Port Dumfries

Navigating the History of a Landlocked Town

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The List

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Works Project Administration (WPA) agent Susan Morton must have had a fascinating time exploring the Town of Dumfries and surrounding regional area for the WPA of Virginia Historical Inventory project. She traveled to each site, talked to people from the area, and consulted everything from court records to engravings on tombstones. Besides her poetic descriptions of the sites, her historical summaries, and her inclusion on everything from local folklore to knowledgeable town residents, she included documents and ledgers that caught her eye. She located and transcribed the “List of Slave Expenditures Kept by B. Grayson” from a book kept at “The Shelter,” home of Bailey Tyler, Haymarket, Virginia. It is possible the copies we have are missing an additional page as we were not able to locate a document containing the final sum & overall transaction.  

“List of Slave Expenditures Kept by B. Grayson” from a book kept at “The Shelter,” home of Bailey Tyler, Haymarket, Virginia.

This document most certainly was connected to the influential Grayson family. William Grayson (1742-1790) led many military & prominent political positions during his long service to the state of Virginia. While it might look like a simple list, there are many clues contained within it that could help someone locate one of the enslaved persons the Grayson family owned. For example, note the difference in fee between Davy and Peter, both working on holidays. This likely was from a perceived disorder or injury, although the recorder could have been vague and neglected time differentials. Everything from bees to clothes peppered the above expenditures detailing what the enslaved persons had access to and their possible priorities on the plantation.

Note: This blog will temporarily go on hiatus as HDVI interviews applicants for the position of Executive Director! I have thoroughly enjoyed writing these weekly articles and will miss the wonderful local history contained within our precious archives.

(Sources: WPA Historic Survey: Town of Dumfries, 1937)

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From Dumfries to Stanton: The Hope & Promise of Mental Health Recovery

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

In 1834, Ann Gallagher helped commit her brother, Bernard Gallagher, Jr., to the Western State Hospital after confirming his alleged insanity. If you have toured The Weems-Botts Museum, you may remember that the Merchant Family also sent Mary Merchant to Western State Hospital in Stanton, Virginia in 1901. While the focus of this blog is on Gallagher, Jr.’s admission and possible experiences, it is interesting to note that at least two residents of the Town of Dumfries traveled to Stanton.

In 01/1825, the Virginia General Assembly approved the construction of an asylum in the western part of the state, and the “Western Lunatic Asylum” became the second mental health facility in the state of Virginia. It opened in 1828 with patients admitted for everything from “religious excitement” to “debility of the nervous system.” Dr. Francis T. Stribling was the first appointed superintendent and was seen as a leader in the mental health community, one of the founders of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane, later becoming the American Psychiatric Association. The hospital underwent name changes over its’ lifetime, becoming Western State Hospital in 1894. It operated until it officially closed in the mid-1970s as medics transferred patients from the “Old Site” to the new facility. Today, it is part of the grounds of The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center, as a Historic Hotel of America. It is also a listed and protected site on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Gallagher family’s claims were extensive as they owned land in the Town of Dumfries and Prince William County, along with other Virginia lands. Bernard Gallagher, Sr. potentially owned land in Pennsylvania as well as benefiting from his adventures at sea with captured prized vessels during the War of 1812. Although captured as a POW, Gallagher, Sr. returned to our area and owned thirteen enslaved persons by 1822, indicating the family’s prosperity and acceptance of forced servitude. Upon Gallagher, Sr.’s death, his will divided his property amongst his wife and children, and although he noted his son suffering from a “heavy affliction” at the time it was written, the Gallagher family did not commit Bernard Gallagher, Jr. until 1834.

"The depositions of Ann Gallagher touching the insanity of Bernard Gallagher.

Question by the Justices: How long has it been since Bernard Gallagher has been of insane mind.

Answer: About seventeen years.

Question by the Justices: Do you know the cause of his Insanity.

Answer: I do not, but heard him complain of his head from going into Creek when he was overheated and further this deponent saith not.

The deposition of John Carter touching the insanity of Bernard Gallagher.

Question by Justices: How long has it been since Bernard Gallagher has been of insane mind of your knowledge.

Answer: About fifteen years.

Question by Justices: Do you know the cause of his Insanity.

Answer: I do not and further this deponent saith not.

The deposition of Ann Wheeler touching the insanity of Bernard Gallagher.

Question by the Justices: How long has it been since Bernard Gallagher has been of Insane mind of your knowledge.

Answer: About fifteen years.

Question by Justices: Do you know the cause of his Insanity.

Answer: I do not and further this deponent saith not."

John W. William, George Mason, and J.E. Weems provided their seals and oaths on these depositions presented before them on 09/09/1834. That same day, they provided their judgment and direction in Gallagher, Jr.’s fate.

"Whereas, upon due examination before us, Bernard Gallagher, of this county, hath been adjudged a person of -- or disordered mind, and we have though it expedient that he should be [consigned] to the public hospital for the maintenance and are of persons of unsound mind, in the town of Stanton. You are, there, hereby authorized and required forthwith to impress two men to assist you to remove the said Bernard Gallager to the said hospital in the town of Stanton, and deliver [him] together with the warrant and order the depositions of the -, a certificate of the said Bernard Gallaghers estate, and the probable annual profits thereof, and -- to the keeper of the said hospital, and for so doing this shall be your warrant….”

The schedule of his estate was as follows:

“One negro woman aged about forty years hired out at time at the rate of twenty dollars per annum.

The Interest on Three Hundred & fifty dollars and one tenth of eight hundred acres of land and some houses and [lots] in the town of Dumfries his interest supposed to be worth from thirty to fifty dollars.”

It should be noted that a court case involving land causes stemming from Gallagher, Sr.’s properties landed in court in 03/1835. An impressive amount of people (the researcher noted that all the names of known descendants of Bernard Gallagher, Sr. were identified, ca. 1835), filed this Gallagher vs. Gallagher case, revolving around,

“…that the real Estate of which their Father Bernard Gallagher died seized and possessed of consists of a Tract of land in the County of Prince William County called Providence consisting of about [blank] acres, a small tract of land in Stafford, and some houses and lots in the Town of Dumfries, (and perhaps some vacant lats at the mouth of Quantico in Prince William County, and that division thereof could not be effected amongst those entitled to division without materially injuring the interest of all, and more over that the interest of each devisee or distribute in the same is of much less value than $300.”

Bernard Gallagher, Jr. appears in the document numerous times as a “lunatic,” and Ann Gallagher appeared in court as a defendant and “as committee of Lunacy of Bernard Gallagher (the younger) to answer this bill of complaint.” While John Gibson acted as attorney for both the plaintiff and the defendant, Ann Gallagher readily conceded, “…that she believes the allegations charged and set out in the Complaints bill are correct, and so far as she is concerned and interested individually she desire the Court should pronounce a decree in conformity with the prayer thereof…willing to abide by any decision the Court may think fit to pronounce,” essentially agreeing with the recommended sale of real estate.

(Virginia Map ca. 1839 with both Stanton and Dumfries noted. Burr, David H, and John Arrowsmith. The American atlas, exhibiting the post offices, post roads, rail roads, canals, and the physical & political divisions of the United States of North America. [London?: John Arrowsmith, 1839] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2009582191/.)

Gallagher, Jr. entered the facility during a period of renovation. Thomas R. Blackburn, protegee of President Thomas Jefferson, led the project to incorporate spacious room wings, gardens, and a cupola. Dr. Stribling emphasized and focused on treating patients with an eye towards their emotional well-being. He also advocated “moral treatment,” which challenged demonic explanations and focused on the importance of the external environment. This approach declined following the Civil War due to a variety of reasons including overexaggerated cure rates and the cost of facilities.

Gallagher, Jr.’s voice cannot be heard in current available records. In his will, Bernard Gallagher, Sr., only noted “…it has pleased Almighty God to visit my son Bernard Gallagher with a heavy affliction,” not providing much context. Gallagher, Jr. entered the facility at the age of 38 and remained for the next eighteen years. Researcher Judson Banks deduced from the above records that Gallagher, Jr. had suffered an infirmity from an accident at the age of twenty-one, such as a stroke, or head injury while diving into creek. Based on the available estate and money paid to the facility, it is possible he was buried there. Although other members of the family are in Dumfries Cemetery, there are no tombstones or records of Gallagher, Jr.

Thanks to these details reported and recorded, we also know that the enslaved woman Fanny, or Fannery, was sold on 09/15/1836 for $450. She appeared in Bernard Gallagher, Sr.,’s will along with the other listed enslaved persons: Lucy, Fanny, Jim, Harriet, Jane, and Emily. In his inventory, we also find: Daniel Bull, John, George Chapman, Henry, Carpenter John, James, and George Coote.

Note: Memorial Day weekend features two popular programs, The Weems-Botts Bibliophiles and Members First: Revolutionary War evening walk. You can find tickets along with June’s programs here.

(Sources: Banks, Judson G. The Captain and his Kids: The Story of Bernard Gallagher and His Children, 1749-1893. Self-published, 1990-1991. Researcher Jud Banks personally donated this copy of the book along with research notes & files to Historic Dumfries Virginia & The Lee Lansing Research Library in September 1992; Library of Virginia: Archival Resources of the Virginias, A Guide to the Records of Western State Hospital, 1825-2000, https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=lva/vi00937.xml; Historic Hotels of America: The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center in Stanton, Virginia; Floyd, Barbara. From Quackery to Bacteriology: The Emergence of Modern Medicine in 19th Century America: An Exhibition, Document 5: Mental Health, https://www.utoledo.edu/library/canaday/exhibits/quackery/quack-index.html)

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The Dumfries Man "of Some Means”

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

While archaeologists located the foundations of the Dumfries courthouse (active 1762-1822), speculation remained over the existence of a jail. Based on historical context and a photograph, it is very possible the jail nestled beside the courthouse.

(Lee Lansing sketched and identified this image as "Dumfries Jail." He based it on the actual photograph)

When the Work Progress Administration agent, Susan Morton, compiled the required Historical Inventory of the Town of Dumfries and the surrounding region in 1937, she included the inventory of John Murray. She identified him as the “Goal Keeper of Dumfries,” (Gaol Keeper?) along with other interesting history nibbles:

“…and a man of some means. He had no children, but numerous God-children whom he remembered in his will, and there were several instances where the gift of slaves to various friends were recorded.

He owned a house on Hedgman Street, Dumfries. He had a brother, Hugh to whom he left fifty pounds, besides other property, and he also left the same amount to his God-children: Jane Carr Chapman, Jesse Ewell Carr, Leroy Ewell and Charlotte Ewell.”

While she provided the inventory, HDVI’s archives can provide a fuller picture of John Murray in a series of snapshots from his legislative and legal actions.

Assuming this is the same John Murray, he petitioned the Virginia House of Burgesses in the early 1760s, for his militia service.

“A petition of John Murray setting forth that in the year 1755, he was sent out with the militia drafted from the co. of P.W. & employed by their commanding officer as a blacksmith for the time he continued in that service which was 93 days, for which by the laws then in force he was entitled to 50lbs of tobacco per day, but that when the accounts of the milita of that county were settled by a late assembly, he was allowed only as a common solider.”

Although the House referred the petition to a committee, it was ultimately rejected. In the early 1770s, he appears again after devastating rains, floods and even fires, ravaged tobacco warehouses in Henrico, Chesterfield, Falmouth, and Quantico. By 1779, amendments to “An Act to continue and amend the act for staple of tobacco and preventing frauds” noted “…new warehouses shall be erected on the lots numbered 171 & 172 the property of John Murray, in the said town of Dumfries” with an order to “erect, build, and completely finish” in a year “so many strong, close and substantial houses, as shall be sufficient to contain at least a thousand hogshead of tobacco, at the said inspection of Dumfries…”

We next meet him in court on 11/03/1764, when he arranged a deed with Isaac Davis and William Tyler, both from PWC.

“…lease unto the said Isaac Davis & William Tyler during the term of two years from the tenth day of Oct. past his ordinary in the town of Dumfries now in their possession, together with the kitchen, meathouse, billiard Tables balls & the garden now pailed in together with the stable yard or horsepen adjoining thereto also the pasture now fenced in excepting & reserving  to the said John Murray his heirs sufficient ground for a garden for himself also hround for a garden convenient to the house now rented by Nathan White. No other ordinary shall be erected on said Lotts or tenement & that Murray shall have liberty of putting what horses or calves he keeps for his necessary use into the said pasture during the said term.”

The following year, he appeared in a deed with Matthew Gregg re: the deceased John Gregg’s property,

“and by these presents doth grant, bargain, sell, alien and confirm unto the said John Murray his heirs and assigns one certain tract or parcel of land containing Nine hundred and sixty seven acres being the whole devised to him by the last will and testament of John Gregg dec’d with all houses, edifices, buildings, gardens, orchards, woods, underwoods, ways, waters, watercourses, easements, profits, commodities, tenements and appurtenances…”

In the will of John Murray, 10/18/1782, he forcibly assigned his enslaved persons to relatives. His wife, Elizabeth Murray, received “Sall & her child Betty”. His brother, Hugh Murray, received “2 Negro man: Toney & Sharper after the term for which Solomon Ewell hath hired them.” Besides for people, he also noted his lands and specific items. “to John Murray, after death of my wife, the lands whereon my plantation is 820 acres. To William Gunyon the debts due from his father estate and he receive board, clothes, schooling from my estate until he arrives at age of 18 years.” In a codicil dated the same, he also noted “I desire that my exors. shall make a deed to John Shute for the two lotts which he purchased from me in Dumfries as he shall have fully paid up the sum for same. To David Forbes my estate in Maybole in Scotland provided my brs. Robert or William have not got possession thereof.”

