The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-19
,.,...... j,;cL,,ond Uispdtch :

tj;tars ficjtmond Dispatch:
!, venture to send you the following arti-
.,, which, ii is hoped, may possess some
i.a.u-cS OF interest to the reading public.
T. g..urrdlv NAV claim passing attention
:-o,,, orr citizens OF Richmond, to whom 1t
mare ,,pccialiy appeals. 1t formed por-
,jon oi Il priyate letter to Mr.. George Il.
Thomrson. of Amherst Courthouse, Va, a
rorng Gentleman OF worth and cultivation,
,,bo has been rendering during several
,conthS ulst most useful service to the MS
,1rira, student by furnishing series OF
lighv-intercsting papers, over the sigma
,urc "Gabriel Grub" extracted from the
amherst County Court records, to the col
I,nn. OF the Amherst Enterprise, with
which ne is connected, and in which he saw
fl 10 publish. under date OF July 9th, what
follows. Yours very truly.
r. A. BROCK.
The Diary OF the Rev. Robert Rose-a
COPY OF which | posSesS-ls highly inter-
c,tinc memorial OF the past. Although IT
covers brief pcriod-only the last hve or
elk wears of his life-Yiz., from January u,
i-lE to June IS. 1751-yet. from the promi-
ncDrc, the energy OF character, the versa
iili,v OF accomplishment, the amply eXempli-
lied goodness and usefulness OF The life OF the
writer. and the frequent mention OF those
of social and public distinction OF the
pcrjod, with whom he was on terms Of most
friendly intcrcourse-it furnishes q vivid
picture of colonial life in Virginia
Mr.. Rose is believed to have emigrated to
the Colony from Scotland early in the last
century, under the auspices OF Governor
Sp0tSwood, with whom he was on terms OF
intimacy. and whose executor he became
upon the Governors death, in 1877.
Mr.. Rose twas 4 man Of great labor, de-
cision, bencvolencc, and of extraordinary
business talents" "If the previous years
OF his life partook in any degree OF the
character Of the last five or six, he must
have performed degree Of labor such as
few ,,cn ever accomplish" He was the
executor of various persons besides Gov
crnor SpotSwood, which is evidenced by the
transactions recorded in the large account
book. on the final leaves Of which is written
the diary. The accounts date back to the
early part OF ll2G.
Mr. Rose had four brothers, who were
settled in Virginia not far from him. His
brother Charles was the minister in Cople
parish. WcStmoreland county. He men
tionS in his journal visits to his brothers,
and speaks atcctionatcly OF them, and ol
their wives and children. Under date OF
February !, lT46, he records visit to the
lower church in st. Annc's parish, Abe
marie, TO administer the sacrament; and
mentions that he enters on that day the
twcnty-iirSt year Of his parochial incum-
hrucr there. He thus appears to have sue
ctcdcd Rev. JOHN BagSe in the year 1925.
About the time his journal commences he
uCuS prnpSrinp fo moCo into tho section of
what now forms Nelson county, where he
had received large grants Of land, and
where hc settled his four sons-Hugh, Pc
Ter or Patrick, Henry, and Charles. From
his journal he appears to have been much
Of his time in the saddle, plying between
Albcmarc and Essex counties, and passing
through those Of Stafford, Spotsylvania,
Louisa, Orange, and Culpeper; not only
exercising the proper duties Of his cloth
preaching. marrying, and baptizing-
but assisting with sound counsel in
the various affairs Of this life: settling per-
sonal disputes, arranging accounts, select
ing and surveying lands, prescribing: for the
sick, setting broken limbs-for he appears
to have had no mean knowledge Of survey
in, medicine, and surgery. He also con-
ductrd milling, was an extensive planter,
evidently not unskiiled in mechanics, and
was in all likelihood lit being Intimately o
merchant withal. He was full Of enter
prise, and was thoroughly imbued with a
sollcitude for the public welfare.
He once visited Western Virginia with
some friends, going as far as Cowpasture,
in the winter season, with scanty fare and
sleeping in the open air. He was the first
to descend james river, with one Or two
others, In IN open canoe, as far as Rich
mond, and thus establish its navigability.
"ehnd him stopping at the chief residences
on james river-at Colonel Peter Jetfer-
sons, at Tuckahoe, Curle'S, Westover, &c.
de was repeatedly ut Williamsburg-haN-
ing business with the General Court, the
Council and Assembly; dining or supping
anu conferring en- public matters with the
Goicrpor and Council, with Commissary
Diair, president Lewis Burwell (Colonel,
The Beicrlys, Nelson's, and others of like
no'e-tiien passing through Gloucester to
MiduieseX, visiting at Brandon and Rose
gu; thence to his parish in Essex. He ap-
pears 10 have made such excursions semi
annually. He was undoubtedly very
popular man in Virginia, and enjoyed the
aAectlon and confidence OF the first men and
families in the colony.
lie dled ut Richmond in 1851, whittier he
may nafe come upon some business Of i'm
port, but not, as the good Bishop William
Meade states, "to assist in laying out the
Town -; for this had been quite accurately
done done for Colonel William Byrd by Major
William Mayo in April, 1871; for the bear
inss OF the streets as laid down in the plan
acopy OF which possess-agree identically
WIN those presented at the present day. In
deed, many OF the corner-stones, which were
OF cast-iron, about seven inches square and
TWO feet long, remain in loco to this day.
DR. Rose may, however, have been present
10 lay of some lots in the then ex-
Tended limits Of the town, or to settle some
disputed boundary therein. BY an act OF
Assembly in February, the following year
l!152) trustees we're appointed for the town
OF Richmond, "to lay off and regulate the
streets, and to settle the bounds of tots in
The town." (VI. Henning, p. 2s1.)
Mr.. Rose lies buried in the graveyard
surrounding the venerable St. Johns
church, on Richmond or Church Hill.
dis tomb-the Oldest therein, though
there were interments, doubtless, as
carly as 1740, and lying Immediately
opposite to the eastern entrance OF
the churcb--is Of white marble, altar
shaped, with panelled sides; and it Is
Well preserved, having been reDaired at in.