CHAPTER   ONE

Eleanor Hindman was brought to this country from Ireland when she was a young child. (Deposition of Agnes Harvey and Margaret McCutchen, dated 19 June 1795).

Ca. 1734/35 - Marriage of John Fletcher to Eleanor Hindman
(The date is judged by the birth of their son Robert).

Ca. 1735/36 - Robert Fletcher, son of John and Eleanor (Hindman) Fletcher, was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania
(Deposition of William Elliot, dated 23 August 1792 ).

Judging from records available only two other children were born to John and Eleanor. One daughter, Agnes, probably born about 1740. She married a Harvey.  There was another son, Job, probably born about 1743/45. All were born in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

If there were other children, they probably did not live to adulthood. Life during colonial days was a hard life. With diseases and Indian attacks the mortality rate was very high for children as well as adults.

1739 - John Fletcher appears on the tax list of Birmingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

1739 -  John Hindman, born in Londonderry , Ireland, came to America at the direction of his father to find his sister, Eleanor (Deposition of Edward Partridge, dated 25 May 1749 ).  One theory about the birth date of Eleanor and her brother, John, is based on the deposition taken in 1795 from Margaret McCutchen. Margaret stated that Eleanor had told her that she was the only child her mother had. Her father married a second wife who had three daughters; then a third wife had two daughters and John Hindman. This would mean there were five other children after the birth of Eleanor and before John’s birth, so there would have to be at least eight or nine years difference in their ages. One would think that John would have been at least eighteen years old when his father sent him on such a long and dangerous journey to find Eleanor. This would put his birth date at about 1721 making Eleanor’s birth about 1711/12.  

1 Jan. 1739 - John Hindman was in the home of Providence Scott in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Township of Birmingham, inquiring for Eleanor Hindman (Deposition of Providence Scott, dated 25 May 1749; as stated in The Chronicles Of The Scotch Irish Settlement in Virginia , vol. 1, page 432). These Chronicles by Lyman Chalkey are excerpts from the original court records of Augusta and Rockbridge Counties in Virginia.  Further references will be Chronicles, followed by volume and page number.

1 Jan. 1739 - John Hindman came to the house of John Fletcher in the Township of Birmingham , Chester County, Pennsylvania, and said to Fletcher; “Your wife is my sister”. (The deposition of Edward Partridge, dated 5 May 1749 , as stated in the Chronicles vol. 1, page 432.)

Ca. 1740 - John Hindman was being educated at Donegal Presbytery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (records of Donegal Presbytery of Philadelphia.) It would seem reasonable to believe that John lived with his sister, Eleanor, and her family since they lived in or near Philadelphia .

1740 -  John Fletcher appears on the tax list of Birmingham township in Chester County,

16 June 1742 - John Hindman was licensed to preach by Donegal Presbytery Synod of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Tinkling Spring; Headwater of Freedom page 486 by Howard McKnight Wilson 1954.) Further reference will read, Tinkling Springs, followed by page number.

1742 -  John preached in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania before going to Virginia.  (Peaked Mountain Presbyterian Church, by Charles E. Kemper published in ‘The Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society’ March 1919.) The footnote of page 20 says a mutilated and detached deposition in court records shows this.  Further references to the Journal will read: Journal, followed by page number.

Nov. 1742 - Five months after being licensed John Hindman was ordained and sent on a missionary tour in the back parts of Virginia (Tinkling Spring, page 486.)

1742 -  Formal provision was made for a militia for protection against the Indians. William Beverley qualified as County Lieutenant of Orange and Augusta Counties with Col. James Patton as second in command in Augusta County . Wars with the Indians occurred, more or less, along the entire frontier from New Hampshire to Georgia from 1690 to 1794.

1743 -  John Hindman was preaching in Opecquon in present day Frederick County, Virginia in 1743. (Record of Donegal Presbytery, page 19 of the Journal).

1744 and 1745 - John was pastor of Peaked Mountain Presbyterian Meeting House in Augusta County, Virginia.  He is credited with the honor of having organized the first church in present day Rockingham County, Virginia (Tinkling Spring page 486.)

1745 -  Augusta County was formed from Orange County, Virginia in 1738 but there was no formal organization until 1745. There was a need for this county because settlers had been coming into the valley since about 1732 and settling around the vicinity of present day Staunton . The government in Williamsburg welcomed the sturdy pioneers; they were needed to settle and protect the frontier from the Indians. Large grants of land were made to individuals on the condition that they bring in settlers from other colonies and from abroad.

9 and 10 April 1745 - Four hundred and sixty acres of land on the Little Calfpasture River was conveyed to John Hindman from William Beverly (stated in the land deed from Robert and Christiana Fletcher to James Stephenson, dated 11 February 1763 ).  In order to transfer land in Virginia, one had to first be in possession by a ‘deed of lease’. A deed of lease was given to John by Beverly on the ninth day of April then a deed of release on the tenth.

