History of Norfolk County, Virginia : and representative citizens, 1637-1900, Part 3

Author: Stewart, William H. (William Henry), 1838-1912
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1054

USA > Virginia > City of Norfolk > City of Norfolk > History of Norfolk County, Virginia : and representative citizens, 1637-1900 > Part 3

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Norfolk, Virginia Beach & Southern Railroad. 40 mile -. Norfolk & Southern Railroad and water lines. 510 miles. New York. Philadelphia & Norfolk Railroad. 112 miles.

Norfolk and Portsmouth harbor is the most beautiful and spacious on the Atlantic coast: it is safe for the smallest craft in the severest storms, and in the extremely cold weather is open to navigation. Its channel way. 28 feet depth at low water. is sufficient to float the largest vessels in the world.

Norfolk County's shipping is handled by 22 steamship lines, making direct trips from this port .- to Europe, to the West Indies and to the large cities on the Atlantic Coast. Light draft boats navigate all rivers of Vir- ginia and Carolina, offering quick and cheap communication with 500 small cities, towns. villages and stations at which merchandise is delivered and farm products and lumber load- ed for this market. These lines are as fol- lows:

Clyde Line. to Philadelphia. Weems Line. to Rappahannock.

Pettit's Line. to North Carolina.

Bennett's Line. to North Carolina.

Norfolk and West India Fruit Line.

Norfolk and Old Point and Hamplon. Virginia Navigation Company, to Richmond. Baltimore Steam Packet Company, to Baltimore. Norfolk and Newport News and Smithfield.

Norfolk and Washington Steamboat Company, to Washington.

James River Steamboat Company, Norfolk to Richmond. Norfolk and Nansemond River landings and Suf-

folk.

Old Dominion Steamship Company, to Richmond and New York.

United States Shipping Company, to Great Britain and the Continent.

Baltimore, Chesapeake & Richmond Steamboat Company, to Baltimore. The North American Transport Company. to Great Britain and the Continent.

Norfolk and Back River, Poquosin and York riv- ers, including West Point.

Petersburg & Norfolk Line, to Petersburg. Nor- folk. Claremont and Richmond.

Merchants' & Miners' Transportation Company. to Baltimore. Boston and Providence.

Norfolk and landings in East. Ware and Severn rivers in Mathews and Gloucester counties.

Of the colonial homes in Norfolk County. Virginia, few are prettier than that of the Talbot family on Tanner's Creek, about three miles north of Norfolk. The plantation upon which this is situated is known as "Talbot Hall." and was purchased in 1774 by the great-grandfather of the present owner. Thomas Talbot. from William Langley. to whose grandfather it had been patented in 1075 as a tract of 820 acres, in consideration of his having imported into the colony 17 per- Sons.

The house is built of bricks which were burned upon the premises nearby, and there is still a large sink er depression in the yard. whence the clay for the bricks was dug. Fifty years ago the exterior walls were stuccoed and a slate roof placed over the original shingle roof. The house was started in 1799 by Solomon Butt Tallet. and was three years in building-so careful was construction in those days. It stands solidly today with its thick walls and stout timbers. There is a cellar and two stories and an attic. In the parler over the mantel there stands out in re-

HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY

lief in the plastering an American eagle with 17 stars over his head, and underneath the words "E Pluribus Unum." The 17 stars in- dicate that the plastering was not put up until after the admission of Ohio, the seventeenth State, into the Union, which occurred on No- vember 29th, 1802. It is said that during the Confederate War, this emblem saved the house from being burned by the passing Federal troops.

