USA > Virginia > City of Hampton > City of Hampton > History of Hampton and Elizabeth City County, Virginia > Part 3
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Founding of Hampton, 1680
We have seen that in 1630 Col. Claiborne obtained a patent for 150 acres at the present site of Hampton. In 1680, this land had become the property of a ship captain named Thomas Jarvis, who married Elizabeth Duke. She was the daughter of Sir Edward Duke and widow of Nath- aniel Bacon, Jr., who has lent his name to one of the most romantic rebellions in history. The same year (1680) the General Assembly passed an act condemning fifty acres, in each of the counties, for towns, to be centers of trade and sole places of import and export. For Elizabeth City, the area selected was a part of Captain Thomas Jarvis' prop- erty, which was vested in trustees or feoffees, and divided into half acre lots. The limitations of the act, however, were distasteful to both merchants in England and planters in Virginia, and the act was soon suspended by the govern- ment, though several persons bought lots and built houses at the new town.
In 1691, the act was revived, and the town for Eliza- Page twenty-eight
beth City County was decreed to be built on "the west side of Hampton River, on the land of Mr. William Wilson, lately belonging unto Mr. Thomas Jarvis, deceased, the plantation where he late lived, and the place appointed by a former law and several dwelling houses and warehouses already built." Under this act the trustees or feoffees for the sale of lots were Thomas Allamby, William Marshall and Pascho Curle.
Again the limitations caused the suspension of the act, but in 1699 another act revived the law so far as it applied to the sale of lots and the soundness of their tenure.
In 1694, the trustees sold a half-acre lot for 178 pounds of tobacco to Thomas Waterson with the usual condition of building, and the same year, one of the lots, which had been previously disposed of, was transferred to a purchaser for . 7 pounds sterling. It had been presumably built upon, for in 1696, when Henry Royal sold to George Walker one of the lots for 6 pds. sterling, the price was cut down from 6 pds. to 5 pds. 15 shillings, because the condition of build- ing had not been fulfilled properly. In this year no less than five persons-John Knox, William Hudson, Thomas Skinner, John Bright and Coleman Brough-were granted licenses to keep ordinary at Hampton Town.
Twenty-six lots were soon sold, and in 1698 Hampton was a place of sufficient importance to require the appoint- ment of a special constable. The main street was known as Queen Street. It was made the residence of the pilots for James River and the headquarters of the custom district, known as the lower District of James River. In 1695 John Minson was commissioned pilot and about the same time Peter Heyman, grandson of Sir Peter Heyman, of Summer- field, County York, England, was commissioned collector.
These were royal times for pirate vessels, which scoured the coast and rendered sea voyages very hazardous. In 1700 one of the pirates ventured within the capes and en- gaged in a battle with the fifth class man-of-war Shoreham. The pirate was beaten, but among the killed was Peter Hey- man, the collector, who was shot down on the quarter deck of the Shoreman by the side of Col. Francis Nicholson, the governor. Heyman was buried in the churchyard at the Pembroke Farm, and a stone was placed over his grave at
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the expense of the governor. In 1710 George Luke was col- lector, and in 1722, Thomas Michell.
In 1704, Hampton received a visit from the celebrated preacher, George Keith, who was, it is believed, a grandson of the former minister of that name for Elizabeth City County. He was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, a Master of Arts, and had held high position among the Quakers of Pennsylvania. Factional strife broke out among them, be- cause of his extreme views on the doctrine of Quaker pass- ivity, and, being finally deserted by his friends, he broke with his faith and returned to the church of England. In 1702, he was sent to America as a missionary from "The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel." After spend- ing two years in the northern colonies, where he converted many Quakers, he visited Hampton with another minister, Mr. Talbot. There is this entry in his Journal: "Mr. Tal- bot preached at Kirketan; we stayed there about ten days at my daughter's house at Kirketan, by James River; she is fully come off from the Quakers, and is a zealous member of the church of England, and brings up her chil- dren, so many of them as are capable through age, in the Christian religion, praised be God for it." The daughter referred to in this extract was Anne Keith, wife of George Walker, the pilot for James River, who lived on the "Straw- berry Bank" near Mill Creek. She was grandmother of the celebrated Jurist and Statesman, George Wythe.
