Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-12-21

"eAAS VI obS SCFSIdt COuItuOuSSe
within this Neck disclose the like.
nesses and names of these famous
men, some of whom were cabinet
officers of the Chief Executives
others were noted jurists, soldiers
and sailors of the Army and Navy OF
the United States. The great leader
aud hero Of the Southern Confed-
eracy, Robert E. Lee, was born but q
comparatively short distance from
this spot, in the adjoining county OF
Westmorelsnd. Essex County, the
home of your present distinguished
Judge, Can justly be claimed as al
least step child of Northumberland,
for it was formed from old Kappa
hammock County, and old Kappa
hammock County was formed from
that part of Lancaster extending up
the north side of Rappahannock river
and part of the south side of the same
stream, from which territory Rich.
moDd and Essex were both formed,
and thus old Rappahannock was
absorbed.
The evolution of government is a
lengthy but interesting study.
When the first settlement was made,
there was no need of courts because
the first colonists had agreed to work
upon the "Joint Stock" plan, in
which every sort of property, even
their food, was held in common.
They ate together and slept in bar
racks as soldiers do in the present
day. The proceeds of their labor
also went into the Common Stock,
and thus they continued during the
first five years of the settlement,
after which lands were distributed,
! and the individual was rewarded for
his industry by the accumulations
of property which he could claim as
his own.
The origin of county courts may
be traced to the Act of Assembly of
1923 making Commanders of plan.
tatlons judges with certain limited
powers. Prior to this, the Governor
and Council, and the General AS
sembly after it was formed in 1919,
tried cases and were the only courts
within the colony. The President
and Council until the appointment,
of Governors, were in supreme contro
and had the power of condemuing to
death-as instance in the case OF
Captain John Smith, who was con-
demed to die, after his rescue by
Pocahontas, because ne was held
accountable for the death of his
crew which were killed by the
Indians during his voyage up the
Chickahominy. But for the coming
of Captain Newport, Smith would
have been executed.
With the Governor and Council
was always Secretary, to note the
proceedings of their respective
meetings, and when courts were
established there were necessarily
clerks of courts.
When Northumberland County
was formed, whether in 1642 by the
Governor and Council, or in 164S by
the Act of Assembly, the Colony was
well advanced in the arts of Govern
ment. There was General Assem-
bly,, and the political divisions of the
colony had begun by the making of
Boroughs aud Corporations, and
later the settled parts were divided
into eight shires, in 1884, which
still later were organized as Coun-
ties.
The men who first settled this
section were men of undaunted
courage, and industrious habits.
Without possessing these two quail
ficstions, they could not have sue
ceeded, surrounded as they were by
savage men and wild beasts, and q
! wilderness of forest from which they
must hew their way to prosperity.
Until 1853, when Westmoreland
was formed from Northumberland
the boundaries of this county were
from the mouths of the Potomac and
Rappahannock extending to the
head waters Of the two streams, now
a part of West Virginia.
This much of the history of Nor
thum berland perhaps is foreign to
the subject-matter which has
brought us together today. 1t is
bat part of the very interesting
story of this county, and to tell the
whole of it would consume more
hours than we have at our leisure or
this occasion.
We meet, as | remarked, to add 6
chapter to the history of this county,
by presenting 20 its court a marble
tablet containing the names of its
Clerks, with few exceptions from its
earliest years to the present date
[ learn that the earliest records were
destroyed by fire, and therefore some
of the names of the clerks were
thereby lost. have been greatly
honored by an invitation from his
honor, Judge T. r. B. Wright, Il
offer this tablet to the County ir
behalf of Messrs. w. S. Cralle, r. S
Brent, Edwin Broun and myself
who are the donors.
This is most pleasing duty
coming as it does to me who had tn,
misfortune to be born outside of tn,
limits of this historic county. Tn.
other donors, Messrs. Cralle, Breni
and Brown, are too we'll known to al
of you, and their connections will
tie clerks who were their kindre,
are also within your mind. Perhap
it would not be out of place for m
to briefly relate my connection wit
the officer of Clerk Of your County