The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-20


feet long was used. The length OF the
"Gunter's, or surveyors chain is now al
ways So feet.
The first patent granted I'm 1919. accord
ing TO Purchas. was TO the Society OF
Southampton Hundred. This land, De-
lieve, IN what was called In the list OF
patents In Hotten's book the company
Land" and belonged 10 company COM
posed of John Smith OF Nibley, Sir WIZ
liam Throckmorton, Sir George Yeardley,
Richard Berkeley and George Thorp. They
called their plantation Berkeley Town
and Hundred" and II became afterwards
the property Of the Harrisons. ancestors
of the President. Throckmorton trans
ferred his interest 10 William Tracey.
This company seems TO have had great
d. al TO do with the settlement Of Virginia.
and their lands and those adjoining were
settled on by many OF the prosecutors OF
those who afterwards became prominent
In the colony.
1t is interesting to note some Of the
names in this connection. Sir William
Tracey married Mergaret Throckmorton,
the aunt Of Sir William Throckmorton,
and also of Elizabeth, wife Of Sir Thomas
Dale. one Of the earliest governors, ana
the sister-in-law of Sir Richard Berke-
ley. Their son married Mary Shirley.
whose sister had married Robert West,
third Lord Delaware. Governor Of Vir-
ginia, after whom, or his brother. West
over was named. This explains too the
origin of the name of the Shirley planta-
ton. afterwards identified with the Car
ters Another son OF Sir William Tracey
married Barbara, daughter OF Sir Thomas
Lucy. the justice who committed Shakes
pears for deer stealing. and who was
travestied by him under the guise OF
Justice Shallow. Another OF Sir Thomas
Lucy's daughters married Sir Walter
Aston, whose cousin OF the same name
came TO Virginia in 162S. lived at Shirley,
and is buried at Westover. Sir Thomas
Lucys son married the widow OF Robert
West, son OF Lord Delaware, the Gov
ernor, who was the daughter OF Sir Henry
Cooke, of Brokesbourne. in Hertfordshire.
Richard Cooke, who patented 5000 acres
OF land for Transporting 81 persons in
1885, and lived at Bremo, near Berkeley,
was probably a relative OF the latter
Thorp was cousin Of Throckmorton. and
son-in-law of Smith. He and Yeardley
seem to have been the only members OF
the Southampton Company to come to
Virginia, but John Throckmorton and
Lieutenant Edward Barley, mentioned
In the muster of 1925, probably were near
relatives TO two of the other members.
Indians, along with Nathaniel Powell
mentioned as one of the first planters, In
the great uprising OF 1922.
John Smith, OF Nibley. was an anti
quarian and literary man, and collected
many papers. Those relating to Virginia
are still in existence in England, and
would probably throw a flood of light
on the settlers Of the first plantation,
which has always retained its prestige as
the centre OF the aristocratic element In
the colony They should be securely kept
in the archives of the State. whose earliest
his tory they so wildly portray. / have
never seen them, but. from a description
of them should think they were worth
the price put upon them by the book
seller, Mr.. Quaritch. Of Is Piccadilly
London, WI % has them for sale for $50
pounds. VIII not some public spirited
Virglnian purchase them. or cannot the
Legislature be induced to appropriate
this. 10 them. small amount?
II is a matter Of great qualification that
the Legislature has appropriated 5000 TO
make transcripts of the county court
records. Let us hope that the earliest
will be the first copied. 1t would be a
good plan too to stop the copying Of each
county at say the year 100, until all prior
10 that time had been copied. Counties
were first formed In 1884. Commissioners
were then appointed in the different
counties, whose duties were those OF
Justice Of the peace, but who likewise
met together at stated intervals and held
court. There We're originally eight coun-
ties. Northampton, on the Eastern Shore.
whose records are complete; Elizabeth
City, on the north side Of the James at
its mouth, whose records are destroyed;
Warwick. next above on the north side,
the condition OF whose records l do not
know; Warrasquvack. afterwards Isle
OF Wight, whose records are complete:
James City. which included the country
on both sides OF the James river above
Warwick and Warrasquvack, records
destroyed Charles City, records destroy
ed. which included both sides OF the
James; Henrtco, which lay still higher
up on both sides of the river, and OF
which the records are almost complete;
and finally Charles river, now York. at
the mouth of the York river. of which
the records are complete The southern
side OF the James river was cut off from
James City In 1862 TO form Surry county,
whose records are complete and Prince
George was cut off OF Charles City In
the same way I'm 1902, but most Of its re-
cords are destroyed
The early records OF these counties
contain many papers which we should
not expect in the records OF to-day. but
which give n vivid picture sometimes
of the domestic life OF the period. For
example, in 1855 there was petition
from one OF the principal landowners,
showing that the wife OF a neighbor
hath In a Vile and scurrilous manner
scandalized and DETAINED the wife OF
your petitioner. to the ruin OF your Pc
titioner's said wife's credit, and TO the
great injury OF your petitioner; and
hath also in a most inhuman and bar
barous manner assaulted and most vio-
lently beaten your petitioners said wife,
to the breach OF the peace, contempt OF
the law, Ill example OF them, and TO
your petitioners great damage. The
premises considered, your petitioner
humbly craveth such reparation of these
high abuses as your worship shall find
convenient to law, with costs OF suit,
&c.
The parties mentioned in this petition
were not obscure persons The petit
toner had patented 3i3 acres OF land
In 1863 for importing seven persons,
and was high sheriff Of the county in
1867, while the husband of the lady com
planned OF was one OF the council in
1862, and q member Of the House of
Burgesses In 1854. 1t may have been n
sort OF family quarrel. as the son OF
the lady complained Of afterwards mar
ried the widow OF the complainant, not
the wife that had been scandalized and
DETAINED, but subsequent one, nearly
related TO one OF the gentlemen men,
toned as living on land In Southampton
Hundred. II may likewise be said In
extenuation, that the custom OF lawyers
at the time was to make their papers as
strong In terms as possible.