17 April 1745 - Original deed from Beverly to Hindman recorded in general court (Chronicles vol. 2, pages 29 and 30.)

Before the year was out John had changed his religious preference. He borrowed money from John Stephenson, using the four hundred and sixty acres of land as collateral, and went to England to receive Anglican ordination (Journal, page 20.)

The Church of England had no diocese in America such as the Presbyterians had in their Philadelphia Synod, therefore, there was no bishop and without a bishop no ordinations to the ministry of the Anglican Church took place in America. All men wishing to be ordained had to make a long, costly, and dangerous journey across the Atlantic to England. One out of every five who did go never lived to serve the Anglican Church in America .

Several authors have speculated on John’s motive for making such a rapid change from Presbyterian Pastor to Episcopal Rector.  Beverly Ruffin states in ‘Augusta Parish, Virginia 1738-1780’ that one reason might be that he would have a guaranteed annual salary with a parsonage and land (the glebe) for as long as he was incumbent Rector. He would also be entitled to fees such as those for marriage ceremonies and funerals and be exempt from some taxes. (Future reference to Ruffin’s work will be Augusta Parish followed by page number.)

Charles Kemper in ‘The Journal’ states; “The tradition lingers among the Episcopalians in Staunton, Virginia to this day (1919) that their first rector was fond of sports, and the appraisal of Rev. Hindman’s estate in 1749 shows that along with wigs, gowns, and divinity books he owned twenty-three horses and a jockey coat and cap”. Mr. Kemper goes on to say:

“On the John Stephenson estate, Meadow View on Mill Creek, there was and still is a level stretch of land called the ‘race track’ and here, no doubt, the Rev. Mr. Hindman indulged in his favorite pastime with his friends who were similarly inclined. It is probably the oldest race track in the United States west of the Blue Ridge Mountains , dating back to 1745/46.”  The Presbyterians might have been able to overlook some of their membership participating in the sport of horse racing, but they probably had some real objections to their minister’s enjoyment of the same. If John had not been reported to the Presbytery in Philadelphia, he probably was threatened with being reported.

The name Stephenson or Stepenson, is spelled various ways in the colonial records and other recordings. Stephenson has been chosen for this book.

1746 -  The Augusta County vestry was formed with the election of twelve men, the large majority being Scotch-Irish Presbyterians (Augusta Parish, page 17). With their election, there was a Presbyterian vestry in charge of an Anglican Parish.  All these elected vestrymen not only had to take the oath of allegiance of all public officials, swearing allegiance to the Hanoverian King, adjuring the Pope, and certain Catholic doctrines, but in addition they had to take an oath to “be conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England”. This they did and so qualified as vestrymen. However, after taking the oath they winked and went about governing the community according to their own persuasions. The authorities in Williamsburg had no desire to disturb the Presbyterians in their undertaking in carrying on the affairs of the colony.  As stated before they were needed to settle and protect the country from Indians. John must have had a surprise in store when, upon his return from England to Augusta County in 1747, he found a newly formed vestry made up almost entirely of Presbyterians; men that he had pastored barely two years earlier in the Presbyterian Church!  Records show that he was met with some hostility.

5 April 1747 - Rev. John Craig recorded in his baptismal record, “This day John Hindman attended, having ‘turned his coat’, and now appears in quality of a Church of England Parson”. (Craig Baptisms, page 34.)

6 April 1747 - John was accepted, conditionally, by the vestry as the first  rector of Augusta Parish, Va. (Chronicles vol.  2, page 432.) The conditions were:

1. That he would hold services in the homes of persons of like persuasion or in the courthouse.

2. That he administer the Sacrament in the court house instead of a church.

3.  That he would not ask for a glebe for two years.

4. That he, nor anyone for him, would complain to the governor about the stipulations, or the ‘tardiness’ of the vestry in meeting their obligations.

By law it was the obligation of the vestry to provide a glebe for the Church of England Rector. This glebe would consist of two hundred or more acres of fertile or cultivated land, a dwelling house with a dug cellar underneath, a stable and a dairy, a barn with a shed at each end, and a threshing floor.  It also had a ‘house of office’ and a ‘kitchen house’. Because of the ‘tardiness’ of the vestry, and the untimely death of John Hindman he never lived on the glebe land. The glebe wasn’t finished until about 1757, about nine years after John’s death.  The Rev. John Jones, who followed John as the second rector was the only rector to ever live on the glebe lands.

However, John accepted all the conditions of the vestry and immediately started his duties as the first rector of the Augusta Parish. His salary was to be 50 pounds a year.

20 July 1747 - John was allowed 20 pounds a year by the vestry for his board (Chronicles vol. 1, page 432.)

Since no glebe had been provided, and since John left for England shortly after receiving his land, he probably had not built a dwelling house for himself, so it is reasonable to assume he would board with someone until the promised glebe was provided. He found board with his neighbor John Stephenson and John’s wife, Sarah. The Stephenson’s lived one and one half mile from the Peaked Mountain Meeting House that John pastored before going to England for Anglican ordination. John’s land joined the Stephenson land.

