USA > Virginia > City of Norfolk > City of Norfolk > History of Norfolk County, Virginia and representative citizens, V.1 > Part 54
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a white oak standing at ye head of a small branch dividing this land and the land of Joshua Carle, it be- ing a corner tree of ye said Carle patent and running thence on a line of markt trees dividing this and the land of ye said Carle southeasterly eighty-three de- grees one hundred and five feet to a hickory at ye head of the Island Creek thence running down the south side of the said creek and bounding thereon to ye mouth thereof thence bounding on Elizabeth River and the Southern branch thereof according to the several courses thereof, to the mouth of the Crab Creek the first menconed station. It being the land found within the bound of a patent granted to Capt. Wm. Carver ve 15th day of September 1661 for eight hundred and ninety acres. with all. etc., to have, hold. etc., to be held. etc., yielding paying, etc., provided, etc. In wit- ness, etc.
Witness our trusty and well beloved Alexander Spottswood our Lt. Governor, etc .. at Williamsburg under ye seal of our said Colony ye thirty-first day of October one thousand seven hundred and sixteen in the third year of our reign.
The 122 lots laid out by Col. Craford as the original town of Portsmouth are contained in the following bounds : Beginning at the mouth of the Southern Branch. thence running west- wardly on the southern boundary of Crawford's Bay to the mouth of Swimming Point Creek. thence southwardly along Dinwiddie street to South street, thence eastwardly along South. street to the Southern Branch, and thence northwardly along the river to the beginning, north of North street.
WILL OF THE FOUNDER.
The following is the will of Col. William Craford, the founder of Portsmouth, a member of the House of Burgesses and one of the most prominent men of Norfolk County in colonial days :
In the name of God. Amen. I. William Craford of Portsmouth Parish, County of Norfolk and Colony of Virginia, at this time (tho' sickly in Body) thanks to God for the blessings of a sound memory, and in my ordinary judgment and understanding do hereby make my last Will and Testament :-- first commending my soul to God the Father for Mercy and in hopes of sal- vation and a joyful resurrection. through the sacrifice and intercession of Jesus Christ my Savior and Re- deemer.
Ist. It is my will that all my just debts shall be paid as soon as possible.
zly. I give and bequeath unto my sister Abigail Conner three hundred pounds current money of Vir-
37 1
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
ginia out of my bonds and mortgages and six lots of land in Fort-mouth, three of them to be chosen by her or heirs, and three of them to be assigned by Thos. Veale hercafter mentioned, and unto her heirs. I like- wi- acquit and release her and her heirs forever from all debts, claims and demands whatsoever.
3ly. I give and bequeath unto Danl. Dale the plantation he now lives on ( not exceeding one hundred acres) during his natural life and the negro fellow he has now in possession named Jemmy and after his de- cease tinto William Dale his son and unto his heirs forever. I likewise give unto the said Danl. Dale the lott he built a Brick House on in Portsmouth and unto his heirs, he first paying me or my Executors twenty- nine pounds Virginia currency for the same.
