USA > Virginia > City of Hampton > City of Hampton > History of Hampton and Elizabeth City County, Virginia > Part 2
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1 Subsequently anglicised to "Bonny". "Subsequently anglicised "Ellegood."
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doing; but when all was spent and the colonists had to live on crabs and oysters, he distributed among them, as he saw occasion, a little milk and rice which he still had left, and behaved with such "tenderness and care" that he obtained the reputation of being the best commander in Virginia.
September 9, 1922, his men were attacked at their labors by the Indians, which was their first assault since the massacre; and four men were slain. The Captain, though extremely sick, sallied forth, but the Indians hid in the corn- fields at night and escaped without any loss. About this time Samuel Collier, who had come, as a boy, to Virginia and was very useful as Indian interpreter, was accidently killed by a sentinel; and in the general neglect of agricul- ture that ensued the vineyards at Buck Roe were greatly "bruised" by the deer. Captain Newce died the next year (1623) and he was preceded to the grave by his brother Sir William Newce, who had come a very short time before as high marshal to Virginia. It was from these two Newce brothers that Newport News (Newport Newce) obtained its name, its early title being Point Hope, as appears from Smith's map of Virginia.
The Development of Elizabeth City
Captain William Tucker, a London merchant, succeed- ed Captain Newce as commander of Elizabeth City and as a member of the council of State, and in the revenge taken upon the savages by the government he played an import- ant part in leading expeditions against them.
In February 1624, a census was taken of the inhabi- tants of the colony according to which it appeared that Eliz- abeth City Corporation had a population of 349. In June, the charter of the London Company was revoked, but though great fears were entertained, no attempt was made by the King to interfere with the plan of government estab- lished by the Company for the colony.
In 1625 another census of the colony was taken, and among the inhabitants of Elizabeth City Corporation the following may be mentioned: Residing at Newport News on a tract of 1300 acres, with his 19 servants was Mr. Daniel Gookin, who came like the Newces from Newce town in Ire- land. On Hampton River and in its neighborhood were
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Commander William Tucker, Captain Francis West, brother of Lord Delaware, John Downman, John Powell, Michael Willcox, Cornelius May, William Julian, Lieut. Thomas Purifoy, Ensign Thomas Willoughby, George Keith min- ister, Captain Nicholas Martian, Mr. Robert Salford, Francis Mason, Pharaoh Flinton, Lieutenant John Chisman, Mr. Edward Waters, Captain Francis Chamberlayne, Rev. Jonas Stockton, Mr. William Gany, Thomas Flint and Anthony Bonell.
In 1627, Rev. Mr. Stockton had the lease of 50 acres on the east side of Hampton River River "within the Com- pany's land at Elizabeth City," at the Indian House Thicket. It appears the irony of fate that an Indian school, the Hampton Institute, should now be seen near where once was an "Indian thicket," and the prophetic Stockton an- nounced his conviction of the original depravity of the Indians.
As a result of the massacre, the Indians were driven far away from the settlements, and the colony, relieved from their presence, in a few years again put on a prosperous appearance. In 1628, we are told that there was a great plenty of everything in the colony and "peaches in abund- ance at Elizabeth City."
About 1630, Col. William Claiborne set up on the very site of the present town of Hampton a storehouse for trade with the Indians up Chesapeake Bay, and here he resided after being driven out of Kent Island by Lord Baltimore. He removed to West Point about 1661.
In 1632, the French vignerons at Buck Roe incurred the resentment of the general assembly by dropping into tobacco raising, and a law was passed inhibiting them from so doing on penalty of forfeiting their leases and having to quit the colony.
In February, 1634, Leonard Calvert and his immigrants stopped here on their way to found the great State of Mary- land at St. Mary's.
The same year (1634) the colony was divided into eight counties, and "Elizabeth City" was given to one extending on both sides of Hampton Roads, but, in 1637, the south side was cut off and made into New Norfolk County, after which the limits of Elizabeth City County were pretty nearly as they exist at the present day. Till very recently however,
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Newport News, which now lies wholly in Warwick County, lay partly in Elizabeth City County and partly in Warwick County.