Surrounding the dwelling there is a large yard, which is half a mile in circumference, and contains about 10 acres. This yard fronts on Tanner's Creek, about one mile eastwardly from the bridge of the Sewell's Point trolley line. and commands a good view out to the Elizabethi River. It contains numerous out- buildings and some of the finest and largest shade trees in this portion of the State. Among the varieties of trees are elms, cedars. English walnut, lindens, cypress, magnolias. locusts, pine, spruce. black walnut, beech. oaks, mulberry, holly, persimmon, horse chest- nut and several varieties of fruit trees. In a corner of the yard over a cool spring there is an old brick dairy house, in which dairy prod- ucts were kept cool, long before the days of ice factories. On the shore there is a nice bath- ing beach, and the stream yields the finest fish and oysters. On every hand there are sug- gestions of the long ago.

.A list of the historic homes in Norfolk County would be incomplete without mention of the homestead of Kader Talbot on Tan- ner's Creek, about a half mile eastwardly from the Indian Pole Bridge, and now reached over the Cottage Toll Bridge Road. The planta- tion formerly contained 1.000 acres,, and the part upon which the main dwelling now stands is owned by George Cromwell. This dwelling was built about 1780, and is of brick, stuccoed, and has a shingle roof. The archi- tecture is unusual in that the rooms on the lower or parlor foor have only about nine feet of pitch, while the ceilings upstairs are about 11 feet high. The home, which was formerly the scene of many brilliant fetes, occupies a

commanding situation on Tanner's Creek. On the shore in front of the dwelling, at the be- ginning of the last century. Kader Talbot had marine railways and a shipyard, at which large sailing vessels were built. From the size of the vessels built. it is presumed that the pres- ent shoals at the mouth of Tanner's Creek did not then exist. Whenever a vessel was launched, there always followed an old-fash- ioned "frolic" and dance at the dwelling, which was a great occasion in the neighbor- hood. Kader Talbot died in 1818, and not many decades later his plantation, like so many of the old Virginia homesteads, became the property of another family. In 1816 he gave the homestead to his daughter. Elizabeth Cocke, who sold it in 1843 to P. N. Bristoll. Its present owner has been mentioned above.

On page 24 of this work are shown views of the two Talbot homes, also a view of the colonial house built in 1744 by Willis Wilkins, and a reproduction from an old print of the first court house belonging to the borough of Norfolk, which structure was built in 1790. On a succeeding page of this history is shown a view of the mansion house on the plantation of Col. William Craford, the founder of Ports- mouth, which house is now occupied by the Guthries, children of the distinguished Captain Guthrie, who sacrificed his life in attempting to save the crew of the wrecked U. S. S. "Huron." The celebrated Commodore Rich- ard Dale was born on this plantation, which was devised by Colonel Craford to his kins- man, Daniel Dale.

In the early days, prior to the Revolution, ship-builders had frequent occasion to take hoys as apprentices and teach them the trade. .\ specimen of the contract of apprenticeship then in vogue, prepared by a conveyancer, reads as follows :

Norfolk County: This Indenture witnesseth that Mary Frost of the parish of Elizabeth River and Coun- ty of Norfolk aforesaid Hath put her son Noah Frost with his own Consent an apprentice to A. B. C. of said County and Parish aforesaid Shipbuilder to learn his art, and with him after the manner of an apprentice. To Sarve from the Date hearof until the full End and

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

term vi five years from thence next Ensuing, and fully to be Compleat and Ended. During which time the said Apprentice his said master faithfull shall and will sarve, his secrets Keep, his lawfull Commands every- whare gladly do, he shall do no Damage to his said master nor see it Dun by Others without giving notice to his said master of the same. The goods of his said masters he shall not waste, he shall Nither buy nor sell without his master- leave. Taverns. Inns, or Ale- houses he shall not haunt. At Cards. Dice. Table, or any other unlawfull game he shall not Play. Forni- cation he shall not Commit. Nor from the Sarvice of his said master day or night he shall not ahsent him- self. But in all things as an Honest, Diligent and faithfull apprentice shall and will doe and behave him- self towards his said master. and all during the said term the said master his said apprentice shall teach the art of a Ship Builder which he now useth, shalf Teach and Instruct or Cans to be Tought and In- structed as fir as in his power lies Dureing the said term. finding to his said apprentice meat Apparrell. washing and lodging and all other Necessarys fitting for such an Apprentice during the said Term, and for the True Performents of all and Every the Covenants and agreaments aforesaid Either of the said parties hindeth himself unto the other firmly by these Pres- ents. In witness whareof, the Partys above said to this Indenture as also the said apprentice Hath sett thare hands and seals This fourth Day of December 1×58.

