the children
of the common people; no parish libraries.

The assembly was held from time to time, according to long established
custom, by writ of prorogation; the people being thus deprived of the
right of frequent elections. An act regulating the importation of
convicts was rejected by the board of trade. To relieve the people from
a poll-tax a duty was laid on the importation of liquors and slaves, but
owing to the opposition of the African Company and interested traders,
the measure was repealed as an encroachment on the trade of England.

Acts prohibiting the importation of negro slaves were repeatedly passed
by New York, Maryland, and South Carolina, and were invariably rejected
in England. Governor Drysdale congratulated the Duke of Newcastle "that
the benign influence of his auspicious sovereign was conspicuous here in
a general harmony and contentment among all ranks of persons." Hugh
Drysdale dying in July, 1726, and Colonel Edmund Jennings, next in order
of succession, being suspended, (for what cause does not appear,)
Colonel Robert Carter succeeded as president of the council. This
gentleman, owing to the extent of his landed possessions, and to his
being agent of Lord Fairfax, proprietary of a vast territory in the
Northern Neck, between the Potomac and the Rappahannock, acquired the
sobriquet of "King Carter." He was speaker of the house of burgesses for
six years, treasurer of the colony, and for many years member of
the council, and as president of that body he was at the head of
the government upwards of a year. He lived at Corotoman, on the
Rappahannock, in Lancaster County. Here a church was completed in the
year 1670, under the direction of John Carter, first of the family in
Virginia, who came over from England, 1649. A fine old church was built
about 1732 by Robert Carter, on the site of the former one, and is
still in good preservation. He married first Judith Armistead, second a
widow, whose maiden name was Betty Landon, of the ancient family of that
name, of Grednal, in Hereford County, England, by whom he left many
children. His portrait and that of one of his wives, are preserved at
Shirley, on James River, seat of Hill Carter, Esq.[413:A] The first John
Carter was a member of the house of burgesses for Upper Norfolk County,
now Nansemond, in 1649 and in 1654, and subsequently for Lancaster
County. Colonel Edward Carter was, in 1658, burgess for Upper Norfolk,
and in 1660 member of the coun