Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-01-04
TABLET UNWILLING.

VI JuuSe Il. X D. w rlgnC. Tor the unVetlluR of
the Tablet to the Clerks of Northumberland
CountyJ
As this presence today is ia recog-
milton of the services of a body of
men hose official life dates back to
the beginning of the latter half of
the 17th century, it may not be amiss
to take brief glimpse of the civic
and social conditions of the Virginia
Colony at that period.
We are told that if trip had been
taken down james river, from near
the present site of our Capital City
to the Chesapeake Bay, nearly all of
what was then Virginia could be seen.
Up to 1858 the Burgesses had rep
resented hundreds and plantations.
Shortly afterwards these gave place
to shires, and in l643 thirteen coun.
ties were formed, of which our own
county Of Northumberland was one.
There were 4S parishes, and the
ministers salaries were paid first as
emo man in any parish shall dispose
of his tobacco before the minister be
satisfied"
In toe wars with the Indians "those
hurt upon service were to be cured al
the public charge" thus laying the
foundation for the pension system,
little dreaming, it is to be supposed,
that it would ever reach its presen,
gigantic proportions.
All letters we're sent by private
hands, until towards the close of the
century, when the postal system was
inaugurated, which system in 1888
was fully established.
In the homes of the planters there
were comforts, but no luxuries. Vir-
ginia had contributed little, as the
books, furniture aud almost every ar
ticle had been brought from England.
A pipe of tobacco was presented to a
guest with the request that he drink
it. There was no tea or coffee, only
strong ale and strong waters.
There was game in sufficient guam
titles to make glad the heart of the
huntsman and the woods were full
of deer, bears and wolves. 1t was
considered a great diversion to tie a
live wolf, one caught in a PIT and for
which 200 pounds of tobacco was
always paid, to horses tail, drag
him at full speed, "never faltering in
pace" until he dies.
The first church put up towards
the beginning of the century and
covered with RATS, sedge and dirt -
bad given place to better and more
imposing house of worship, built at
jamestown, which was 60 feet long
and "a feet broad. 1t was in this
church the Burgesses used to meet,
two from each county, and where on
the eve of the rebellion the memora-
BILE conference with Nathaniel Bacon,
jr., was held, and the chancel was the
same at which Pocahontas had stood
with Master Rolfe.
There were three races-whites,
blacks and red men n-the blacks,
together with the "indented" servant,
constituted the laboring class.
But few books had been written
and John Smith was the first au thor
who gave what was then the known
world any idea of the Virginia Colony
There were five forts, one of which
was on Chicacone (now Coan) river
There were 1900 Englishmen and
800 African slaves.
All legislation proceeded from
"James City," where sat the Cover.
nor, Council and Burgesses.
Tobacco was the common currency
In the forests lurked the redskins
whose stealthy tread and unerrine
aim was constant menace; and fam
inc and sickness made the problemr
of life for the early settler indeed
a serious one.
Such were the conditions, when, al
shown py the earliest records, cour
opened in Northumberland County
on the Goth day of September 1852
with Col. Jnc. Mottram and eigh
other associate commissioner presi
ding. There was no Courthouse
with clerks Office. such as we nov
have. The courts were held at pri
vate houses and the clerk kept tn,
books, papers, etc., at bis own hom
and took them to the different place
as needed. In searching for in
formation as to the clerks, / hav
noted the court proceedings from
time to time, as details concerning
the old clerks are very meagre an,
the absence Of information as t
them must be my apology fo
the introduction here of what nigh
be termed irrelevant matter, excep
that these entries were all made b
the clerks themselves or under thei
immediate supervision. Ri: Flyn
was the first cierk-the recordatio
of paper on the last page of one O
the old books "tested" by Ri: Flyn
clerk. An allowance in levy "to r
Flynt for records" and the followin
entry on margin of order book: ETH
award was recorded by Mr.. Ri: Flyn
clerk court Northumberland" ful
nish the only evidence however ths
he was clerk at that time. None Q