495:. In response to complaints about dissolute clergy in the colonies, Compton had instructed Lieutenant Governor Herbert Jeffreys to investigate the situation, and then had suspended or removed those found problematic, as well as instituted a procedure to issue certificates attesting to a clergyman's orthodoxy and character and urged colonial governors not to hire those lacking such certificates. The other initial problem Blair faced was that in 1697, only half of organised parishes had ministers. Six years later, with Compton's assistance nearly 80% of the approximately 50 parishes had clergy, although then additional parishes were chartered. Other efforts proved less successful. For instance, he managed to increase clergy stipends to 16,000 pounds of tobacco annually, amounting to a value of about 60 pounds sterling rather than the 80 he desired. Also, to his dismay, the colony's lay leaders refused to introduce ecclesiastical courts for moral offenses. Nonetheless, Blair worked to improve the moral condition of the people while he also defended them against the
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and other prominent individuals, Blair prepared a plan, believed by some historians to be modelled after the earlier one from
Henricus, and returned to England in 1691 to petition the monarchy for a new college. The Powhatan people had been largely decimated and reduced to reservations after the last
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In 1681, Blair, aligned with the
Episcopalians, was deprived of his parish in Edinburgh due to the conflict within the Episcopal movement between those supporting the Roman Catholic Church and those advocating a continued independent Episcopal national church. Blair relocated to London later that
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was built at Middle
Plantation beginning on 8 August 1695 and occupied by 1700. Today, the Wren Building is the oldest academic structure in continuous use in America. (Incidentally, it is called the "Wren Building" because tradition has it that the building was designed by the famed English
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major conflict in 1644, but the religious aspiration to educate them into
Christianity was nevertheless retained, perhaps as a moral incentive to help gain support and approval in London. Moreover, the school would serve to train clergy born in the colonies for service among their neighbors.
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now owns the original
Jamestown site, including the church and cemetery. In 2005, the Cypher Society of the college announced it was taking responsibility for a site restoration and beautification of the Blair graves at Jamestown Island in anticipation of
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In the Wren
Building of the College of William & Mary, a large portrait of Blair is displayed in the Great Hall. A statue of him on the campus was dedicated for the college's 300th birthday in 1993.
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for the Bishop of London, returned to
England after just two years of service, Blair succeeded him, making him the colony's highest-ranking religious leader, a position that he would hold for 54 years.
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in
Williamsburg from 1710 until his death. Blair organised the construction of the second church building, which began in 1711. The building was restored in the early 20th century under then-rector
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The leaders of the
Virginia Colony had long wanted school to give their sons higher education, as well as to educate the natives. An attempt to establish a permanent university at
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burned for the third time in 1698, and as it had in the past, the legislature again took up temporary quarters at Middle
Plantation. On 1 May 1699, Blair and five students of the
404:. Middle Plantation had served as a defensive location during periodic conflicts with the Native Americans since its establishment in 1632. Blair established his home at nearby
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After Blair returned to Virginia, the trustees of the new college bought a parcel of 330 acres (1.3 km) from Thomas Ballard for the new school. The location chosen was at
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James Blair served as a member and for a time, president of the Governor's Council in Virginia. As representative of the Bishop of London (of Oxford until 1675),
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The college was given a seat in the House of Burgesses. Financial income was to come by taxation of a penny per pound on tobacco exported from
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of the royal governors. He had great influence in England, and reportedly was involved with the recall to England of one royal governor,
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and animal skins. The new school opened in temporary buildings in 1694. Properly called the "College Building," the first version of the
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Blair died of a gangrenous rupture on 18 April 1743. He was buried next to his wife Sarah (née Harrison) Blair (d.1713) at
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Blair's contributions to education in Virginia are recognised not only at the College of William & Mary, where
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in London. His actual involvement with the College Building completed in 1700 is disputed by some historians.)
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in honour of King William III), as the new capital of Virginia. A month later, the legislators agreed.
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and Virginia to countries other than England, and from other similar sources, such as an export duty on
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Williamsburg served as the capital of Virginia for 81 years, until 1780, when the capital was moved to
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probably no other man in the colonial time did so much for the intellectual life of Virginia.
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Tarter, Brent. "Reflections on the Church of England in Colonial Virginia."
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The trip to London proved successful. Blair was supported in his efforts by
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is named for him, but also in the naming of various schools, including
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were reigning joint monarchs of Britain, having just deposed Catholic
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to suggest that they designate Middle Plantation (soon to be renamed
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for life. He served for 50 years, from 1693 to 1743, and remains the
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Tombs of James Blair (left) and his wife Sarah (right) at Jamestown
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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became a fundamental political concept in Virginia only after the
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After completing his education, in 1679 he was ordained in the
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Almost 70 years later, with encouragement from the Colony's
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in Virginia, named to honour both monarchs. Blair was made
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821:. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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208:, Edinburgh, and Mary Hamilton Blair. He was educated at
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wiped out the entire settlement, which was not rebuilt.
294:." His initial assignment was to serve as rector of the
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with a mission to "revive and reform the church in the
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Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church
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1167:Presidents of the College of William & Mary
960:Presidents of the College of William & Mary
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915:Colonial Williamsburg, Wren Building web page
848:A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen
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551:The Present State of Virginia and the College
396:so named because it was equidistant from the
220:, where he received a Master of Arts degree.