4ly. I give and bequeath unto Abigail Veale. otherwise Etheredge. and unto Amos her husband the House and lot I now live in and upon in Portsmouth during their natural lives, and after their decease equally between the issue of her body and their heirs. I give unto the said Amos Etheredge the lot of land in Portsmouth he lately built on adjoining to George Har- ness's and to his heirs forever. I likewise give unto the said Abigail Veale, otherwise Etheredge, the follow- ing negroos viz: Anthony. Pompey. together with Dinah. Joan, Patience. and Betty with all the issue they now have or in the future may have. and to her heirs forever. I likewise give her all my household furni- ture. my Plate. money. and Books excepted. I give unto Thos. Bustin in Princess Anne County all my negroes that he has now of mine in possession and unto his heirs forever. I give and bequeath unto cach of Lemuel Veale's ( deceased ) children one lott of land in Portsmouth and to their heirs forever. I give unto my friend and nephew William Conner, my gun, my watch and acquit him of all debts and claims. I give unto the children of Eliza Veale otherwise Herbert (deceased) my negress Nancy, and all her present and future issue and to their heirs and for the regard I bear to the memory of Mary Veale my former House Keeper, as well as the natural love I bear to her chil- dren, it is my express Will, that George and Thomas Veale her children shall have and hold and enjoy the undermentioned legacies and estate to them and their heirs forever, I therefore give and bequeath unto George Veale the son of the said Mary the whole Plantation he lives on and in his occupation. Begin- ning Easterly at the Rice Branch and running to a Creek Southerly, then running on the South side of the Western Branch Road and then as the Line trees were last possessioned to the neighbor's lands, I mean from the Rice Branch to the School House Branch and as far as it extends upon the Southward back of the Road. I give unto him also half of the lott (and great Copper Kettle) in Portsmouth whereon he lately built a slaughtering house and one half of all my lands in Princess Anne County together with one half of all my negroes and their future increase unto him the said George Veale and his heirs forever. I give and bequeath unto Thomas Veale tlie son ot the aforesaid Mary Veale the whole and all my lands in Portsmouth Town and adjacent to it as far as the Rice Branch Westerly and in general all my lands in Norfolk County whatso- ever not already given away, and one half of all my lands in Princess Anne County together with one half
of all my negroes not already given away with all their future increase unto him the said Thomas Veale and his heirs forever. I give all my stock of cattle, etc., equally between George Veale. Thomas Veale and Abi- gail Veale afsd., and my Plate and everything else, I have not given away. I equally give it to the said Thomas and George Veale, I constitute and appoint the aforesaid George and Thomas Veale Executors of this my last Will, written on the two preceding and this Page of this sheet of paper at Portsmouth Town in Norfolk County this 27th day of January 1762.
Wm. Craford and SEAL.
Test
Thos. Scott. John Ray Charles Smith
April Court 1762. The above will proved as per order Book.
Test Saml. Boush, Clk.
Colonel Craford resided at the time of his death in his mansion house on the corner of High and Craford street, now the site of the People's Bank. Since his death his name has been changed to Crawford, as the signature to his will gives his real name.
DALE PLANTATION.
Daniel Dale resided on the part of the plan- tation of Colonel Craford, now known as Swim- ming Point, at the time of the Colonel's death. The mansion house now owned and occupied by the Guthrie family is said to have been built by Colonel Craford. The distinguished naval hero, Commodore Richard Dale, was born on this plantation. William Dale, who heired the property on his father's death, sold in 1770 that portion now owned by the Guthries, E. V. White, Legh R. Watts and others to Peter Ed- wards, and Edwards sold it in 1787 to Richard Nestor, who, in 1807, conveyed it to Samuel Marsh. He sold the part containing the man- sion to William Smith, in July, 1809, then fol- lowed Smith's conveyance in September of the same year to Swepson Whitehead, then White- head's to Butler Cocke in ISIo, and from Cocke in 1829 to Alexander Galt. On the 26th of September, 1831, Galt sold to Jacob Shuster. Jonathan Bonney and Harrison H. Banks, of Elizabeth River Parish, James Reed, John Harper and Edward Hatton, of Portsmouth
372
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
Parish, and Malachi Willey, Stephen B. Tatem and John Foreman. of St. Bride's Parish, over- seers of the poor of Norfolk County, and the county authorities in June. 1855, sold to John G. Hatton, whose son, Dr. James L. Hatton, on Nov. 5, 1866, sold to Capt. John Julius Guthrie, the gallant hero, who lost his life in an effort to rescue the crew from the wreck of the ill-fated U. S. S. "Huron" on Virginia Beach.
EXTENDING THE BOUNDARIES.