Turning to his inventory, transcribed by Morton, ca. 1783, we can visualize some of the items in his possession at the time of death. His clothing included coats, waistcoats, jackets, shirts, and breeches. Notably, he preferred or had access to wine colored coats, shirts, and breeches along with owning blue breeches. Presumably his “two wigs” were white and not wine colored. Silver teapots decorated his home, along with a collection of books. He owned a Bible, Blackstone’s commentaries, Bailey’s Dictionary, Guthridge Grammar, Stark’s Justice, Virginia Laws, Earth Explained, History of George the Second, Letters on Patriotism, Traders Guide, Swift’s Works, and a “parcel of old books.”

(Rabbit Hole Moment: I could not definitively determine the author or full title of the book labeled “Earth Explained.” Many books on this topic appear in the decades following Murray’s death. However, James Hutton, a Scottish scientist known for his influential works on geology, is a possible contender as his treaties may have circulated before his more active publications commenced in 1785. Clarendon Press at Oxford published William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England, 1765-1770, were important to political theory and understanding as the four books were written to be read by more people than just very specific scholars. You can read The Right of Persons, The Right of Things, Of Private Wrongs, and Of Public Wrongs here! The Bible could also be a fantastic source to look through as people tended to write their lineages and family mementoes in them).

Murray probably appeared in other court records as he owned land and resources in PWC. However, these records show how divided information can be when researching family history. HDVI’s archival files added a layer of richness and complexity to the tapestry of Murray’s life, including the enslaved persons noted in his will. All the sources contribute a vital aspect to his life and the lives he impacted, whether through family connections, friends, or forced servitude. The information should aways be accessible and available if we want to continue uncovering new leads into the people living in and around the town of Dumfries.

Please Note: HDVI files only had transcribed copies of the original records. I was unable to examine the originals.

May Members First: Feel like taking an evening stroll in Dumfries with a refreshing cup of Italian Ice? Then join me on 05/27 at 6:30pm as we take a brief walk to the cemetery and courthouse with a focus on the Revolutionary War! Free but tickets required. Click here for the ticket link! We welcome all current and prospective members – no commitment to join!

(Sources: HDVI Archives; PWC Clerk’s Loose Papers, Vol 1., Selected Transcripts, 1741-1826, transcribed by Ron Turner, 2004)

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How to Catch a Burr

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Caesar Augustus Rodney undoubtedly cursed the roads around Dumfries in March 1807. Tasked with advising President Thomas Jefferson on the situation with Aaron Burr, Rodney struggled to find fast transport out of Dumfries to verify Burr’s capture and whereabouts. In a series of letters that lamented the lengths he took to obtain accurate news, we can both emphasize his complaints against the roads and find some familiarity with his need for social networking.

On 03/22/1807, President Thomas Jefferson asked Rodney to meet with him to discuss ways of taking Burr to Richmond as fast as possible. Unfortunately for Burr, this was not for a social engagement or political campaign. Instead, it stemmed from his suspected treason and looming treason trial court case. On 03/26/1807, Rodney wrote to Jefferson bemoaning the roads noting it would take him three days to travel from Dumfries to Richmond. While Rodney waited for more horses, he reported,

“This gentleman says that Burr arrived at Fredericksburg yesterday about three O Clock. Reports stated that some country men who knew him apprehended him not far from thence in the woods where he was travelling alone. They called out some of the militia to their aid under whose charge he was brought to Fredericksbg & who sat off with him this morning for Richmond before the gentleman who is my informant left Fredericksburg which was at half past nine O. Clock. I think the information so far as it relates to Burr’s having been actually taken to Fredericksburg yesterday, & from thence this morning to Richmond. I presume the messenger sent by Genl. Dearborn reached Fredericksburg last night in the stage & not before, & that he has ordered Burr to Richmond.”

Rodney dramatically finished his letter as he hastened to Fredericksburg to verify these statements and Burr’s whereabouts, noting he deemed it “a duty I owe to you & my country.”

(The Arrest of Aaron Burr, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. "The arrest of Aaron Burr" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 10, 2023)

Rodney reported from Bowling Green the following day with more information regarding the particulars of Burr’s capture, including Burr’s disguise.

“On the subject of Burrs arrest &c. I received the following information from Mr. Farish the keeper of the Inn at Fredericksburg, to which they brought Burr. He had it from Perkins in whose charge he was. I send it to you lest no other more correct may have reached you yet, as we were without any intelligence on the subject when I left Washington.

Burr was discovered in disguise by the Sherif of —— within 15. or 20 miles of the Spanish lines. He was dressed in a pair of striped Virginia cloth trousers, a white country yarn jacket, an old drab surtout & an old white hat. The Sheriff rode on with him until he met a country man going to fort Stoddart by whom he sent for some soldiers. Burr knew not, that he was so near the fort. As soon as he saw the soldiers he was alarmed & asked where they were going. The Sheriff told him they were merely ordered to another station. The soldiers came up, presented arms at him, & told him to surrender. This he did without resistance. On his way, at some little village in South Carolina he got off from his horse & called on the people who had collected to protect him, told them he had been twice acquitted & was a persecuted man &c. They told the guard to take him on & he was compelled to mount once more.”

Rodney did not neglect to include a diatribe against the roads he deemed “so intolerably bad” as he lamented his harrowing journey to Fredericksburg followed by his carriage ride to Bowling Green. Rodney relied upon this news from Mr. Farish, proprietor of the Inn at Fredericksburg, who received the info from Mr. Perkins, the man in charge of the party leading Burr to Richmond. Supposedly, Burr was still in his disguise and wished to see or speak to no one on his forced travel.

Not having news media to rely upon, Rodney ceaselessly used his connections in Dumfries and Fredericksburg to receive updates and utilize his own scouts. He indicated waiting to see “Mr. Henderson of the Marine” to meet with his brother, but finding the brother had already departed Dumfries, Rodney turned to people arriving from Fredericksburg, reporting that “country men” apprehended Burr as he traveled the countryside alone near Fredericksburg. Once Rodney reached Fredericksburg, he confirmed that Burr had received habeas corpus, which he was unable to prevent. However,

“I wrote to Mr. Hay to employ two of the ablest counsel, lest Burr should then anticipate us. I shall in consultation add a third when I get there. I presume Wirt & Wickham will be employed by Mr. Hay, unless Burr has retained Wickham immediately on his arrival.”

The trial began on 05/22/1807 in Richmond. Rodney, George Hay, William Wirt, and Alexander McCrae served as the prosecution while Edmund Randolph, John Wickham, Benjamin Botts (woo!), Charles Lee, and Luther Martin served as the defense, along with Burr. While not discussing the actual trial (it deserves multiple blogs!), Burr’s alleged attempt to take over portions of the Louisiana Territory and declare himself Emperor always raises a few eyebrows. As our young country was still flexing its international muscles and trying to retain a place of dignity and strength as a global force while maintaining neutrality, the threat of war with Spain was a very real possibility, and Burr’s decision to step down as Jefferson’s Vice President was quickly followed by his communication with his friend General James Wilkinson, the new governor of the Louisiana Territory. A series of letters between the two highlight Burr’s planned military expedition as well as his attempts to garner support on his behalf, correspondents later claiming Burr attempted to incite the people in the territory against the U.S.

Much of the trial focused on Blennerhassett’s Island, where resources, supplies, and people had started amassing for the military campaign. Burr and his brilliant defense argued that he was one hundred miles away from the island at the time of the trial, and if the people on the island did not face treason, neither should Burr. Presiding Chief Justice John Marshall agreed in his incredible three-hour opinion read to the court. Marshall then excluded any evidence related to the island, pretty much ensuring the jury could not find Burr guilty on the Neutrality Act charge.

President Jefferson was unhappy. He considered a range of actions against Marshall, including possible impeachment, but most of his anger and rage vented through letters. On 09/20/1807, he wrote to General Wilkinson,

“…the scenes which have been acted at Richmond are such as have never before been exhibited in any country where all regard to public character has not yet been thrown off. they are equivalent to a proclamation of impunity to every traiterous combination which may be formed to destroy the Union: and they preserve a head for all such combinations as may be formed within, and a center for all the intrigues & machinations which foreign governments may nourish to disturb us.”

As Jefferson continued to fume at Marshall, really demonstrating the unique and tense relationship between the two, Burr made sure to absent himself from further trials. Notably, after hearing news regarding the state of unrest in Texas in the 1830s, he remarked, “There! You see? I was right! I was only thirty years too soon. What was treason in me thirty years ago, is patriotism now.” Even today, scholars still debate the treason charge. As for Botts? He did not receive a great review from Jefferson either,

“Burr preserves a firm Mind & his Talents & resources are on the stretch, He can instruct his Counsel, yet he is ably supported by Wickham & Martin, and Botts appears to be an indefatigable, act[ive,] scrutinizing drudge.”

Read all the court case documents here along with excellent historic contextual info!

Note: Did you read the latest May 2023 edition of The Town Crier? Instead of frowning and shaking your head no, click here to read about upcoming free programs with HDVI!

(Sources: “From Thomas Jefferson to Caesar Augustus Rodney, 22 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5331. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “To Thomas Jefferson from Caesar Augustus Rodney, 26 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5360. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “To Thomas Jefferson from Caesar Augustus Rodney, 27 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5369. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “From Thomas Jefferson to James Wilkinson, 21 June 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5788. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; Linder, Douglas O. Famous Trials: The Treason Trial of Aaron Burr. UMKC School of Law: https://famous-trials.com/burr/156-home)

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Dashed Against The Rocks: The Botts Flying Machine

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

While Robert Henry Botts applied and received a patent from the U.S. Patent Office in 1880 for his “Washing Machine,” his more ambitious project of the “Botts Flying Machine” occupied his time in the early 1900s as he formed the World Aerial Navigation and Construction Company in Point Richmond Hills in California. Although he had enthusiasm, patents at the ready, and hype from the media, a windstorm ultimately dashed his dreams.

By 1880, we find him in Coloma, Carroll County, Missouri with his washing machine patent. By 1900, he was in San Francisco Bay region with the resources and patience to construct and then potentially begin experiments within the next few years. During that time, if not before, he began work on his dream. Botts published an article in the periodical The Aeronautical World in 1902 promoting and boasting his novel invention to make aerial navigation safer and reliable at a more affordable price. “It combines with flying machine with the parachute, this making it absolutely safe. It can be started from any place and under any conditions of weather. In short, it is near perfection as machinery can be made by man.”

(Patent for parts of The Botts Flying Machine, ca. 1901)

According to Botts, his bane was achieving enough power, which had him turning to steam, “…the result of my work is a steam boiler, more powerful, than any other now in use. I have also constructed an engine of a greatly improved type, to be used in connection with my boiler. The whole, both engine and boiler, weigh but ten pounds to the registered horse power.”

To achieve aerial navigation, he noted his machine consisted of “three sets of propellers, a rudder, and a stationary plane surface, a canvas covering the framework outside of the condensing coil acting as an aerial-plane in fight and a parachute in descent.”

He felt confident his product was safe. “Having an engine light and powerful that runs without a jar, a boiler which generates a great amount of steam with but little weight and a small amount of liquid fuel, and the strong framework of the general fabric and utilized also as a steam condenser, accidents are not at all likely to occur…Suppose the machine were to stop mid-air, by accident or otherwise, it would descend at a speed of about four miles an hour.”

For profit, Botts turned to selling his stock emphasizing his confidence and the fact they reached the experimental phase. Noting his entire machine was constructed on the plan of a bicycle wheel, the company challenged “the world to produce a lighter construction having equal strength with less wind resistance, sine our one-man-machine, including 8-horse-power engine, can be built, weight from 100 to 150lbs.” However, “We, as a company, propose to perfect a one-man-machine first, leaving the commercial possibilities to be determined in the future, thus making no extravagant claims.”

William L. Thompson, MD, shared that his father personally knew Botts. “Botts claimed that his boiler was strong enough to hold pressures up to 400 pounds per square inch.  My father disputed this and suggested a controlled test of the pressure in the boiler house of the local Standard Oil Company refinery.  This test was never done. It is said that the engine, itself, was tested at the local Santa Fe shops.  I do not know the results of this test if it was done. The engine, however, seems to have been an amazingly light and efficient little steam engine.  How the power was delivered to the propellers and what device was used to shift the power from the vertical to the horizontal propellers is unclear to me. Also the exact type of fuel and the facilities for carrying the fuel is unclear.”

While Dr. Thompson suspects the model described and advertised was strictly an experimental model with more powerful and refined versions to likely follow, Botts dreams died in 1903 when a heavy windstorm blew his aircraft and other structures off the summit of the hill, destroying everything. This ended his impractical and grandiose dream, at least in terms of construction and promotion. Although it was unlikely his machine would ever take flight, it could still fuel the literary genres of steampunk and historical fiction as his device had quite the eclectic and novel appearance one would expect from a combination of bike, parachute, and steam.

