The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-23
Economic. History of Virginia.


POkANEOUS RECORDS. BY Philip
Alexander Bruce, author OF "The Plan
tatiOn Negro at Freeman, &c. Mac
milan d Co., New York and London,
1896. 2 Vol Svo. price 81. For sale by
j. W. Randolph & Co.
1t Is a modern discovery that history
is not so much what the Government
does, as the condition and the activities
of the mass of humanity. this mass
constituting what we call the state In any
particular social organism our old his
torlans told us OF the monarchs-the Tar
quins, the Harolds, the Charlemagnes, the
Tamerlanes-and of their wars and am
billions, but We learned very little OF how
the people lived, and Of their thought ana
their laws of their intercourse, ana
their traffic and their toll, OF their JOY
or their grief
1t is in this spirit that tho old histories
Of the Colonial period in Virginia were
written, and, although some OF the works
ON this subject. and conspicuously the
| History OF Virginia by Charles CampbeI.
are very valuable, we have really had
nothing until within the past few years
| which penetrated into our inner Colohlai
life. and treated the subject according 70
those conceptions OF history, which are
| developed in Green's work On the history
of the English People.
| QOlUllt
or fifteen years distinct school or MS
| torical studv has been created in Virginia
! and that for the first time, We ma among
us (where there has always been so inuch
talk about family a profession OF deie-
| alogists. The late lamented Rev. Dr- fhiilp
! Slaughter and Or. II. A. Brock were ulc
nioneers in this new lire OF investigation
| and they have bees followed by olh,r
| students. amateur snd professional, trS"
as w. G.. Stanard, Prof. Lyon g. ISloi'
VIM. Writ Henry, Charles foihueAter'
i Peyton X. Darlington, Frederick 'onl'
ston. Il. W. James, and NUMBER OF
others. and we have at present two re
| preventative magazines in virginia ue-
voted TO Virginia history and archaeolosy
| that take rank with any similar puDlicd-
| lions in the Northern cities.
we refer to the Virginia Magazine OF
| History" and the civilian and Mary cos-
lege Quarterly" In the DOCK "hlcn
| lies before US a more ambitious ana s@-
tended account Of our Colonial no mas
| been attempted by Mr.. Bruce, Who very
modest1v STYLES his work the "EconoHlc
| History OF Vlrglna"--not undertakings ne
| eavs any presentation OF what would ma
! turallv come up under the heads OF Do
| cial life Religious Establishment tuu-
cation. Military Regulations. Admlnis'ra
lion of Justice. Political System.
Mr.. Bruce has done so much, that we
! may for the present rest satished 10 "ai'
| for tho future discussion or these ialle'
| tonics When one has gotten through
with his volumes, he will realize that ne
has read a new chapter in our Coioiiiai
! lie and that he has been brought IN con-
tact with the figures that filled the scencs
| i'm thoSe shadowy days, in far amer 'N'
sense from any other experience no mas
| had with Virginia history.
| Rut il Is time In this brief review 'nde
| r-o wore giving the reader more specIli1
| abatement of the contents or mess W.
| umes They are beautifully prlh'eu an
hound. with clear white paper, anu la SO
| bold TYNE and lust the size Tor cohNeh-
80 bopdiing. In the opening chapter ne
| 0tscusses the Reasons for the coloiiiIa-
| ,ion ~ virginia" which IS followed 10y
Two chanterg on aboriginal Virginia anu
| .rndion Economy" The work then ue.
| ,.otes four chapters 30 the Agriculture
| Deyelonment of the Colony from lbv' 10
170o Then follows chap. WILL on the
."Title 10 Land: the Patent Ineh chap
*. on System of Labor: the SerNSn..
This closes the first volume. ms as
mentioned topic Is continued IN 'he oPon
ing chapter Of the second volume, Hollow
ed nv 5. cbapter on the Slave as a baborer'
The Domestic Economy of the Planter
tbe Relative Value of Estates: Manulac-
tured Supplies. Foreign and Domesuc
Money: The Town; are the otner u'ies.
Mr. Bruce has discussed all these SUD-
tects IN the most thorough manner i'ali'
leaving nothing else 10 be sald IN resi-,
10 them. There is no end 10 tie lapoi
that must have been involved IN III, 81
81 his theme and in his examination VI
.ho original. printed and manuscript, 10
oards ~ our early history, and II mus
80 cost q considerable sum OF none.
80 aocnmulato or TO investigate such
-, of materials lie has gone 10 lh'
80, and quotes from the county re
49, 60 authenticate his facts. Oilo'
.',a.ot,. al such centres as NllllaIisDui
Oh charles City Courthouse anu ! - -
Ceo~ge. the Federal soldiers nau -
| tbore before him and Destroyer l's 80 -.
| our tastes are antiqua'ian' az ito,
enioved beyond measure inc AS o,,r so.
t6esa naecs-perhaps one OF o.' -
u t,ones would prefer Miss NJ. u. NJ III
C9|i,,od or some other of our moue,i ~
- hccatse. as one grows ola 1t
raves for facts and not lot Nab"l -
~ Of the greatest men in the OVloiis
I'm the latter half of the llth cel'ls' :, -,
William Fitzhugh, OF StanoIu' an H.,
| 7,o,.oriev OF AiiddieseX. There Were as
D., Vyormlev of Middlesex and william
p,-r1 of charles City. THESE were 'il
I,oalfbiost men Col John Garter wa
mathew in the Colony. VIM. Byrd paV
ended II 600 acres Of land Robert beV
orIev RI 600. John Carter 5000; Nllllaii
Eitzbuph owned $1,000 acres.
land was worth on an average apDs
e,-a sbillings an acre equal I'm modern hs
mos TO about So There were IN l.uo' We an
told probably fifty or one hunnred piaH
4ers worth what would now De III
equivalent Of SoOOv0. r..
Ttentenant-Colonel Francis Eppes q
YIenrico The had also store was
tvnical average planter OF that Gay ~
norsonalty. including his store, va
.oi,,ad at coo pounds Sterling e4uh
about $4,000 at present. ooo .o,,ro,
Tn 1884 tbere were only about svv neg y,
:, mo colony 1900 whites ana -'V no. SS'
3 oxon M this time were mostly useu ~
me dwellings were very simple vi
veu-to-do planters having as a iuiv Il,
49,. than four or five rooms IN nous
poseeil. the residence OF so cohsluoi ~ ~
leon as Ralph Wormley, had only mn
-, Tbere were a few houses that ia
.,,elve or fifteen rooms. but me - 81.
{ 81, Revorlev lived. O6sD III "a GWEN
! .,tich contained 1.-THE chamber III wiz -
s1n,, one overhead. porch ana " ia
@ban,ber a dairy and kitchen, ana Over
D ,.,e,.,'. ,oo,n" The house Of Corhln GIlhli
b bad six rooms a kitchen, and TWO closeu
, a. "a nersonal property Thomas W u
ioncbbv Of lower Norfolk county, wa
nne ~ the wealthiest planters; he oWhe
! | ~ cattle horses, y sheep. iehI
e | pandolnh of HenricO, owned ID Sheel
- nersons owned over eight or 'e
slaves during this century put ~ ~,