The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-27

worth that we cannot make second
choice without errins of one so III and
proper as yourself 10 make our ad-
dresses to His Highness. tho Lord Pro-
tector. Our desires we have intrusted
to that worthy gentleman. Mr.. Digges,
our late Governor. We shall desire
you would please to give him access
to you and by Your Highness. And as
we promise you will ind nothing but
worth in him, so wa ere confident he
will undertake for us that we are
people not altogether ungrateful. but
VIII find shortly a nearer way than by
saying so. to express really how much
we esteem the honor of your patronage.
which is bo'.i the hopes and ambition
of your very humble and then Obliged
servants
From the Assembly OF Virginia. 18th
Decemser, 1856"
supercribed, to the Right Honorable
John Thurlow, Secretary OF State"
Tho aliusion in the close of the let
ter appears TO be a douceur which it
was intended TO present TO the secre-
tary.
Digges was instructed TO unite with
Matthews and Bennett In London. and
TO treat with the leading merchants In
the Virginia trade ,and to let them
know how much the Assembly had en-
deavored 10 diminish the quantity and
improve the quality Of the tobacco. ana
10 sec what the merchants. on their
part. would be willing to do In giving
better price; for IL the planters
should find that the bad brought as
high price S the good, they would
OF course. raise that which could be
raised the most easily. ("Burli's His
tory of Virginia" H.. 1859
1t appears that Digges was appointed
agent conformity with Bennett. Mat
thews was elected BY the Assembly to
succeed DIgges as Governor, but tho
latter was requested to hold the office
as long he should remain in Vir-
ginia. Digges departed for England
toward the close of 1855, and would
appear to have co-operated for a. short
while with both Matthews and Bennett.
BY a singular coincidence Digges. Mat
thews and Bennett. who are the first
three Governors OF Virginia under the
Commonwealth of England. were trans
ferred from the miniature metropolis.
Jamestown, and found themselves to-
Sether near the court OF HIS Highness,
the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell.
Digges was succeeded as Governor by
Matthews early in the year 1856. The
laws of the colony were revised and re-
duced into one volume, comprising 1871
acts. well adapted to the wants of the
people and the condition OF the coun-
try. or the transactions from 1856 to
1860. the year of the restoration, Burke
says there is an entire chasm in the
records. Hening. on the contrary. de-
clares that in no portion OF the colo
NAL records under the Commonwealth
are the materials SO copious as from
1856 to 1861. The editor of The
Statutes al Large" is the better au-
thorty on this point.
The Colonial Virginia Register shows:
Edward Digges elected Governor by
House of Burgesses March 81. 1855.
Edward Digges, Auditor-General 1910
to 1875.
Dudley Digges. Auditor General. 1905
to ITO.
Edward pigges. Reeorder-General
1872 to 1875.
Dudley Digges, member of 1.-The
Council Succeeded by House of Bur-
gesses). 1896 to 1898.
Cole Digges, membe, of House of
Burgesses, Ills.
Edward Digges. member of House of
Burgesses, 1885 to 17I9, inclusive.
William Digges, member of House of
Burgesses 1852 to 1872. inclusive.
Dudley Digses. member of House OF
Burgesses. 1892 to l775. inclusive.
Dudley Digges was also q member of
the Great Convention four sessions)
of 1775-lT76. (See pages % and 2S)
William Digges attended the last ses-
sion as an alternate.
The foregoing relates to the period
prior to the adoption OF a Constitution
for Virginia and the election of Pat
rick Henry Governor For record since
1916. see pages +3 to SO. inclusive
Judge j. Singleton Digs. Lynch
, burg. Va. was a State Senator from
1852 to 1855 and Judge of the Corpc-
ration Court at Lynchburg from 1890
to 1896
Hon. Isaac Digs, attorney. Rich
mond, Va. has recently served several
terms as a member OF the House of
Delegates.
The wife of former Governor An
drew j. Montague. Of Richmond, Va.
is descendant of the Digs family.
Hon. Edward e Digs tbrother OF
Judge Digs, of Lynchburg. of Chill
dress, Texas. was recently tie Repub
lican nominee for Congress in his dis
trict.
Others ere no doubt entitled to hon
orc bic mention II I had the facts
". S. D.
CHAPTER LXXIII