Chapter VIII, of the Act of May, 1703, in the 3rd year of the reign of George III :
Section VI. And whereas, by an Act of Assembly, made in the 25th year of the reign of his said late majesty King George. the Second. a town was estab- lished in the County of Norfolk, by the name of Ports- mouth, which daily increases; and whereas Thomas Veale, Gentleman, proprietor of the land adjoining, hath made humble request to this present General As- sembly that a certain quantity of the said adjacent lands may be added to and made part of the said Town of Portsmouth, and that the purchasers of the lots laid off or to be laid off, on the said lands, may enjoy the same privileges and advantages as the freeholders and inhabitants of the said town do at present enjoy ;
Be it therefore enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that so much of the said adjacent lands as are con- tained within the bounds hereafter described, includ- ing the said Town of Portsmouth, shall be added to and made part of the said Town of Portsmouth, to- wit: beginning at a stake. by the mouth of a small creek (Swimming Point Creek), opposite to where Daniel Veale now lives. running thence up the said creek, and crossing a small creek south fifty-nine de- grees west ; fifty-six poles thence south; forty-six de- grees west; thirty-seven poles to the south corner of the said Veale's land, thence south, thirty degrees west, 160 poles to the head of Rice Branch: thence down the said Rice Branch south. 22 degrees east, 44 poles to the head of a cove issuing out of Crabb Creek (Gander Creek) ; thence along the meanders of the said cove to the said Crabb Creek: thence along the said Crabb Creek, according to the meanders thereof, to the south- ward branch of Elizabeth River; thence bounding on the said branch, and the said river, to the beginning.
Section VII. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that the purchasers of lands within the bounds aforesaid, hereby added to and made part of the said Town of Portsmouth, as soon as the same shall be laid off into lots, and built on as the directors and trustees appointed by this Act shall direct. shall be entitled to and have and enjoy, all the rights, priv- ileges and immunities. granted to, and enjoyed by the freeholders and other inhabitants of the said town.
Section VIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That Andrew Sprowle, George
Veale, Thomas Veale, Charles Stewart. Humphrey Roberts, Francis Miller, James Race, David Purcell and Amos Etheridge, Gentlemen. shall be. and they are hereby nominated, constituted and appointed, directors and trustees of the said town; and they, or any five of them, shall and may, and they are hereby authorized and empowered to survey and lay off the said adjacent lands into lots and streets, and make from time to time such orders, rules and directions, for the regular and orderly placing and building the houses in the said town as to them shall seem expedient; and that in case of the death, removal out of the country, or other legal disability. of any one or more of the directors and trustees before-named, it shall and may be lawful for the surviving or remaining trustees to elect and choose so many other persons in the room of those so dead or disabled as shall make up the number of nine: which trustees so chosen shall. to all intents and pur- poses, be vested with the same power as any other in this act particularly nominated and appointed.
An Act was passed in May, 1783, authoriz- ing the trustees to assess taxes on the inhabi- tants not to exceed three shillings on eve tithable and one and one-half per cent. of the value of real estate, to be appropriated for pub- lic improvements. They were also authorized to erect a Market House and contract with persons for repairing the streets.
The first Market House in Portsmouth was located in the middle of High street, between Crawford and Water streets. It was removed about the year 1835 to Glasgow street, between Middle and Crawford, and converted into a dwelling house.
Joseph Jones, Paul Loyall, William Lee, Mann Page, Henry Tazewell, Benjamin Harri- son, Thomas Nelson, Miles King and John Kearns, Gentlemen, were appointed commis- sioners by an Act passed in May, 1784, to sell certain public lands for the use of the people ; among them the Gosport lands adjoining Ports- mouth were directed to be laid off into lots uni- form with the town and sold. This Act was amended in October, 1784. directing that the public lands called and known by the name of Gosport be annexed to Portsmouth and the governor, with the advice of the council, was empowered to appoint three or more com- missioners to lay off the lands into lots not ex- ceeding a quarter of an acre each, with con- venient streets and as nearly parallel to the
:
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
373
streets in the town of Portsmouth as the situa- tion of the place would conveniently admit, and sell at public auction after giving 60 days' notice in the Virginia, Maryland and Pennsyl- vania gazettes.
An advertisement in the Maryland Gazette. of April 14, 1785, says: "Commissioners hav- ing laid off Gosport, offer at public sale 300 lots. They say that Gosport has superior ad- vantages. to both Portsmouth and Norfolk, as being nearer the proposed canal into North Carolina, deeper water and a safer harbor for the careening of ships."
