Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

MS43.04: Francis Nicholson Papers
Rev. Mongo Ingles to Nicholson, 8 August 1705

I think it my duty to acquaint Yo:^r Excell:^cy that I—
intend to quitt the Grammar School (w:^ch is Commonly but very
improperly called the College both as Master & Housekeeper on
the 25:^th of September next—

I have many reasons w:^ch move me to this & shall only mention
some of them—

• 1st Because M:^r Blair President of the Intended College of
  William & Mary when last in England Ordered his Brothers Son
  John Blair to be taken from ^my School, w:^ch accordingly was done
  & by so doing he broke the Ice for five or Six more of his
  Kindred & Friends, who likewise (& only they) took their Sons
  & Relations from ^my School after his Laudable Example,—
  by w:^ch means I lost Seven Schollars almost 1/3 of the whole
  & was a Considerable Loss to me 6 of them being my—
  Boarders—
• 2d: Because of such Proceedings it is too too Probable & I have
  very good reason to think that M:^r Blair & his Friends—
  have turned the noble Design of the College into a Stalking
  Horse to serve a Turn & by takeing their Sons & Relations from
  School, designed to break it, that as He had gott S:^r Edmund—
  Andros removed under the Notion of being an Enemy to the
  College, So he might have it to say, that the Late Govern:^r had
  not Interest Enough in the Country to keep it up & that it could
  not be a School or a College without himself or in his Absence
• 3d:Because of his Ingratitude to the Great Patron of the
  College ^{ye Late Govr} in Addressing the Queen to remove the Late Gover^{nr.
  him} the great Promoter of it, & the best Friend (without Flattery)
  that ever it had next to King William & Queen Mary—
  & her Present Majesty, whom God long Preserve; not
  but I am highly satisfyed w:^th Her Maj:^ty's Pleasure in sending
  us Yo:^r Excell:^cy & by the Noble Characters I have had of Yo:^r
  Excell:^cy from M:^r Perry & the Singular Prudence I have—
  observed in Yo:^r Excell:^cy since Yo:^r Arrivall, I hope the Country
  
• 
will be very happy under Yo:^r Governm^t: But I cannot—
prevaile w:^th my self to live a kind of Collegiate life under
a Head of a House that has been so ungratefull to the
Great Patron & Promoter of it.
• 4Because I have all along found M:^r Blair uneasy and
  Dissatisfyed w:^th the Present Govern:^rs & I being of a—
  Different Principle cannnot expect to live Comfortably—
  & easy in his Society
• 5Because He has highly injured & Disgraced not only our
  late Govern:^r but my School, my Schollars, & my Self, in one
  of his Affidavits, by makeing him the Contriver and my
  Schollars the Execution:^rs of a Bad Design, by w:^ch means
  He has done what He could to make my Schollars be—
  thought a Company of Cutt-throats, or a Crew of Banditis
  that make no more of the life of a Man, than the—
  life of a Hen, thô they are the best Gentlemen's Sons in
  the Country, & of such Virtuous Dispositions & honest
  Principles, as are not easily to be matched in most Gramar
  Schools, & this being no less an aspersion on my self, than
  on my Schollars, as if I either did not, or knew not, how
  to form their minds w:^th better Principles, I cannot but
  deeply resent such Usage
• 6I have learnt by 12 Yeares Experience that the Intended
  College of William & Mary will never arrive at any—
  greater Perfection than a Grammar School, while
  M:^r Blair Demands & takes his Sallary as President
  Yearly, while it is only a Grammar School, & while there
  remaines no more money behind than will barely pay—
  the Usher & Writeing Master & my Self, w:^ch two Yeares
  ago came very Short even of that, & it was w:^th some
  Difficulty, that We Gott any more than half Sallary—
  so that there is not the least Probability that ever
  the College will Answer the Design in the Charter, while
  things continue as they are, nor is there any thing that—
  has done the College more Disservice than his Demanding
  & takeing his Sallary as President ^{of ye College} while it is only a
  Grammar School, w:^ch has rendred the College so Odious
  
• 
that it is look't upon not as it is indeed a Noble & Excellen^t.
Design, but a trick of M^r: Blair's to enrich himself, & for
that reason there are but very few that send their sons to
School:

For these Reasons I am resolved to quitt it at the terme—
abovementioned, I hope it will not be in the Power of any
Person to possess Yo:^r Excell:^cy w:^th a Prejudice ag^t: me upon
this Acco:^t for I resolved upon it immediately upon M:^r
Blaire's takeing away his Brother's son from School
w:^ch was about a year & a half agoe, long before we—
heard the least Syllable of his Addressing the Queen to
remove the late Govern:^r And M:^r Blair himself
heard of my Resolution in England, long before We
heard of Yo^r: Excell:^cy's being appointed to Succeed Coll:^o
Nicholson, & for ought I know before it was known
or Declared in England, all that I desire of Yo:^r Excell:^cy
& I know I shall obtain it, is, to entertain a favourable
thought of Me till You have reason to think the
Contrary, And as it is my Inclination & shall be my
Study to live quietly under Yo:^r Governm:^t So it shall
be my Prayer that all others may do the Same—