In 1705, Hampton had a visit from another prominent Pennsylvania Quaker, Thomas Story, famous for his erudi- tion and ability as a lawyer. In his Journal may be read the following item: "On the 29th (April) we went to Kic- quotan, where we had a meeting at our friend, George Walker's house, to which came Col. Brown, one of the pro- vincial council and several commanders of ships and others of note, who were generally well satisfied with the meeting. George Walker's wife is one of George Keith's daughters and follows him in his apostacy and enmity."
Domestic difficulties arose between George Walker and his wife, and in 1708 she appealed to the Council of State, complaining that "George Walker, her husband, violently restrained her and her children from going to church to attend the worship of God according to the established re- ligion." After hearing both sides, the Council ordered:
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"That she, the said Anne, ought to enjoy the free exercise of her religion, and that her husband ought not to restrain her from going to church; and as to that part of the petition relating to the children, it not appearing of what age these children are, nor how far they are capable of choosing a religion for themselves, this board do not think proper to determine anything in that matter at this time." In this case the Quaker, whose sect preached freedom of religion and the government, which usually restricted it, seemed to change sides.
July 1, 1715, permission was granted by Alexander Spottswood, the governor, for the justices to remove their old court house and build a new one for Hampton Town, and land was purchased from Captain William Boswell for the purpose. At this time Governor Spottswood wrote the following letter:
Williamsburgh, July the 1st, 1715.
Mr. John Holloway this Day applyed to me in Behalfe of the justices of Elizabeth City County for leave to build Their new Court House att Hampton,I Doe approve of the Removall and shall accordingly order the Sheriff to attend the Court there so soon as the House shall be fitt for the Reception of the Justices.
A. Spottswood.
Recorded by order of Court.
Teste Cha. Jenings, Cl. Cur.
When John Fontaine visited Hampton in 1716, it was a place of 100 houses and had the greatest business in Vir- ginia. All the men-of-war lay before this arm of the river, and the inhabitants drove a great trade with New York and Pennsylvania.
Pirates still infested the coast and one Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard, was notorious. He had his headquarters in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, from which he sailed from time to time on piratic expeditions. In 1717, Governor Spotswood sent Captain Henry Maynard from Hampton after him, with two small sloops. On Nov- ember 21, a bloody battle was fought, and Blackbeard was shot down by Maynard, and fourteen of his confederates were captured. Maynard returned in triumph to Hampton,
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swinging Blackbeard's head from his bowsprit. He set it up at the mouth of Hampton River, and the point is still known as Blackbeard's Point. Maynard's prisoners were tried and hanged at Williamsburg.
Among the prominent citizens of Hampton and Eliza- beth City, about 1720, were Anthony Armistead, Thomas Wythe, Joshua Curle, Samuel Sweeney, Joseph Bannister, John Selden, Joseph Selden, James Ricketts, Simon Hollier, John Lowry, Thomas Tabb, John Brodie, Alexander Mc- Kenzie, Wilson Cary, James Wallace, and John Smith. The latter (John Smith) died in 1723, and his inventory is par- ticularly rich. Among other items is the following:
"Five thousand of English brick at 12 shillings per thousand." It appears that there were two kinds of build- ing brick made in the colony-brick made of the size pre- scribed in English statute, called "English brick" and brick made according to the Dutch statute, called "Dutch brick." Very little brick was imported into the colony, except as ballast and there is no evidence that any houses in Virginia were built of imported brick.
The Third Church
About this time the church at Pembroke Farm had be- come ruinous, and, on June 17, 1727, Mr. Jacob Walker and Mr. John Lowry were appointed by the court of Elizabeth City to lay off and value an acre and a half of ground on Queen's Street, joining upon Mr. Boswell's lots, for build- ing the church thereon. The same day, Mr. Henry Cary, by order of the minister, church wardens and the court, was permitted to take wood, "at the rate of six pence per load to burn bricks for the church, from the School land." But it seems that a portion of the people of the parish did not desire to remove from the old quarters, and they appealed the matter to the governor and council. They heard the complaint and decided, October 27, 1727, that "the new church should be built in Hampton Town as the most con- venient place in the said parish."
In 1728, Samuel Bownas, a Quaker preacher, told of a visit to Hampton in the following language: "George Walker was very kind, invited us to stay at his house which we did four nights, and had a meeting or two in his house,
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his wife being more loving than I expected. She was George Keith's daughter, and in her younger days showed great dissatisfaction with Friends, but after her father's death the edge of that bitterness abated, and her husband was very loving and hearty to Friends, frequently having meet- ings at his house." Bownas stayed at Hampton eleven day, and left there May 29, 1728.