Also in October, 1784, five additional trus- tees were authorized to be elected by the free- holders; the election to be conducted in the manner directed by the Act "to empower free- holders of the several towns not incorporated to supply vacancies of the trustees and direc- tors thereof." The election was to be held on the third Tuesday in April, 1786, and every year thereafter for 12 trustees.
In October. 1789, the trustees were author- ized to raise a sum not to exceed £400 to erect a bridge between Gosport and Portsmouth. and to sell certain lots in Gosport for the purpose.
The following is the record of a meeting in the oldest book preserved in the archives of the city :
At a meeting of the Gentlemen, Trustees for the Town of Portsmouth, on Wednesday, the 20th day of April, 1796.
Present
James S. Mathews, Thomas Emmerson.
Bernard Maguien,
John Quareles,
John Mushrow. John Brooks,
Robert Thompson, Nathaniel Peed.
Henry Dickinson.
This day the Sheriff made his return of the follow- ing Gentlemen. to serve the Town of Portsmouth as Trustees for one year :
William Wilson, Robert Thompson.
James S. Mathews, John Mushrow,
Robert Shelton. Bernard Maguien,
John Brooks. . William Porter.
John Quareles, Thomas Emmerson,
Nathaniel Peed. Henry Dickson
Henry Dickson was unanimously elected President for the ensuing year.
Andrew Kidd was appointed Clerk to be paid the
sum of twenty dollars per annum for his services and taking the list of tithables.
Capt. Henry Dickson was appointed Treasurer.
TITHABLES FOR 1798.
The following is the list of tithables in the town of Portsmouth for the year 1798:
No, of
Persons Names. Tithes.
Armistead. Ralph.
I
Alford, Warring. 4
Aberdeen. Henry. 3
Allison, John .. 2
Anderson, Aquila.
I
B.
Blythe, James.
I
Brooks. John.
4
Bacci, Philip.
5
Bustin. Edward. 4 :2
3
Buxton, Jaines.
I
Bustin, John C ..
2
Brooks, Thomas.
2
Brown, James
2
Brown. Joseph.
I
Brown. Francis. Sr
4
Brown. Francis. Jr.
3
Bingley. Mathew
3
Bernbury, Mathew
2
Beale, George.
3
Ballance, Willis
I
Blow. Richard.
7
Burton, Peter.
3
Barr, Richard.
2
Blainire. James.
4
Butler. George
I
Bell, John ..
3
Barnes. James.
I
C.
Cutril, Benjamin.
I
Culpepper, Willis.
I
Crow, Benjamin.
I
Collins. Henry.
3
Collins. Hannah.
I
Clements, Daniel.
6
Cann, Cann ..
4
Cotton. Willis.
I
Cooper, Edward.
4
Carter. Stephen. I
Cotton, Abran
2
D.
Davis. David.
2
Denby. Jonathan 2
Day, John.
2
Collins, George. I
Buckley, Morris.
Benson, Robert.
374
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
Persons Names.
No. of Tithes.
Day, Francis
2
Duval, Lucy .. 4
Dickson. Henry 7
Dickenson, Joseph.
2
Davis, Mary.
9
Duffey, Jamies.
I
L.
Laws, Tubinan 2
4
Linnel, Thomas.
3
Elliott, Robert ..
3
Eshon. Nathaniel.
7
Edwards, Mary ..
2
Edwards, Oney.
I
Langley, John.
I
Lawrence, Elizabeth.
I
F.
M.
Milhado. Aaron.
5
Mathews. James S.
7 I
Millar, Francis.
Millar, Dorcas. I
Moffatt, William 4
Moore, Capt. William. 2
I
Morris. John.
3
Graham, Francis
I
Grant, William
I
Gants, John F
I
Goffigan,
H.
Hudras, Leon.
2
Hughes. John ...
ī
Hansford, Edward.
2 I 3
Howser, Jacob.
N.
Nunn. Joseph
I
Nicholson, Jesse.
2
Newhran, Edward.
2
Hall, Lee.
I
Newell, James. I
I
Hendree, John.
T
Hasford. Peter.
I
Holms. Robert.
I I
Hunter, Marianna
2 I
Henry, James.
I I 2
Porter, William 7
Peed, Nathan. . I
Paynter, Prudent. I
I
J.