her Mary X Frost (SEAL. )

mark

Signed Sealed & Delivered

Noah Frost (SEAL )

In the Presents of

John Willoughby

A. B. C.

( SEAL )

Peter Frost

The following copy of a bill of sale, ex- ecuted in 1759. shows the usual form of con- tract under which slaves were sold, and indi- cates the value of slaves at that date. In this colony the pound and shilling equaled $3.33 and $0. 16 2-3. respectively.

Know all men by these presents that I. Samuel Langley of Norfolk County in Virginia for and in Con- sideration of the sum of One hundred and sixty two pounds ten shillings current money of Virginia to me in hand by A. B. C. of Norfolk County in Virginia aforesaid the receipt of which I do hereby acknowl- edge, have bargained sold and delivered unto the said A. B. C. Six Negroe Slaves Namely, Boh, Kate, Nan. Slaven, Judey. Shebath. To have and to holl the sa. 1 slaves forever. and I do hereby warrant ard defend the -aid slaves against all persons whatsoever claiming or hereafter may claim unto the said A. B C. his Her- an | Assigns forever. In witness whereof I have here

unto sett my hand and scal this twenty-first day of April, One thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine. witness Samuel Langley ( SEAL )

James .Ashley Barth'w Thompson.

HISTORICAL INCIDENTS.

Ensign Thomas Willoughby came to Vir- ginia at the age of twenty-three on the ship "Prosperous" in 1610. He first located on the peninsula and afterward settled near Occan View in Norfolk County.

A statement of Henry Sewell's account with his factor in the year 1638 "of tobacco sent over in the ships ' Alexandria' and 'mer- ica,' and for one-half of the cargo of a shal- lop loaded with sassafras roots to be sold in England," shows his cash receipts to have been £610, 19s. Sd.

On the 18th day of March. 1642, the County Court granted a certificate for 200 acres of land to Capt. Richard Parsons for bringing into the Colony, John, the negro, his wife and child. Basteano, a negro, Christo- pher. an Indian and his own transport.

On June 15, 1668. William Fitzhugh wrote to William Cooper, his merchant in London, to send him "three couples of Rab- bits."

The following prescription dates back to the Revolutionary period, and indicates the way our grandfathers took medicine. The ailment the pills were given for is not stated in the original.

Half an ounce of Rhubarb, half an ounce of Jal- lap, mix with Casteal soap, adl a little honey, make up into Pill- about the size of a garden pea. 2 or 3 at might will do.

In 1781. while the British were occupying Portsmouth, a number of officers took pos- session of the residence of Isaac Luke. E-q .. on North Court street for their headquarter -. Isaac was a man of large means and kept the customary wine cellar of those days. On one occasion the British officers made a drunken revelry on his wine, broke the bottles over the foer and compelled him to walk barefooted

HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY

over the broken glass. His daughter, Eliza- beth, then a young lady of 17 years, was be- trothed to Capt. William Porter of the Vir- ginia Line in the American Army, and wore a handsome diamond engagement ring-this ring attracted the notice of one of the offi- cers and he attempted to rob her of it by force. Breaking from him, she ran out on the back porch, slipped the ring from her finger and threw it among the weeds and tall grass which were growing in the back yard. It thus es- caped the clutches of the Englishman, but, unfortunately, it was so well concealed there she herself was unable to find it,-the loss of the ring, however, did not have the effect upon hier engagement that some superstitious per- sons might suppose. She and Captain Porter were married October 21, the following year, one year after the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

December 20, 1787, an act was passed pro- viding for the establishment of a marine hos - pital for the reception of aged and disabled seamen at Washington, in the county of Nor- folk. This building is now the Ryland In- stitute, Berkley. On December 24, 1790, it was ordered that the Marine Hospital be sold and one-half of the proceeds go to Norfolk for support of the academy and one-half be paid trustees to erect a school in the town of Portsmouth to educate orphan children.

