Page:Annals of Augusta County.djvu/52

 1768—John Willson and William Preston. 1769—John Willson and William Preston. 1771—John Willson and Gabriel Jones. 1773—John Willson and Samuel McDowell. 1776—George Mathews and Samuel McDowell.

In the interval, from 1761 to 1768, and probably at other times, Thomas Lewis served as one of the delegates from Augusta. James Patton also represented the county, for we find that at November term of the County Court, 1755, an allowance was made to his executor for "burgess wages." It is probable that Patton was Col. Willson's colleague from 1747 to 1751, and that he was a member of the House of Burgesses from 1752 to 1755.

We again revert to an earlier period in the history of the county. On May 21, 1747, George Wythe appeared before the county court and took the oaths required of attorneys. At the same time the grand jury presented five persons as swearers and two for Sabbath breaking.

On the 22d of May, 1747, the Rev. Samuel Black, a dissenting minister, appeared before the court and took the prescribed oaths. We have no further information in regard to Mr. Black.

The number of tithables in the county in 1747 was 1,670, and the tax per head as levied by the vestry, six shillings.

The following extract from the records of the court, of date May 20, 1748, is a part of the history of the times, and possesses some special interest: "On the motion of Matthew Lyle, yts ordered to be certified that they have built a Presbyterian meeting-house at a place known by the name of Timber Ridge, another at New Providence, and another at a place known by the name of Falling Spring." All these places are in the present county of Rockbridge, then part of Augusta. The record shows, among other things, the rapid settlement of the country.

"West of the Blue Ridge," says Foote [First Series, page 309] "the inhabitants were generally Dissenters, and coming