Evening star., 1938-05-08
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.


historical pattern, certain personages
and incidents of the Eastern Shore Of
Virginia, comprising the two counties
OF Accomack and Northampton, tie
up with Washington, the Nations
Capital, and its environs Called by
the first English co,onists "Ye An
tient Kingdome of Accawmacke, -
meaning, in Indian lore, Land be-
yond the waters" this little strip of
the Old Dominion stretches down
from Maryland like forefinger. The
waters of the Chesapeake Bay lap it
on one side. and those of the Atlantic
Ocean pound against its outlying
fringe OF islands on the other.
Largely because of its insularity,
this section has not been widely pub
licized except as flsherman's para
disc, and its history is in the main an
unwritten epic enduring in the
fascinating records at the Eastville
Court House, county seat of North
ampton County and in those at the
Accomack Court House in the ad-
Joining county of Accomack.
These records are, respectively, the
first and second oldest continuous
court house records in the United
States. Historians, both local and ma
tlonal, are only just beginning to dis
cover their treasure of early colonial
Revolutionary and War of 1912 ma
terial.
John Smiths Praises.
Here there still endure families who
are among the purest English stock
IN America. Their forbears fashioned
for themselves homes still standing
which Frances B. Johnston, commits
stoned to take photographs of them
in connection with the American his
torical research of the Carnegie Corp.
OF New York City. has pronounced
"veritable gold mines Of architecture. !"
Architects from far and near are like
wise lauding them as among the finest
examples of the Grecian style of
architecture extant in the United
States
Such names as Bowdoin, Bagwell,
Edmunds. Gunter, Eyre, Downing,
Mapp Mears, Quinby, lie Cato, Whar-
ton, Westcott, Wise, Willis, Savage.
Stockley, Scarburgh and many others
OF English and Scotch origin attest
the link of this section with the
mother country In the early days of
Americas permanent settlement.
Concerning the Eastern Shore as
long ago as 1908, Capt. John Smith
wrote in his ships log, Heaven and
Earth seemed never to have agreed
better to have framed a place for
mans hibitation."
Just as familiar on the peninsula"
In legend and authenticated fact are
the names Of Gusts and of Arlington,
on Old Plantation Creek, as they are
In our immediate midst. Quite as q
matter Of fact, though, the Eastern
Shore man will tell you, Ours is the
original Arlington"
A Famous Inscription.
Three miles from the little hamlet of
Bay View, of Route 13 from New York
to Cape Charles in the County of
Northampton. you may see for your
self the site Of this one-time Arlington.
No longer standing, it was the home
OF John Gusts, eccentric father-in-
law of Martha cambridge Gusts WASH
ington.
For posterity. local Daughters of
the American Revolution have pre-
served the white marble tomb of her
iatner-in-law, who was buried stand
Ing up at his specific request so that.
according to prevailing legend, he
need not traverse hell lying down."
It's famous inscription reads:
Beneath this marble tomb lies W
body
O1 the Honorable John Gusts, ESQ,
on the City Of Williamsburg and
Parish Of Bruton,
Formerly Of Hungars Parish on the
Eastern Shore Of Virginia
and the County Of North
ampton, the place Of his
nativity.
Aged II years and yet lived but
seven years,
Which was the space of time he
kept
A Bachelors House at Arlington on
the Eastern Shore of vir.
ginia."
On the reverse side of the tomb, as
II reluctantly and in the smallest let
tering at his command, the London
marble worker who fashioned the tomb
also chiseled this addenda, This in
FORMATION was put on his tomb by his
own positive order VIM. Colley, Ma
son in Fenchurch Street, London,
Fecit."
Family Discourse.
An ancient tree in the Gusts burial
inclosure stands like q century-old
sentinel between the tomb of the
Gusts who chafed in the bonds OF
matrimony with his spouse Frances,
yet to whom he nevertheless clave
all Of his days after he married her.
and that of his forbear. John Gusts.
son OF Parke, which bears the date
1890.
Many fascinating stories still endure
OF the Eastern Shore concerning the
marital differences between the strong
willed wife and her eccentric husband,
who by means Of his tomb forever
managed to have the last word.
Often, 1t Is claimed. there were long
periods during which neither spoke
i