At a County Court held on the 20th of May, 1795, Lieut. William Wilson, of Fort Nelson was tried for the murder of Lieut. Charles Harrison, of Fort Norfolk, and ac- quitted, and on the 26th Edward Voss. charged with being accessory to the death of Lieutenant Harrison, was discharged. This trial was evidently the result of a duel.

On July 13, 1803, Jerome Bonaparte ar- rived here in a vessel from the West Indies and left for Baltimore in a sloop with Captain Walker.

On May 31, 1815, the steamboat "Eagle." Captain Rodgers, was advertised to leave for Baltimore. She was the first steamboat re- corded as appearing in these waters.

On December 15, 1815, a boat built near the Peak's of Otter arrived, bringing one bar- rel of flour that had been ground on the Staunton River and intended as a present to the borough of Norfolk. She came down the Dan and Staunton rivers to the Roanoke, down that river to Albemarle Sound, touching at Edenton and Elizabeth City and through the Dismal Swamp Canal. R. S. W. Cabell, Philip Paine, Carter Harrison, and Samuel Pannil, members of the North Carolina Legis- lature, were passengers. The intention of this voyage was to demonstrate how the products of that section could reach tidewater.

In 1816 William Pennock advertised "200 kegs of pickled oysters," part cargo of the schooner "Venus" from the Isle of Guernsey, coast of France and said to be of superior flavor.

1816-May 19th-Died, William Pen- nock. He came here from Maryland soon after the Revolution. He was an extensive merchant, owning at one time 'over 40 square- rigged vessels, all built here, and engaged in foreign trade, and the captains and mates resi- dent in Norfolk and Portsmouth. In fact, the principal occupation of both towns was ship- building and seafaring. Simmon's directory of 1801 gives names of 83 captains and mates residents.

On April 3, 1821, at the launching of the new steamboat "Hampton," built to ply be- tween Norfolk and Hampton, at this shipyard, near the draw bridge, Edmund Allmand, ship- builder, was killed by the falling of a spar.

May 21, 1822,-Launched from shipyard of William F. Hunter, at foot of Nebraska street, Norfolk, steam brig "New York." Her

! owners were George and William Rowland, Capt. Richard Churchward, John Tunis, John Allmand and the builder. She was 260 tons, 50 horse-power and built to ply between New York and Norfolk. The Scientific American credits her as being the second steam vessel built in the United States to navigate the ocean, succeeding the historic "Savannah," Captain Rodgers. A handsome oil painting

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

of this ship was made to the order of the Old Dominion Steamship Company and deposited in Sailors' Snug Harbor. Staten Island. New York. and a copy of the same presented to the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, where it now hangs.

In 1826 lucifer matches were advertised for sale by Joseph T. Allyn. Price,-25 cents a box of 100 matches.

December 28. 1828. Capt. Roger Quarles, an old ship-master, died. In the War of 1812 he fitted out at his own cost the privateer "Roger," and was noted for his success and skill. bringing many prizes that he captured from the British into this port. He died at the residence of Capt. Richard Drummond, who then owned all of Ghent.

The new steamboat "Lady of the Lake." built by Capt. Guy C. Wheeler at his ship- vard in Portsmouth, came down under her own steam July 3. 1830, from Mr. Russel's machine shop on Holt street, Briggs' Point, where her machinery was put in under Thom- as Murphy. Mr. Russel cast bells for churches, etc. : he made the iron railing around Christ Church. the patterns for which were taken from the United States Bank. on Chest- mut street, Philadelphia.

