The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-15
DUTCH GAP
How it Got its Name--B eginning Of
Henrico County,

rlGHTlCo COunty.
Editor Of The Times Dispa tch:
The Times Dispatch of July 18th gives
an ar interesting account Of Dutch Gap on
u proyem e n,ver 81 ana OF the proposed i'm
writer says: How Dutch Gap got its
name thia e. IS not known to the writer" rs
Ems is one Of the very old names in Vir-
1t came to be given.
IN May, ISL, when the colony was only
T IGrr years e. , 9ld. Sir Thomas Dale came to
then limited to jamestown, and a small
fort at Point Comfort. which had been
f built by CAPTAIN George Perc. in October,
the mouth of Hampton River in the local
!ty now occupied by the Soldiers Home,
BY Hampton. These two little forts had
neen % 9u 1s,n by Lord Delaware in the sum,
Fort Henry after Henry. Prince of Walev,
and his borther, Charles who became
Charles I. Sir Thomas Dale strengthened
river. and later in the summer made
careful survey Of the Nansemond and
James Rivers with a view to SELECTING
ne hoped to make the. strongest Of any.
for the colonists were living In daily fear
lest, the s I1dd should attack them
IRON from the West Indies and destroy the
ers resulted in his selecting the PENN
sula. now converted into an island by the
Dutch Gap canal. He had hardly made
the same summer, 1911, Sir Thomas Gates a
arrived at jamestown with six tall ships
With With three hundred men. and an hun
tons and all other manner of provisions
that could be thought needful.' These
W weeong nshts heinz b after TIER e
acquainted. him what he had done, and
what he intended: which design Sir
Thomas Gates we'll approving, furnished
him with three hundred and fifty men,
such as himself made choice of. In the
beginning Of September, 1911 he set sale,
and arrived where he intended to build
his new towne: within ten or twelve daies
honour Of our noble Prince Henry. called
it Henrico. The next work he did was
building at each corner OF the Towne
and store houses, which finished. he be-
gan to think upon convenient houses for
himself and men. which with all possible
speed hee could be effected, to, the. great
content of his companie. and all the
colone.
''rhis towne is situated upon a necke
OF a PLANE rising land, three parts en-
uironed with the main River, the necke
Of land we'll impaled. makes 1T like an
Isle"
Sir Thomas Dale had served under the
Earl Of Essex in the Netherlands. and
number Of the men with him had also
seen service there with him, and with
Sir Thomas Gates who had also fought
III Inc NelHeTldIluS. so lIley were ltIIlll-
lar with the Dutch modes Of fortihcatlon.
ono very simple and effective form being
a strong palisado with trench in front
OF It. the earth out OF e! which was thrown
root common to Teutonic languages,
meaning an opening Dale used this sort
town. and his line of palisade and trench
from river to river across the neck Of
land got the name Of the Dutch Gap,",'
Hamor, the historian, who was then y,
Virginia, and whose account Is quoted
by Captain Smith in his history goes on
to say Of this new town s O. mearSe ose i
a handsome church and the foundation
Of a better laid Ito bee built OF br'ckel,
besides of tha r ana
there are five houses, wherein live the
honester sort Of people, as farmers IN
England and they keepe continual cen sent
two miles from the towne into the Maine
is another pale. neere two miles in length,
from River to, River, guarded with se Y
Of of'' eor rpn ngr a impaled. On
the other side of the River, for the, secu-
rite of the towne, Is intended TO be I'M
name Of ,I9 Hope ,'e in Faith and coxendae
secured by fine Of our manner OF Eorts
which are but Pallsadoes, cali hs ar apn:
pita5 for sick people1 q high seat and and
wholesome aire. Elizabeth Fort, and fort
Patience, And here hath Master Whit
aker chosen his parsonage im bnGrea
acres called Rock Hail. hut these are not
half hnished,'' Such is Ralph Hamor's
account of the beginning of Henrico
About the following Christmas, 1911, Ber,-
muda Hundred was settled, near Rock
Hall, where the Rev, Alexander Whita-
had his tSa Sosne Wh H ear ts
was man of great devotion and piety.
o to Virginia to VIII abo pal liz IN ls1l
and was drowned. probably IN the James
River between his home and he t9m ~
before June 1917 n. sow wh al & f s9 Thom sa.
Dale nmt his trench-the original Dutch
Gand ran his line Of n psstahn e asters
OF the james sweep through the canal
G. B, BRYAN
Hampton. July 18th,
How to Stop Lew'essness, if Not the
Strike.