The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-06
Arpa,l the minister Mt Henrico appears to

! Mease, or Mays, who came about the same
time, preached at Kequoughtan, or Eliza
beth City, remained ten years, and then re-
turned to England. In 1917 minister
named George Keith, thirty-three years
old, arrived and resided at Elizabeth
City, and was probably without orders
In 1924 his wife, Susan, died, leaving
SOM John, eleven years OF age. Not long
after, with Captain Ward, arrived the Rev.
Mr. Bargraye, who lived ut Wards pianta
ton on the south side OF the river, near
Martins Brandon. Bargrave was the nephew
OF the Dean Of Canterbury, and died in
1921, leaving his library to the projected
college at Henrico. The first term OF Yeard.
ley's govcrnorship was memorable, because
Of the converting of the first legislature in
North America, composed OF the Governor
Council, and two Burgesses from each
plantation, freely elected by the inhabitants
thereof. 1t convened on July 80, 1919. in
the small -ffty-ieet timber church
ut Jamestown. The members first met in
the chancel, and prayer was offered by the
minister OF the parish, Rev. Richard BUCK
Then they returned to the body OF the
church, where they took the oath Of su.
premacy us prescribed by King James.
John Pory, Secretary OF the Colony, wa;
elected Speaker, John Twine clerk OF the
House, and Thomas Pierse sergeant-at-
arms. The Speaker sat in front OF the Gov
ernor, and next, the clerk; while the ser
geant-at-arms stood at the bar. This AS.
sembly enacted that any person found drunk
for the first time should be privately re.
proved by the minister; the second time
publicly; the third time "to lye in botes y
twelve hours and pay fine; and II he stH
persisted, to be subjected to severe punish
meut by the Governor and Council.
AS the poor laboring men advanced to.
ward prosperity they became infatuated
with love of dress-a tendency which is
still manifested among vulgar, rich people
Pory, the Speaker OF the First Legislature,
like some of his successors, was scholarly.
brilliant, witty, aud drunken. In letter
to Sir Dudley Carleton, about the time OF
the meeting OF the Colonial Assembly OF
1919, he writes 4" Your lordship may know
that we are not the verlest beggars IN the
world. Our cow-keeper here in James City
on Sunday goes accoutred in fresh, flaming
silk: and a wife of one that in England had
professed the black art, not OF scholar.
but a collier OF Croydon, wears the rough
beaver Int, with pearl hat-band and sliken
suit"
| II half OF Pory's statement was true, il
was well for the early Legislature to pass q
law against excessive apparel, and to enact
&" that every man be cessed in the churches
for all public contributions, il he be uh.
married, according to his own apparel; il
| he be married, according to his own, wife's,
or either OF their apparel" Governor
YeardIey having importuned to be released
from his govcrnorship at the expiration OF
his commission, in November, 1921, Fran
els Wyatt was appointed his successor. BE
continued faithful member of the Council
until Wyatt was called home to settle the
estate of his father, and was then rcappoint-
| ed Governor, and until his death, in 1927,
continued in that position. He left three
children-Elzabeth, aged eight years; AT
gall, aged six years; and Francis, three
years OF age. The editor OF the Aspinwall
Papers, published in Volume Ninth OF the
series of the Massachusetts, Historical So
ciety Collections, does great injustice to
Yeardley in representing him as an in
triguer against his predecessor, and
supplanting him in the governorshlp.
The fact that at this very time he named .
child Argall disproyes the statement that
he was unfrieauly. Fathers do not name
their sons after the men they hate. Francis
Yeardley, after he attained to manhood, be.
came resident and councillor of the pro.
vince of Maryland, but afterwards joined
his brother at Lynhayen Bay, Virginia
Both sided with Parliament in the disputes
with the King Of England. Among the
State papers collected by Thurloe, Crom
Wells secretary, there is letter Of Francis
Yeardley describing the explorations with
his brother Argal in North Carolina. II
was written on May s, 1864, at Lynhaven.
and addressed to John Ferrar, former
Deputy Governor of the old Virginia com
pany, then residing at Little Gidding
Huntingdonshire. One of the chiefs Of
the Roanokes in North Carolina visited
Yeardley's house, and when he saw
the children read and write desired
that his son might be educated. Aftel
this Argall and Francis Yeardley built
q f6use for the chief and paid him .
sum of money, and received large tract o.
land from the Roanokes, which they "iI
solemn manner took possession OF in tht
name and on behalf Of the Commonwealth
of England" After this the Roanoke chic
brought the chief Of the Tllscarora tribe
with forty others, to Yeardley's house. The
Tuscarora chief presented bis wife, ant
asked that his son might be baptized, which
was done by the minister before the congre
cation, and was left with Yeardley to b.
trained. He concludes his letter by asking
John Ferrar to notify the English authori
ties what has been accomplished "by
two Virginians born," and sends his re
cards to the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Vir
ginia Ferrar, his intelligent daughter, whe
had written treatise on silk-culture In Vir
ginia. Samuel Bownas, Quaker preacher
says in his journal that while travelling ir
| 1928 from the western branch OF the Nan
semond river to Chuckatuck, on the south
side OF James river, he met on the road one
ancient Friend, who told him that the frs
son born OF English parents lived until he
was eighty years OF age. He adds: " This
first born son OF the province was remark
able man. 1t is said that he was disafectel
to the then government, and had uttered
some reasonable expressions against it, ano
| for that cause was tried and found guilty,
being condemned to die for that crime; but
when it was made to appear that he was the
first male child born in the province Of tht
| English nation, it was resolved that he
should be parroned." 60
When the census of 1924 was taken tht
oldest male children in Virginia were Be
noni, soa of Rev. Richard Buck, an idiot
Thomas, son of William Bailey, aged fou
years; and Argall Yeardley, also four years
old. Perhaps ArgaIl Yeardley was the re
markable man referred to-by Bownas, and
in 1915 connected with DTummond ant
others Of the Eastern Shore in the Bacon re
bellion-
Govessser Yearttey left large estate
Besides laads on the James river, bcfor,
1925, thirty-seven hundred acres had beer
granted to him at Hnnger's Neck, in Nerth.
hampton county, on the eastern shone o.
Chesapeake bay. In February, 1922, hs
owned eleven of theswenty-two negroes
"negors," as they were called in Vtrginis