The Encyclopedia of by Robert Hedges VIIII © -
Dumfries,
Virginia 1740-1759
1740 |
1750 |
The Encyclopedia of by Robert Hedges VIIII © -
Dumfries,
Virginia 1740-1759
1740 |
1750 |
Proceedings and Debates of the British Parliaments respecting
North America
Edited by Leo Francis Stock Vol.V 1739-1754
Washington D.C. Published by the Carnegie Institution of
Washington
Parliaments of Great Britain
January 21 - Jan 22, 1740/41
1. Extract of a letter from Major Gooch, Lieutenant-Govenor of
Virginia, dated February 9th 1739/40, relating
to paper currency, etc.
By act of the colony, 1661, pieces of eight passed for 5s. By
the act of 1710 pieces of eight of Mexico,
Saville, and Pillar; ducatoons of Flanders, ecus of France, louis
and crusados of Portugal passed for 3.5d the
pennyweight. Until this act, bills of exchange and cash were
generally at par, so there was no difference
between the silver coin of England and foreign coins. Since the
passage of the British act regulating the value
of coins, bills of exchange had been paid in current money at 15.
20 and sometimes 25 % advance and the
difference now of sterling and currency is from 20 to 25. By the
act of 1714, all foreign gold coins were to
pass according to their respective weights after the rate of 5s
per pennyweight, guineas at 26s,; the crown at
the rate of 5s 10d,; all british money not milled at 3d. 3f, The
act of 1727 fixed the rate of pieces of eight,
ducaoons,e'cus,silver louis, and crusados at 4d per pennyweight;
all silver coins now pass at the same rate;
the British milled crowns at 6s 3d, the lesser coins at the same
perportion. Very littlesilver or gold has been
bought or sold by the ounce, ; the price of the former per ounce
has ben from L4 current money to ٢.10s; the
price of silver has been from 5s to 5s 6d. No paper bills or
bills of credit were ever created or issued in the
Colony.
MMS House of Lords [photofilm LC, pp. 43-48.
Parliaments of Ireland, February 9, 1743/4
Merchants being examined for accounts for the felons and vagabonds transported to the Colonies. Bonds of 㿞 per felon, ...cost of transport of ٠.10s - ١. with ٣. allowed by the Parliament for said transport.... sale price from ٧.10 - 㾹.10 for the indentures in the Colonies, as average of upwards of 100 named transported Irish.
FROM THE COMMISSARY. " GENTLEMEN: I hope and believe that your parish will be worthily supplied by the Rev. Dr. James Scott. His merit having been long, known to you, I need not dwell upon it. That you may be grealtly benefited by his good life and doctrine, and mutually happy with each other, and all the souls committed to his charge may be saved, is the daily prayer of, ''Gentlemen, your most affectionate, humble servant, WILLIAM DAWSON. WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE, April 26, 1745."
1747 October 20 - Executive Journals
That John Baxter, an Inspector at Quantico Warehouse in Prince William be summonsed to Appear either in person or by Attorney at the next Court of Oyer and Terminer to answer a complaint against him.
April 26, 1745
A glebe was purchased for Mr. Scott on Quantico Creek, which runs
up the Potomac to Dumfries. It consisted
of four hundred acres of land, and was bought of Mr. Thomas
Harrison, for 𧴿:0:0. So far as I have ascertained, but few
of the glebes cost that much, and when rented out, as
they often were, seldom brought more than 㿀: -㿊: .
Records of Dettingen Parish
Old Churches etc.
10 Dec. 1747 - Exec Jour. This day appeared according to summons Mr John Baxter an inspector at Quantico warehouse in Prince William, upon hearing the several depositions taken in confirmation of the facts charged upon him and the Council on his behalf, this board is of Opinion, that the said Baxter has been guilty of many base crimes in the execution of his office as well as Francis Searson who was lately Inspector with him, and it is ordered thet the said Baxter be turned out of his place, and the Attorney general have orders to prosecute him and the said Searson.