Note: The Prince William Resolves Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) will hold a Wreath Laying Ceremony honoring the 274th Anniversary of the Town of Dumfries and the 249th Anniversary of the signing of the Prince William County Resolves. The event will take place at the Weems-Botts Museum, Dumfries, VA at 11:00a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

The town of Dumfries, which received its charter on May 11, 1749, is the oldest continuously chartered town in Virginia. The town once was the second leading port in Colonial America, at the time rivaling New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. It was also near to the home of the first Prince William County Courthouse, the birthplace of the Prince William County Resolves, a key document in our nation’s history. The document, which was a series of “resolves" in support of Boston and against King George III and Parliament’s policies, “in the common cause of American liberty,” marked Virginia’s first coordinated dissension against Great Britain. The document successfully passed on June 6, 1774.

The Prince William Resolves Chapter, NSDAR, is located in Dale City, VA, and is one of 130 chapters in the state of Virginia. The chapter is composed of a diverse group of women who have traced their ancestral lineage back to Patriots of the American Revolutionary War, and who are dedicated to community service, preserving history, educating children, and honoring and supporting those who serve our nation. For more information or to become a member of the Prince William Resolves Chapter visit: (https://princewilliamresol.wixsite.com/dalecity).

(Sources: HDVI Archive: The Botts Family Files; The Aeronautical World by the Aeronautical World Company, 1902; Thompson, William L. Professor Botts and His Airship, Point Richmond History Association, https://pointrichmondhistory.org/)

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"Lest they should imbibe more exalted notions of their own importance than I could wish": The Incredible Fourteen Page Will

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Thomson Mason (1733-1785) was born at Chopawamsic Plantation in Stafford County, VA to the powerful Mason family. Instead of deep delving into his political career, we focused on his fourteen page will, and the impressive amount of control he tried to exert even after his death. Over his lifetime, he accrued property in Stafford, Prince William, Loudoun, Richmond, and other regions and was most eager to dictate every detail. Below are some of the more interesting excerpts with our commentary.

(Aaron Arrowsmith (1750-1823) and Samuel Lewis (1754-1822) 1804 Map of Virginia via The David Rumsey Map Collection)

Thomson Mason married twice. First to Mary King Barnes (before 1758-1771). They had four children: Stevens Thomson Mason (1760-1803), Abram Barnes Thomson Mason (1763-1813), John Thomson Mason (1765-1824), and Ann Thomson Mason (1769-1817). Although originally buried at Gunston Hall, her body was later moved to Raspberry Plain in Loudoun County. Thomson Mason married Elizabeth Westwood (1740-1824) in 1777, previously married to Rev. James Wallace. She also had four children with Thomson Mason, Dorothea Anna Thomson Mason (1778-1822), Westwood Thomson Mason (1780-1826), William Temple Thomson Mason (1782-1862), and George Thomson Mason (d. 1873).

“…my body I wish to have interred upon my Son Stephen’s Plantation in Loudoun so that the foot of my Coffin may touch the head of my Son George’s, and that a Space may be left on each side of me, to receive those of my two Wives, if my present wife should desire that her remains may be beside mine, & I desire that my son Stephen will remove those of his Mother from the family burying Ground, at my brothers for that purpose, As to my worldly Estate I give of it as follows – Imprimis I give to my beloved wife Elizabeth, all the Estate of whatever nature that shall be remaining at my death, of what I gained by marriage with her. Item I give to my said Wife, during her natural life, clear of the Mortgages, and other Incumbrances on it, all my lands on Chappawamsick Run, in County of Stafford, which lye below the lands of the Revered. Mr. Harrison, & bounded by lands of the late Mr. Moncure, Mr. Adie, the Rev’d Mr. Harrison, & Chappawamsick Run, & all my lands on the said Run in the County of Prince William, which lye below the lands of Coll. Burr Harrison, Robert Carter, Esqr., Mr. John Hedges, & the said Chappawamsick Run, containing 1220 acres, in the two Tracts more or less, reserving out of the Lands, to my son John Thomson Mason, & his heirs, his choice of 50 acres, to be laid off in a Square for a Sear on which side the run he pleases, so that it does not include the gardens, Orchard, or any of the Housing, in County of Stafford, or any of the low grounds, in the same County, and after death of my Wife, I give the Reversion of all the said Lands, to my said son John Thomson Mason & Heirs, provided he attains the age of twenty one years; and I hereby declare that I intend this device to my wife, in Barr of her Dower of my other lands in Stafford and Prince William Counties, but not in Barr of her Dower of any other lands she may be entitled to elsewhere.”

Mason referenced participating in William Byrd’s (1728-1777) lottery. Byrd’s ostentatious lifestyle led to a considerable amount of debt, some of which he tried to pay in the form of a lottery. He prized most of his estate at the falls of the James River, hoping to raise 50,000 pounds by selling tickets in both Virginia and England. While his entire life deserves one or more blogs, it is sufficient for now to know he swore allegiance to the King of England during the Revolutionary War, and we can see some of the ramifications in Mason’s will.

“I give my son Stephens Thomson Mason & Heirs, the unimproved  Lotts in the Town of Richmond & Manchester which was drawn in the late Collo. Byrd’s lottery, by Tickets marked with the Initials of his Mother’s or his Brother George’s name. Item, I give to my son Stephens Thomson Mason & Heirs, the Ground in the Town of Richmond, on which the Public Store House lately stood, together with the money due from the public for the valuation of the said Store House, and all the arrearages of Rent…which will appear from my books & all arrerages of Rent due from the public or Turner Southall, who took possession thereof immediately after the Death of Miles Taylor, with my knowledge or consent, and kept possession thereof until it was destroyed by General Arnold; and I think he is intitled to recover Damages of the said Turner Southall, he having converted the said House without my Leave into a public arsenal, by which means it was destroyed by the British under General Arnold…”

When it came to dividing his enormous landholdings, Mason devised that certain land be divided for his sons to do as they pleased after they reached the age of 21, leaving it uncleared for timber until then. He also had a mill set in motion.

“Item I direct that the Mill now begun, shall as soon as possible be finished off, a complete Merchant Mill, with two part of Stones, one pair of which at least shall be double Burr and that another set of Mills, with two parts of Stones, shall be built at the expence of my Estate upon the same run near the Mouth thereof as soon as may be & that the said Mills when finished, and all my Lands in Loudon County, between the Main County road, the Limestone Run & Potomach River, & the Cool Spring Run, together with the cleared lands on the Plantation, now rented by Fouchee, below the Mill run be also rented for the benefit of my Estate for twenty years, that four horses, four Mares, six Servant Men & one Servant woman be immediately purchased, & placed together with six Milch cows and twelve breeding sows, & worked thereon, for four years after my death, but that not more than 40 acres of fresh land shall be cleared within the bounds…”

He specified that his son Abraham would have sole management of the mills, but under strict instructions on how to divide the profit, what he could purchase (mainly enslaved persons and stock), and conditions if the mill was not profitable within a short period of time. Not surprisingly, he had similar rules for other mills.

“Item I direct that a Merchant Mill be built on Chappawamsic Run, on the lands given to my son John, where he shall direct, not to exceed the expence of four hundred pounds, which expence is to be repaid out of the profits of the Mill, in part of his Sister’s Nancy fortune…”

Here he specified everything from the names of the enslaved to the names of the prized riding horses, such as Rupert, along with other horses and colts. He also included,

“…that two indented farming white Sevants be purchased for John who have four or five years to serve, provided they do not exceed the price of thirty pounds each…”

For his wife, he left all his household furniture at Errol and Chopawamsic, stock of cattle, sheep, goats, cows, oxen, hogs, ewes, horses, his chariot and harness, and mares. For the enslaved,

“I give to my wife my negro girl Pegg till January 1789 and I direct that one Negro girl between age of sixteen and twenty be purchased by my Executor for my wife, within three years of my death and I direct that another Negro Girl and two Negro lads between age of 16 and 20 be purchased for my wife, by my Executor, within six years of my death and I give said Slaves, in Trust for use of my wife for her life and to uses she shall direct by her last Will and Testament…it being my intention that the four slaves with their increase shall be for the separate use of my Wife without the Interposition of any husband she may marry.”

She also received the promise of “geered Mill” to be constructed and maintained on Pearson’s Run. For his two youngest sons,

“…may be put to learning English, at one of their Guardians Houses till eight years of age, and that then they be kept at Writing, arithmetic, and reading elegant English Authors and modern languages till they are 12 years of age, and then to be kept at learning the Latin Language, Book keeping, Mathematicks, and other Useful branches of literature, till the age of 18, and then to be put out to such Business or profession as their Genius’s are best calculated for. Item I particularly direct that neither of my younger sons shall reside on the South side of James River, or below Williamsburgh, before they respectively attain age of 21 years, lest they should imbibe more exalted notions of their own importance than I could wish any child of mine, to possess.”

His thoroughness continued.

“Item I give the use of my Gold watch, to my wife till a new Gold watch with an embossed case and Equipage suitable for a Lady, of the price of 30 Guineas can be purchased for her out of my Estate, and as soon as such Gold watch and equipage is furnished for her I give my gold watch to my son Westwood. Item I give to my daughter Ann Thomson Mason the equipage that was her mother’s and direct that a gold Watch of twenty Guineas value be purchased for her. Item I give to my sons Abraham, John and Westwood and Temple such a horizontal Silver watch, when they arrive at the age of twenty one years, and I give to my son John Thomson Mason my brass barreled Pistols.”

Two of the enslaved persons received special accommodations.

“Item I direct that my Negro boy Jack be allowed to settle upon any of my land in Loudon Stafford or Prince William, and that my Executors lay off for him, 30 acres of good arable land 10 acres of pasturage, to tend a crop for himself, build him a barn of Loggs, 20 feet square and furnish him with 1 cow, 2 sows, 1 Ewe and a Mare of ten pounds value, one barshare plow, one Dutch plow, 1 broad Hooe, 1 narrow hooe, 1 axe, 1 mattock, 5 barrels of oats, 5 barrels Rye, 5 Bushels Wheat and 10 barrels of Corn, to stock his Plantation and set him forward, and let him have one month’s work of an able negro man and the loan of my ox cart, for the same time, to put his little farm in order with Liberty to get Rails and fire wood off my adjactent lands and I direct thr whole profits of his farm and the Stock given him be at his own Disposal and over and above the bore mentioned provisions. I also give him the annual sum of six pounds specie, the use of the lands I give him for life and the Stock forever; and I hereby direct that my Executors and Heirs all join in protecting of my said slave Jack, in all his just rights, and the he shall be subject to the control of no person whatsoever, and this provision I have made for him as a grateful acknowledgment of the Remarkable fidelity and Integrity, with which he has conducted himself to me for twenty years and upwards. I also give to my said Slave Jack, 300 weight of pork to be paid him in the year I shall dye.

Item I direct that if every my maid Catina should be parted from my Wife, that she also receive 200 weight of Pork, a White shift, and a Callico Gown and petticoat annually…”

Thomson Mason died on 02/26/1785. Interestingly, Elizabeth Mason appeared in front of Stafford County Court on 10/10/1785, to declare she would,

“not accept, receive, or take any Legacy, or Legacies or any part thereof, to me given by last will and Testament of my late Husband Thomson Mason Esquire, and do renounce all benefit and advantage which I might claim under the said Will.”

Why would she contest the will? Given that he had eight children, four with his former wife Mary King Barnes, she could have protested the distribution of inheritance or the rules concerning her dowry if she were to remarry or remain a widow. A will that went so far to specify who would determine the proportion of meat given to enslaved persons, could create chaos if the provisions were not desirable as Thomson Mason clearly tried to control his wife, children, and property from beyond the grave. He often noted the conditions of her dower, a crucial element to her livelihood as a widow. The legal rights of women in the 1780s solely depended upon their marital status. Different rules and rights applied to single, married, and widows, and often widowers experienced the most freedom. Almost immediately, Thomson Mason noted Elizabeth’s dower,

“and after death of my Wife, I give the Reversion of all the said Lands, to my said son John Thomson Mason & Heirs, provided he attains the age of twenty one years; and I hereby declare that I intend this device to my wife, in Barr of her Dower of my other lands in Stafford and Prince William Counties, but not in Barr of her Dower of any other lands she may be entitled to elsewhere.”

On 11/14/1797, a different Elizabeth Mason submitted a similar document to the Fairfax County court protesting her deceased husband, George Mason V’s, will. Scholars believe she renounced his will because of the consequences of remarriage and the inheritance of the two oldest children. Ultimately, she won with a 1799 deed that preserved most of the original document’s language but removed stipulations regarding her widowhood and/or remarriage and granted her more property at the expense of her son’s inheritance.

While the Mason family was extremely powerful, Thomson Mason’s attempts to control the years and decades following his death were remarkable, especially given the country’s emerging and still very fragile independence and identity. From an economic and moralistic perspective, Mason created a will that probably caused a few headaches.

Note: The Prince William Resolves Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) will hold a Wreath Laying Ceremony honoring the 274th Anniversary of the Town of Dumfries and the 249th Anniversary of the signing of the Prince William County Resolves. The event will take place at the Weems-Botts Museum, Dumfries, VA at 11:00a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023. HDVI & The Weems-Botts Museum is honored and excited to help commemorate the many historical happenings in our community!

