The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-10
The Rappahannock Country.

1
| This little village with its wharf
| posing, although beautifully situated
| posing, although beautifully situated
| where the shores aeem anxious To
touch-the shores OF Port Conway ane
Port Royal.
1t may be interesting to our readers
TO know that no other two large rivers
! In the world run parallel and so near
(, to each other for Il long distance as
the Rappahannock and the Potomac
III we can find the old families of the
Potomac as ready to help us as the
families of the Rappaharnock. we in
tend to treat of the Potomac homes,
from Mount Vernon down to tho sea,
as soon as We finish the Rappahannock
country.
There exists a patent from sir VIII
liam berkeley to Thomas Chetwood and
John Prosser for 5000 acres of land
on the north side or tho Rappahannock
IN the "freshes." granted in consider
alton of tho transportation OF los per-
sons. This patent includes the site Of
Port Conway. Walsingham. Bellesrove
and we ind that white settlement had
not reached Port Conway until 1867.
upon this patent James Madison was
porn In his maternal E-andfather's
home. Tho wooden house which was
the birthplace OF Madison stood near
the present mansion OF Bcllegroye.
The term "freshes" occurs often in
old chronicles, and 1t denotes that the
river fats are subject to inundation
Before Fort Conway existed there
WAS on this place "GibSon's ware
house or rolling house The tobacco
venient places for inspection and put
Into rolling house.. which derived
its name from the fact that there We're
few wagons In the colony. and the
planters had to roll their hogsheads to
market.
Port Conway received its charter az
a town between 1885 and 1870. Its
population has never exceeded fifty
persons, but in the long ago it had
virgin hopes.
Although tho river is narrow here,
il is very deep. and steamboats, east
~ make the very short wharvcs The
Conways owned this land. hence its
familiar name. Edwin Conway. the
emisrant, came over about 1910 and
settled way down the river In North
ampton county-later he moved to
Lancaster-probahly after marriage
with Martha Eltonhead. who came
over to him In 1852. She was daugh-
ter of Richard Eltonhead. of Ianca-
shire, England. He had two children,
Edwin CD and daughter, Eltonhead
ca. Edwin CD married Sarah Fleete.
daughte ROT Lieut.. Henry Fleete, of
Lancaster. and had Edwin (a) and
Mary t3). Secondly he married Eliza-
beth Thompson and had Francis (S).
OF this second wife nothing is known,
and Horace z Hayden says, Lake
Mary Ball. we must measure Elizabeth
Thompson by her posterity--one gave
TO the world Washington, the other
a Madison" Edwin t2) Conway. Just
before his second marriage. moved to
Richmond county, giving his first
children the Lancaster property Fran
els (3) was born In Richmond county. !
and he married Rebecca, daughter OF
Col, John Catlett. of Essex. and had
Catlett (4). Francis tD married sa-
rah Taliaferro, Elizabeth ca married
James Tayloe. Reuben (4). Sarah "a
DR.. Charles Taylor. and Flea
nor Cd Rose who married Col. James
Madison, SIR.
Francis CD Conway settled In King |
George county at Port Conway. and |
lived in q small wooden house near
the water. to which his daughter. |
Eleanor Rose. afIectionately called |
Nellie, returned for her ACKNOWLEDGEMENT,
and where her frstborn. James o.
afterwards President--was born. at |
of March 5, 175l The other
children were born at stately Mont
pelier. but for modest Port Conway
dents nativity. The other children
vera Frances (5) and Ambrose co. |
married a daughter OF Hancock Lee.
catlett ca died young. Nelly (5)
married Major Hite, of Rellegrove,
aear nEiddletown: Sarah t6) married
Thomas Macon and Frances (5) mar
led DR. Robert Rose and moved to
tennessee.
John Madison. the emigrnnt. patent
ID land in Gloucester county in 1868.
lie had a son. John (2). who had an
ca. who married Frances
Taylor, an aunt of Zachary Taylor,
President OF the United States.
Ambrose (3) Madison was father OF
ames Madison, Sr. Ambrose (s) Mad
son and Thomas Chew patented about
600 acres of land in Orange county
n 1923. on which land stands day
he splendid Montpelier mansion.
ames. Jr, evidently Inherited a part
I the great estate, and he built u part
t the present mansion when his old I
ST son, James, Was boy. There had
cen. or course an older house. and
he future President moved some OF
iS siiatA hItufS - olli liz plu ilouSc
0 the new The former was a square ]
ullding with the Inevitable hall ,
Trough the centre and two rooms on
ither side. This house was greatly \
in 1909. William Thornton, {
he architect of the Capitol at Wash
ngton, drew the plans, and no less a i
erson than Latrohe assisted him 1
nth his Invaluable advice.
This homestead, with It's. wonderful j
lew and beautiful grounds. is ono Of /
no most imposing in Virginia, James s
ladlson. the President, laid out tho
crraced garden In the form of a
orseshoe. which fits as 1t were to tho
ertect crescent OF the mountain view,
William du Pont. Esq. who nov
WINS Montpelier, preserves with tidel. ,
y the wonderful attraction OF the !.
lace,
the first days OF James Madisons 7
ysstenco were spent with the tang OF
ne hold Ranpahannock In his little
ostrils, his last days with tho won =
crfui Blue Ridga--ever uplifting and
always In sight. Both
resident Madison and Dolly, his Wife
re buried at Montpelier. I
North Carolina has the honor OF y
olly's birth, even IL It were an acct Il
ent Her parents, John Payne and v
larry Coles. were on a rather inex-
edient visit to tho old North State. Il
ohm Payne. her Gralldfather, settled IN n