f 244 acres
"near the head of the north of Holmes' Run extending to Four Mile Run,
excepting two acres for the use of the church."

[Illustration: Mrs. C. E. Mankin's Store]

The vestry book of Truro Parish commences about 1732. This book is in
the possession of Mr. H. H. Dodge, of Mt. Vernon, a vestryman of old
Pohick Church. Through the courtesy of Mr. Dodge, the Editor was
permitted to make a careful examination of its pages, and to copy from
the minutes of the vestry meetings therein such entries as appeared to
throw any light upon the early history of the Falls Church.

Some apparently trivial entries have been copied, such as the payment of
a sexton's salary for a number of successive years, but the name of the
sexton in such cases has an important bearing upon the subject, when it
is not improbable that the churches indicated as the "Upper Church," the
"New Church," etc., may be the church later designated as "The Falls
Church."

[Illustration: Mr. Charles A. Stewart]

In addition to religious matters, the duties of the church vestry in
these early times embraced many secular affairs. Under the direction of
the Parish Vestry tithes were collected from the land owners, and
"processioners" were appointed by them to survey and establish all land
boundaries within the parish. Such matters as related to the relief of
the poor, the medical care of the sick, charges for burial of the dead,
the maintenance of the blind, the lame, and the maimed, also of
foundlings and vagrants, now looked after by the county government, were
then a part of the duty of the vestry of each parish.

By a general law passed in the Colony in 1667, Act IV, 19th Charles II,
the right was vested in the county courts, when expedient, to set aside
and appropriate not more than two acres of land for church and burial
purposes; ministers' salaries had been fixed the year before at 16,000
pounds of tobacco, or about $650.

As early as October, 1734, John Trammell was paid by the Vestry of Truro
Parish 320 pounds of tobacco for grubbing a place for a new church, for
which Robert Blackburn had drawn plans.

[Illustration: Mrs. Charles A. Mankin]

In November of the following year, Thomas or James Bennitt was paid 150
pounds of tobacco as sexton of the New Church. Record of the payment of
400 pounds of tobacco to James Bennitt, Sexton of the New Church,
appears under date of October 6, 1740, and again May 21, 1745. On the
latter date the Vestr