Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-23
Bricks in Colonial Virginia.


In reply 10 the query OF correspond
ent In your issue of Sunday, the 9th
instant. l have to say that our records
do not bear out the tradition that any
bricks were imported from England and
used in the construction of the old CO.
lonial houses. 1t stands to reason that
II was easier to import brick ma ers
than brick. Thus among the several
sorts of tradesmen and others for the
college land in 1919 were smiths. car
psnters. pOtters. bricklayers, and brick
makers. virginia Historical Collections.
Volume VII, part ~ In 1912 Rev. Alex
arder Whitaker. describing Virginia,
wrote: "The higher ground is much like
the molde OF France. clay and sand be-
ing proportionately mixed together at the
top; but If we dig any depth (as we have
done for our bricks we lnde it to be red
clay. fun of clustering spangles." browns
Genesis, etc, H.. page $50 In Arber's
John Smith there Is a statement that
brick was sent from Virginia in 1912 as
an article Of commerce. In the York
county records, under date 9th August,
1919 John Mathews sued Colonel John
Page "about worke done about a house
for safeguard of the bricks made upon
Captain Baldry's land for building Fort
James at Tyndalrs Poynt" Gloucester
i UNIV. captain bdiuly IiFtu ANA uitu
York county, Va. In the same records
1922 among the charges Of the executor
against the estate of Mr. Robert Booth
deceased, is this: ITO John Kingston for
mGkeng and burning bricks &C." About
this time there Is deed also of John
Kingston, who styles himself brick
maker in York county. In the act au-
thorzng the building of the Capitol in
Williamsburg, while the committee is
vested with authority to purchase in Eng
land many items to he used in the
structure nothing Is said of brick" In
1901 Henry Cary, the architect. petitoned
for remuneration for burning a large
kiln of bricks" as overseer of the Cow
ernor's house. calendar Of State Papers,
Volume L., page 1i6) There is
paper printed in the same cal
endsr, which gives the price Of
bricks I'm 1913. and it will be perceived
how much cheaper il was to manufacture
them on the spot than TO incur the ex-
pense of getting them abroad. In 112l
the old church near Hampton had become
ruinous. and the council decided that 1.-THE
new church should be built in Hampton
town. as the most convenient place in
the parish; and shortly after Henry Cary
obtained permission from the Court OF
Elizab9 tn City to obtain wood from
Eatons free-school land. at six pence
per load, to burn bricks for the church"
The weekly statements in the Gazette
for two years, from 1881 to 1893. of ships
entered in James. York Rappahannock.
and Potomac rivers show no such freight.
save one cargo of 10000 brick imported
from New England. How then is the idea
of houses made Of English brick so
firmly fixed in the popular fancy? l con-
ceive that the impression arose from mis-
taking the meaning of "English brick"
In the early days Of the Colony, prior TO
the passage of the navigation law, there
was a large trade with Holland. and n
great many Dutchmen came to Virginia,
where they became useful citizens. find
in the records occasional mention Of Dutch
brick meaning. doubtless brick made
after the Dutch pattern English brick
meant brick made after the English pat
tern. Thus Mr.. Richard Cole. n very
prominent and very eccentric gentleman
Of WestmoTeland, wrote in his Will az
follows (proved in 1919: Item. ii Is my
will and desire that my body be Inferred
upon Poynt Pleasant upon my plantation,
! in a neat coffin of black walnut. If con-
veniently be had, and that q grave-stone
of black marble be with all convenient
speed sent for out or England. with my
coat-of-arms engrayen in brass, and under
1t this epitaph:
Here lies Dick Cole. a grievous sinner.
That died little before dinner.
Yet hopes in Heaven to find a place,
To satiate his soul with Grace.
Item. ! will that my grave-stone be
raised with Dutch brickes above three
foot from the ground, and my grave be
paled in with posts and rails of locusts,
and white-oke boards of a double sub
stance, and under them locust ground
stills. and If my wife think II expedient
to sell ye land that the vendee or VEN
dees be Obliged forever TO keepe my
grave in repair"
LYON G. TYLER,
Williarp and Mary College.