21 August 1747 - John Graham was ordered under arrest for abusing and threatening the life of Rev. John Hindman (Chronicles vol.  1, page 31.)

21 Sept. 1747 - Mr. Lockhart objected to the allowance to Mr. Hindman, that his allowance was too low (Chronicles vol. 2, page 433.)

1747 -  James Patton, a member of the vestry and county sheriff, brought charges against John Hindman for performing a marriage without a marriage license (Chronicles vol. 1, page 302.)

1747 -  Margaret Gay asked John if he had any relatives in this country, and he answered that he had none but one sister, and he intended to give her that land on the Little Calfpasture River to maintain her, and signified he intended to entail it to her (Deposition of Margaret Gay, dated 11 August 1792).  Evidently, John was not related to other Hindmans in Augusta County .

1747 -  John Hindman was in the home of Margaret Gay and ask her husband’s assistance in clearing land on his place (deposition of Margaret Gay, dated 23 August 1796). 

1747 -  John told William Elliot that he had a half sister married to John Fletcher who had a little boy called Robert, whom he would give leasing and set him on said land and if he improved it well he would give it to him altogether.

By 15 Feb. 1748 John Hindman had died in Augusta Co., VA.

15 February 1748 - The following is a copy of John Stephenson’s bond as administrator of John Hindman’s estate.

"Know all men by these present that we John Stephenson, Henry Downs, Thomas Stephenson and Samuel Givins are held and firmly bound unto James Patton the first Justice in “the Commission of the peace for Augusta County for and in behalf and to the sole use and behoof

Of the Justice of the said county and their successors in a sum of five Hundred pounds to be paid to the said James Patton his Ex. Administrators, and assigns for which payment well and truly to be made. We bind ourselves and every of our and every of our heirs Ex. Administrators and severally firmly by these present sealed with our seals dated this fifteenth day of February 1748.

The condition of this obligation is such that if the above bonded John Stephenson Administrator of the goods chattels and credits of John H1ndman deceased do make or cause to be made a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods and chattels and credits of said deceased which have or shall come to the hands, possession or knowledge of him the said John Stevenson or into the hands or possession of any other person or persons for him and the same so made do exhibit or cause to be exhibited unto the county court of Augusta at such time he shall be there unto required by the said court and the same goods, chattels and credits of the said deceased at the time of his death which at any time after shall come to the hands or possession of the said John Stevenson or unto the hands and possession of any other person or persons for him do well and truly administer according to law and further do make a just and true account of his asking and doing therein when the account required by the said court and all the rest and residue of the goods, chattels and credits which shall be found remaining upon the said administrator’s account the same being first examined and allowed by the justice of the court for the time being shall deliver and pay unto such person or persons respectively as the said Justice by their order or judgment shall direct pursuant to the laws in that case made and provided and if it shall hereafter appear that any last will and testament was made by the said deceased and the Ex. or Executor therein named do exhibit the same unto the said court making request to have it allowed and approved accordingly.  If the said John Stevenson being thereunto required to render and deliver up his letters of administration approbation of such testament being first had and made in the said court then this obligation to be void and of none effect or else to remain in full force and virtue."

Sealed and delivered in                                                John Stevenson
 the presence of
                                                                                      Henry Downs - seal

James Patton                                                               Tho. Stevenson - seal

                                                                                     Samuel Givins – seal

At a court held for Augusta County the 20^th day of February 1748 John Stevenson, Henry Downs, Thomas Stevenson and Samuel Givins in open court acknowledged this their bond for the said John Stevenson true and faithful administration of the estate of John Hindman deceased which is ordered to be recorded. 

John Hindman died between 21 Sept. 1747 when Mr. Lockhart objected to his allowance as being to little, and 15 Feb. 1748 when John Stephenson made bond as the administrator of his estate. John died a young man. He must have been in fairly good physical condition since he was able to make the long and dangerous trip to England for Anglican ordination and was able to take part in the sport of horse racing. Since John had no relatives living near him and since he still owed Stephenson money, the administration of his estate was given to Stephenson. The footnotes on page 20 of ‘The Journal’ states that John is probably buried in an unmarked grave in the cemetery of the Presbyterian Church he founded. Considering the way the Presbyterians felt about John, it seems more likely that he was buried on his own land or even on the land of John Stephenson .

29 Nov. 1749 - At a Court continued and held for Augusta County this 29^th day of November 1749.

An Inventory of the Estate of the Reverend John Hindman, deceased was submitted to the court.  “Charles Kemper in the Journal states; “The tradition lingers among the Episcopalians in Staunton, Virginia to this day (1919) that their first rector was fond of sports, and the appraisal of Rev. Hindman’s estate in 1749 shows that along with wigs, gowns, and divinity books he owned twenty-three horses and a jockey coat and cap. (Original inventory available)

Shortly after the inventory was made John and Eleanor Fletcher moved to Augusta County, Virginia with the intention of claiming the estate of John Hindman.

Now, come to Augusta County, Virginia and follow the Fletchers through a forty-eight year battle over the land Eleanor Fletcher inherited from her brother, John Hindman.