(Sources: Sparacio, Ruth and Sam Sparacio. Stafford County, Virginia. Order Book Abstracts, 1664-1668 & 1689-1690. Millsboro: Colonial Roots, 1987, Note: The enslaved names were often excluded from this transcription; The Mason Web: The Mason Descendants Database, Gunston Hall Library, https://gunstonhall.org/wp-content/uploads/masonweb/index.htm; Mason Family Papers: The Digital Edition: Exhibits: “I Elizabeth Mason … Do Hereby Declare That I Will Not Take or Accept [the] Provision for Me Made”: A Widow Asserts Her Independence, https://research.centerformasonslegacies.com/s/masonfamilypapers/page/elizabethmabmason; Evans, Emory, and Dictionary of Virginia Biography. "William Byrd (1728–1777)" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (22 Dec. 2021). Web. 19 Apr. 2023)

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Gifting Land Never Owned: From King Charles II’s Lips to Colonel Philip Ludwell’s Parchment

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

On 06/09/1690, Colonel Philip Ludwell (1638-1723) appeared in Stafford County Court as a land agent for Sir Thomas Culpeper to put an end to penning of wild horses by rangers in the Northern Neck.

“Whereas the Proprietor of this Northern Neck have by Coll. Philip Ludwell their agent and attorney prohibited all Pens to be made in the woods under pretensions of catching wild horses as also all Rangers to say those that make it their business to Range for wild horses & whereby it appears by the said prohibition put upon Record divers inconveniences and prejudices happen to several of the Honest Inhabitants as therein doth fully appear and hath been also submitted the order and direction for Rangers wholly to the consideration and discretion of this Court the Court doth fully appear and hath been also submitted the order and direction for Rangers wholly to the consideration and discretion of this Court the Court doth therefore concur therein and accordingly order that all Rangers from henceforth do cease their said ranging Let their pretentions be from whence they will also that they desist from making any more pens in the woods remote from habitations under pretense of catching wild horses and that those that are already made be with the first conveniency Throwne down and demolished That for the future whoever has any pretensions or claims to wild horses & doe first make application to this Court for an allowance for the same that the Court may have their reasons and pretensions therein and order as shall be most Just for them and convenient for the rest of the Inhabitants and it is further ordered that this order be publickly read at the beginning of each Court held for this County.”

(Fairfax Grant and modern political boundaries via Virginia Places, virginiaplaces.org, copyright Historian Charles A. Grymes)

While the Virginia Rangers of the mid-18th century are more well known, they also operated during the 1600s, mostly defending the frontier and responding to perceived threats and instances. Horses in North America first evolved in the Eocene epoch and had a closer relationship to modern zebras. The Equus scotti appeared in the Pleistocene fossil record and became extinct long before the English colonists traveled to America. The Virginia Company of London recognized the need for domestic beasts and encouraged colonists to breed, herd, and protect the animals they exported to Virginia. While horses appeared in the Chesapeake as early as 1609, they were scarce by the mid-17th century, enough to warrant Virginia to prohibit the exportation of horses and mares in 1662. They reversed this ruling by 1669 as the colony’s supply rapidly increased causing the legislators to prohibit the importation of the beasts. The colony also established early distinctions between native species and imported and domesticated livestock. In the 1660s and 1670s, legislators required colonists to find the owners of captured horses. This did not prohibit wild horse hunting, but the issue of controlling domestic, native, and wild livestock constantly plagued the colony. To complicate matters, colonists also tried to regulate and control horses among the indigenous people of America. Here we find them supposedly claiming wild horses and doe committing “inconveniences and prejudices” against “honest inhabitants.” Who are the “honest inhabitants?” By the 1690s, they are the Culpeper family mainly due to crafty political maneuvering extending from a time strife in England following a war and execution.

In 1649, King Charles II granted the land between the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers to seven supporters who pledged their allegiance and resources to helping him during his exile in France following the English Civil War and King Charles I’s execution. Those seven supporters were: Sir John Culpeper (1st Baron of Thoresway); Ralph Lord Hopton, Baron of Stratton; Henry Lord Jermyn, Baron of St. Edmundsbury; Sir John Berkeley; Sir William Morton; Sir Dudley Wyatt; and Thomas Culpeper (cousin of Sir John Culpeper). Gifting land in the Virginia colony that he did not profit from or even own was an easy gift for him to portion between the men, especially as this land was outside of the boundaries of King Powhatan making it harder to access and even more unknown. It encompassed 5.2 million acres and would remain in a state of flux as people continued claiming and carving Virginia land throughout the 1600s. Sir Thomas Culpeper actively pursued the land after King Charles II renewed the grant affirming its’ value in 1669, and Culpeper owned 5/6’s of the grant by 1681 with his cousin Alexander Culpeper owning the other 1/6th. Culpeper started hiring local Virginia agents in 1670 to start profiting from the land – his agents sold the land and collect quitrents, a 17th century version of annual property taxes. Philip Ludwell became Lord Fairfax’s agent for the Northern Neck proprieties from 1690-1693, followed by joint partners George Brent and William Fitzhugh. While Culpeper pursued other avenues of profit in the Virginia colony as well, including Brent Town in Prince William County, the Northern Neck properties remained within his family, eventually turning into a clear title by the mid-1700s with Thomas Sixth Lord Fairfax, the first and only person to control 100% of the original 1649 gift, becoming the sole proprietor of the Northern Neck.

Although acting as an agent here, Philip Ludwell had an extraordinary life as he battled against the insurgents during Bacon’s Rebellion (1676-1677), a contentious time in history when Nathaniel Bacon challenged Sir William Berkeley in Virginia’s short civil war. Ludwell himself was a proprietor in the Carolina’s and served as the governor of North Carolina and South Carolina along with other political appointments although he also had his fair share of contentions political strife.

This one simple court record demonstrated the myriad of complications, tensions, and interactions between the people living in Virginia when royals and other officials divided and gifted land they never even owned. From King Charles II’s lips to Colonel Philip Ludwell’s pen, we can catch glimpses of life in Virginia after decades of actions taken by men to gain and control the most land possible.

Note: Thank you to Teresa A. Kelley for her wonderful donation of Stafford County court record transcriptions along with genealogical & estate books to the Lee Lansing Research Library!

(Sources: Sparacio, Ruth and Sam Sparacio. Stafford County, Virginia. Order Book Abstracts, 1664-1668 & 1689-1690. Millsboro: Colonial Roots, 1987; Virginia Places: The Fairfax Grant, http://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/fairfaxgrant.html; Tincher, Louise Horowitz. Taking Stock: The Import of European Livestock into Virginia and its Impact on Political Life. William and Mary: Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects, 1987; National Park Service: Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument – Ancient Horse)

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Britches or Breeches: Scottish Fiddle Tunes

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

“Leather breeches full of stitches, Old shoes and stockings on-- My wife she kicked me out of bed Because I had my breeches on.”

When the Scottish and Scots-Irish arrived in Virginia, they spread across the state attracted to the different environments and landscapes. While Dumfries certainly experienced an influx of Scottish, immigrants also went to the Appalachian frontier. What excites us is how the immigrants weaved their heritage, experiences, and memories of their homelands into our state. One way we can see the influence is by listening to folk music.

While Parson Weems famously fiddled, he was not the only Scotsman with the taste for this instrument. The fiddle arrived in North America during the 17th century and quickly became popular due to the lightweight and portable nature of the instrument along with its’ versatile tunes. The fiddle provided the perfect atmosphere for joviality, especially among those who faced long and arduous days laboring for basic daily needs, such as food, and the chance to participate in the local economy. Virginia even held fiddle contests in the early 18th century, colonial Americans even seeking experienced indentured and enslaved persons for their performances. Of course, fiddling evolved into its’ own unique style in different Virginia regions, incorporating cultural elements from free black persons, enslaved persons, Italian immigrants, and German immigrants to name a few. Dancing quickly became a part of the fiddle performance along with the banjo, the two instruments gaining popularity in the late 19th century.

(Reed, Henry, Bobbie Thompson, and Katherine B Olson. Henry Reed playing the fiddle, accompanied by Bobbie Thompson of the Hollow Rock String Band on guitar, at the Narrows Virginia Fiddlers Contest, summer. United States Narrows Virginia, 1967. Summer. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/afcreedp.17/)

Famous Virginia fiddler Henry Reed (1884-1968), performed one musical piece that highlights the Scottish and American cultural influences. “Leather Britches” probably evolved from a late 16th century Scottish reel known as Lord MacDonald’s Reel, although Professor Samuel Bayard noted it was either related or connected to popular Irish tunes, such as “Breeches On (The)”, “Irish Lad (The),” “Irish Lad’s a Jolly Boy”, and “O the Breeches Full of Stitches.” Researcher and fiddler Lisa Ornstein collected scant evidence to support this citing a 1879 book referencing breeches and stitches. Once the tune arrived in America, it quickly spread into and past Virginia with interesting changes. First, the title. “Leather Breeches” could refer to the green snap beans dried in their pods. To dry them, people pierced the pod with a needle, stringing them to hang. The other possible meaning is the actual leather garment. Some musicians have noticed that playing the fiddle invokes a similar motion to sewing leather with a needle and thread. These different meanings have also influenced the different ballads. The following are examples of other verses, from both oral and print historical sources:

“Leather breeches, full of stitches, Mammy sewed the buttons on.”

“Leather Breeches full of stitches, Leather Breeches, Leather Breeches; Mammy cut 'em out an' M'daddy sewed an' sewed the stitches.”

Despite some ministers from the 18th century deeming the fiddle as a “devil’s box,” the fiddle and this tune remain popular to this day, especially in fiddling contests performed across America. As with folk tales and folklore, folk music helps retain collective memories and can document the shift in people’s ideologies and tastes. If you ever find yourself at a tavern with a fiddler, listen carefully to the words and melody as you enjoy the vibrant living lore of America.

Note: Ready for more folklore? Join our virtual Weems-Botts Bibliophiles in April where we read short Arthurian Legends and discuss the rich historic and literary history behind them! Click here for your ticket to Camelot.

(Sources: The Library of Congress: Digital Collections: Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier: The Henry Reed Collection: Articles and Essays: The Historical and Cultural Significance of Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier, https://www.loc.gov/collections/henry-reed-fiddle-tunes/articles-and-essays/the-historical-and-cultural-significance-of-fiddle-tunes-of-the-old-frontier/; Olson, Ted. 2017. Scottish Culture: Scottish and Scots-Irish Music. The Crooked Road's Mountains of Music Homecoming: The Official Homecoming Guide. 32. http://mtnsofmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MOMH_ProgramGuide_FINAL-lowres.pdf; The Traditional Tune Archive: The Semantic Index of North American, British, and Irish: Leather Britches, https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Leather_Britches; National Park Service: Blue Ridge: The Fiddle; Craft Revival: Shaping Westwern North Carolina Past and Present, (Project of Hunter Library Digital Initiatives at Western Carolina University, Velde, Patrick. Instruments: Fiddle, https://www.wcu.edu/library/DigitalCollections/CraftRevival/crafts/fiddle.html)

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Living History with Joanne Barron

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Mrs. Joanne Barron (1955-2023) served as the Executive Director of Historic Dumfries Virginia, Inc. & The Weems-Botts Museum from 2011-2017. Her hospitality, commitment to education, and passion for history guided our organization as she breathed life into our mission statement by making local history accessible to everyone.

(Tea in Merchant Park with Mrs. Joanne Barron, 2013)

In 2012, Morgan, Mangold, an intern for The Weems-Botts Museum, interviewed Dumfries Town Historian & Local Legend Lee Lansing. In a draft version of her article, Ms. Mangold sat down with both Lansing and Barron, recording their interaction.

“Mrs. Joann Barron remembers fondly that, “Mister Lansing, when our Museum became a Historic Site, it was in very bad shape. And Mr. Lansing and his son [renovated it]; we’ve got pictures in the Museum of them re-doing everything.” As Lansing recalls “after we were able to buy after the county was able to buy the building at that time, uh, I was able to get in there and work and do some of the work…to bring it back up to where it should be.” Though the buildings are absolutely beautiful pieces of history now, poison ivy seemed to be a serious problem at one time and when remembering that tale, Mr. Lansing and Mrs. Barron chuckled at each other.    

In being an architect, the Weems-Botts Museum was not the only building Mr. Lansing’s name can be attributed to. The United Methodist Church of Dumfries right cross the street from the museum was built by none other than himself. “That’s all my design. The whole part of the church. All the furniture and everything is my design,” he brags lovingly. Though the furniture is beautiful and the place of worship magnificent, the suspended cross is the star. As Mrs. Barron tells, “when my husband [Vonn Barron] was a little boy he said it was like a miracle, you’d look at this cross and you couldn’t figure out how it was up there. Because you can’t see anything.” As Lansing explains, “when I first designed it. I had the cross supported from the floor. And we came up with some special types of piano wire that we can hang it from the roof. So that’s what we [did] we hung it from the roof. You cant see what holds it up there.” It is a miracle thought up by a genius.”

This interaction is truly remarkable as Mangold captured an intimate and wonderful exchange between two friends who dedicated their knowledge, experience, and passion for history to the Town of Dumfries.

Under Barron’s leadership in 2011, The Weems-Botts Museum won a nomination for the Virginia Association of Museum’s “Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts” program for our Traveling Colonial Wood Truck on display in the exhibit room. “The fact that over 100,000 votes were cast by the public for all the nominations confirms that historic preservation matters to the citizens of the commonwealth,” Margo Carlock, Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Museums stated - “The Top Ten Winners highlight not only the unique stories found in collections across Virginia, but also the challenges that accompany preserving these artifacts.” Barron’s perseverance and commitment in this effort helped promote awareness of our small museum and showcase our treasured artifacts.

