Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-07-16
THE OLDEST RESIDENTS.

over the State, but nowhere in such purity
and antiquity as in Stafford county, until
recently the home of Gov. Lee. The county
is not very large and by no means prosper
Gus, but stands first as the exponent of all
that is conveyed by the expression IF. F.
V" Nearly every family there can trace its
origin by lineal descent to the first English
settlers, while not a few can speak of their
great at-great.grandfather and grandmothers
as lord and lady so and-so. The county is
named after the famous Earl of Stafford, and
not a few of its people are descended from
the family of that nobleman. Before the
war these people lived in the style of nobili-
ty, If without its name, and now that the
course of events has reduced their means
they preserve English customs in all except
the splendor which only wealth can afford.
In the first place, each family has it's little
domain, and, however small, it has an i'm.
posing English name, just ss if it were an
earldom. Somerset, ,Richland Aberdeen, Len
nox and Wayside are few of the names of
small farmhouses nesting in the Stafford
pines and surrounded by thousands of acres
of partially cultivated lands. These houses
are all frame, generally two stories high,
and the poorest of them is surrounded by
lawn, through which runs one or more car
riage drives. One would expect to see cas-.
ties when coming in view of the beautiful
lawns and the centuried oaks, and would
feel disappointed at the little white houses
at the end of the driveS, but there is sort
of rustic harmony in the picture after all.
Seated in the verandas at evening and look
ing out on the oak-canopied sWards you
would forget the absence of the castle, and
if you were an Englshrnan, fancy yourself
amid the lime trees on one of the grand old
estates across the water.
The former home of Governor Lee is call.
ed Richland. 1t is-like all the estates in the
county-a twostory frame house, large
lawn and several hundred acres of anything
but rich land. Here the Governors ances.
tors have lived for hundreds of years. Of
course the Lees can trace their descent to ii.
tied Englishmen; at least, all books of her.
aldry make it out so. At distance of few
miles is Somerset, the home of the Moncure
family. The present Mrs. Moncure is q grand
daughter of the famous Lady Spotswood,
whose portrait hangs in the Capitol at Rich.
mond. This family has lived in Stafford
county for nearly two hundred years. All
its deceased members are buried in the
graveyard at Aqua Church, and tablet
near the pul pit contains the rather royal in.
scription: 'Sacred to the Memory of the
Race of Moncure," There are about one
hundred and fifty members Of the family in
the county. The women, taken all in all,
are the most beautiful the writer has ever
seen within the same area. They seem to
have inherited in q remarkable degree the
queenly beauty of Lady Spotswood, and
some of them bear close resemblance to her
portraits.
The Waller family, little further up at
WaysiGe, is related to the Lees and trace
their origin to the same source. Tho first
of the SCOTS came to Stafford from England
to take charge of Aqua Church. He was
one of the unfortunate class known as noble
mems younger sons, and was assigned, as is
usually the case, to the ministry. One of
who passed his boyhood on the Stafford
Hills. Mr.. Scott has not forgotten his old
home amid mis- Pennsylvania millions. A
few months ago he sent 81 200 to the pastor
of Aqua Church for the purpose of repair
ing the old building, and is now contemplate
| ing trip to the home of the distinguished
ancestors
The names of al the families who have
| lived in the county since the anterevou-
tionary days would fill half column, and
although they cannot all claim titled pro.
genitors they are the very first of the "F.
F. v"
A great deal of nensense has been written
about those first families" They are usu.
ally represented as thriftless, vain and
scornful to oil outside the magic circle of
their society. They lack, it is true, much
of the energy and go.aheadatiyeness in the
Northern man, but it must be remembered
that most of those yet living were brought
up under conditions that paralyzed energy
With large estates and hundreds of slaves
they had no motive for exertion, and now
that the war has swept away all their
wealth they must change their very natures
before they can become the pushing bust
ness men who build up communities. The
new generation is growing up quite differ
ent, and it is more than likely that when
they come to the fore the Virginia farmer
will no longer let his acres lie useless or hal
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