The Strawberry Bank
When, in 1637, Fort Henry was abandoned, the field of a hundred acres in which it stood, called "Fort Field," was granted to Captain Francis Hooke, Esq., of the Royal Navy, commander at Point Comfort and one of the council of State. It was described as "lying on the Straw- berry Bank beginning at a well, known by the name of Plackett well, which is upon the Creek side, which runneth up by the Gate house west, and so to a place where a house stood where one Powell lived and from there directly to a spring in the banke of the creek right against the house of one Thomas Oldis east." A grant in 1648 to Major Richard Moryson, brother-in-law of Lucius Cary, Lord Falkland, and one of Captain Hooke's successors in command at Point Comfort, is more definite. The land is here described as "lying south upon the Main River from the mouth of a creek commonly called Hooke's Creek alias John's Creek unto Sandy Point, bounded on the west side from the Sandy Point with a creek that parteth the land of Thomas Conier and the Glebe land from this land, bounded on the north with the land late belonging to Thomas Oldis gent. by marked trees to a tree near the bridge that leadeth to the dwelling house of said Oldis from (sic) to the mouth of said John's Creek, on the east side."
On the east of John's Creek was a tract of one hundred acres granted formerly to Captain Grayes for his personal adventure as "an ancient planter" and assigned by him in 1635 to Lieut. Thomas Purifoy, one of the council of State and a representative of the Purifoys, of Drayton, in Leices- tershire; and by Purifoy, about 1667, assigned to Captain Francis Hooke. It became later the property of Thomas Oldis, a member of the House of Burgesses, who owned another tract of fifty acres adjoining easterly, which in 1622 appears to have been owned by Christopher Calthorpe, who came to Virginia that year. This last was second son of Christopher Calthorpe, Esq., of Norfolk County, Eng- land, and grandson of Sir Thomas Calthorpe and Barbara Bacon his wife. In 1691, the whole 150 acres was devised
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to Jacob Walker and George Walker, Jr., his brother, by Thomas Oldis, grandson of Sir Thomas Oldis.
In the grant of Purifoy, his land is described as "lying on a small creek dividing the same from the field called Fort Henry." In the grant to Capt. Hooke in 1637, the same land is described as "situated upon the Strawberry Bank, northward upon a creek next to the Fort Field, south upon the Main River, east upon Thomas Oldis his land and north-east upon John Neale his land."
Next to the lot, formerly Christopher Calthorpe's and afterwards Thomas Oldis, on the "Strawberry Bank," was a tract of fifty acres, leased in 1627 to Doctoris Christmas, assigned by him in 1628 to Lionel Rowleston, and assigned by Rowleston in 1630 to John Neale, merchant. At the east side of this land, on the shore about 100 poles or 500 yards east of John's Creek, was in 1648 the cedar stump of the "lookout-tree," where a sentinel watched the distant capes for approaching vessels. And near by was the "round mill" after which Mill Creek was named, its earlier title being Point Comfort Creek1.
In 1628, Lieut. Edward Waters, whose romantic career had begun in 1609, with the wreck of the "Sea Venture," and his discovery shortly after on the Bermuda Islands of a vast piece of ambergris worth three million dollars leased 100 acres adjoining westerly John Neale's tract. These two tracts, making 150 acres, or 165 acres as the surveys showed, became vested in George Downes and were long known as Downes' Field. On the east side was a marsh or gut called Thomas' Creek, still to be seen to the east of "Roseland," a residence, near the town of Phoebus.