Barron’s accomplishments and achievements as Executive Director could be seen in her active advocacy for living history programs at the museum. From hosting Prince William Resolves signing events to holding Victorian teas to constantly inviting the public to engage in colonial and Civil War interpretations in Merchant Park, she provided a passionate and fascinating voice for all aspects of historical life in Dumfries. Her Ghost Walks, Charter Day celebrations, colonial camps, living history weekends (just to name a few), brought friends and families together in Merchant Park, truly making Dumfries a destination for Prince William County. It would take countless pages to review and describe the legacies and impacts we feel from her persistent aim to put us on the map. Whether you came for tea or ghosts, Barron was always there, ready to greet you with a smile and warmly welcome you to the Historic Dumfries Virginia family.

Note: Have memories you would like to share about Joanne Barron and the organization? Please send us an email ([email protected]) or call (703-221-221) so that we can continue to document the history of our organization! To see how the organization has grown and evolved from Barron’s tenure, check out our March newsletter here.

(Sources: HDVI Archives)

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Recovering Rare Documents & Local History with Don Wilson

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

It is impossible to not come across Donald L. Wilson (1943-2023) in HDVI’s archives, collections, and Lee Lansing Research Library. Not only did he provide much of our resources and knowledge on Prince William County history, family history, and local history resources, he arranged for our historic society to receive books, transcriptions and extracts/abstracts of court records, and first-person accounts to help Dumfries history flourish.

(Map of Prince William County, Virginia: compiled from U.S. Geological Survey and other data and corrected with the assistance of reliable residents of the county, 1901, via Library of Congress Geography and Map Division)

“During a visit to the Archive Room, at the basement of the County Courthouse, on April 24, I had an opportunity to take stock of what old record books are currently on file there. Original deed, will, and minute books that survive from the 18th and 19th centuries are mostly there.

While leafing through Court Order Book [10], 1755-1757, I found a loose document tucked between pages 6 and 7. It turned out to be a contemporary copy, perhaps the original copy, of a deed dated 1747. Why it was left there is unknown but it should have been recorded in Deed Book K (1746-1748) which has been missing since the Civil War. Following is an abstract of the document:

Indenture, 24 July 1747, between John Frogg of Hamilton Parish, Prince William County, gentleman, and James Keith of the said same parish and county, clerk [minister]. Consideration: 5 shillings sterling paid by said James Keith. All that part of two parts or parcels of land in Hamilton Parish (formerly granted to said John Frogg by the Hon. Thomas Lord Fairfax by two deeds or grants, one dated 30 Dec. 1742, the other 29 Mar. 1744) containing 1509 acres according to a survey thereof lately made by George Byrne, surveyor of said county of Prince William. Beginning at two white oaks and a red oak standing on S side of a small branch called battle branch which is a small branch of Trap branch, the said trees being also beginning of Lamberts land and a corner of the land of Shumate and also a tract of land sold by said John Frogg to John Madison extending thence with the line of Lambert S 56½° W 218 poles to a chestnut corner of Lambert’s lines S 5½° E 83 poles to a white oak corner of Lamberts; thence with another of Lamberts lines S 16° W 242 poles to a red oak on the brown of an hill corner to the said Lamberts; thence with another of his lines S 15½° E 364 poles to a white oak and red oak Lamberts corner near a branch side; thence S 74° E 30 poles to 2 white oaks corner of Lambert and John Peyton  and the beginning of one of the said John Frogg’s deeds abovementioned; thence S 58° W 148 poles to a white oak, red oak and a hickory corners to Peyton on an hill side; thence N 72° W 91 poles to a white oak by a branch side; thence N 20° W 105 poles to a red oak; thence N 38° E 80 poles to a white oak; thence N 12° W 106 poles to 3 chestnut saplins in Bells line; thence with said line N 41° E 66 poles to a stake corner to Bell and Mr. James Scott; thence with said Scotts line N 19° E 100 poles to an hickory his corner; thence N 40° E 54 poles to a large chestnut another of his corners; thence N 40° E 54 poles to a large chesnut another of his corners; thence N 22° W 310 poles to a Spanish oak on a ridge another of his corners; thence N22½° E 140 poles to 2 white oaks on the W side of a branch; thence N 58½° W 46 poles to an hickory another of the said Scotts corners in or near the line of Skinker on the S side of a branch; thence with or near Skinkers line N 20° W 17 poles crossing a branch at the end of the said distance to a white oak corner of Skinker on the branch side; thence with said Skinkers line N 45° W 192 poles to a Spanish oak on the E side of a branch corner of Skinker; thence crossing the branch W 78 poles with the line of Gibsons land to a chesnut his corner; thence N 6½° W 98 poles to a red oak at the head of a valley then N 70° E 160 poles to a red oak marked SN the westmost corner of Nolin’s land and the beginning of said Gibson’s land; thence with the land of said Nolin’s land and the beginning of said Gibson’s land; thence with the land of said Nolins S 78° E 592 poles to the side of Trap branch; thence binding on said branch and extending up the same the several courses and meanders thereof to the mouth of Battle branch; thence up Battle branch S 53° E 26 poles to the beginning; with all the plantations, houses (etc.) to said James Keith his executors etc. from 1st day of this instant July for 1 year. Paying 1 peppercorn upon the Feast of St. Michael if demanded.  [Wording indicates that a release is intended as well as the lease.] Signed: John Frogg. Wit: And’r Rose, Daniel Campbell, Robert Peter, William Grant. Acknowledged at court 27 July 1747. Test: P. Wagener, Clerk. A copy, teste J. Williams, Cl. Cur.

[My earlier statement that this might be the original copy is in error. This copy was made by clerk John Williams who served at Dumfries 1795-1813. Since the land now falls with Fauquier County it perhaps was involved in a land cause before the Dumfries District Superior Court. James Keith was minister of Hamilton Parish from 1736 to 1751. It may be of interest that he was also the maternal grandfather of John Marshall, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. This tract may represent the Hamilton Parish glebe granted to Keith after Dettingen Parish was cut off in 1745. The vestry book of Hamilton Parish is said to have been destroyed by vandals during the 19th century. IT is not clear what became of the register of births, marriages and deaths for that time. Could it have been handed down among Keith’s family papers?]

--Don Wilson”

Beside for the recovery of previous lost information, Wilson’s transcription and analysis also provide wonderful insights into the financial and religious life of early Prince William County residents. The Feast of Michael and All Angels, Michaelmas, continues to be celebrated on the 29th of September every year. Associated with the beginning of autumn, it was known as a “quarter day,” and these dates (along with 03/25, 06/24, 12/25) were designated as the “start” dates to hire servants, pay rent, or begin new leases. Michaelmas was seen as the start date of a new productive season of farming and business as people paid debts and elected new magistrates in Great Britain. Identified as an angelic warrior actively fighting evil, St. Michael served as protection against the darker and colder days with the eventual incoming winter season. Fun British folklore associated with the old calendar of Michaelmas, 10/10: supposedly the last day one should pick blackberries as Lucifer fell from the heavens this day and landed on a blackberry bush. After cursing, scorching, spitting, stamping, and well throwing a general tantrum, he made them unfit for consumption.

Wilson’s excitement, enthusiasm, commitment to historic accuracy, and persistence in sharing historic resources, and helping families trace their origins has made a monumental impact in Prince William County and Virginia. By providing a transcript of this one recovered document, we offer researchers, families, and folklorists a unique perspective of early Prince William County history.

Note: RELIC offers delightful accessible digital resources as well as educational programs. Click here to access their online historic records. Click here to see their upcoming programs.

(Sources: HDVI Archives: Prince William County. Wilson, Don. Early Prince William County Deed Found; Johnson, Ben. Michaelmas. Historic UK: The History & Heritage Accommodation Guide, https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Michaelmas/)

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Stafford County’s One Punch Man

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Identified as an “enormous man,” standing at more than six feet six inches tall, Major Mike Wallace gained an impressive reputation. G.B. Wallace recounted this story to John T. Goolrick in Stafford County on 02/08/1939.

“Major Mike” became a tradition, a legendary figure in the current annals of Stafford – a gigantic, immensely strong, good-natured but fearsome figure. No man, after a short time, dared to engage him in an altercation. His vast deep voice was so potent that, it is said, standing on the porch of Ellerslie, he could call a servant two miles away. When angered, he roared like a wild bull and, when going through the woods, he sang to himself, the song echoed over the countryside.

In those days men met in physical contact on court days, or at assemblages, in a mere spirit of bravado; and Major Mike had not been long from the war when he was the admitted conqueror of all the Staffordians. One day there came to the Port of Falmouth a ship from England, commanded by a brawny, old-faced, flaming Irishman whose very heart’s joy was a fight. Having about the taverns found one or two brawls in the taverns that ended, for him, in easy victories, he found no more of the hardy rough and terrible fighters of the day willing to fight him, and abandoned hope of further fray. Then someone thought of Major Michael Wallace, and, while the Irish fighter waited eagerly, a horseman rode to Ellerslie. Major Mike had no grudge against the sea captain, but, ever ready for any encounter, he readily ordered his horse saddled and rode to Falmouth. In the center of the street that is now U.S. Highway 1, a ring was formed. The Irish sea captain and Major Mike agreed to fight to the finish, no rules. [They] divested themselves of their coats, and the fray began.

The first blow from the fist of Major Mike killed the Irishman.

Somewhat sobered, Major Mike now refrained from battles – there was no one to fight him anyway – and continued his pursuits at Ellerslie. It was his custom, save in very cold weather, to sleep upon the bare floor. And there he always lay down when wanted to rest. He was lying thus one day when a parson from somewhere “up the country” rode by and stopped. He was going, he said, to the home some tend miles away on King’s Highway of the Widow Wishart, widow of the well-known Parson Wishart. He had been chosen, he said, as one of those to settle the late Parson’s Wishart’s estate, which was quite valuable. He recited that the widow was possessed of about 6000 acres of land, a very fine brick house with many outbuildings and stables, fine carriages and riding horses, many cattle and sheep and oxen, and some sixty slaves. The giant Major Mike had arisen from his couch on the floor by now and asked the traveling stranger “And where are you going?” “I shall accept your hospitality tonight and remain here,” answered the guest, “I ride at sunup tomorrow.” “And I ride with you,” declared Major Mike, “and I’ll marry the widow!” which is exactly what he did. From that union came a large branch of the Wallace family in Virginia, all of them big, powerful men.”

(University of North Carolina, "Early Maps of the American South," A Map of the northern neck in Virginia by Peter Jefferson, Robert Brooke, Benjamin Winslow, Thomas Lewis, 1747 via Virginia Places)

Located on the south side of Virginia 652 and 654, “Ellerslie” did exist! Stafford County historians identified the origins of the family in America with the arrival of Michael Wallace, an indentured Scottish servant to Dr. Gustavus Brown of Maryland. Wallace studied medicine with Dr. Brown, before eloping with his daughter to Falmouth, Virginia. Wallace purchased and built Ellerslie in 1748 and re-built it in 1754 after a fire partially ravaged the structure. The family is famous for their revolutionary prowess, but not quite as narrated above. According to local historian Jerrilyn Eby MacGregor,

“Ellerslie’s most famous resident was Dr. Michael Wallace’s son, Lt. Col. Gustavus Brown Wallace (1751-1802). After attending school in Fredericksburg, he began studying law in 1774. His studies were interrupted by the death of his aunt in Scotland necessitating a trip abroad in 1775. That same year he returned to Virginia and enlisted in the Continental Army as a captain. In the fall of 1777 he was promoted to major and served under Colonel Daniel Morgan. Major Wallace spent the terrible winter with his men at Valley Forge. He was transferred from the 3rd to the 25th Virginia Regiment and, finally, to the 2nd Virginia Regiment. During the late 1770s he was captured by the British at Charleston. At the request of Governor Thomas Nelson, Lord Cornwallis released him on parole so that he could return to Virginia. There he was to make arrangements for officers of the Virginia Line to pay the debts they incurred at Charleston.  After the Revolution, Wallace was given 7,000 acres of land in Virginia for his services during the war. He was also given an additional 960 acres for special services.”

What fascinates us, is the locality and family lineage running through this tall tale! Central Rappahannock Regional Library identified the parson as Reverend James Wishart of Lamb’s Creek Church, and the wife as Lettice Wishart. Keep in mind that Dr. Michael Wallace and Major Mike Wallace are noted as two separate people. According to the National Register of Historic Places for Rokeby, Major Mike Wallace’s definitive Revolutionary act was signing the Albemarle Renunciation Allegiance to King George III. Family history has their wedding dated to 1775, with the Major’s death in 1813. The family then traces two different Gustavus Brown Wallace’s – one the son of Major Mike and the other the son of Dr. Michael Wallace and Elizabeth Brown. Eventually, the Wallace family occupied Rokeby, a plantation of two thousand acres with at least eighty-six enslaved persons, and thirty-three employed workers in agricultural and manufacturing pursuits, ca. 1820-1840 census data. The family liked the name Gustavus, and we see his name reappearing throughout their genealogical charts. While we are not going to try to sort out the descendent threads in this blog, this folktale is indicative of how family memories and lore can evolve over time. Even structures and properties become incorporated into the lore, sometimes emphasizing the heroic person or feat instead of the historical reality.

