson Smith Read to the Congregation an Order Issued out lately by the Governor to elect Burgesses in the several Counties – He preached us a Sermon on Brotherly Love – Dined with us to Day Mr Parker,[188] a Lawyer of this County, & his Son, a young Man about 20 who is also licensed to plead Law – And Mr Cunningham– I am not very well to Day. I have pains in several parts of my Body – Mr Lowe informed me that Colonel Washington is unwell of a sort of Cholic—