In 1727, Mr. William Hopkins was deputy attorney for the King. In 1728, Mr. John Markland was recommended to be the King's deputy attorney. The same year Alex- ander Mckenzie was commissioned to be lieutenant colonel of the militia, and Wilson Cary, major.
Learning in Elizabeth City County
More than the usual attention was paid to learning in Elizabeth City. The court and vestry were particularly vigilant in seeing that all poor children were bound to use- ful trades and taught by their employers to read and write. The following may be given as examples:
16 June 1725. Upon the petition of Ann Grove setting forth that James Servant had not learned her son, Armis- teal House, to read, write and cipher according to his agree- ment when he took him by Indenture, The court are of opinion that the said Indenture is void and of no effect and it is, therefore, considered that the said Armistead House be discharged from the service of his late master James Servant.
17 Nov. 1723. Thomas Wilson and Mary Randall came into Court and made oath that Thomas Davis was 14 years of age the 24th October Last who not having Estate suffi- cient to maintain him, It is Ordered that he be bound an apprentice to Nicholson Parker till he attain the age of twenty-one years, who is to teach him the trade of Shoe- maker as also to have him taught to read and write. It is further ordered that they sign Indentures before any justice of this county.
15 Dec. 1725. Francis Berry is bound apprentice to Mathew Small til he is of Age; the said Small obliges him- self to learn him the trade of a Taylor and to read and write. The Boy is eleven years of age.
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16 Febry 1725. John Hicks apprenticed to George Minson to learn to read & write & the trade of a carpenter.
Ministers
The succession of ministers were as follows: After the death of Rev. James Wallace, in 1702, Andrew Thompson - became rector of Elizabeth City parish and continued till his death in 1714. He was succeeded by Rev. James Fal- coner, who came to Virginia in 1718. His report to the Bishop of London, in 1724, is that "his parish is fifty miles in circumference with three hundred and fifty families; that the owners were careful to instruct the young negro children and bring them to baptism; that service is per- formed every Sunday and that most of the parishioners attend; that there are about one hundred communicants; that his salary was about sixty-five pounds; that there were two public schools in the parish, whereof John Mason and Abram Paris are teachers, and a good private school kept by Mr. William Fife, in which besides reading, arithmetic and writing, Latin and Greek were taught.
The Free Schools in 1720-1776
The following notice appears in regard to the free schools of Syms and Eaton:
Aug. 17, 1720 .- Upon complt made by Henry Irvin gent agt Jno Curle about Eaton's free schoole land of waste made of the timbers, it is ordered that the Clk. bring sd Eaton's will and Deed to next court concerning the prem- ises and a copy of the vestry ordr whereby Curle hath the land granted to him.
Nov. 17, 1725 .- Upon the motion of William Tucker setting forth that he is willing to take the school land and provide a schoolmaster, it is ordered that the said Tucker have possession of the said land with this provisio and con- dition, that he constantly keep and provide a schoolmaster to teach children in said land.
Dec. 18, 1728 .- Ordered that the quit rents due for the school land according to the rent rolls thereof be paid out of the money arising from the sale of wood from the said land to Henry Cary.
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It appears that in course of time much pecuniary loss befell both schools from trespassers, who cut down the tim- ber, and from tenants who failed to pay rents.
To put Eaton's school on a better footing, the General Assembly thought proper, in 1730, to give authority for leasing the land in parcels, and when by reason of the trus- tees not being incorporated by the act, some doubt was again started as to the validity of their authority to punish trespassers and delinquents and called arrearages of rent, the Legislature incorporated the trustees of both schools, under the name, in the one case (1759), of "The Trustees and Governors of Eaton's Charity School," and in the other (1753), under that of "The Trustees and Governors of Syms' Free School."
The trustees were empowered to have perpetual suc- cession; to use a corporate seal; to select and remove the master, who, before selection, was to be approved by the minister and by the government; to visit the school; to order, reform, and redress all abuses; and to lease the school lands and the cattle thereon for a period not exceeding twenty-one years.
In 1765 there was a lease of tract No. 1, surveyed by Robert Lucas in 1759, and containing 75 acres, the consid- eration being an annual rent of 4 pounds 10s., the building a dwelling 28 feet long by 16 feet broad, pitch 9 feet, to be covered with good heart pine or cypress and two rooms above and two below, ,lathed and plastered, and doors floors and windows of good plank, as also an orchard of 100 Grixon (?) apple trees, which is to be kept fenced and secure against all damage.