Jarvis, John.
I
Jefferson, Ann.
I
Reynolds. William
2
I
K.
Kinder, Joseph.
2
2
Rutter. John.
2
Kelsie. Richard Kearnes, John .. 3 Roberts, Wilhain. 3
!
Foster, Jolin.
S
G.
Gerald, Henry
I
Gaskins, James.
2
Morgan, John. I
Marchant. Gideon. 2
2
Mushron, John.
I
Maguien. Bernard.
8
Miars, John.
Miars. George.
Michal. Margaret.
I HHH I 2
Miars, Thomas
I
Howser, George.
Herbert, Arthur
Herbert, Peter
Herbert. Sophia.
Hall. Samuel.
Halstead, Jesse.
2
Newton, Thomas
O.
Oliffe. John.
2
Owens, John
3
P.
Harper, William ..
Hoffler, Thomas.
Hopkins, W. William
2
Herbert, Judith. I
Pearson, Mary.
R.
Rodman, Josephi.
Rodman. Robert .. I
Robertson, Patrick 3
No. of Tithes.
King, William.
3
Kay. Jonathan .. I
Keeling, Alexander. I
Kidd, Andrew
2
E.
Livingston, Margaret.
Leckie, Alexander 3
Leigh, William. 4
Lewelling. James. I
Fervion, Euber
I
Foster, Joseph
I
Moore, William.
McEvoy. John.
I
-
3 ·3 2 I
Nash, Thomas. S
Herbert, Joseph.
Hopkins. George ..
Pritchard. William
I
Persons Names.
Emmerson, Arthur 6
Flora, Willian I
375
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
Reynolds, William. 2
Robbins, John ..
I
S.
Seymour. Edward. I
Schoolfield, John. I
Schute, William. IC
Saunders, William. 3
Stewart. Robert.
I
T.
Tatem, Sarah ... I
Toomer. Sheldon.
I
Thompson, Robert.
3
V.
Veale and Bradford. 2
Veale, George.
I
Veale, Thomas.
2
Ventus, Mary
I
Veale, Ann ..
I
Veale, Dempsey
2
W.
Watts, Dempsey, Jr 3
Webb, Tapley
I
Wilson, Lois.
2
Wilson, Willis.
9
Willis, Walter.
3
Williams, Charles, Jr
I
Wood. Story.
1
Walker, Edward M.
3
Webb. George.
2
Wilson, William, Jr
4 I
Watts. William.
3
Williamson, F. and G. .
3
Williams, Charles, Sr.
I
Warrener, Edward. 2
Walker, William. I
Williams, Wilson.
3
Williams, James. I
Whidbee, John. I
Whidlee, William
I
Y.
Young, James
5
Total
412
At a meeting of the Gentlemen, Trustees for the Town of Portsmouth on Saturday May 3rd. 1800. this day the Sheriff made his return of the following Gen- tlemen to serve as Trustees of the town aforesaid for the term of one year.
Richard Blow, William King,
James S. Mathews, John Foster,
Bernard Maguien, Jona. Denby.
Henry Dickson, Thos. Brooks,
Peter Herbert, Nathl. Eshon.
John Brooks, Daniel Clements.
Capt. William King was elected President.
22
It seems that hog's were troublesome to the town in its early day, for on the 29th of April, 1803, an order of the trustees empowered the constables to take up all hogs going at large after the 15th of May, and after three days' public notice to sell the same to the highest bidder, one-half for the good of the town and the other half "to the taken up"; but in case the owner appeared before the day of sale he could recoyer by paying $1. This proving in- effectual, on the 2nd of March, 1811, the owner of a hog at large was to be fined $5. Then the country hogs would visit the town and the town trustees had so much trouble in prevent- ing tliese rovers that other decrees were made to put an end to the visits of the country hogs.
On January 4, 1803, the trustees were em- powered to lease for 99 years renewable for- ever a part of the lot given by Col. William Craford for a market, and on the 7th of Jan- uary of the same year they were authorized to extend the limits of the town to Chestnut street and to make rules for regulating the building on lots and to settled disputed lines. On the 25th of January, 1805, they were empowered to lease part of the land given by Craford for a Court House, the rents to be appropriated toward paving streets.