This land is more than ordinarily interesting, because of a great ejectment suit, which started in 1699. It is stated that Downes' Field being deserted vested in the Colony, and it was, thereupon, in 1642, granted to Major Richard Moryson, one of Hooke's successors as commander of Point Comfort. A few years later the government granted to Mrs. Elizabeth Claiborne, wife of Col .William Claiborne, then treasurer of Virginia, seven hundred acres, extending along the water side four hundred poles, or two hundred chains,2
2 The chain at this period was only two rods or poles; i. e. 31 feet.
William and Mary College Quarterly, IX, 90.
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embracing Downes' Field, and bounded on its west side by Thomas Oldis land, on its east side by Buck Roe and the land of Rev. William Wilkinson, who afterwards emigrated to Maryland and was the second Protestant minister of that province. Major Moryson's title descended to Samuel Sel- den, a lawyer, who came from England to Elizabeth City in 1699; and Mrs. Claiborne's right had at that time vested in Bertrand Servant, a prominent French immigrant. Suit was entered and continued for half a century involving suc- cessive claimants, including Col. Robert Beverley, James Galt, John George and other prominent citizens of Eliza- beth City.
In 1622, James Nott, of Accomac, planter, patented at the mouth of Hampton River fifty acres of land, "bounded southerly by a creek, which parteth the same from the lands of Captain Francis West, and northerly upon the Glebe land, together with the house commonly called the Great Howse and all other howses." The purpose of Mr. Nott is expressed in the patent to be "to keep a howse of enter- tainment, whereby strangers and others may be well accom- modated, with great ease to the inhabitants in those parts."
"Fox Hill," and "Little England"
Fox Hill is mentioned as early as 1625, when Captain Raleigh Croshaw had five hundred acres between that place and York River. Harris' Creek is a very old name in the records, and so is Back River, meaning the river on the back of the plantations first settled. The old Pocosin, as its name signifies, meant in the Indian tongue, the low, marshy country on the York River between Back River and Pocosin River.
The point now known as "Little England" was pat- ented about 1634 by William Capps, a prominent settler, and for over one hundred years was known as Capps' Point. By William Capps, King Charles sent over the memorable instructions in 1627 allowing a general assembly, which had been discontinued since the revocation of the charter in 1624. To Capps was also given the privilege of erecting salt works.
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The First Glebe and Church
At the head of John's Creek was the Glebe land, lying on the north side of the present trolley car line from Hamp- ton to the town of Phoebus. A grant to Robert Partin, in 1637, locates his lease of 40 acres as "south on the Fort field, and north towards the church," and this was the same land as Thomas Conier's, which was described in the patent to Major Richard Moryson for Fort Field, as parted from the Glebe Land by a creek making in from Sandy Point (Soldier's Home Point.) It was in this church, in January, 1637, that Sir John Harvey, who had been expelled from the government, read his commission to be governor for the second time. There is an old graveyard on the property of the late Col. Thomas Tabb, which has been restored, in- closed and re-dedicated as the site of this original church1.
The Free Schools
Four years before John Harvard bequeathed his estate to the college near Boston, Benjamin Syms, of Virginia, left the first legacy by a resident of the American Planta- tion for the promotion of education. By his will, made Feb- ruary 12, 1634-'35, he gave two hundred acres on the Poquo- sin, a small river which enters the Chesapeake Bay, a mile or less below the mouth of York River, with the milk and increase of eight cows, for the education and instruction of the children of the adjoining parishes of Elizabeth City and Kiquotan, "from Mary's Mount downward to the Poquosin river." The money arising from the first increase of the cattle was to be used to build a schoolhouse, and the profits from the subsequent sales of cattle to support the teacher. This Benjamin Syms was born in 1590, and in 1623 was living at "Basse's Choice," in what was subse- quently known as Isle of Wight county. In 1624, at this point, died a Margaret Syms. In 1629 Thomas Warnet, a leading merchant of Jamestown, bequeathed Benjamin Syms a weeding hoe. Syms was evidently an honest, religi- ous, and childless planter.
1 Tyler, Cradle of the Republic, 248. Recent excavations con- firm this conjecture. They disclosed the foundations of a building in the graveyard, which were of cobblestone showing that the superstruc- ture was of wood.
