The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-03
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which, with it's Ivy. it's trees and itX
tombs. gives the tone OF an EnglisR
village, with its parish church. A Con-
federate monument was in process OF
erection in 1909, and 1t has since BEEN
unveiled with appropriate ceremony and
/ with a large crowd In attendance frorni
| the surrounding country.
| Essex county can boast not only OF
\ this pretty little town, but Of 1nanya
\ very imposing country places. notably
1 Blandfleld and Eppins Forest Tappa-l
hammock Is the county seat now, as int
the aforetime, of tho county of Essex.
| Here lived Spencer Roane, foremos1l
among the great Virginia Judges Of the
early decades OF the last century. He,
| was Mr.. Jefferson's choice for Vice-f
| President and his own successor. He.
died upon the bench of the Virginia.
| Court of Appeals, which was then a
much more potential judicial power
| than In these latter days. Tappahan-!
nook was tho birthplace of Thomas
Ritchie, editor and. believe. founder
of the Richmond Enquirer, the great S
power which dominated the Democratioi
party and held the Old Dominion stead
fast in It's perilous days of the last
century. and In the cyclone Of 1870. when
voted for the Wing candidates except
New Hampshire. illinois. Missouri. Ar
kansas, Alabama. South Carolina and
Old Virginia. at the head of the col
umn. repudiating even her native sons.
Harrison and Tyler, and while other
hitherto Democratic strongholds bent
before the whirlwind she cast her vote
even then for Van Buren,. in his help
less minority in the electoral college.
Tho first Richie was Archibald al
SCOTCH merchant who settled at Tap-
pahannock. Thomas. the. editor. was his
son. He married Isabella. daughter OF
DR.. William Foushee, whose name Isl
city. BY this marriage there were Isa-
bella. William. Mary. Robert. Margaret,j
Thomas. Charlotte. Ann Eliza, virginia.l
George, Another son of Archibald3
Ritchie was John. captain, U. S. A.
who was killed at the battle OF Lun-A
dy's Lane. His beautiful sword hangsi
at the Virginia Historical Society and
was presented to that institution by
Miss Virginia Richie, who spent many
years at Brandon with her sister. Mrs.
Isabella Harrison.
One of the landmarks OF Tappahan-i
mock is the Gray house
Lucy Wexford the daughter OF Dr..
Robert Wexford. the emigrant who set-
tied in Fredericksburg, married DIR.
Thomas B. w. Gray. of Tappahannock.
and after his death conducted school
for young ladies in this old house,,
WHsfe WeFe euuCdteQ 10 the nlEheSCS
ideals Of womanhood the daughters
OF the great planters of the Northern
Neck. OF ESSEX. Mlddlesex. King and
Queen and King William counties.
The house is a long wooden structure
set In a shady ward and with porch
nothing remarkable outside, but when
one enters the spacious rooms with
their fine carving and beautiful pro-
portion give pleasant surprise.
Judge B. r. Wexford has given us ST
a charming glimpse of Tappahannock.
He says:
81 have one memory of Tappahan-
mock in the dimmest corner Of. the
long long ago past My mother had
taken her children. my brothers, John
twhose loving memory is preserved by
three noble sons and their children)
and myself down upon the river on q.
brief visit to Aunt Lucy Gray
During that brief visit occurred the
great shower of stars which for sew
aral hours illuminated the heavens
with the light of midday. I do not
know that scientists have ever been
able to account for this atmos-
oherlo phenomenon ! was too young
20 be awakened in TappahannoclS
10 witness 1t, but the continued
ak Of my older contemporaries in
hair rectals Of what they actually
hey imagined they saw. has never
AIDED from memory.
Tappahannock was the home of that
,minent lowland physician. DR.
Thomas G. Gordon. and the birth
,lnce of his son. William w. Gordon,
or many years my frequent associate
1t the bar and in the courts. than
whom never knew a greater lawyer.
lie married daughter OF DIR, Austin
In later years this old Virginia
own has heen the home of Thomas
M. c.. from Virginia and still
alter OF the Hon. Thos r. b. Wright.
lie is much my Junior in years. but
n his high Office has been the rep XII
esentatlve man OF tho highest typo
Il Virginia. ~ sas
II Judge Wright were to die to-.
morrow he would leave on the walls OF
very courthouse in the RappahRnnock s
yalley the best monument to per-
,etuate his honored memory In this
orm of portraits of ths men who have
lot only lived for the good OF their
ocaltty. but OF the whole state.s
(To BE Eontinnsd~) IN III