By an advertisement in the Virginia Gazette we learn that in 1752 the perquisites of Syms' school was 31 pounds annually. The act of 1759 testified to the good work per- formed by the Eaton school, to which, in addition to the proper objects of charity, "a great number of children" had been admitted free "who were able to pay for their own education."
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Population
The number of tithables in Elizabeth City County, in 1748, was 1078, which was more than double what it was at the close of the preceding century. In 1759, the number was 1428, which showed a population of 4284.
In 1752 the list of the military officers for Elizabeth City County was as follows: Wilson Cary, County Lieutenant, John Hunter, Colonel, John Tabb, Major of Horse, Robert Armistead, Major of Foot. The whole militia consisted of one company of foot and two troops of horse. The captains according to the dates of their commissions were Cary Sel- den, captain of 100 men, Charles King, captain of a troop of 66 men, Westwood Armistead, captain of a troop of 60 men.
The Fort at Point Comfort, 1727-1749
We have seen that the fort at Old Point Comfort was discontinued after 1667. In 1706 the whole point of land, containing about 120 acres being deserted, was patented by Robert Beverley. Five years later Governor Spotswood advised that the fort be rebuilt to afford a retreat for ships, when pursued by privateers in time of war, or by pirates in time of peace; but it was not until 1727 that the Assembly seriously took up the proposition. When finished, which was not till after several years, it was mounted by twenty- two guns, and about 1736 Governor Gooch reported that: "no ship could pass it without running great risk." It was named Fort George, and was made of brick, each nine inches long by four wide and three thick. The exterior wall was sixteen feet distant from the interior one, and the for- mer was twenty-seven inches thick and the latter sixteen inches. Then the two walls were connected by counter walls ten or twelve feet apart, forming cribs, which were prob- ably filled with sand. During this time the fort was under the control of George Walker, "gunner and storekeeper."
It seems that the government built the work without asking the consent of the owner of the land, but in 1744 this difficulty was quieted by their giving William Bever- ley, son of Robert Beverley, then deceased, 165 pounds for his rights. Five years later another and more fatal diffi- culty assailed the fort.
In 1749, a hurricane, which has been described as most
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terrific and disastrous, visited Virginia. The officer in command at Point Comfort was Captain Samuel Barron, ancestor of a line of naval heroes distinguished in three wars. The barracks in which he stayed were a long row of wooden buildings with brick chimneys, running up through the center of the roofs, and Captain Barron caused all his family with the officers and soldiers of the garrison, to muster on the second floor with all the weighty articles they could find; which, it was supposed, kept the houses firm on their foundations, and so preserved the lives of all con- cerned. The hurricane, however, entirely destroyed the walls of Fort George, and Captain Barron removed with his family to the upper part of Mill Creek, not far off, where he resided during the remainder of his life.'
In 1756, Governor Dinwiddie, commenting on the fort, observed: "It was built on a Sandy Bank; no care to drive the piles to make a Foundation; the Sea and wind beating against it has quite undermined it and dismantled all the Guns which now lie buried in the Sand." There is no evi- dence that the fort was ever restored, but as late as 1847 parts of its walls were seen and described.
The customs district, of which Hampton was the sole port of entry, included, on the north side of James River, all of the rivers and creeks from Hampton River to Arch- er's Hope Creek at Jamestown, and on the south side all > the rivers and creeks from Cape Henry to Hog Island. The amount of shipping on the two sides was, however, very unequal, and the inhabitants of Norfolk complained, in 1735, that whereas the north side had only three ships, owned by Virginians, and no other vessels trading there, they of the south side had neither a collector nor a deputy collector, though that region swarmed with vessels owned by Virginians and West India and English merchants.
In 1769, died at Hampton Gabriel Cay, collector of customs. At this time Wilson Cary was naval collector. The residence of the latter was at "Ceeleys" midway be- tween Hampton and Newport News.
1 Fort George, Virginia Hist. Register I., 23.
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The Church Steeple and Bell
In 1760, Alexander Kennedy devised land to the poor of Elizabeth City County, and the sum of 40 pds. sterling towards purchasing out of England a bell for the church of Elizabeth City Parish, provided "the vestry and church wardens will undertake a belfry within twelve months after my decease." A vestry book tells of the contracts awarded for building and painting the Belfry, and no doubt the bell was procured. It would seem as if the church had no bell previous to this time.
