Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-02-12

amounted IN The aggregate 10
very large sum added to which,
Fairfax required the payment OF
ten shillings sterling on each fifty
acres, (what he termed composition
money! which was paid on issuing
the grant.
About the year 1742, bis lord
ship opened his Office in the county
of Fairfax for granting out the
land. A few years after, he re-
moved to the county of Frederick,
and settled at what he called
"Greenway-Court," about II or IA
miles southeast of Winchester,
where he Kept his land office dur.
ing his life. He died in the autumn
of 1881, very soon after the sur
render of CORVALLIS. 1t is said
that as soon as he heard OF the
captlrre OF CORVALLIS and his
army, he called to his servant to
assist him to bed, observing, at is
time for me to die;' and truly the
old man never again left his bed I'M
til he was consigned to the tomb.
His body was deposited under the
communion table in the then
Episcopal church in Winchester. (a)
In the year 1876 the Legislature
of Virginia passed an act which
among other provisions lin relation
to the Northern Neck,) IS the fol
lowing:
"And be it further enacted,
that the landholders within the
said district of the Northern Neck
shall be forever hereafter exoner-
ated and discharged from compost
ton and quitrents, any law, custom
or usage, to the contrary notwlth'
standing (b) This act OF the
State freed the people from yexa-
lions and troublesome kind of
taxation. Fairfax's representatives
soon sold out their interest in bis
private estate in this country, and
it IS believed there is no part OF
this vast landed estate remaining
in the hands of any branch of the
Fairfax family. Chief Justice
Marshall, the late Raleigh Colston,
ESQ.,, and the late Gen. Henry Lee,
purchased the right Of Fairfax's
legatees lin Engrand) to what is
called the Manor of Leeds, (c)
South Branch Manor, Patterson's
Creek Manor, and various other
tracts of land of immense value
the most of which had been leased
out for long terms or lives. This
estate has been the cause OF more
litigation probably than any other
estate in Virginia. Suits growing
out of the case of Hite, &c, against
Fairfax, are yet depending in our
courts-and some of the tenants IN
the Manor OF Leeds have lately
taken it in their heads that the
Fairfax title is defective, and re-
fuse to pay rents to the present
claimants. This refusal has pro-
duced lawsuit, which will doubt
less be a long time pending.
This profligate manner of grant
ing away lands in immense bodies
was unquestionably founded in the
most unwisc and unjust policy
Instead of promoting the speedy
settlement and improvement of the
country-instead of holding out to
the bulk of society every possible
encouragement to make the most
speedy settlement and improve
ment of the new country-monopo-
lies in several instances were given,
or pretended to be sold to a few
favorities of the governing powers,
whereby these tavorltes were en-
abled to amass vast estates, and to
lord it over the great majority OF
their fellow men. Such are the
blessings of kindly governments.
But the people of this free and
happy republic have abundant
cause to rejoice and bless their
God that this wretched kind OF
policy and high-handed injustice is
done away, in the freedom and
wisdom of our institutions, and
that we have no longer our ears
assailed, nor our understandings
outraged, with the disgusting, high
sounding title of "My lord" ap-
piled to poor frail human beings.
Lord Fairfax was the county
lieutenant for Frederick for several
years. On looking into the record
of the proceedings Of the court
martial, the author found the fol-
lowing entry:
sat a council of war, held for
regulating the militia of Frederick
county, in order to take such steps
as shall be thought most expedient
(a) Lord Fairfax made a donation to th,
Episcopal society, of lot of land. uPon
which a large stone building was erected
as place OF worship. The lot is in the
center Of the town F; and, attached to thu
church, was a large burial ground, il
which n great number of bodies wer'
deposited. The Episcopal society lately
sold at auction this ancient building and
lot for twelve thousand dollars. The pur
chasels caused the skeletons to be re
moved, and there are now throo elegant
brick houses erected on the lot. Will
the money arising from the sale thu
l. Episcopal society purchased n lot OF
Boscowen and Washington streets, and
have built a splendid new church. IL II
to be regretted that no account was takeI