1829-April 16th-The Virginia and

North Carolina Transportation Company con- tracted for and had completed in thirty days 10 vessels for the canal trade at the following shipyards: Joseph Porter, Portsmouth; John Overton. Portsmouth; Miles, Chambers & Hathaway, Portsmouth ; Ryan & Gayle, Ports- mouth; Oney S. Cameron. Norfolk: Isaac Talbot, Norfolk: and John G. Colley, Nor- folk.

On March 30. 1837. there arrived the French frigate "Andromede." from Rio de Janeiro: Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (after- ward King Louis Napoleon ), passenger. He put up at French's Hotel, corner of Main and Church streets, Norfolk. now John Willis' furniture house.

On November 28, 1817. the ship "AAtlas" from Havre, France. arrived in the port; a part of her cargo was furniture for the White House in Washington. This was severely commented upon. Was American-made fur- niture not good enough for an American- made president ?

On December 4. 1817. a list of about 300 persons was published for failing to attend the regular musters of the militia during the year. with the amount of fines imposed ranging from $5.00 to $25.00 caclı.

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CHAPTER III

MILITARY HISTORY OF THE COUNTY

INDIAN WARS-COLONIAL OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS-MANNER OF BEARING EXPENSES OF THE INDIAN WARS-COLONIAL MILITARY TACTICS-COMMITTEE OF SAFETY-REVOLUTIONARY TIMES-DUNMORE'S DOINGS-BATTLE OF GREAT BRIDGE-CORRESPONDENCE OF WOOD- FORD AND HOWE-DESTRUCTION OF NORFOLK-OTHER INVASIONS AND DEPREDATIONS OF THE BRITISH-SOME SOLDIERS AND SAILORS OF THE REVOLUTION-ITEMIZED STATEMENT OF LOSSES SUSTAINED BY A CITIZEN OF NORFOLK DURING THE BOMBARD- MENT-BRITISH PROPERTY CONFISCATED-DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

The military history of Norfolk County, including the periods of peace, covers a period of three hundred years less seven.

Capt. Christopher Newport sailed from Blackwell for America on the 19th day of De- cember, 1600. After a stormy voyage of over four months, while off the coast of Hatteras in quest of Roanoke Island, a violent gale of 'wind providentially drove his little fleet into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on the 26th day of April, 1607, where the sailors sighted land and called it Cape Henry. The com- inander with 27 others landed there and while on shore making observations five natives came creeping on all fours from behind the sand hills and wounded two men with their arrows; but a few musket shots sent them flying back. Cape Henry was in Lower Nor- folk County, so upon its soil the first colonial blood was shed and there was the scene of the first Indian hostilities in Virginia. This ex- pedition arrived at Jamestown on the 13th day of May. 1607, and established the first per- manent English settlement in America.

Capt. John Smith returning from his voy- age of discovery up the Chesapeake Bay, sailed up the Nansemond River seven or eight miles and found its banks consisting mainly of oyster shells. He had a fight with the Nansemonds and Chesapeakes about eight miles from the month of the river. Sudden- ly arrows came fast and thick from both sides of the river, but about twenty shots from muskets made all the bowmen flee. Over a hundred arrows stuck in Captain Smith's boat, vet no one was hurt, only Anthony Bagnall was shot in his hat and another in his sleeve. The Chesapeakes had 100 bowmen and the Nansemonds 200 fighting men. Captain Smith captured all the corn he could take away and returning arrived on the 7th day of September, 1608, at Jamestown.

The Indians at first visited the colonists in a friendly way, but afterward they fre- quently attacked them. The careless strag- gling of the English gave the Indians oppor- tunities to kill or wound them. After the great massacre of the 22nd of March, 1622.