Barons by Conway p. 208
May 2, 1749
A movement had been growing to incorporate the town, the largest
place in Northern Virginia, in point of
commercial activity and population, and a bill was (105) brought
before the House of Burgesses. This passed
May 2nd, 1749, through the activity of Mr. Richard H. Lee.
In this Act, "sixty acres of land belonging to John Graham, situate and Iying upon the head of Quantico Creek, near the public warehouses, in the County of Prince William, shall be, and is hereby vested in John Graham, Peter Hedgman, William Fitzhugh, George Mason, Joseph BIackwell, Richard Blackburn and Thomas Harrison, and their successors." The above gentlemen are appointed Directors and Trustees "for designing, building, carrying on and maintaining a town . . . and shall lay out the said land in lots and streets, not exceeding a half acre to a lot, and set apart such portions of said land for a market place and public quay, and appoint such places upon the creek for public buildings as to them shall seem most convenient." "The Directors and Trustees shall have full power and authority to sell all said lots by public sale."
It is further "enacted that the Grantee or Grantees of every said lot or lots so to be conveyed and sold shall within two years, erect, build and furnish on every lot so conveyed one house of brick, stone or wood, well framed, of the dementions of twenty feet square and nine feet pitch, at the least". "The money raised by the sale of said lots shall be laid out by the said Directors for the common benefit of the inhabitants of said town as to them shall seem best, and if the inhabitants of said town shall fail to obey or pursue the Rules and Orders of the said Directors in repairing and amending the streets and Public Landings, they shall be liable to the same penalties as are now inflicted for not repairing the Highways of the Colony".
Wooden chimneys were prohibited within the town limits under penalty of 㿀 for every month used, Further (106) more, the raising of swine within the town wax unlawful, "and if any swine, raised or kept, shall be found going or running at large, it shall and may be lawful for any person to kill and destroy the same; provided, nevertheless, that such person shall not convert any swine so killed to his or her own use, but shall leave the same in the place where it shall be killed and give immediate notice to the owner thereof, if known, and if not to the next Justice of the Peace, who may order the same to the use of any poor person he shall think fit".
"And it is furthermore enacted by the Authority aforesaid that the town so erected, shall be called by the name of Dumfries".
15 Jun. 1750 Exec. Jour.
Tobacco Inspector at Warehouses. . . . . . . Prince William . . . . . . . . Quantico . . . . . . . George Brett, Foushee Tibbs.
2 Nov 1750 Exec. Jour.
Upon the Petition of John Baxter late Inspector at Quantico in Prince William and a representative of the circumstances of his case attested by the President it was the opinion of the Council that he was an object of Compassion, and their advice that his Honour would be pleased to order the suit against him on his Bond to be dismist.
At the time of the division of the parish, there was an old and indifferent one near Dumfries, which, in the year 1752, was sold for fifteen hundred-weight of tobacco, and a new one costing one hundred thousand-weight was ordered. The contractor for it was a Mr. Waite, ancestor to the worthy member and lay reader of our Church in Winchester, Mr. Obed Waite. The church at Broad Run was also contracted for in 1752. Both were of brick, and very substantial ones. It has not been many years since the roof and walls of the latter fell to the ground. Some remnant of the ruins of the former may perhaps be seen near Dumfries at this time.
To Colonel Henry Lee
Fredericksburg, October 8, I755.
[Sir:] As I understand Lord Fairfax has had great reason to order one hundred of the Militia of your County [Prince William] to march, to assist in the protection of our Frontiers; I must desire, that you will see that they come on Horse-back, as they will thereby be enabled to make Dispatch and to carry Provisions with them, which must be done, as the scarcity of Bread between this and Fort Cumberland, renders it absolutely necessary. I must earnestly recommend dispatch to you, as you must be truly sensible, that the present situation of Affairs, will not admit of the least delay.
I shall be at Winchester tomorrow, and shall expect to see your Detachment there the next Day or the day after, at the farthest. I am Yours, GW.