We continue the succession of ministers. In 1727, Rev. Mr. Falconer became a minister of Charles Parish in York County, whereupon, Rev. Thomas Peader "took the oath to his majesty's governor and signed the test." Not long after he was succeeded by Rev. William Fife, who taught the private school, already referred to. He continued min- ister till 1756, when he was succeeded by Rev. Thomas War- rington, who died in 1770. The Rev. William Selden, a graduate of William and Mary College, followed and con- tinued until 1783.
List of the Burgesses from 1700-1776
The following is a partial list of the members of the House of Burgesses from Hampton and Elizabeth City County from 1702 to 1776; 1702, William Wilson, William Armistead; 1710-1712, Nicholas Curle, William Armistead; 1714, William Armistead, Robert Armistead; 1718, Henry Jenkins, Thomas Wythe; 1720-1722, James Rickets, Anthony Armistead; 1723, James Rickets, Thomas Wythe; 1726, Robert Armistead, Thomas Wythe; 1736, 1738, 1740, 1742,1745,1747,1748, 1749, 1752, 1753, 1754, 1755, 1756, 1757, 1758, William Westwood, Merritt Sweeney; 1758-1761, Wil- liam Wager, John Tabb; 1761-1765, George Wythe, William Wager; 1765, 1766, 1768, 1769, George Wythe, Wilson Miles Cary; 1769-1771, James Wallace, Wilson Miles Cary; 1772-1774, 1775-1776, Henry King, Worlich Westwood.
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Hampton in the Revolution
At the time of the American Revolution the population of Hampton was probably about one thousand people. There, as elsewhere, the spirit of patriotic resistance had its home, and the following gentlemen chosen 23 of Nov- ember, 1775, constituted the Committee of Safety for Eliza- beth City and the town of Hampton: William Roscow Wil- son Curle, Chairman, John Tabb, George Wray, John Allen, Miles King, Augustine Moore, Edward Cooper, Wil- son Miles Cary, Westwood Armistead, George Booker, James Wallace Bayley, John Parsons, Henry King, Jacob Wray, John Jones, John King, Joseph Cooper, William Mallory, Simon Hollier, John Cary, Moseley Armistead. Robert Bright, Clerk.
The following gentlemen were members of the differ- ent revolutionary conventions: Conventions of March 20, 1775, July 17, 1775, Dec. 1, 1775, Henry King, Worlich West- wood; Convention of May 6, 1776, Wilson Miles Cary, Henry King.
After the rupture of Lord Dunmore, the last royal gov- ernor of Virginia, with the House of Burgesses, the former retired to Norfolk, which he made his headquarters for military operations. Hampton became the scene of the first real collision in Virginia. Runaway slaves resorted to Lord Dunmore's ships and the British sailors created annoyance by landing on the shores at night and carrying off sheep and other live stock belonging to the inhabitants near the water. On the second of September, 1775, a sloop com- manded by Captain Mathew Squires, who was charged with being a prime instigator in these robberies, was driven by a storm on the shore near Hampton. The officers and sailors barely escaped with their lives, and some of them were entertained at the house of one Finn, to whom they pre- sented the vessel and damaged stores as a reward for his hospitality. Captain Squires was separated from his peo- ple and wandered about all night in the storm, but man- aged to escape in the morning to the friendly protection of Lord Dunmore's fleet. On the 10th Captain Squires made a demand on the committee of the town of Hampton for the return of the stores, which was answered by a promise to return the same if he would deliver up a negro slave belong-
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ing to Mr. Henry King and cease his nocturnal depredations. Captain Squires threatened violence, and his threat reach- ing Williamsburg, one hundred men under the command of James Innis, Captain of the Williamsburg Guard, marched from that place to the protection of Hampton.
Captain Squires, however, did not immediately at- tempt to execute his threat, and Captain Innis and his troops after receiving the thanks of the Hampton Com- mittee, soon returned to Williamsburg, but it was thought proper to replace them soon after by a like number of men under the command of Major Francis Eppes.
Captain Squires, however, did not relinquish his desire for revenge, and on October 24 appeared in Hampton River with six armed tenders sent by Dunmore, and a message was received at Hampton that he would that day land and burn the town. The Virginia troops, who were then in the vicinity, consisting of a company of regulars under Captain George Nicholas, a company of minute men, and a small body of militia, made the best disposition they could to pre- vent their landing.
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