Apologies in advance for a rather lengthy reply.
Part 1
It is not at all unusual for an Anglican clergyman in the 18th century to be addressed and referred to as “Mr”. I have seen dozens of baptism entries for the children of clergyman where the father is named as “Mr X, clerk”. William Nairn’s own will identifies starts “I William Nairn of the Town and County of Poole Clerk …”
Think also of the character Mr. Collins in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, written at the end of the century, about 1797. The author, the Bennett family and even his noble patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, talk about him and address him throughout the book as Mr. Collins. The only exception is in the first letter he writes to Mr. Bennett where he signs himself simply as William Collins. Of course this is a work of fiction, but Jane Austen herself was the daughter of a clergyman, so would have been fully aware of how they were addressed.
Being a clergyman was no guarantee of being well behaved. One of Rev. William Nairn’s three clergymen sons, John, was involved with his brother Capt Fasham Nairn in the notorious case of bribery in the Hindon election of 1779.
My reference for the dispute onboard ship comes from the “Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church”, 1948, the full text of the paragraph talking of William Nairn being:
285-a WILLIAM NAIRN. “Lord Carteret to Governor the Duke of Portland. One Mr. Nairn is on board the ship with your Grace, intending to go to Jamaica et. He having been lately concerned in a quarrel in which Ensign Car was dangerously wounded, occasioned by expressions of disaffection to H.M. Person and Government, you are to order him ashoar (sic) etc. Signed, Carteret.” [CSPCS, 1722-3, #269.] Nevertheless, he must have eventually arrived in Bermuda, for he succeeded to some land shares which had been left by the will of Nathaniel Rich for the support of a free school in Bermuda, March 6, 1725. [CSPCS, 1724-5, #527.] Mr Nearn appears on Virginia records a minister of Henrico (or Varina) parish Henrico County, in 1727-28, and at the same minister of the small (Huguenot) King William parish at Manakintown. He returned to England in 1728 to a parish in Wiltshire. (Brydon.)
I agree with the author that the man on the ship is the clergyman in Bermuda and Virginia. Another work on Virginia clergy supports this account:
WILLIAM NAIRN, Elizabeth River Par. (Norfolk) Va., 1680; Ep.
WILLIAM NAIRN (perhaps the same), K.B. for Bermuda, 8 May 1722; sett. King William’s Par. (Powhatan) Va., at Mankintown, 1727-1728; sett. Henrico Par. (Henrico) Va., 1727-1728; ret. To a parish in Wiltshire, 1728; Hug.-Ep.
[Frederick Lewis Weis, “The colonial Clergy of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina”, 1955, p.38]
These two William Nairns are not the same man. The second was born in 1696 in Barham in Kent. He was admitted sizar at Queens College, Cambridge University 24 Jun 1714 “of Kent”. There is no record of the first in Oxford or Cambridge universities, so like David the curate of Swingfield he may be a Scot. If the two Virginia men are related then the nearest relationship would be that the older William is David’s brother and therefore the great great uncle of the second William. That is all in theory – there is no evidence known to me to suggest it is actually the case.
The parish in Wiltshire was probably Berwick St Leonard. At various times Rev. William was also vicar of Hindon and Fonthill Bishop, and at the end of his life of Poole in Dorset. At some time after 1739 he has written in the St Leonard’s register the birth dates and baptism dates of all nine of his children. The eldest, Frances, was born and baptized in 1727 so must have been born in the Americas.
William’s first wife Susanna was buried 29 Jun 1744 at Berwick St Leonard. He remarried 11 Nov 1747 at Donhead St Andrew to Ann Bowles, daughter of the longtime rector of Donhead St Andrew, and in 1756 appears in a list of sufferers by the late fire at Hindon. He made his will 14 May 1767 at Poole in Dorset, where he was then vicar, and presumably died there around 28 Jun 1676 (his successor at Poole was appointed 29 Jun) as his widow made her will there on 26 Nov 1767. She was buried 9 Dec 1767 at Donhead St Andrew.
On reaching Bermuda, Rev. William Nairn appears to have been appointed as Rector in either Hamilton or Pembroke Tribe in 1722. The next extract says the death of the man who appears to have been William’s predecessor was recorded in the Pembroke records. But the later dispute over William Nairn’s salary was with the churchwardens of Hamilton tribe.
“The Rev. Wm. King does not appear to have been an incumbent until 1717. … The Pembroke Records show that his death occurred on the 16th. July and that he was buried at Crow Lane. The Rev. Wm. Nairn: On the 15th. February 1722 it was agreed that Mr. Nairn’s salary for six months be paid on the 10th March 1722. This Rector chose John Tucker Churchwarden and the Parish chose Samuel Wingwood. In 1724 Mr. Nairn nominated Samuel Sherlock Esq. as Vestryman, and he again chose John Tucker as Churchwarden in 1725. He probably remained in the living until 1727 for in April there is a complaint from Mr Swift at not having been paid by the Vestry.”
[Bermuda Historical Quarterly – volumes 30-31 – Page xli]
cont..
