The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-13
NA 4Tf,P Tinles 4igpalfh 80
%ENlGENEAE6 GtCAE COLUMN

the atmosphere OF Rosegill, came down
the well-,worn brick walk. Her
father was ill--vcry ill-but she would
] he glad to take us anywhere save un-
der those trees where he lay on cot
watched by nurses and doctors. We
i walked quietly down the brick walk.
Pain and sickness gave an exquisite
q touch Of patlios to the riotous roses
the mauve splendor OF the niimosas,
and put note Of sadness even IN the
i threats OF the wrens warbling under
the caves OF the entrance porch.
y Rosegill Is queen set IN stretcn
of thirty or forty acres OF BACK any
front lawn, on which rose splenalut
trees, and at the foot OF this law
:. rolls the Rappahnnnock. blue as the
:. sky to-day and four miles from shore
i to shore, TO the right of the place Ii
,IUrbanna Creek, itself little bay, ano
moored to the shore is the Rosesin
fleet of big and little craft-a yacht,
launches and all the row and sailpoa.s
that a wealthy modern planter would
wish to have. The Wormeleys moseu
, by wind and waves; the present owner
has the Independent speed OF steai cum
: The architecture OF Rosegill Is pecullar.'
From the land side 1t is. entered by
square stone porch. screened by memo
rial vines The entrance hall is square
I and paneled To the right Is the sit-
r ting room which opens into maShih-
: cent dIning-room, paneie0 Win ma
0 hogany: to the left is the library, pam
7 eled in oak, which leads to the spa
cious drawing-room. paneled In Whi,e.
. These five splendid rooms run. "i.h
i their many windows, to the back OF the
house on the land SIDE. anu az al, M =,
t open into the most splendid nan III
: Iyirginia, which runs the entire river
: side of the house, covering the space
: OF Ave large apartments. 1t has row
OF windows opening to the water anu
r a porch at either end and one In lrohe
Vat each side OF the great hall are
Q beautiful stairways Above Is the
!, same hail. with small chambers, cur
from either end. 1t makes hne ialh-
o lily sitting-room. with we" VI Inv
water.
y In the third story are more large
: chambers. This is the same Rosegiil
g OF the eighteenth century, furnisneo
by the present owner in style nelt !,
ting it's age and GRANDEUR I'VE two
j went through all the rooms with our
h fair chatelaine. Nothing was marreo
: by the spirit of modcrnity. ine
r daughter of Rosegill took much prioe
}, In 1t and wanted our assurance tha'
$ h had been well treated. Mount Yer,
$ mn is mo better picture of colonial
plantation than Is Rosegill. Mount
I lyernon has its ante-bellum kltcheh,
: and SO has Rosegill. and although, OF
I course. Mount Vernon has a woria 'n-
o terest, and Rosegill has not, but as
a faithful reproduction of colonial
: plantation the latter cannot De e"
ceiled.
+ II one had called at Rosebiil on
u an afternoon in 1850 or thereaoouts,
cherry bounce of home brew and
Ehrewsbury cakes would have been
handed" In 1910 1t was ginger peer
d and crackers, on the vine-clad porch,
: dispensed by the fair hands OF .he
daughter OF the house. Her rather
owned palace in Pennsylvania, a home
lin Florida and one in the Adirondacks,
but not one of them did she love as
she did this ancient seat OF the "oi''e
lleys. upon the Rappahannock.
Near RosegilI is Christ Church.
where stand the Wormcley tombs, ana
IN the place is the Rosegill mill ana
1.-The picturesque millpond, winch
stretches into dim, shadowy recesses
full of romantic suggestion.
And now a word OF the folk who
first lived at "Rosegtll:
q The first wormeleys in Virginia were
two brothers. CHRISTOPHER ano na .pa
and in the beginning we Will say tilat
to he known as a Virginia Wormeley
one must pronounce the name rare IN
the good old English way me
nust he absolutely ignored, else one
!, is in danger of being called not OF the
! true vine. but a wild olive graited IN
There are three tests OF olo VT VIZ.
limo
are: How do you pronounce bur"eli,
Randolph and Ralph" The second
test is not spellable 1t consists OF
delicious little slur. with the emphasis
h q trifle nasal on the first syllable. me
correct answer to the first test IS
e .Burrell." with the second syIapis
short And the third witness Is RARE
Not Mt air ralph. Whoever has caught
4 the trick of these three words may oe
counted Yirginian.
These two Wormeleys were descend
led from Sir John de Wormele, Hadneld
County York. christopher reached
Virginia in 4Ss5. and received an I'M
mense grant of land. He was a meTn-
her of the Council in 1851. He died IN
\ 1s4e and left land to his brother
Ralpn. who settled "Rosegtn.' the
iowel Of architecture among al the
& lieweIs Of the Rappahannock Country.
Ralph rs Wormeley was bornffn 1871
ana died about 1865. First he settled
= in York county, and was Burge IS from
= that place. He was member OF the
Council. too. and married, about 1913
Agatha, daughter of Richard Elton
\ head. of Eltohhead, in England Her
J sister. Alice. married Henry Corpin.
and lived at "Laneville," in King and
Queen. and "Rccka tone" In NVestmore7
land. Alice was a widow Burnham
when Mr.. Corbin married her, and in
that case she must have been in Vir-
Lginia first. Ralph Wormeley died be-
. fore his widow. and then she married
Sir Henry chicheley, knight, who en-
y Loved tho fortune If his predecessor,
] and is buried in the chancel of Christ
Church. MiddleseS, The Eltonhea li
settled first in Maryland and tn,
! brother OF these sisters, William, was
killed in ono of the Puritan dittieulties