The 1618 Communion silver used today have the longest history of continuous use in America of any English church silver . The pieces were brought from England in 1619 and used in a church founded in 1618 located in Smith 's Hundred in Virginia , which lay in the point between the Chickahominy and the James Rivers , eight miles northwest of Jamestown . The church was nearly destroyed in the Indian Massacre of 22 March 1622 ( NS ) . The silver was carried by Governor George Yeardley to Jamestown and afterward , approximately 1628 , given to the second Elizabeth City Church , which had just been built . St. John 's continues to use communion silver on special occasions . The chalice has inscribed the London date-letter for 1618-1619 and the text '' THE COMMVNION CVPP FOR SNT MARYS CHVRCH IN SMITHS HVNDRED IN VIRGINIA '' . There are two patens with the same London date-letter . The first paten has the inscription '' Whosoever shall eate this bread and drinke the cupp of the Lord/unworthily shalbe gilty of the body & blood of ye Lord Cor Ixith '' . The second paten has written '' If any man eate of this Bread he shall live for ever Jo VIth ''
Indian Massacre of 22 March 1622
Indian massacre of 1622
St. John's Episcopal Church (Hampton, Virginia)