As for Major Mike Wallace being a historical one punch man? With the Scottish roots and proximity to Dumfries, it is interesting to consider that this story might have entertained the patrons at Dumfries taverns in the late 1700s. Perhaps the Revolutionary War would have ended much sooner if General George Washington had realized the power contained within Wallace’s fists.

One last consideration: The informant of this tale was also known for his combat strength! Goolrick noted Wallace was a famous full-back on the University of Virginia’s football team ca. 1900s. Folklore motifs identified: Remarkable voice, Remarkably strong man, Mighty pugilist, Accidental killing or death.

Note: Interested in detective fiction? Explore the historic roots and origin of this literary genre with The Weems-Botts Bibliophiles on Saturday, 03/18! More info and tickets for this virtual program here.

(Sources: Barden, Thomas E, ed. Virginia Folk Legends. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1991; Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Library Point Blog: Stafford’s Major Mike Wallace, https://www.librarypoint.org/blogs/post/staffords-major-mike-wallace/; Stafford and Cultural Center Museum, Revolutionary War Overview; U.S. Department of the Interior: National Park Services: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Rokeby, VDHR File # 048-0019)

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Bedtime Stories During a War: A Tiny Snapshot of Prince William County in April 1944

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

In April 1944, The Manassas Journal ran a series of “Bedtime Stories” in their newspapers, all featuring the beloved Peter Rabbit. In a newspaper filled with devasting news of WWII with recipes urging people to use more eggs and less meats, these stories provided a chance for parents to impart societal and moral lessons without having to discuss the war.

The April paper featured the following: More Old Friends Wake Up and Greet Peter, Welcome Robin Tells of His Adventures, and Peter Rabbit is Scared and then Glad. Besides for featuring a curious and naive Peter Rabbit, these stories acknowledged the hard realities of American life in 1944 while reminding children of the promise of the future. 

Excerpt: More Old Friends Wake Up and Greet Peter:

“A stomach is a funny thing,” thought Peter. “Yes, sir, a stomach is a funny thing. People say that this one or that is good hearted or bad hearted, when half the time I don’t believe the heart has anything to do with it. It’s the stomach. That’s what it is – the stomach. If a fellow’s stomach is just comfortably full he is good-natured, and if it is uncomfortably empty he is cross. It’s surely funny how differently things look when you’ve got something in your stomach. Now this is certainly a beautiful spring morning, but Unc’ Billy Possum couldn’t see it until he got that beetle in his stomach. Then he was his old, good natured self all in a wink. Why, if it wasn’t for stomachs we wouldn’t have much of anything to worry about.” Peter stopped running for to think this new idea over. He can always think better sitting still. “It’s a fact,” continued Peter, talking out loud to himself. “If it wasn’t for our stomachs we never would have to worry about food and we wouldn’t have to worry about enemies because we wouldn’t have any!” At this amazing thought Peter’s eyes opened wide. He felt that he had made a discovery.

“I don’t know about that,” said a voice. “You seem to forget about men with their terrible guns and traps. They hunt us for fun more than they do for food, though I must say I can’t see where the fun comes in.”

Here we see the importance of food and a recognition that being hungry was normal, the stomach’s “task” was to inform us of our needs. While Peter Rabbit wanted to apply this logic to everything, Jimmy Skunk reminded him of the realities of “enemies.”

Excerpt: Welcome Robin Tells of his Adventures:

Do you ever think of Welcome Robin as having strange adventures and narrow escapes? Peter Rabbit never did. Welcome Robin is such a cheery fellow, always singing “Cheer Up! Cheer Up! Cheer Up! Cheer!” and making everybody glad by the sound of his voice, that someone, Peter never once had thought that Welcome possibly could have much to worry him. A great many people are just that way. They are so much taken up with their own troubles that they never think that their cheerful neighbors may have just as great troubles, and perhaps, worse.

When Welcome Robin told Peter what a long journey he had made to get back there to the Old Orchard it was hard work for Peter to believe that anyone could possibly travel so far, and it was still harder for him to believe that anyone who had been so far away could find his way back again. And yet he never had known Welcome Robin to tell an untruth, so he just HAD to believe.

This lesson focuses on recognizing the needs of your neighbor and your community. Supporting a wartime economy was a communal necessity, along with listening and acknowledging the importance of the family and community unit.

Excerpt: Peter Rabbit is Scared and then Glad:

Peter Rabbit had been so interested in Welcome Robin’s story of his long journey from the sunny Southland that he quite forget everything else. He just sat with his eyes fixed on Welcome Robin in the tree over his head and never once thought about watching out for danger.

The place where Peter was sitting was down in the far corner of the Old Orchard, very near the doorstep of an old friend. He was back of it and so, of course, he couldn’t see it. Now the owner of that doorstep had been asleep ever since the first cold day of last fall. Curled up in his snug, warm, little bedroom deep down in the ground, he had known nothing about what had been going on all those months. He had known nothing of snow and ice, of Jack Frost and Rough Brother North Wind. He had slept through it all. But that morning Mistress Spring had stopped at his doorway long enough to call gently down his long hallway until she had wakened him. When she heard him stretching and yawning and grumbling to himself, she went on to waken other sleepers.

For a long time after she had gone he lay there trying to make up his mind whether to go to sleep again or to get up and have a peep outside. “I don’t believe it is time to get up yet,” he grumbled. “I don’t believe I’ve been asleep any time at all.”

How Peter Rabbit would have shouted if he could have heard that. But no one heard it because, you know, that little grumbler was way down in his snug bedroom underground. So he kept on grumbling all to himself until right into the midst of his grumbling there broke a sound which caused him to sit very still and listen with all his might. In a minute he heard it again. It was the voice of Welcome Robin singing: “Cheer up! Cheer up! Cheer up! Cheer! Mistress Spring is surely here.” That settled the matter. There was no doubt now about it being time to get up.

While Peter Rabbit is slightly wiser here, we meet those animals emerging from their winter hibernations. While certainly grumbling, the sleepy animal does eventually awaken and recognize he cannot remain idle at the start of spring.

Helen Beatrix first developed the idea of a loveable and mischievous anamorphic rabbit in her correspondence to her former governess’ son Noel in 1893. Wild and domesticated animals populated her idealized English countryside, and appeared in print in 1901 as “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” with a commercial publication in 1902. She inspired other writers, such as American naturalist and conservationist Thornton W. Burgess, to create more characters and even write stories about Peter Rabbit. Potter wrote and illustrated 24 original books.  However, it should be noted that not all Peter Rabbit stories imparted fair and inclusive moral lessons. Reinforced racism and sexism appeared heavily in folklore and folktales in the early 20th century.

Did Prince William County children hear these bedtime stories at night? While we cannot provide data and statistics at this point without conducting proper research, these stories provide a sharp contrast to the rest of the paper which focused on war. The reminder of hope and renewal along with the importance of community certainly offered parents a chance to indulge and escape with a beloved literary character during such a hard and often depressing time.

Note: It’s the beginning of March meaning we have a new newsletter available! Click here to read the March 2023 edition of HDVI’s The Town Crier.

(Sources: The Manassas Journal, 04/06/1944, Vol. LXXIV, No. 49; The Manassas Journal, 04/13/1944, Vol. LXXIV, No. 50; The Manassas Journal, 04/20/1944, Vol. LXXIV, No. 51; The World of Peter Rabbit: A Short History of a Timeless Adventure, https://peterrabbit.com/about; Winick, Stephen. Library of Congress Blogs: Folklife Today: Here Comes Peter Cottontail: Some Cultural History, https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2016/03/peter-cottontail)

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Salvaging the Tebbs-Mundy House Through Photos & Memories

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

The Tebbs family dates their arrival to Virginia as early as 1687. Potentially emigrating as an indentured servant, Daniel Tebbs moved to Westmoreland County eventually importing two people, one probably his son Daniel. The family quickly established themselves within the social and political networks, so it is no surprise that James Tebbs (b. ca. 1717), William Tebbs (b. ca.1720), Foushee Tebbs (b. ca. 1723), and Willoughby Tebbs (b. ca. 1760) became influential key players of Dumfries during the port’s busiest age. Tobacco inspectors, church vestries, political representatives, and planter patriarchs categorize the careers of these men, while other Tebbs sailed the seas and explored Kentucky. Daniel Tebbs 1740 will list livestock, structures, and sterling shilling along with the enslaved persons divided amongst his wife and children: Abram, Great Jack, Tapsalom, Little Jack, Jack, Abram, Sara “with her increase” (children), and Frank. We find the Tebbs in local ledgers, such as Daniel Payne’s, when he recorded Major William Tebbs purchasing spice mortal and pestle, candlesticks, and alcohol. The Tebbs are in George Washington’s 1764 Cash Account records when he purchased enslaved persons, Harry, £45; Topsom, £43; Nan, £25.5; and Toney, £17.5, from Daniel Tebbs’ estate, using them for “the work of draining improving and saving the land” in the Dismal Swamp Land Company. The Tebbs also owned a lot of property in Prince William County, notably the Tebbs-Mundry House (in the Town of Dumfries) and Tebbsdale (Cherry Hill area near Quantico Creek).

(HDVI Archives: Tebbs-Mundy house, Elvan Keys reported to be one of the children)

It is easy to overlook Dumfries rich nautical past as most of the 60+ structures in the 18th century no longer stand. One of the last to fall is today named for the Tebbs and Mundy families who owned the property. However, older records also note it as “The Tebbs House”, “The Old Mundy House,” and “The Haunted House.” While Mrs. Warfield Brawner reported “the old house crumbling” and collapsing in the 1920s, it is more likely it fell during the 1930s, damaged from the Hurricane of 1933. Fascinating photographs and family reminiscences paint a spectacular picture of this living memory.

“The old house was in very bad repair for some years, and finally, in a heavy gale, fell in, but it was still standing a few years ago, and I remember it very well, but cannot recall the details well enough to fill in the architectural sheet. It was square, brick, of Flemish bond, with white stone trim. There were of six rooms on the first floor, three on the second, and five in the basement. Originally, there had been more rooms on the second floor, but had evidently been altered to make some exceptionally large rooms, and as if it had been used as a hospital and a school, that would seem likely.

There was a large center hall with removable paneling between that and the drawing room, so that for balls and such festive occasions it could be made into one large room. This paneling was very beautiful and sold to someone in New York, for a thousand dollars. The brick, was likewise, sold, and was taken to Fredericksburg. There were two double chimneys at each end, and large fireplaces in each room. The stone from the basement has been used to build a most attractive house on the same site by the present owner.

There are some of the old trees left, although until a few years ago there were some very large locusts standing that had been there for many years. There was a terraced garden in front that has been rebuikt by the present owner. Back of the house are the lovely woods of Grayson Hill. At the southwest corner of the house is a large well that was probably built by the original owners, this too, has been cleaned and repaired.”

Lee Lansing spoke with Elvan Keys, one of the young children in the photograph. “While many photos are available as mementoes of happier youthful experiences, they tell us of the details of this old house. Mr. Elvan Keys, when questioned of his experience showed us photos of he and his young friends peering from the open window of the second floor – but they told us more – of the relative thickness of the masonry wall, where the window frame had been removed – the modillion cornice and its deteriorated condition, as a result of the roof failure and the location of the window frame in relation to the exterior wall face – his description of the interior and its wall features after the removal of the interior woodwork to be placed in a museum in a far away location.”

Residents of the Town reported that the house and grounds witnessed tea parties with Washington, Col. Henry Lee shooting Willoughby Tebbs, medical treatments, and Civil War encampments. The story of the shooting dates to a 1936 article by R.C. Wright but family researchers have been unable to collaborate this probable folktale. It is more likely the house was a prominent center for social networking. “Miss Maud Ewell of Haymarket, Virginia, remembers hearing her grandmother tell of going there dressed in a rich purple brocade, that had just come in from one of the ships from London”. Not finding the stylish matching flowers needed, she apparently took clusters of purple grapes from the gardens to put “in her powdered hair” for a “striking headdress.”

Elvan Keys noted, “It was always fun for a country boy to visit in Dumfries, because the town kids would take him on a tour of all the exciting places – the old grist mill, the 10 foot hole, the Cabin Branch Mine, and the Haunted House.” He frequented the house playing in the basement supposedly making strange noises up the chimney to scare anyone walking nearby. In 1937, the WPA worker visiting the property wrote, “This is one of the old houses that was the scene of so many stirring scenes in the past, and so many prominent people, who have made our heritage of history, have passed through its doors, that in spite of the fact that there are few physical remains of the old home, its atmosphere is felt.” The memories of the house and family remind us just how tight and interconnected the Town was in the 1700s as enslaved persons, free persons of color, Scottish factors, planters, workers, indentured servants, and many others walked and rode through this historical gem.

Oral history informants: Mr. Charles Callahan, Mrs. Robert Wheat, Mr. & Mrs. Warfield Brawner, Mr. Walter Keys, Miss Maud Ewell, Elvan Keys, C.W. Garrison, and Lee Lansing.

Note: March brings new opportunities to engage in your local history! On Saturday, 03/11, we will design, build, and fly kits in Merchant Park (weather permitting, free tickets here). On Saturday, 03/18, we will meet virtually to discuss fascinating detective fiction from a history & literary perspective (tickets here - member discount).