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

when 347 men, women and children were treacherously and inhumanly butchered, laws were passed forcing the colonists to guard and protect themselves against hostile natives. The commanders of plantations were required to see that there was kept a supply of am- munition, that their arms were in good order and that constant watch be kept at night. All men able to bear arms were required to carry them to church on penalty, if default was in the master, of two pounds of tobacco and if in the servants they were to be punished by the master. Under such severe tasks and con- tinual hardships, no wender wars of extermin- ation were declared.

The Grand Assembly, in October, 1629. at Jamestown, declared war and enacted that there should be three several marches against the Indians, in November, March and July, and every commander was required to levy a force of as many men as could well be spared from the plantations; about five months after- ward the same legislative body declared that the war begun must be effectually followed and no peace concluded with the enemy. The col - nial soldiers wounded in these expeditions were to be provided for by the several planta- t:011s.

The Nanticoke Indians in Accumac Coun- ty in 1639 put on their war paint, and marched out with a determination to exterminate the settlers on the Eastern Shore, and as there were not many colonists there the plan had every prospect of a successful termination. Fortunately timely warning was given and aid was sent in time to avert the calamity. The counties were called upon to furnish quotas of soldiers, and Lower Norfolk County made a draft for its share of men. The court held on the 17th day of July, 1639, resolved that

Whereas, at a court holden by the Grand Council at York the first of the present July. it was ordered that there should be appointed fifteen sufficient men out of the Lower County of Norfolk to march against the Nanticoke Indians, according therefore to the said order, the Commander and Commissioners of this County have made choice of these men whose names are here mentioned lo go on the said march :

COLONIAL SOLDIERS.

Thomas Rudder Mr. West

Gowering Lankaster George Lucke

Robert Ward Robert Mashone

John Gilliam

James at Joe Brown's.

Thomas Lovett

Will Berry

John Gatter

John Graygosse

Marm. Warrington

Henry Michaell

Robert Smith

In order to furnish rations and ammuni- tion for these colonial soldiers, the tithables were divided into groups of 20, and it was further ordered by the court that "Every twen- ty persons being to provide two pounds of powder and two pounds of shot and forty pounds of bisenit and a half a bushel of peas a man for them sent for the said march." Cornelius Lloyd equipped the detachment with buff coats, for which the court allowed him 250 pounds of tobacco each, which was raised by a levy on the tithable inhabitants of the county. The expedition was successful and the Lower Norfolk County detachment of sol- fliers returned without having suffered any loss except a medicine chest, which fell over- Ix ard from one of the beats, as they were crossing the Chesapeake Bay.

A law was passed in October, 1044, for defraying the expenses of the Indian wars, which law provided that six pounds of tobacco should be levied on every tithable person with- in the several counties, and Lower Norfolk County, having 206 tithable persons, was as- sessed with 1,776 pounds of tobacco. Isle of Wight. Upper and Lower Norfolk, were as- sociated as one military district. Every 15 tithables were to furnish and pay one soklier. All negro men and women and all other men, between the ages of 16 and bo were tithables. The 14 tithables were to agree with their one soldier upon the amount of pay he was to receive, and in case they could not agree, a council of war should determine how much they should pay him. The yearly pay of a commander was fixed at 0,000 pounds of tobacco; that of a lieutenant, at 4,000 pounds; and that of a sergeant. at 2,000 pounds.

The whole colony of Virginia was in 1645

HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY

ablaze with excitement over the second at- tempt of Opechanough to exterminate the English, and Lower Norfolk County sent her quota to the Pamunkey River section. There is 110 mention of the killed, but Robery Davyes and Peter Sexton were brought back home severely wounded. They finally re- covered from their wounds, and their doctor and medicine bills were paid by a levy on the tithables in the county.

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History of Norfolk County, Virginia : and representative citizens, 1637-1900, Part 3

Author: Stewart, William H. (William Henry), 1838-1912 Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1054

Author: Stewart, William H. (William Henry), 1838-1912
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1054