On the 18th day of January, 1811, an Act of the legislature was passed providing that the limits of the town were not to be extended from Effingham street to Chestnut street for 15 years unless the consent of the owners of the land affected thereby should be sooner obtained.
On the 21st of January, ISHI, the trustees were granted additional powers and author- ized to regulate weights and measures, to re- move nuisances and obstructions in town and streets, to appoint one or more measurers of wood, salt, coal and grain, to make regulations for protecting property against fire, to prevent and punish fast driving, to prohibit hogs from running at large; to pass by-laws. rules and regulations for the good order and government of the town, to appoint constables or town sergeants.
The number of trustees was reduced to sev :-
Walker, Samuel.
376
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
en by an Act passed on the 19th of February, 1819. The sheriff of Norfolk County was di- rected to hold annually at the Market House on the third Tuesday in April an election for trustees. This Act also made the trustees a body corporate and politic by the name of "The Trustees of Portsmouth." They were further empowered to pass by-laws for pre- venting goats and hogs running at large.
The Act incorporating the trustees of Ports- mouth Academy and directing the overseers of the poor to convey to said trustees money produced by the sale of Glebe lands became a law on January 28, 1825, and there was an Act passed on the 14th of February, 1829, to revive and amend "an Act to authorize a lottery and the sale of certain lots in the town of Ports- mouth."
On the 4th of April, 1831, Water street was established and the trustees were authorized to levy a tax to pay damages assessed to individ- tials. On March 10. 1832, the former location of Water street was changed. The trustees were authorized on the 13th of March, 1833, to prohibit the burial of dead persons within the limits of the town and to hold land for a burying ground. The trustees were empow- ered on the 4th of March, 1834, to prohibit the erection of any building east of Dinwiddie ; street and Second street, Gosport, unless the outer walls were to be of brick or stone.
On the first day of February, 1836, the trustees were empowered to cause the streets to be graded and paved, to employ a superintend- ent to audit expenses of paving and apportion expenses between property owners, to appoint watchmen and regulate their duties, to erect lamps, to direct surveyor to run limit of wharves, to regulate manner of constructing wharves, to remove infected persons to hospital, to hold land for a Market House, to rent out stalls and make rules regulating same, to hold land and erect a magazine thereon and appoint a keeper, to erect a Town Hall when required by a majority of the voters, to purchase land for public squares when freeholders desired it, to borrow money and issue scrip therefor and to
levy taxes. On March 21, 1836, there was another Act amending the Act to establish Water street,-damages to be ascertained by a writ of ad quod damnum, and on the 2nd of April, 1838, firemen were exempted from jury service. On the 22nd of March, 1839, the law provided that the trustees should consist of nine persons to be elected on the first Saturday in April, and on the 24th of February, 18440, the sale of the Portsmouth Academy was directed and the proceeds divided according to the rela- tive population of the town and county. On the 28th of March, 1848, a law was enacted to incorporate the commissioners of the public schools of Portsmouth. As will be observed, Portsmouth had a corporate existence by which she was authorized to issue bonds and to exer- cise certain other functions of a municipality, but she was not separate as to her government from Norfolk County until 1852. Previous to the incorporation of Portsmouth with all +: habiliments of a town it was, of course, under the jurisdiction of Norfolk County. A board of trustees constituted its legislature and a board of magistrates the judicial authority of the town. Of the latter, three justices of he peace composed a quorum for the adjudication of civil cases, five for the trial of criminal of- fenses.
An Act of the 15th of May, 1852, in its 6th section directed that: "Until otherwise pro- vided, the Town of Portsmouth shall for the purposes of this Act, be laid off into two wards, ; as follows, to-wit: All of Portsmouth and Gosport east of Court and Fourth streets shall be called Jackson Ward : all of Portsmouth and Gosport west of Court and Fourth streets shall be called Jefferson Ward : and there shall be a separate place of voting in each ward as fol- lows, to-wit: The place of voting in Jackson Ward shall be the Town Hall; in Jefferson Ward, it shall be the Court House."
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