The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-01
.OlD1A0M[STEADs N
KING y WILLIAM 4 4. 6. COUNTY
George Washington Entertained
at Montville When Counting
/, 81 B Mrs. Gusts. III
tspaciAl KS rl,e rlmes. pl.pateh.)

{l IN ~ ESPECIAL TO The Timex DlspatCnsJ u.
4 i WEST Po1 MT, "a, March si.--"Nfont-
~ yllle.s near the village "Aylett,' the bea,i-
Il tful home Of the late Colonel William
i Roane Ayett, known far and near as
colonel III the Confederate army. dlstin.
Z giished lawyer, Commonwealths Httor-
ney and member Of the Virginia Legtsla.
n ture, Is d part Of the original grant from
I Charles II. to Captain John Aylett,
D whose grandson married Martha Dan
dridEe, aunt OF Mrs. George Washington.
8 General Washington was entertained IN
the old homestead. which preceded the
4 present house, on the memorable trip
\ on which he met Mrs GUSTS, whom he
q afterward married, and who lived few
\ miles distant on the Pamunkey River.
There was formerly an extensive dislil-8
\ lery on the place for the manufacture % or
peach and apple brandy In Colonel VII
n liam r. Aylctt's life, which closed a few
years ago numerous relics were to be-
seen there, among them two colonial
n meas 1res fof brass which the English
government furnished the various colo
Mes and known MS STANDARD Winches-&
ter Mea sures." They were irscribc1 re-
y spectivcly King William half peek nj
''Ixing William bushel.' The latter
weighed between eighty and ninety
Il pounds, and was twice stolcn-1rst. by
the captain OF schooner, who Induced ~
negro to steal 1t, and carried It to Nor
4 folk and sold It for ten dollars.
s Colonel Aylett traced and ultimately
recovered It, and both the negro and the
captain were punished at the whipping
post before the abolition OF that institu-j
8tior, in Virginia. The measure was stolen
q second time and traced TO Richmond,
i and a gain recovered. 5tt &s Il ltGs
st$gt There was also q sn bre, which was carr
( ried+ by one of the 4Ayletts in the War Of
1872. until broken III a hand-to-hand en-F
counter with an English sailor; also a
pair OF duelllng pistols, which have an
interesting history. In 1909, young Philip
@Aylett was provided by his father with$ny
negro, two horses, five hundred dollars,
Sand a gold watch, which had been pre-
scented to his mother by Patrick Henry,
and young Aylett started for Tennessee
TO practice law. n Hc was very hgl,-s
spirited young man and full OF life. He
soon got rid Of his cash, thenegro and his
horses, and became involved in an alter!
cation with Colonel Sam Houston, which a
resulted iny a. duel. Houston furnished the
weapons. They fired twice at each other
ct thirty PAGES, but neither was seriously
injured Va and they became subsequently
such good friends that Houston made
isAylett a present of the pistols. They we're
broken and .disfgured by Union soldiers
during the Civil War There was also
Aylett family for more than two hundred
years, and q LIQUOR case containing six
decanters and two goblets, which has
participated In many celebration and
Z fish-fry (fors which King William now
is noted)4 in days gone by, The watch,
referred to above. is also preserved In the
family as a precious relic.
h. Rumford Academy. one Of the Oldest
4 places OF education III Virginia 1T dates
Its usefulness from the beginning OF the
nineteenth century. 1t was built and en-
lowed by the proceeds of a lottery, rs
wasj customary In those days. Spencer
RoIne was one OF the commissioners.
\ Twas originally intended as a prepare
tory school for William and Mary Col
Slege, and many OF the alumni OF the lat
ter received their early training in this
8old building. It Is constructed of glazed
h brick imported from England, and is
renowned for the distinguished men and
women who learned their early lessons
ut "Old Rumford. Is 5 81