Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-08-27
OLD VIRGINIA FAMILIES.

[EXTRACT FROM THE N. Y. SPIRIT OF THE TIMES.
TO proceed with our review of the gentle
men named in the article, we next come to
reference, in 1852, to "ColoneIs Tayloe,
Bird, and Thornton" The first was styled
sThe Honorable Col John Tayloe," Of
Mount Airy, in the County Of Richmond,
in Virginia-a gentleman who owned ex-
tensive landed possessions along the Kappa
hammock and Potomac Rivers, and was a
member of the Council, under the Crown,
with Lord Dunmore, and Of the first Repub-
lican Council, during the administration Of
the patriotic and eloquent Patrick Henry
(IIis son, the late Col. John Tayloe, so we'll
known TO the readers Of your paper, inhe-
riled his landed possessions, and a. the in
stance of his hereditary friend, Gen. Wash
ington, built his own house in the City of
Washington, where he died about twenty
years ago. The last Colonel Tayloe mar
red the daughter Of the second Governor
Ogle the son of the first as above men,
toned
Col. William Bird of Wes,over, on James
River, had associated with the nobility Of
the highest rank in England, and had in
himself every claim 10 be regarded as no
bleman of his own land. He had rare ell
dowments and accomplishments. 1t has
been said Of him, that, "when quite youth
at Beonke's, or kindred establishment III
London, he won on the turn of card, from
the Duke Of Bolton, ten thousand pounds
sterling with which he defray ed the expenses
of an extensive tour in Europe, engaging in
no game Of chance until many years olter-
wards. Yet, from play, he died bankrupt,
'C'est ie premier pas que conte.' Birds
lottery will be long remembered He own
ed the site of the city of Richmond, and pre-
senied to the State its public grounds there.
His was said to be the bes, private library
in the country, through which it was diff
fused after his death. There is still to be
seen a. Westover, Mount Airy (hough the
main building has been partially burn',)
NAL Halls of 'the olden ,ime,' with their
broad acres, the remains Of the lordy mag
nlfcence Of other days At Westover, its
former hospitality is still enjoyed, as most
generously dispensed by Mr.. Selden, men,
Der Of the Council of Virginia some fifty
or1ifty years ago at time when he was
s'0sn'she, - upon the surf.'
Hill 90 kcs is we'll known, most
worrhi!v fills ,heS. olioaencestors at
Shirley as does William Il. T'ayloe, Esq,
at Mount Airy. The present year, about
10000 bushels Of wheat is said TO have been
produced on the Shirley estate. Not far
from i! is Berkley, the seat of Gov. Harrison,
where his son, our lamented President, the
late Gen. H., was born, which is still occu-
pied by one of the family: as also the Up
per and Lower Brandon. In the former is
to be seen The portrait Of William Bird, by
Vandyke; and am told in the Wormley
family Is preserved a portrait Of the late
"Ralph Wormley, Of Rosegll," on the Rep
pahannock, near Urbanna. lie is represent
ed in his robes as a student at Cambridge.
lie bore of The highest honors of the Uni
versi,y. He and his connexion Grymes, an
ces,or TO the distinguished barrister of that
name at New Orleans, were the pride Of
the head master. al Eaton. lnheriting a
large estate, Mr.. Wormley became gentle
man of high standing and influence IN the
Colony, son-in-law TO the first Col. Taylo
as mentioned above) and member Of the
Council with him, under Lord Dunmore.
But unhappily, his bias was in favor of the
Crown, on its separation from the Colony.
Stra.ford now stands in the midst of desc
Iation, in Westmoreland County, monu-
ment Of the magnifcence of "Presiden. Lee,''
by whom it was built, while he was at the
head Of the Council, during the absence OF
the Governor.
Most of these gentlemen had been edu-
Gated in England, as were some few at a
later period, such as Francis Corbin, Esq.
of the Reeds, another gentleman of aristo-
cratic birth-whose cultivation Of mind and
manners, with graccs that would have charm
ed Chesterfield, as inherited by his son ol
the same name, would have made him all Or
nament and a man of mark, in any Court OF
Europe.
Some derisinn has been cast upon the "F
F. V.'s''-,hose said TO belong to the ''iirs'
families Of Virginia - but it is very certain
that those, as named, who were The basis 10
these prelensions, were gentlemen of no or
dnary merit, as were also the Randolphs, the
Nelson's, the Pages, the Burwells, sc. SC,
Of the days of our Revolution.
do not exactly know which Colonel
Thornton it is we find named in the article
under review If of N Northumberland House,
he was the father Of the present Lieut.. Gen
Sir Edward Wade Thornton, II. b. NJ. A
The family espoused the Royal cause in
l776, and wen. to England. Sir Edward
distinguished himself i'll Flanders (where he
lost an arm,) under the Duke of York {: and
was afterwards equerry to the Duke of
Cumberland, the presen, King of llonover.
Capt. Bird Willis, of Fredericksburg, has
been TOO recently among uS--a representa-
tive of the warm hearted, fun loving, and
the truo old Virginia scn,lcmsn--to require
morc than Il passing notice. Iii, beautiful
daughter, ,he present .Iajamc Mutat; "aJ