The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-07-07
AMONG TIE +. T.. v.
A Glance at the Mode of Life OF the Oldest
Virginia Families.
(From the Philadelphia Times1


(From the Philadelphia Tlmes)
Virginia's ''first families" can be found
all over the State, but nowhere in such
purity and antiquity as in Stafford coun-
ty, the home of Governor Lee. The
county is not very large and by no means
prosperous, but it stands first as the ex-
ponent of all that is conveyed by the cx-
preston "F. +. "" Nearly every fami-
ly here can trace it's origin by lincal
descent to the first English settlers,
while not few can speak of their great
grcat-grand- fathers and grandmothcrs rs
lord and lady so-and-so. Tho county is
named after the famous carl Of Stafford,
and not few of its people arc descended
from the family of that noblcman. Be
fore the war these people lived in the
style OF nobility, if without it's name,
and now that the course of events has
reduced their means they preserve Eng
lish 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 imposing English name, just as if it
were an earldom. Somerset, Richland,
Aberdeen, LennoX and Waysidc arc a
few OF the names of small farm houses
ncstling in the Stafford pines and sur
rounded by thousands of acres OF par
TALLY cultivated lands. These houses are
frame, generally two stories high, and
the poorest of them is surrounded by n
lawn, through which runs one or moro
carriage drives. One would expect to
see castles when coming in view of the
beautiful lawns and the centuricd 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 vcran-
dahs at evening and looking out on the
oak-canopicd swards, you would forget
the absence of the castle, and, if you
were mn Englishman, fancy yourself
amidst the lime trees on one Of the grand
old estates across the water.
THE HOME OF GOVERNOR LEE.
The former home of Governor Lee is
called Richland. 1t is like all the estates
LII tho county-a two story frame house,
Il large lawn and several hundred acres;
of anything but rich land Hero the
Governors ancestors have lived for hun
dreds Of years. Of course, the Lees can
trace their descent to titled Englishmen
at least, all books of hcraldry make it
out SO. AT distance of q few miles is
Somerset, the homo of the Moncurc
family. The present Mrs Moncure is a
granddaughter of the famous Lady
Spotswood, whose portrait hangs in the
capitol at Richmond. This family has
lived in Stafford county for nearly two
hundred years. All its deceased mcr-
bcrs arc buried in the graveyard at Aqua
church, and tablet near the pulpit con
tains the rather royal inscription
"Sacrcd to the memory of the race of
Moncuro." There are about one hun
drcd and fifty members of the family in
the county. The women, taken all in
all, arc the most beautiful tho writer has
ever seen within tho samc area. They
seem to have inherited in remarkable
degree the queenly beauty of Lady
Spotswood and some of them bear close
resemblance to her portraits.
The Waller family, little further IN
Mt Wayside, is related to the Lees and
trace their origin to the same source.
The first of the SCOTS came to Stafford
from England to take charge of Aqua
church. He was ono of the unfortunate
class known as noblcmcn's sons, and was
assigned, rs is usually the case, to the
ministry. One of his descendants is
Congressman w. l.. Scott, who passed
his boyhood on the Stafford hills. Mr..
Scott has not forgotten his old home
amidst his Pennsylvania millions. A
few months ago he sent twelve hundred
dollars to the pastor of Aqua church for
tho purpose of repairing tho old build
ing, and is now contemplating trip to
the home OF his distinguished ancestors.
The names of all the families who have
lived i'll the county since the ante -Rcvo-
lutionary days would fill q half column
of the Times, and although they cannot
all claim titled progcnitors, they are the
very first Of the "F. +. ""
SOME NONSENSE ALLEGED.
A great deal of nonsense has been
written about these "first fnmilicsn y They