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In March 1642-'43 the Virginia Assembly gave a solemn sanction to Syms' will in the following words: "Be it enacted and confirmed, upon consideration had of the godly disposition and good intent of Benjamin Syms deceased, in founding by his last will and testament a free school in Elizabeth county, for the encouragement of all other in like pious performances, that the said will and testament with all donations therein contained concerning the free school and the situation thereof in the said county, and the land appertaining to the same, shall be confirmed according to the godly intent of the said testator, without any alienation or conversion thereof to any place or county." In 1647, a few years later, we hear from an early writer that the school was in operation and the number of kine greatly increased: "I may not forget to tell you," he writes, "we have a free school, with two hundred acres of land, a fine house upon it, forty milch kine and other accommodations. The bene- factor deserveth perpetual mention, Mr. Benjamin Syms, worthy to be chronicled. Other petty schools we have."1
On June 5th, 1638, Thomas Eaton patented 600 acres of land the west side of the head of Back River. By his deed, dated September 19, 1659, he conveyed 500 acres of this land with all the houses upon it, two negroes, 12 cows and two bulls, twenty hogs, and some household furniture, for the maintenance of an able schoolmaster to educate and teach the children born within the county of Elizabeth City.2
We have seen that after Captain Ratcliffe's death, Captain James Davis had command of Algernourne Fort, and in 1614 the fort was described as a stockade "without stone or brick," containing 50 persons, men, women and boys, and protected by seven pieces of artillery; two of thirty-five "quintales," and the other thirty, twenty and eighteen all of iron.
After Percy's departure for England, in April, 1612, the name Algernourne Fort was discontinued; and the place, for many years afterwards, was referred to as "Point Comfort Fort."
In 1632, the fort having fallen in disuse, was rebuilt by Captain Samuel Mathews, afterwards governor, and fur-
1 William and Mary College Quarterly, VI, 73.
2 Ibid VI., 74; XI., 19.
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nished with a guard of eight men; and Captain Francis Pott, brother of Governor John Pott, of the ancient family of the Potts of Harrop, in Yorkshire, was made commander, and continued such till he was removed by Sir John Harvey in 1635.
In that year (1635) Francis Hooke, of the Royal Navy, "an old servant of King Charles," was put in command.
He died in 1637, and Captain Christopher Wormley, who had been governor of Tortugas, was for a short time in charge.
Then, in 1639, succeeded Richard Moryson, son of Sir Richard Moryson, and brother-in-law of the noble cavalier, Lucius Cary, Lord Falkland, who married Letitia Moryson.
In 1641, he returned to England, and left his brother, Lieutenant Robert Moryson, in charge of the fort.
In 1649, Major Francis Moryson, another brother, who had served King Charles in the wars with the Parliament and came to Virginia with Colonel Henry Norwood, Colonel Mainwaring Hammond and other cavaliers was appointed by Sir William Berkley, captain of the fort. After Major Moryson, his nephew, Colonel Charles Moryson, son of Rich- ard Moryson, about 1664, succeeded to the command.
For the support of the Captain, what were known as "castle duties" were stablished in 1632, consisting, at first of "a barrel of powder and ten iron shot" required of every ship; and the Captain kept a register of all arrivals.
By 1665, the fort was entirely out of repair, and the general assembly in obedience to orders from the king ap- pointed Captain William Bassett to build a new fort, but the council constituted Col. Miles Cary and his son Thomas, as Bassette lived too remote. Before the work was finished, however, the great storm of 1667 washed away the very foundations, and Col. Cary lost his life fighting the Dutch, who made an attack the same year, and burnt the English shipping at the mouth of the river. Then the king sent new orders to restore the fort, but the assembly, who had very reluctantly obeyed in the first instance, now instead of doing what the king required, ordered five forts to be built at five other places, viz: Nansemond, Jamestown, Tindall's Point, Corotoman and Yeocomoco. As an excuse of this action they asserted in the preamble to their act the inefficiency of a fort at Point Comfort and the great difficulty of getting
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material to build a fort there. Of course, when the Dutch came in 1673, there was nothing to prevent their operations at the mouth of the river, and the shipping had the mis- fortune of 1667 repeated upon them.