(Sources: WPA Historic Survey: Town of Dumfries, 1937; Kebler, John Frederick and Robert Steltz. The Descendants of Daniel Tebbs, Westmoreland County, Virginia; Lansing, Lee. The Town of Dumfries and The Honorable Foushee Tebbs (report marked inaccurate, only used the oral history & folktale regarding the photograph); Genealogist Traces History, Tebbs Family Lived in Historic Dumfries, Potomac News, 11/17/1971)

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From Cards to Chicken & Waffles: A Slice of Dumfries Social Calendar from 1928-1930

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

What was Dumfries like in the late 1920s? Join us as we visit the social scene of Dumfries in February from 1928-1930. From hosting parties to making hot soup, the activities of our Dumfries residents provide a small glimpse of how communities remained united during tumultuous times.

02/16/1928:

Mrs. Eastman Keys entertained at a delightful Five Hundred party last Thursday afternoon at her home near Dumfries. A beautiful vase was filled with flowers the favor for the highest score, was presented by the hostess to Mrs. John Rainey. Mrs. Grover Abel, who made the lowest score, received a bud vase.

A delightful luncheon, consisting of chicken salad, crackers, pickles and coffee, was served. The Dumfries reporter sees that this game is destined to become a very popular amusement here. Those playing were: Mrs. John Rainey, Mrs. T.J. Young and Mrs. Buchanan, of Quantico, Mrs. Mamie Sisson, Mrs. Bell Rison, Mrs. Grover Abel, Mrs. Maye Crawford, Mrs. Eastman Keys, Miss Isobel Rison and Miss Delma Harris, of Dumfries.

Never heard of a Five Hundred party? The United States Playing Card Company invented this trick-taking card game in 1904, based on the popular Euchre. While auction and contract bridge eventually dominated the trick taking games in America, Dumfries hosted Five Hundred parties into the 1930s. The Manassas Journal continued to print the participants and results within their social news updates. (Sidenote: You can find more info, helpful tips, and instructions with Board Game Geek here!)

02/21/1929:

The Dumfries Community League held its regular meeting last week, with Mrs. Annie G. Cline, president presiding. Rev. Shumate gave the invocation.

Following the reading of the minutes, the roll call and the receipt of dues, new business was taken up and in this connection the bill for the meat used in making soup for the school during January was presented and ordered paid. Elmer Williams, secretary of the 4-H Club, repaid a loan of $4.60 which had been made for the purchase of shrubbery, at the same time expressing the thanks of his club to the League for the loan.

Among the activities of club members during January and February reported was the making of hot soup two days a week for the school, the members furnishing all of the ingredients except the meat. By saving nickels and dimes, members were able to contribute a good sum to the teachers of the school to apply on the purchase of cooking utensils.

The final payment of shades, of which the school is so proud, was made the purchase and installation of shades, having amounted to $56. It was also ordered that the League purchase 50 song books for the school.

The program at the school for April will be put on by the League and all are looking forward to a delightful entertainment with many surprises. The attendance at the meeting was exceptionally large, and many parents were present for the first time, indicating a growing interest in the activities of the League.

The focus on nourishment and supplying necessities is apparent in this club article. While historians give the start date of the Great Depression as 08/1929, it came after a series of economic and financial crises that led to the Stock Market Crash of 1929. As you can tell from the above 02/1929 article, Dumfries was already concerned about the cost of meat. The idea of having meatless meals as a way to show patriotism and deal with the economic realities in America came from WWI. Meatless Tuesdays and Wheatless Wednesdays even impacted Valentine cards with a shoutout to Hebert Hoover: “To My Valentine / I can Hooverize on dinners / And on lights and fuel too / But I’ll never learn to Hooverize / When it comes to loving you!” While not ideal, the Dumfries Community League focused on the importance of hot, nourishing, and comforting food in the best ways they could afford.

(”You’re Children is Their Food Safe?” Ad for General Electric All-Steel Refrigerator,  The Manassas Journal, 02/06/1930, Vol. XXXV, No. 38)

02/06/1930:

“The ladies of the Dumfries Methodist Church will give a Valentine Party on Friday, February 14, in the School House, beginning at 7 p.m. to which all people of the county are cordially invited. The supper will consist of hot waffles, made as only the Dumfries ladies can make them, maple syrup and coffee.

It is especially urged that those who come appear in costume for prizes will be given for the funniest costume, the prettiest costume, and for numerous other things. For the children there will be a grab bag, and for both the young and old a fortune telling booth will be installed.

The committee in charge of the Valentine Party is headed by Mrs. Magruder Keys, as chairman; Mrs. Nellie Brawner and Mrs. Myrtle Keys.”

Have you ever visited Dumfries? If you have walked the streets with us or looked at a pretty map, you will see the close proximity of Dumfries United Methodist Church to Dumfries Elementary School. While Valentine parties are not uncommon in 2023, Valentine costume contests and fortune-booths might not be part of your typical agenda. However, with a country entering the Great Depression, these thoughtful gestures probably provided levity and a sense of united community spirit as the town, state, and country navigated and responded to a new reality.

Note: Need more history & romance in your life? Join The Weems-Botts Bibliophiles as we discuss the genre of medieval romance, chivalric romance, on Saturday, 02/25 at 10:00am! This virtual program features tasty Ginger Jazz tea, classic medieval prose, and a discussion on the life & times of the people from a literary & historic perspective. More info here!

(Sources: The Manassas Journal, 02/16/1928, Vol. XXXIII, No. 40; The Manassas Journal, 02/21/1928, Vol. XXXIV, No. 40; The Manassas Journal, 02/06/1930, Vol. XXXV, No. 38; Newt’s Games & Playing Cards: How to Play Five Hundred; Avey, Tori. Discover the History of Meatless Mondays, PBS: Food: The History Kitchen, https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-meatless-mondays/)

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For the Sake of Bread? The State of Main Street in the 1780s

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

 On 11/19/1787, Prince William County men and women petitioned the Virginia General Assembly with a few key requests. Keep merchant activity limited to identified merchant houses on Main Street, condemn any unwholesome provisions, prevent nuisances and obstructions, and provide good quality bread.

“It is found that evils have arisen to the Town as well as the Country, from the Country people and Negroes being permitted to bring provisions and carry to private Houses or hawk about the Streets, and they conceive it would prevent frauds and secure better the health of the Inhabitants that the Market people should be confined to a certain House, which has lately been built for the purpose of a Market House – they likewise beg leave to represent, that they have been greatly imposed upon in the weight and quality of the bread made by the Bakers, and that whilst their Sister Towns are receiving twenty eight ounces of good bread for four pence they are paying the same price for Sixteen ounces, frequently of very indifferent bread – they likewise beg leave to represent the necessity of repairing and keeping in good order the Main Street in the Town of Dumfries (being the great road leading from North to South), of a night watch being established for the protection of the Inhabitants and the security of their property, and the prevention and removals of all obstructions and nuisances from the said Town & Streets – To the ends that such grievances be removed and regulations made, it is submitted to the wisdom and consideration of the House, either to reinvest the Trustees of the said Town or else to require a certain number of the Inhabitants to be chosen annually by the freeholders and Housekeepers, with power to Answer the above purposes, and that in either case they shall have powers to confine the market people to certain Market Houses and to consider all bad and unwholesome provisions, to regulate the above and quality of bread and condense the bad, to prevent and remove nuisances, and to make a reasonable and Small Assessment on property and by [poll] to make and keep the said Main Street in good Order and to establish and support a night Watch – It is judged best to vest such powers in the Trustees, it is submitted to the Wisdom of the House, whether in all cases of vacancies by Death or removal of any of the Trustees, such vacancies should not be filled up by the voice of a majority of the freeholders and Housekeepers of the said Town, and that only a freeholder or Housekeeper an Inhabitant of the said Town shall in any event be eligible – and Your petitioners shall ever pray–”

The original trustees of the Town in 1749 were John Graham, Peter Hedgeman, William Fitzhugh, George Mason, Joseph Blackwell, Richard Blackburn, and Thomas Harrison. By 1787, we find support for the trustees by over sixty men and one woman: William Carr, [A] Henderson, James Muschet, John Gibson, Philip Dawe, Sarah Williams, Richard Graham, William Linton, William McDaniel, Alexander Lithgory, John Linton, Timothy Brundige, Fran Ballendine, George Graham, to name a few.

(Behold this beautiful map drawn by Lee Lansing! This specific sheet is not on display, although you will see copies of this map on our walls!)

But how do we go from securing Main Street to “indifferent bread”? While the petitioners in Dumfries fixated on regulations, safety measures, and possible preventive actions for the merchants and their heavily traveled routes, they could look to their “sister town” of Alexandria to see how they addressed the problem of flour and bread regulation. One month prior, on 10/19/1787, merchants in Alexandria petitioned for a change in flour inspection laws. James Keith, John Murray, John Dunlop and 80 other merchants appeared with a request to make Virginia like Philadelphia, which, according to them, exported the best flour in America due to its’ rigid inspection. “That the city of Philadelphia has for a great Number of years carried on a very extensive Flour Trade and the Flour shipped from that Port has been generally held in higher Estimation in all foreign markets than the Flour shipped from any other part of the Continent…” They proposed granting an inspector the power to nominate and appoint deputies and inspector of bread. Interestingly, the petition from Alexandria includes the following reason for one inspector, “Whereas when there is but a single person to perform the Duties and becomes responsible for the [Inadversaries] or Frauds which may be committed, the Dread and Apprehension of a Detection will keep up an attention which will rarely be procured by any other means…”

Their different emphasis and approaches to quality assurance highlight the differing society and geography. The petitioners from Dumfries focused on their prejudices against “the Country people and Negroes,” who they blamed for lowering the reputation of merchants and ultimately jeopardizing the quality of the products. By trying to regulate the street itself, they acknowledged the importance of the thoroughfare, especially at a time when Quantico Creek was showing signs of strain. Alexandria’s petitioners also worried about the “evils” of society, but were more engrossed with the consequences of poor inspection and fraudulent workers. “It is unnecessary for your Petitioners to point out to the Honorable House the Benefits – which a County will enjoy or the Evils it will sustain from the good or ill Reports respecting the Quality of the Staple.” The following year, the merchants from Alexandria petitioned again noting potential dire consequences of the act approved on 11/23/1787. “That the good designs of the Legislature in passing the Act for Regulating the Inspection of Flour & Bread on the 23d of November will be entirely Defeated, without speedy remedy to the last paragraph of said Act for the recovery of the penalties and forfeitures. Particularly as respect deficient weight of flour & Bread brought to market to sale, an enormity common to at least one with part of all the flour brought to this market.”

By 1787, we find the wealthy landowners in and around Dumfries actively seeking a solution to the silting creek. Cuthbert Bullitt and others petitioned for the “Town of Newport,” which would have occupied the Bullitt lands on Possum Point around the mouth of Quantico Creek. The idea was to help attract the river trade and lessen the economic impact from Quantico Creek. While Newport never materialized beyond documents, we can study the various ways the residents of Dumfries responded to perceived adversaries. As tobacco fell out of favor and other goods advanced, we find people in the 1780s petitioning the general assembly demanding delicious and competitive bread.

Note: On Monday, 02/20, our educators will host “The Cherry Tree & Me” program featuring the famous cherry tree folklore! Create a mask, think about your own family stories, and reenact the famed Weems’ tale as we commemorate Presidents Day. Masks and free tickets required, click here!

(Sources: Inhabitants of Dumfries: Petition, 1787, Merchants & Inhabitants of Alexandria: Petition, 1787, Merchants, Traders, & Other Inhabitants: Petition, 1788, LVA: Legislative Petitions Digital Collection; HDVI Archives)

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“Did you or did you not sell or offer her for sale”: The Case of Nelly Jackson vs. Thomas Tebbs

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

In 1816, Nelly Jackson appeared before the Judges of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia for the County of Alexandria suing Thomas Tebbs for her freedom. Although manumitted in William Carr’s will in 1790 upon Carr’s 1791 death, she alleged Betsy Tebbs offered her for sale instead. A case stretching from 1791 to the 1820s, it encompassed the Town of Dumfries along with the counties of Prince William, Loudoun, and Alexandria as she attempted to recover her freedom.

Nelly Jackson appeared in court after her escape from Thomas Tebbs.

“Nelly Jackson complains of Thos. Tebbs in custody &c of a Plea of Trespass. For that the said Th. Tebbs. on the 25 day of December 1815 at the County aforesaid with force & arms assaulted the said plaintiff, and her then and there took imprisoned, and restrained her of her liberty and held her in bondage from the said 25 day of December till the 3d day of December 1816 against the will of the said Plaintiff and against the law of the Land & other injuries to the said plaintiff there and during that time did against the peace and dignity of the United States, and to the damage of the plff One hundred dollars, and therefore she brings Suit.”

