The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-26
"SenIs OF the Colony Of Virginia.
William and Mary College.
williamsburg, Va.

William and Mary Cohese,
Williamsburg, Va.
Editor Times: w. =. P.'s article on
the Seals OF the Colony Of Virginia II.
| last Sundays Times gave your paper a
double Importance.
/ am probably in the position to make
some little addition TO the information
w. Il. +. has given 70 the public. l
was recently entrusted by gentleman
with some very old papers belonging to
the Howard family, so worthily repre-
scented in your city by the talented law
yer Mr. Overton Howard.
These papers are chiefly original pat
ents, some OF them badly mumated-Dut
the seals upon five Of them are well worth
description.
The two oldest papers are grants by
Sir John Harvey, Knit, governor from
1880 10 November, 1899. one Is grant,
without precise date, TO James Miller, OF
100 acres upon the great Otterdams at
the head Of the New POquoson,' in York
county, fifty acres due for his own per-
sonal adventure and fifty acres for the
adventure of his wife. Mary. ON the back
Of the patent are several endorsements Of
assignment There is an assignment ~
Robert Newman {Fn8Yks) 20 Christopher
StOakes dated LIST OF January. 1910 Wit
messed by Humphrey Hammer ana John
Watson (hs mark: an assignment Of
Thomas Goddard (his mark 10 Christie
pher Stoakes, witnessed by Edward Mi
hill, and dated II December, 1910; and an
assignment dated ID October, 1912, by
Edward Mihnl 10 John Howard Che
early spelling of Howard was Harvard,
Hayward Hayward. The pronunciation
/ was Howard" and in 17i0. Francis how
ard. a leading magistrate OF York county,
adopted 10 as the SpelliDg)
Ncwmans name has "A wax seal. with
the impression Of a shield with a ChevrOn
plainly marked. The writing Of the pat
ents is very fine. but Of wonderful art
and beauty.
The seal is that described in Neilrs
Virginia Netusta," as appertaining 10
he old Company chartered in 1906 il
bears portrait Of King James on one
side surrounded by the words, 'Sigillum
Regis Magnal Britanial Francial ct Hi
berneal" And on the other side, the
King arms with the wOrds-"Pro cOncil-
10 primal colonial Virginiae." The seal
is elliptic, about two inches I'm height and
an inch and a quarter in breadth.
The other paper of this period is a
grant to Thomas Hawkins, son Of Thorn
as Hawkins, Of Virginia deced." dated
August II, 1888, and bearing an assign
ment TO Henry Hayward. witnessed by
Samuel Snignell and Richard Nickson
Thus it seems that the old seal Of the
Virginia Company continued TO be the
authorized seal Of Virginia in spite of
the abrogation Of the charter in 1924 and
the assumed adoption OF a new seal IN
1862.
W. p. p. seems to state that there
are papers In the State archives bearing
the latter device; It is. perhaps. unfortu-
nate that he did not describe these papers,
as I'm the absence OF conclusive testi-
mOny 20 the contrary, the use in 1879 Of
the old company seal must be taken TO
mean that there was no change in the
emblem Of authority until after that
date.
The assumption that no real change
took place in 1920, is supported by the
fact that the company itself was, perhaps,
too near dissolution at that time TO con-
summate the matter
There is in my list still another paper
earlier than any described by w. p. =.
This is a patent with the autograph sigma
ture Of Herbert Jeffreys. Governor and
Captain-Geueral OF Virginia, granted 20
Mr. Henry Hayward for PIG acres in the
New POquoson parish, I'm York county,
on the south side Of Cheeseman's mill,
dated - September. 1915 The seal is
somewhat faded. but IL is clearly Of the
description Of the seal described by W.
Il. =. as attached 10 n paper I'm the
State archives dated In September 1856.
The motto is-"En dat Virginia Quintum."
The arms are quartered, as IN the old
company seal and the shield Is surround
ed by the ring Of the order of the Garter,
bearing the words-"Honi soft qui NAL y
pense." The crown surmouuting the
shield Is flanked left and right by the
royal characters &C.. r."
- n n
John Toton. by Lord Ediugham for 100
acres in York county, and dated LIST Feb
rulry. 1GsG-assigned 10 Henry Hayward
on the 9TH day of March, 16SS-9 I'm the
presence OF James Whytt The whole i'm
precision is clear and distinct and IS a
later illustration Of the seal just de-
scribed, which doubtless succeeded the
use Of the company seal some time after
1879.
The last Of the papers IS n grant by
Alexander Spotswood dated "a December,
I'LL. for 100 acres In York county. con-
hrming a deed Of March >, 1861, from
Samuel SnigIell C'who intermarTied with
the heiress OF Captain Wmlam Hay0,
and an order Of the General Court of the
10th April. 1907. 1t bears a remarkably
clear impression Of the seal OF state The
impression displays a quartering or Eng
land, France. Scotland. and Ireland, just
as IN the Tour Other seals meuuDned-ln
other words, the arms Of the Stuarts
eEcircled by the band OF the Orde Of the
Garter, with its well-known motto. At
the base Of the escutcheOn on a scroll IS
"semper eadem"; while the eXergue,
which is the rim Of the seal, sweeps
around with the words EN- dat Virginia
quiutam." The change TO En- dat Vir-
ginia quartam" did not occur. as w. =. =.
suggests, at thu beginning OF Queen Anne's
reign. but il 1t occurred in her reign at
ali, it must have done so, as appeared
from the date Of this patent at the end
OF it. She died in 1714. In this seal last
cited, there are no royal characters"
either on the left or right Of the crown,
surmounting the shield.
The study Of seals. both private and
public. is full OF interesting discoveries,
and in my Quarterly Historical Papers"
/ have always reserved a place Tor
description Of such as have come under
my notice, and l natter myself that some
good has resulted from the course pur-
sued.
LYON G. TYLER.