The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-16
MAY BRIDGE AN
IMPORTANT PERIOD.
Librarians Effort to Find Miss
ing Burgesses Journals Par
TALLY Successful.
BRING our OTHER VOLUMES
-A------
Records Of Virginia's First Lcgis-
1ature Will Be Printed
Periodically.
BRING our OTHER VOLUMES

Discoveries OF ancient papers Just made
in London by agents of the state Library
here bridge an important gap in the re-
cords OF the House Of Burgess Of Vir-
GINA, now being collected, and lead to
tile belief that further search will sup
ply every missing link and eventually
make possible the publication of an un-
broken series OF original documents OF
tremendous historic value covering the
entire colonial period from 1913 to lT76.
UP to few months ago, the Burgess
Journals, containing the official record of
governmental body antiuating any
other English institution planted upon the
soil OF the new world, had been pracu
cally inaccessible TO students and inves-
tlgutors. The original papers, as tue
great mass of them, were stored away
in the Virginia state Library and the
others were scattered In unknown places.
Through I'LL tho years no systematic at
tempt had been made to gather the dust
laden documents into publication that
might permit their circulation for the
benefit of readers generally and Amerl-
can historians In particular. hat light
they might shed upon period, some
times clouded and uncertain, was lost
beneath the cobwob acumulations Of q
century.
Of Immense Value.
In July OF this year a folio volume ap-
peared from the press Of Everett Waddey
& Co.. OF this city. containing an ac-
curate report of the Journals for the
years 1773-1776. It was the first of a
series Issued under the direction of the
Library board and edited by Mr.. ]. r.
Kennedy, State Librarian. The volume
was the result of the first step toward
placing the raro old papers within reach
Of the public. Historians throughout the
country took notice and encouragement
In the work was received from all sides.
1t was generally conceded that the pub
LEGATION was the most important contri-
button to the early history of America
made in n hundred years. The most
profound interest was manifested by the
scholars of the land and the book went
rapidly 1t has already paid for Itself.
The ancient type was reproduced by
general typographical appearance of the
volume called for high praise.
Since the publication of the first num-
Der the work of arranging and copying
the manuscript records mas gone steadily
on. There was Il gap Of several years
in the eighteen century, and long miss
ing stretch of the century preceding.
Stevens e. Brown, of London, were en-
gagged BY the Library board to conduct
a search upon that side of the water,
and this search has at last been re-
warded with n measure of success. In
the London Record office, material has
recently been discovered, covering the
years 1866, 1867 and 176S. The records
were found in what are known as the
Board OF Trade papers OF North Caro-
lima.
They are being copied. and the copies
will he forwarded to Richmond at one,
to constitute what will hcoc,e Volume
III of the series. Tnc search for the
other missing journals will lie prosecuted
vigorously by the London 7rm' and the
latest reports indicate that the chances
are good for securing the complete record,
running back to the year 1919.
With the London discovery and the
manuscripts in the Library, Mr.. Kennedy
is able at this time to give an unbroken
collection OF the Burgess journals from
LEGO to 1776. Volume His now being
prepared. 1T will contain the records for
the years .1IG9, ITO, It'll and 1872. The
records for 1759-1766 will be contained
in Volume w, to be issued later. This
volume will include the original papers
of the Virginia Committee of Correspon
denco for the year 1853 and the stamp
act period. The entire publcation-16l9-
177G-wlll BIO in fifteen volumes. It will
take about five years to complete the
work.
The First Volume.
An idea of the historic value Of this
monumental work and the nature Of the
papers contained in 1t may be obtained
from the first volume. phis number con-
tanned reproduction of the manuscript
record hook Of the journal of the House
of Burgesses of Virginia from March 4,
1773, to May G, 1776. Portions of this