The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-07
Edward Bennett, Richard Bennett and
the Rev. J, I. 1icbenor.
snhthfield, Va, ApriE ID, lk95.
To the Editor of The Times.


s,r-s.The ccpv of your issue OF Satur
! dav March 18th. containing the address o
| NJ r = Thomas. Of 5mlthfeld." wnicl
EEL into the hands" of the bsev. DIT
! Tichcnor. was, / hope, the one that
| n allied TO I'm. with my compliments
Tie paper shows on its face that u
| Is only q report OF d small part OF tina
| address. but as IL was more generous
than / had any right TO expect. took 1
with thanks and sent IL win my re
CARDS IL 1t had been a fuil report Mr
Tichenor would not havet iaiien INTO on
OF his errors. | also mailed one OF the
papers to DIR. Bennett Bernard Browne
OF Baltimore. and one TO Daniel X. Ran
dali. of Annapolis. / have been IN cor
respondencc with these, and otner gentle
men, | received, with very great pleas
ure. very valuable information from them
and / hope | gave some valuable infOrma-
ton In return. | am exceedingly indebt-
ed to them for any and for all the infor'
nation they gave 10 me.
do not believe / should say single
solitary word I'm reply TO Mr.. Tichenor, il
/ did not believe he was under the i'm
press.cn that | deliberately, did an in
Justice to Governor Richard Bennett. lie
seems TO be under that IMPRESSION and
| write for the sole purpose OF correcting
il, if IL exists.
am. and for years past have been,
deeply interested In any, and In every
thing that has any relation 10. or con-
nection with. either Edward Bennett, OF
Richard Bennett, and II Is possible,
have more reasons for being interested in
them than tie Rev Mr.. Tiachenor has
One Of these reasons l would not state
publicly. except to remove an erroneous
impression.
The first settlement In this county was
by Christopher Lawne, I'm 1913, and he
and Ensign Washer represented that
plantation I'm the first Assembly OF 1912.
Lawne's plantation was in the neck oil
land formed by the creek that still bears
his name separating Isle of Wight coun-
~ from Surry) and James river. Lawne
died at an early day, and Nicholas Bass
and others succeeded him, and TO his
rights.
IT was upon their petition that the old
Indian name of Warrosquoyacke was
changed 10 Isle of Wight. This last name
shows I infer, where the most of them
came from.
The next settlement was that of Edward
Bennett. AS he was one Of the leading
merchants in London, one of the richest,
and one OF the brdiniest, he soon acquired
great prominence In the old London Com
pany Of Virginia. He maintained It's
cause with money, with pen, ard wi II
tongue. He was selected by that company
Of eminent MEL TO advocate the cause OF
the company bfOre the committees of tho
House Of Parliament. 1 am very proud
of his brains. 1t is probable 1 am related
to him about as nearly as Mr.. Tichenor
is to Richard Bennett.
Sylvester, the daughter of Edward
Bennett, married Lieut.. Col. Mich
olas Hin. and they came 10 Yir-
ginia. and resided. at first. proba-
bly, upon that Tcition of the Edward
Bennett plantation that was at the head
OF LqNne's Creek-near where IL crosses
the main road. leading from Smithheld
TO Surry. AS Edward Bennett undertook
to transport two hundred people 1t will
De seen that mis- plantation must have
been a very large one. That II was a
very large one. is also shown by the
fact that in the first great massacre he
lost So people the largest loss sustained
by any one settlement. AS there are only
some $500 acres, on the right hand side
Of the road mentioned. facing the river.
extending from Lawnes Creek TO the
Rocks. 1t will be right easily cOnjectured
where the Bennett plantation must have
been located.
In 1864, Governor Berkeley issued a
patent to "Aie jor' Nicholas Hill ard Sill
vester. his wife, for $50 acres being the
ing to the said Sylvester and her sister.
who were daughters ana "coheirs" OF
Edward Ben'ett. deceased. beginning.
&c. in valley, near the pld,e called the
Rocks" and so called 10 this day.
Making d long jump for the sake OF
brevity. | VII state Ito prevent the er-
rcneous impression alluded toy that the
Hills. the HarrsOns. and the WO0dleys,
Ct Isle of Wight intermarrisd. and that
shortly before the birth Of my mother,
there was a Francis Hill, an Elizabeth
Hill and an Elizabeth Harrison; and that
my mothers name was Frances Hill
WoOdloy. and that one of my cunts vas
nsmcd Elizabeth Hill Harrison WoOd'cy
As James Day, in a deed. speaks OF
Sylvester Hill as his aunt, the presumption
Is that his father married the sister OF
Sylvester. and that she was the "co-h cir
alluded 10. As Days Neck adjoins The
Rocks. IT is easily feen how this pre-
sumption IS strengthened. As his. de-
scendants are still here. they. too, are
interested I'm preserving the memory OF
Edward. AMI OF Richard Bennett
As Edw lrd BENEFITS plantation was
in this county; as his nephew. Richard
Bennett was countyman: as the daugh-
tiers and the descendants Of Edward BEN
nett are fell0w-countrymen. aid as they
ale still here, II will be readily seen that
/ could not and that / would not. inten-
tionally. say one. word TO the disp rage
ment either OF Richard. or of Edward
Bennett.
That which might give little umbrage
to Mr.. Tichenor, in the full address. Is
MY failure to accept the genealogical
chart sent to me tracing Richard Ben
nett back TO Sir John Bennett.
/ could rot do that, because / knew
how easily mistakes Of that sort are
made. and because I'm that chart were
such mistakes as these: THE third son.
Richard Bennett was sent TO America
by his father to take charge of his in
terest In the Virginia Company. and. as
We lave seen above. returned TO Eng
land during the Civil War. and served
as a colonel under Cromwell" II the
OTTER statements are not more correct
than these, they are lamentably defec-
tive.
wrote to the Rev. Mr.. Itch
enor ana TO DIR. Browne that
thought these statements were err
roncous. did not repeat them for that
reason and for that reason alone. I am,
for myself perfectly satisfied with the
fact that Richard Bennett was the
nephew of Edward Bennett. That he
was selected by Edward Bennett az his
agent in Vireinia. is proof, positive. to
NE OF his high character. That he eesi-
~ and e,-ly rose TO eminence. honors
ana wealth In Virginia, and in Maryland,
Is another proof of his capacity,
his energy. his industry. his Christ
ian character. and his great worth
In every department. of citizenship.
Upon an examination Of .he fun ad-
dress. whenever published (of which onIy
a part could be given In a 1aily paper.
Mr.. Tichen0r will find that I mentioned
everything In the paper which he calls the
brief" except thst which relates excll-
siXely 10 MARYLAND | omit.el that "a