1182:Scottish emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies
894:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
753:(Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, 2007) p. 23
751:The Episcopal Church in Virginia: 1607-2007
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1187:17th-century Scottish Episcopalian priests
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877:Virginia Magazine of History and Biography
637:In 1943, the United States commissioned a
463:for security reasons at the outset of the
622:, (formerly James Blair High School) and
858:Rouse, Parke. "James Blair of Virginia"
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764:"Bruton Parish Church - A Brief History"
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274:In London, 1685, he was ordained in the
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1202:18th-century American Episcopal priests
539:Our Savior's Divine Sermon on the Mount
383:sixth longest serving college president
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749:Edward L. Bond and Joan R. Gunderson,
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369:.) In 1693, a charter was granted for
230:(known officially at this time as the
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1222:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
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119:18 April 1743 (aged 86–87)
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670:History of the Church of Scotland
591:, professor of American history,
436:Capital of Virginia, Williamsburg
371:The College of William & Mary
315:Commissary in the Virginia Colony
262:Missionary to the Virginia Colony
891:Dictionary of National Biography
885:"Blair, James (1656-1743)"
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1212:Scottish scholars and academics
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48:Oil painting of James Blair by
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489:separation of church and state
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1192:People from colonial Virginia
862:43#2 (1974) pp. 189–193
471:Religious leadership, writing
446:College of William & Mary
322:College of William & Mary
186:College of William & Mary
66:College of William & Mary
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1227:Burials at Jamestown Church
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620:James City County, Virginia
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375:president of the new school
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557:Death, burial at Jamestown
514:He was also the Rector of
1197:Clergy from Aberdeenshire
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675:Scottish Episcopal Church
624:James Blair Middle School
616:James Blair Middle School
537:In 1722, Blair published
379:longest serving president
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526:'s greatest benefactor,
351:Archbishop of Canterbury
278:, and at the request of
200:James Blair was born in
1062:Benjamin Stoddert Ewell
870:James Blair of Virginia
818:Encyclopædia Britannica
532:John D. Rockefeller Jr.
381:of the college and the
332:Indian Massacre of 1622
246:(see, for example, the
218:University of Edinburgh
150:University of Edinburgh
52:from William & Mary
27:Scottish-born clergyman
1032:William Holland Wilmer
879:112.4 (2004): 338–371.
872:(1971), full biography
838:Thomson, Thomas Napier
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392:, a high point on the
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252:Charles II of Scotland
214:University of Aberdeen
146:University of Aberdeen
18:James Blair (Virginia)
1134:W. Taylor Reveley III
923:History of the church
910:Encyclopedia Virginia
714:. Library of Virginia
712:Encyclopedia Virginia
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567:Preservation Virginia
524:Colonial Williamsburg
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1026:John Augustine Smith
843:"Blair, James"
771:Bruton Parish Church
516:Bruton Parish Church
448:appeared before the
426:Sir Christopher Wren
406:Rich Neck Plantation
353:. (Protestants King
270:Sarah Harrison Blair
1122:Timothy J. Sullivan
1092:Alvin Duke Chandler
1068:Lyon Gardiner Tyler
1050:Robert Saunders Jr.
1044:Thomas Roderick Dew
662:Christianity portal
509:Alexander Spotswood
493:American Revolution
465:American Revolution
440:The State House at
430:St Paul's Cathedral
367:Glorious Revolution
365:in 1688 during the
363:James II of England
313:When John Clayton,
196:Youth and education
110:Kingdom of Scotland
1080:John Stewart Bryan
593:Cornell University
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450:House of Burgesses
394:Virginia Peninsula
359:Mary II of England
339:House of Burgesses
304:political families
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228:Church of Scotland
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1074:J. A. C. Chandler
680:Church of England
628:Norfolk, Virginia
605:Church of England
505:Francis Nicholson
428:who had designed
390:Middle Plantation
296:Parish of Henrico
276:Church of England
210:Marischal College
178:Church of England
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232:Kirk of Scotland
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774:. Retrieved
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84:Succeeded by
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1177:1743 deaths
1172:1656 births
1136:(2008–2018)
1130:(2005–2008)
1128:Gene Nichol
1124:(1992–2005)
1118:(1985–1992)
1106:(1971–1985)
1100:(1960–1971)
1094:(1951–1960)
1088:(1942–1951)
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1076:(1919–1934)
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1064:(1854–1888)
1058:(1849–1854)
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1016:(1776–1812)
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1004:(1764–1771)
998:(1761–1764)
992:(1755–1760)
986:(1752–1755)
980:(1743–1752)
974:(1693–1743)
972:James Blair
906:James Blair
642:James Blair
599:During the
402:York Rivers
174:James Blair
36:James Blair
1161:Categories
1056:John Johns
1038:Adam Empie
852:Wikisource
776:7 February
718:7 February
612:Blair Hall
424:architect
357:and Queen
182:missionary
141:Alma mater
1008:John Camm
442:Jamestown
288:New World
156:Signature
78:1693–1743
74:In office
1112:# (1985)
864:in JSTOR
840:(1857).
648:See also
586:—
578:Heritage
461:Richmond
413:Maryland
328:Henricus
225:national
216:and the
202:Scotland
126:Virginia
62:1st
806::
789:Sources
497:tyranny
355:William
800:
300:Varina
282:, the
258:year.
234:, see
132:Spouse
767:(PDF)
686:Notes
398:James
778:2020
720:2020
545:and
507:and
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