The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-20
VIRGINIA, A. ID. I607.I6AI.
The Records OF the Old Dominion and
Mcr Executives.
EiiitorS Of the DISPATCH:


4 copy OF the Dispatch OF the Sd instant,
which contained the interesting note OF Mr..
sainsbury on the duel in Virginia in 1924,
and list OF the Governors OF the Colony for
the period OF l6le-l617, sent to the Rev. Ed
ward ID. NeiN, president OF Macalister Col
lege, Minneapolis. Mlnn., has induced from
him a more definite list OF our Colonial Exc
cutiveS than that first cited.
In the letter enclosing it Mr.. Neill makes
some noteworthy references TO historical
data appertainng to the period as deslg-
mated. He writes:
"In the April No. Of the Ne,c England
Historic Genedlogic Register (1SID you will
find notice OF mine on the Virginia census
OF 1924" 50 "I have within n few days
past received some unpublished letters con-
cerning Virginia, which propose to work
up into an article for the new Magazine OF
American History, OF New York city, edited
bv j. Austin Stevens. The papers were
forwarded to me by the mayor OF Sandwich,
England, and shall call my articles Con-
tributions for Documentary History OF
Virginia."
Three Statcs-Virginia, Maryland, and
Minncsota-Specially owe Dir. Neill honor
for critical, conscientious, and timc-embo-
died labor elucidatory Of their history; and
through the stimulating generosity OF his
mastering passion and Of his nature all
earnest students owe him gratitude for the
labor thus and as elsewhere published, but
more particularly perhaps through the
heartily bestowed benefactions OF his own
truth. embodying communications in behalf
OF special direction or general need. No
tablv in behalf OF Virginia, to each and
every one OF whose leal and liege sons such
disinterestedneSS should strike heartily
home, | will quote from the preface OF 4
work OF inestimable value History Of the
Virqinia Company of London-which by
persistence Mr. Neill would give to the
world, as far as he could encompass it, and
thus give some idea OF his zeal: "In the
month Of Nav, 1868, memorial was pre-
Sented by the writer to the Congress Of the
United States OF America calling attention
to two large folio volumes Of manuscript
in their library containing the transactions
OF the Virginia Company OF London du-
ring the important period OF their existence,
and if they should deem them worthy OF
being printed, offering, without compensa-
ton, to annotate and superintcnd their pub
lication. The communication was read in
the Senate, ordered to be printed, referred
10 the Committee on Library, and attracted
published "by the liberality of 4 true disci-
pie OF Aldus, who has love for historical
studies-Mr. Munsell, Of Albany, n. Y. p
in 1869. The records Of the Virginia Com
pany were-as are nearly oil manuscript
TeC0rds-precariously preserved. King
James having resolved to destroy the char
ter OF the company, an attempt was made to
obtain the records by their opponents.
The secretary Of the company (Collipg-
wood), being apprised OF their intention,
caused copy TO be made Of them. This
copy was delivered to the president of the
company, Henry Wriotheslcy, Earl OF South
ampton, who dying the same year QG24), 1t
passed to his son Thomas, heir and sue
cessor to his titles, who became Lord High
Treasurer Of England, and died in 1867.
Shortly after bis death Colonel William
Byrd (the first OF the name) purchased the
manuscript records from the executors OF
the Earl for sixty gulneas. Stith made use
OF these records in preparing his history OF
Virginia. From him they passed to Peyton
Randolph, his brother-in-law, the first pre-
sident OF the Continental Congress, who
dying in 1875, the records were purchased
by Thomas Jefferson, from whose library
they passed to that OF the Congress OF the
United States. ..-
1t has been supposed, and enormously,
that these records were at one time the pro-
perly Of the eccentric John Randolph OF
Roanoke; but he did possess a volume OF
abstracts from them, which contained also
memoranda peculiar and personal to him.
self. This volume is now in the possession
OF the Virginia Historical Society.
Very truly yours,
4. A. BROCK
Richn0nd Va. March IT, 1871