Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-08-11

Old Virginia families.

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| To proceed with our review ofthe gen.
to reference, in 1859, to "Coloncls Tay-
loe, Bird, and Thornton" The first was
styled "The Honorable Col John Tay-
loe." Of Mount Airy. in the County Of
Richmond, in Virginia. gentleman who
owned extensive landed possessions along
the Raprahannock aud Potomac Rivers,
and was member Of the Council, under
the Crown, with Lord Dunmorc, and Of
the first Republican Council, during the
administration Of the patriotic and cloqucn,
Patrick Henry He died in 1777. His
son, the late Col. John Tayloe, so well
known to the readers ofyour paper, inher-
tied his landed possessions. and at the in
stance of his hereditary friend, General
Washington, built his own house in the
City Of Washington, where he died about
twenty years ago The last Colonel Tay
loe married the daughter of the second
Governor Ogle, the son of the first, as a.
! bove mentioned.)
Col. William Bird. or Wcstover, on
James River, had associated with the no
biity Of the highest rank in England. and
had in himself every claim to be regarded
as nobleman of his own land He had
rare endowments and accomplishments.
1t has been said OF him, thar, when quite d
youth, at Brooke's: or kindred estub
lishment, in London, he won on the turn OF
a card from the Duke Of Bolton, 4cl0,000
sterling, with which he betrayed the ex-
penses of an extensl We tour IN Europe,
engaging in no game of chance until many
years afterwards. Yet, from play, he
died bankrupt Cest ie premier pas que
conte." Birds lottery will be long re-
mcmbered. He owned the site of the Ci-
ty Of Richmond, and presented to the
State its public grounds there. His was
said to be the best private library in the
country, through which It was difused
after his death There is still to be seen
at Westover, Mount Airy Though the
main building has been partially burnt
Shirley, Stratiord, and others Of these Bar
onal Halls of "the oldcn time" with their
broad acres: the remains ofth lordlv mag
ni6cence of other days At Westover, its
former hospitality is still enjoyed, as most
generously dispensed by Mr.. Selden. the
Grandson Of Hon. Miles Selden. member
Of the Council of Virginia some fifty years
ago, at time when be was a distinguished
leader upon the Turf.
Hill Carter, Esq, as is well known,
most worthily fills the place of his anccs-
tors at Shirley; as does William II. Tay-
loe, 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 it is Berkley, the
scat of Gov. Harrison, where his son, our
amcnted President, the late Gen. H.. was
born, which is still occupied by one of the
family: as also the Upper and Lever Bran
don. In the former is 10 be seen the por-
trait Of William Bird, by Vandykc:; and
| am told in the Wormlcy family is pre-
served portrait ofthe late "Ralph Worm
ley, of Rosegill,' on the Rappahannocki
near Urbanna. He is represented in his
robes as student at Cambridge. He
bore off the highest honors of the Univcr-
sity. He and his connexion Grymcs, an
cestor TO the distinguished barristcr Of that
narnc, at New Orleans, were the pride OF
the head master, at Eaton. Inheriting u
large estate, Mr. Wormlcy became gen
tleman ofhigh standing and influence in
the Colct,y, son-in-law to the first Col
Taylor (as mentioned above,) and mem
Der Of the Council with him, under Lord
Dunmore. But, unhappily, his bias
was in favor OF the Crown, on its cepara-
ton from the Colony Straiford now
stands in the midst of dcsolatidn, in West.
morcland County, monument Or the mag.
nificence Of president Lee" by whom il
was built, while lie was at the head The
Council, during the absence the Cover
nor
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 birll-whose cultivation Of mind
and manners, with graces that would have
charmed Chesterfield, as inherited by
: his son Of the same rame, would have
made him an ornament and a man of mark,
in any Court Of Europe.
Some derisor has been cast upon the "F
L. V. 's'--those saidto belong to "the first
4 families Of Virginia; but it is very certain
that those, as named, who were the basis
to these rretensions, were gentlemen Of no
ordinary merit, as were also the Ran
dolphs, the Nelson's, the Pages, the Bur
wells, &c. &c. of the days Of our Rcvolu-
ton.
do not exactly thow which Col
Thornton it was we find named IL The ar
ticlc under review. If Of Northumber.
land House, he was the father of the pres.
cnt Lieut. Gen. Sir Edward Wade Thorn
ton, Ii. B. NJ. A. The family espoused
the Royal cause in 17T8, and went to
England Sir Edward distinguished him.
selfin Flanders (where he lost an arm un.
der the Duke Of York: and was afterwards
equerry TO the Duke of Cumberland, the
present King of Hanover.
Capt. Bird Wills, Of fredericksburg
has been too recently among us-a repre-
sentative Of the warm hearted, fun-loving
and the true old Virginia gentlcman-to
require more than passing notlrd. His
beautiful daughter, the present Madame
Murat, was married TO a nephew of the
Emperor Napoleon, Col. Achillc Murat,
son of King Joachim.
In running our eye along the James
, River, a little below City Point, It falls
upon Clearmciit, the residence Of Mr.. Al
len, who succeeded to the estate, some six
or more plantations, containing together
about 10000 acres, of the late Col Allen,
one of the last gentlemen of opulence in
: Virginia, whose horses graced the Turf
His celebrated mares, Vanity and Reality,
own Sisters, were trained by the late Mr..
w r. johnson, Of such Turf celebrity
as 10 need no further mention by me.
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY--I1orc and Murder
The Palmyra (Mo.} Wing Publishes the
following extract from letter giving an