The fort seems to have been discontinued for many years after this.
The Second Church, 1667
About 1667, a new church was built on the west of Hampton (at a place lately known as "Pembroke Farm"), and that year a burial took place in the "old church" at Kecoughtan, and another at the "new church"1. This sec- ond church like the first, has long since disappeared, but its foundations may be traced and the site with the adjoining land consisting of nine acres still belongs to the parish. Here are a few tombstones of black marble, which still retain their position over the graves. They designate the resting places of John Neville, Vice-Admiral in the British Navy, who died August 17, 1697, aged 53 years; Thomas Curle, of Sussex County, England, who died May 30, 1700, aged 60 years; Peter Heyman, Collector of his Majesty's customs, who died April 29, 1700, and Rev. Andrew Thompson, born at Stoneblue, Scotland, and died September 1, 1719, aged 45.
The list of ministers who preached at Elizabeth City, during the 18th Century, as far as preserved, is as follows: William Mease, 1610-1620; George Keith, 1624; James Fen- ton, died Sept. 5, 1624; Jonas Stockton, 1624; William Wil- kinson, 1644; Philip Mallory, 1644-1661; Rev. Justinian Aylmer, 1667; Jeremiah Taylor, 1677; John Page, 1677- 1687; James Wallace, 1692-1712.
The First Court House
Probably the first Court House for Elizabeth City County was near the site of the first church, and in 1699 Walter Bayley was paid 400 pounds of tobacco "for pulling down the old church and setting up benches in the Court House." The church at Pembroke farm now became the exclusive church for Elizabeth City Parish.
1 Meade, Old Churches, Ministers and families of Virginia, I., 1129.
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The Schools of Syms and Eaton
In 1670, James Ranson, of the county of Gloucester, gent., deeded to Abraham Savoy 50 acres on Old Poquoson River, "extending its breadth upon the school land (Sym's) on one side."
The schools of Syms and Eaton were undoubtedly in operation at the time when Berkeley uttered his much- quoted remark, in 1971, about free schools in Virginia.
In the oldest record book of the county now preserved (1689-'99) there are the following references to the schools of Benjamin Syms and Thomas Eaton, 19 Xber, 1692 .- Whereas Mr. Ebenezer Taylor, late schoolmaster of Eaton's free-school, his time being expired & having had ve Benefitt & pquisetts thereof, it is thought reasonable yt a negroe woman belonging to ye sd school should be cloathed at ve charges of ye sd schoolmaster, she being almost naked. It is therefore ordered yt ye said Taylor doe wthin fourteen days next pride and deliver unto Mr. Henry Royall, one of ye ffeoffees, one new cotton wastcoate and pettycoate, 3 yards of good new canvis for a shift, one pare of new shoes & stockings & alsoe 3 Barrels of sound Indian Corn for ye said negroes use wth costs als exon."
Nov. 20, 1693 .- "It is ordered yt Robert Crook School- master of Symmes School be allowed and paid for his charges in repairing ye school House two old cowes in lieu thereof.
May 20, 1695 .- "It is ordered that a negroe Joan be- longing to Eaton's free school by reason of age for ye future be free from paying Levyes and what crops she makes of Corne, Tobacco or Pulse, yt shee keepe ye same to her owne use for her maintenance."
18 Nov. 1697 .- "Mr. George Eland with consent of this court is elected Schoolmaster of Eaton's free school & he to continue in place as he shall be approved of from year to year Teaching all such children in English and grammar learnings as shall be sent to him yt are belonging to this county, and he to have all such pquisites as is belonging to ye sd schoole."