While acknowledged, most of the case referred to William Carr’s will and genealogical lineage not the assault. The prosecution emphasized the following section of Carr’s will,

“I Give and bequeath to my Son John Carr during his Natural life the Lands I now live on after the death of my Dear wife from the Church branch falling into Quantico run below the Quarry Hill including the meadow devised to me from my father and all the lands Purchased of Cols. Ewell whereon my Grist mill Stands with my lott in Dumfries purchased of Alexander Doyle the Land purchased of John Berryman the Land purchased of Alexander Scott Mount Horeb with all the Lands adjoining Purchased of  James Varper Knox & Combs and the land purchased of William Bales with negro Lucy and all her Children, Jim Harry & Viney I say I give the said recited Lands & negroes to my dear Son John Carr during his Natural life & then to his Child or Children if any living at his death if none to my Daugther Betsy Tebbs & my Son William Carr during life & then to their Children to be equally divided my will & desire is that the Negroes bequeathed to my dear Children should remain with my dear Wife during her life unless she should Marry in that Case my will and desire is that my Slaves should go immediately to those to whom they are Devised That None of them be sold out of the Family to whom they are Devised if offered for Sale by any of them out of the Family of my wife my Daughter & my Sons that they be immediately Liberated And I do hereby desire they may be free to all intents & purposes.”

Jackson was Lucy’s daughter, bequeathed to John Carr and in possession of William Carr. Both men died without children, sending Jackson to Betsy Tebbs. Betsy Tebbs sold her to Thomas Triplett, who had married her daughter Margaret Tebbs, before he then offered her for sale to Patrick McIntyre of Leesburg in 1813-1814 and possibly Jesse Timms.

(Summons of Thomas Tebbs, 02/28/1817, Nelly Jackson vs. Thomas Tebbs)

The court summoned Thomas Tebbs on 12/03/1816 and 02/28/1817. In 03/1817, the court commissioned Samuel Murrey, William Noland, and John Linton to gather evidence and take witness depositions. Throughout April, they interrogated Thomas Triplett, Thomas Chapman, Jesse Timms, and Patrick McIntyre with the following three questions:

“Are you acquainted with a negro woman called Nelly, alias Nelly Jackson? If yea, when and in what manner did you become acquainted with her?”

“Is she, or is she not one of the slaves belonging to the estate of William Carr, late of Prince William County decd. at the time of his death?”

“Did you or did you not sell or offer her for sale the said Negro Woman, if yea, when and where did you so offer her for sale, and to whom and by what authority? Was it by the authority of Mrs. Tebbs of Dumfries; if yea how was that authority given?”

Triplett testified, “I do hereby certify that Mrs Tebbs gave up to me the negroe girl Nelly belonging to the estate of the late William Carr and that (the said Slave was to be taken in part of my dividend of the said estate) at that time no division had taken place. at a subsequent period a Divison of the estate was made amongst the legatees at which the said Slave was taken away from me and assigned to Doctor Thomas F Tebbs, the brother of my wife. in right of whom I was entitled to a Dividend. I further certify that at the time I offered the said slave for sale as stated in my deposition filed in the suit by her brought in Alexandria for her freedom. I held her under the said gift from Mrs Tebbs.”

Thomas Chapman testified that he knew, “nothing of my own knowledge whether the said negro Nelly was ever offered for sale or sold neither do I know whether Mrs Tibbs ever authorized any person whatever to sell or offer her for sale.”

McIntrye testified, “Nelly was hired to me by Doctor Thos Triplett for a Short time on Tryal, Doctor Treplett offered to Sell the Said Nelly to me for the Sum of three hundred Dollars, some time in the year 1813 or 1814 at my Dwelling house in the Town of Leesburg.” He also added, “he offer'd to Sell her as property he received by his wife, under the will of the late Mr. Tibbs her father.” Jesse Timms’ denied the alleged sale only stating he knew of Jackson, and “There was a man from Carolina about purchasing a Negro woman from Doctor Thos Tripletts, and the woman Runaway, and in Concequence The man did not Get her, This happened to be Some two or three years ago. and further this deponant Saith not.”

Ultimately, the court awarded judgment for the plaintiff, Nelly Jackson, declaring her free and ordering Tebbs to pay the costs of her suit. As this court case demonstrates, the genealogical quagmire is challenging when researching the history of enslaved persons and the families that owned them. It also emphasizes the obstacles one woman faced and overcame to prove that imprisonment and deeds of sale could not stop her pursuit of freedom.

Note: Interested in learning more about Historic Dumfries Virginia and the varying programs we offer for children and adults? Join our monthly e-newsletter, The Town Crier, to see what we are up to in our small corner of Dumfries! The February 2023 edition is available here.

(Sources: Nelly Jackson vs. Thomas Tebbs. In O Say Can You See: Early Washington, D.C., Law & Family, edited by William G. Thomas III, et al. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Accessed 02/01/2023. https://earlywashingtondc.org/cases/oscys.caseid.0447)

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“Rather be Enslaved than Banished”: The Fight for Family in the 1820s

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

1n 1827, Daniel Hughes brought his petition to Virginia’s General Assembly. Presley Jewell of Stafford County enslaved Hughes for roughly forty years, emancipating Hughes upon Jewell’s death along with granting him land and stock. Although officials required free black persons to leave the state immediately, Hughes petitioned for several years to remain. The reason? His family enslaved in Prince William County. The request? Change the law.

Prior to 1782, slaveholders needed the state’s approval to emancipate their enslaved persons, and only granted to those who performed “meritorious services”, such as preventing an enslaved rebellion. This changed with “An act to authorize the manumission of slaves.”

“Be it therefore enacted, That it shall hereafter be lawful for any person, by his or her last will and testament, or by any other instrument in writing, under his or her hand and seal, attested and proved in the county court by two witnesses, or acknowledged by the party in the court of the county where he or she resides, to emacipate and set free, his or her slaves, or any of them, who shall thereupon be entirely and fully discharged from the performance of any contract entered into during servitude, and enjoy as full freedom as if they had been particularly named and freed by this act.”

The act specified that emancipated persons “…being above the age of forty-five years, or being males under the age of twenty-one, or females under the age of eighteen years…” had to be supported by their emancipators. However, there were penalties upon the free person if they neglected to pay taxes or traveled without supporting documentation. There was also the very real danger of enslavement by other white persons.

On 01/25/1806, the General Assembly amended this with “An Act to amend the several laws concerning slaves” declaring that an emancipated person had to leave the state within twelve months or risk being enslaved. The act outlined the process and penalties the slave owners would take for violating this stature. If the slave owner refused or never appeared, the person could be re-enslaved.

“And be it further enacted, That if any slave hereafter emancipated shall remain within this commonwealth more than twelve months after his or her right to freedom shall have accrued, he or she shall forfeit all such right, and may be apprehended and sold by the overseers of the poor of any county or corporation in which he or she shall be found, for the benefit of the poor of such county or corporation.”

The reasoning here was due to the potential consequences of enslaved persons associating with emancipated persons. Slave owners were always paranoid and showed their fear through acts and laws. Fearing the emancipated would encourage and support the enslaved person to possibly run away or incite an attack, the state decided it was necessary to remove any free person as soon as possible. For Hughes, this meant he needed to appeal directly to the General Assembly to either receive special permission or change the law. His numerous petitions show he tried both.

First petitioning in 02/1827, Hughes appealed to the House of Representatives and Senate. “The petition of Daniel Hughs, a free man of colour respectfully & humbly represents that he resides in the County of Stafford – that his master at his death several years ago, set him free and bequeathed to him a small farm where he has since resided – that he has a wife and two children – that he is near Sixty years of age and that he would as soon be again enslaved as to be banished the few remaining years of his life from his wife & children and place of nativity. He therefore prays your honorable body to permit him to remain in the State of Virginia the balance of his life, and trusts from his previous good character and the assurance of his future upright and orderly conduct that your honorable body will find no difficulty in extending towards him a favor seldom denied to worthy and meritorious slaves who have been emancipated by their masters…”

Thirty-two men testified to the above petition, signing their names in support of Hughes, “…as a worthy orderly and well behaved negro and have no limitation in stating that no few negro in the State of Virginia is more entitled to the privilege of remaining in this State than he is. He is near Sixty years of age, lives on the land given to him by Mr. Jewell his master and is very capable of maintaining himself.” Seymour Lyon, John Alexander, William P. Gaines, William Carter, Fielding Jewell, William Jewell, Joseph Stark, John Tausill, Thomas Nelson, and John Stone are just a few of the signatures on the petition.

George Carney, the man enslaving Hughes wife and children, also testified for Hughes, fully supporting his petition. “…and was called on by Presley Jewel his master to write his Will which I did he left him a lot of land of ten Acres and set him free observing to me he never had the weight of his hand on him in anger since he had Owned him Which was from a small boy and he did not with any man to do so after his death he is very industrious and provides well for his family and is of punctual to pay his debts as any man Whatever. therefore I pray your honorable body will consider his case and suffer him to remain the balance of his days in this commonwealth.” Carney’s support becomes clear if we consider his intentions. If forced to leave the state, the Hughes family might flee with or without active help from Hughes. By keeping Hughes nearby and supporting him, the family was seemingly less likely to run.

Despite the strong testimony and prayers, the petition was rejected.

Hughes tried again in 12/1828. “Your petitioner Daniel Hughs (a man of Colour) after serving as a slave upwards of Forty Years, was left Free some time ago by a certain Mr. Presley Jwel of Stafford County Va: Who also devised to me Ten acres of Land & some stock. I have near me a wife & Children the property of Mr Geo. Carney of P. Wm Cty. Your petitioner is informed that he cannot remain in this state Free without a special law passed by your honorable body which he prays to be passed –“

Again, several persons testified to the character of Hughes supporting his petition. Thomas Nelson, Jr. certified “that I have Known Danl Hughs for two years & believe the facts set out in his petition to be true & his general character is that of an honest, peaceable industrious inoffensive man.”

George Carney also testified again. “I certify that I have known Daniel Hughs for about 35 years and have even considered him a well behaved Servant during his masters time, and that he waited on his master during his last illness with great attention. (there being no white person about the house) and Since his master’s death his general conduct has been peaceable, industrious, inoffensive, and very punctual – his master gave me a good character of him, when writing his will.” Note how Carney emphasized that Hughes cared for Jewell when no white person was available. This subtle statement reinforced the racial codes, by suggesting Hughes care was only suitable when no white person could be found.

Besides for two men listed above, Fielding Jewell, Thomas Harman, Thomas Harding, John Alexander, Zachius Holliday, Richard Bridwell, Bryam Harding, and John Stone signed the petition in favor of Hughes. Despite their support, the Assembly denied the petition. Again.

Hughes tried a third time in 12/1829. This time, the petition starts off with the support of Stafford and Prince William County. “We the undersigned Citizens of Stafford and Prince William Counties being well acquainted with Daniel Hughes who was the slave of Presley Jewell & emancipated by him take pleasure in representing to your honourable body that the sd Daniel Hughes is a man of remarkably good character. That his conduct for many years past has been marked not only with usefulness to his master whom he has served to between 40 and 50 years of age with unusual fidelity in the different employments of labourer & confidential agent, but to our neighborhood We find we do not hesitate to say that independent of the claim which his general good character & conduct give him to residence in the state we should view his removal as a loss to our neighborhood & therefore recommend him as a fit person for exemption from the operations of the general law requiring his removal from the commonwelth. The undersigned tender you the [assurance] of their highest respects.” From Stafford: John Alexander, John Burroughs, Joseph Stark. From Prince William: Fielding Jewell, Thompson Lynn, John Stone, Thomas Nelson, Robert Alexander, James H. Reid, W.C. Murphy, John G. Rubleman, Richard P. Weedon, Sanford Cooper, Fledgman Murphey, Hiram D. Davis, William Cleary, William Cockrell, James B.C. Thurston, James Dowell. Unidentified: Silas Carney, probably Stafford.

Hughes appealed directly but more adamant. “He is informed that after the expiration of twelve months the law requires him to depart the state or forfeit the blessing which his kind master designed him to enjoy, and that from these evils of exile or slavery, equally detestable to him your honourable body alone can redeem, he therefore prays of your the passage of a law authorising him to reside within the commonwealth of Virginia. Your petitioner can urge no act of extraordinary merit for which he was emancipated, or would have found no difficulty in establishing such character as would have obtained of a county court the inestimable right for which he now prays, but must depend for favour upon the fact that he is a man whom the community in which he resides esteems for his character and desiring of retaining among them; satisfactory proofs of which your petitioner has herewith transmitted.”

The third petition was rejected. There is no easy answer for what happened to Hughes – at least no primary document easily accessible online! His choices were to either stay and face possible re-enslavement or leave the state. We know his age and no one identified a medical reason why he could not leave the state, such as troubles walking, injuries, etc. However, leaving the state meant leaving his home and family. Where would he go? What would he do? There are still more avenues to explore. Some possibilities: searching primary documents (court records, newspapers, wills, deeds) for George Carney especially looking into any property records available upon his death, searching for more info on the Jewell family, and searching for any court records pertaining to Daniel Hughes in Virginia. We hope to shed more light on the Hughes family living in Prince William and Stafford Counties as research facilities continue to index and upload their materials.

Note: Know a Brownie Girl Scout? We are offering the rare “Earn the Colonial Life Try-it” on Monday, 01/30 – a PWCPS work day! Join us for this great program featuring a tour of the house and related activities and crafts. Know someone that may want to participate but is not a Brownie? Contact us to discuss!  Tickets and more info available here.

(Sources: Hughes, Daniel: Petition, 1827, 1828, 1829. LVA: Legislative Petitions Digital Collection: Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative; General Assembly. “An act to authorize the manumission of slaves (1782)" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (07 Dec. 2020). Web. 25 Jan. 2023; General Assembly. “An ACT to amend the several laws concerning slaves” (1806)” Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (07 Dec. 2020). Web. 25 Jan. 2023)