Devereux Jarratt’s spiritual search: an example of autobiography in colonial and revolutionary Virginia

Abstract

This article is about the life story of Devereux Jarratt (1733-1801), an Anglican clergyman from colonial and revolutionary Virginia. His autobiography reflects the colonists’ views on many features of social and cultural life. The progress of his life was quite unusual for that period as he was able to overcome social barriers separating simple yeomen from the ruling elite, and he became a man of book culture. Jarratt was an enthusiastic preacher in the times of Great Awakening (1740-1790), a protestant of revival movement; in his writings he preserved memories of many important events and tendencies in the state of Anglican Church as well as activities of Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists.

Keywords

• Anglican Church
• Methodism
• Presbyterians
• Baptists
• sermons
• Great Awakening
• revivalism
• colonial period
• school formation