19 June, 1699 .- "Upon ye petition of William Williams wee doe hereby give, grant, possess, and confirm unto the said Williams & his heirs &c all that plantation or tract of
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land whereon John Tams lately lived, belonging to Eaton's free-school land, being part thereof, beginning from Tony Kings along ye Dam side & extending in breadth Eastward as far as the next swamp or branch of ye sd dams and soe into ye woods as far as ye head lyne (the term is stated to be 21 years and the consideration that Williams should build or cause to be built one substantial thirty-foot dwell- ing house, and plant one hundred apple trees at usual dis- tances, and keep the same well trimmed and fenced, and pay yearly 200 lbs. of tobacco "unto such pson as the same in right shall belong or apptayn, and at ye expiracon of ye sd time the said Williams should deliver up the said plan- tation and houses tenantable.")
Officers, 1680-1699. 1
In 1680, the following gentlemen were justices of the county court: Col. Charles Moryson, Capt. Anthony Armis- tead, Mr. Bertrand Servant, Mr. Thomas Hollier, Mr. Bald- win Sheppard, Mr. Edward Myhill, Major Matthew Wake- lin, Mr. Thomas Jarvis, Mr. Augustine Moore, Mr. Thomas Wythe, Mr. William Wilson. During the same year the officers in the militia were: Col. Charles Moryson, Major Matthew Wakelin, Capt. Anthony Armistead (horse).
The following composed the county bench in 1699: William Wilson, Anthony Armistead, Pasco Curle, William Lowry, Thomas Harwood, Augustine Moore, Coleman Brough, Thomas Curle, Mathew Watts, John Minson, Wal- ter Bayley. Charles Jenings was clerk this year and Cole- man Brough was sheriff.
The following is a partial list of the members of the House of Burgesses elected from Elizabeth City County dur- ing th 17th century : 1619, Captain William Tucker, William Capps; 1623-'24, William Tucker, Jaboz Whittaker; 1629, Lieutenant George Thompson, William English; 1629-'30, the upper parts of Elizabeth City, Capt. Thomas Will- oughby, William Kempe, Thomas Hayrick; the lower part of Elizabeth City, Capt. Thomas Purifoy, Adam Thorough- good, Lancelot Barnes; 1631-'32, Waters' Creek and upper part of Elizabeth City, Capt. Thomas Willoughby; the lower part of Elizabeth City, George Downes; 1632, the upper par- ish of Elizabeth City, Capt. Thomas Willoughby, (absent)
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Henry Seawell, John Sipsey; the lower part of Elizabeth City, Adam Thoroughgood, William English, George Downes; 1632-'33, the upper parts of Elizabeth City, Will- iam English, John Arundel; the lower parts of Elizabeth City, William English, John Arundel; 1639, Elizabeth City County, Thomas Oldis, Mr. Strafferton; 1641, Mr. John Branch, Mr. Flo. Payne; 1642, John Neale, Edward Hill; 1642-'43, John Branch, John Hoddin; 1644, Lieutenant Will- iam Worlich, John Hoddin; 1644-'45, Capt. Leonard Yeo, Capt. Christopher Caulthropp, Arthur Price; 1645, Capt. Leonard Yeo, John Chandler; 1646, John Robbins, Hen. Batt; 1652, Peter Ransone, John Sheppard; 1653, John Sheppard, Thomas Thornbury, Major William Worlich, 1655-'56, Peter Ashton; 1657-'58, Major William (Worlich), John Powell; 1658-'59, William Batte, Florentine Payne; 1659-'60, Lt. Col. Wm. Worlich, Capt. John Powell; 1663, Capt. John Powell, Colonel Leonard Yeo; 1666, Col. Leonard Yeo, Captain John Powell; 1676-'77, Betrand Servant, An- thony Armistead; 1685, William Wilson; 1688, William Wilson, Thomas Allamby; 1692-'93, Capt. Willis Wilson, Capt. William Armistead; 1696, Capt. Anthony Armistead, William Wilson, Matthew Watts.
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