Mar 1755
General Braddock landed in Virginia on February 20. The
transports with the British troops, who were to act
under him, came into the Chesapeake soon afterwards. These he
ordered up the Potomac to Alexandria, or,
as it was then sometimes called, Bellhaven, where the troops
debarked. Five companies were cantoned there,
one company was stationed at Dumfries, six companies at
Fredericksburg and Falmouth, three and a half
companies at Winchester, and half a company at Conococheague. In
Maryland one company was cantoned at
Bladensburg, another at Upper Marlboro, and two at Frederick.
Some of the troops were landed below
Alexandria, at the nearest point to Fredericksburg. The general
remained at Williamsburg, planning with the
governor preparations for the approaching campaign.
The following order of the King, dated at St. James, Nov. 12,
1754, respecting the rank of Colonial officers,
was brought out by General Braddock: "All troops serving by
commission signed by us, or by our general
commanding in chief in North America......
Writings of Washington -p. 109,
Virginia Wagon Claims Philadelphia Records of King's Commissary General II Pa 583, 589, 638, Jan. 1756.
Hazard to Thomas Pownall, January l4, 1756, Hazard Letter Book,
Princeton University Library. His trip
covered 1,800 miles on the frontier. Of the effects of the French
and Indian War I wrote in part, "I saw great
numbers of houses left desolate, fields of corn destroyed, and
both going out and returning home I met droves
of people who had fled from their habitations traveling, with
what little effects they could take with them to seek
safety elsewhere."
Travels of Eb Hazard
Maryland Historical Magazine
A letter dated February l0, 1756. Jerdone Letter Book(1756-1763) in William and Mary College Library. The pages are not numbered
Winchester, 8 May 1756
May 8th The County Lieutt of Prince Wm Colo. Henry Lee arriv'd this day we began to experience in a surpg degree the suparlative insolence of the prince Wm Detacht who made use of every mean's to treat not only the Private Soldrs but the Officer's of the Virga Regt ill and upon one of them being seasd and order'd to the guard House for abusg in the Most insolt manr & offg to (illegible) one of their Officers calld for a number of Men to rescue him & pulld down the House Swore the Officers of the Virginia Regt were all Scoundrels and that he coud drive the whole Corps before him the fright that he rec'd from one of them and his ackts next morng suffly attond for his imprudence.
In the Eveng of this day Captn Dalton with not only his Volunteer's, but Captn Russel and his, with the remg few of the Militia came to Town.
Upon enquiring the Reason of this I was answerd that Captn Russel and his v[oluntee]rs had got tir'd and must needs go hom[e] and that the Militia which were only 13 were too sml to Post at any Pass as I had orderd as indeed they were. 2
Memorandum respecting the Militia
[Winchester, 7 May 1756]
May 7th Lieutenant Colo. Peyton came to Town [1] and Captn Joseph Murdock with 2 Officers and 20 Men from King George sent up by Colo. Champe, a detacht of 50 private left the County the rest deserted on their March.
AD, DLC:GW. See Memorandum respecting the Militia, 12 May 1756.
1. Henry Peyton, lieutenant colonel of the Prince William County militia, insisted on marching with his men to Patterson Creek on 12 May. In March Peyton had challenged the election of Col. Henry Lee, also of the Prince William militia, to the House of Burgesses from that county, on the grounds that Lee "had treated the Freeholders of the said County, to engage their Votes" (31 Mar. 1756, in JHB, 1752-1755, 1756-1758, p.352). Atter the House declared Lee's seat vacant on 31 Mar., Peyton was elected to replace him. There is no evidence that Peyton attended the assembly before marching with the militia to Winchester, but he did attend in 1757. One of the incorporators of the town of Dumfries, Peyton was also a justice of the peace in Prince William County and at one time county sheriff.
To COLONEL HENRY PEYTON
Winchester, May I7, I756.
Sir: I had yours last night; and observe your dangers from the Indians about the Neighbourhood. I would have you consult with Governor Innes upon the most expedient measures to pursue: and by all means, let me advise you never to be unguarded in case of a Surprize.
I have had some conversation with people from the Branch since I wrote to you last; and find it requisite to continue your command on these waters, to range and scout about, and to secure the Grain and Cattle of the Inhabitants from the Enemy; than to build that Fort on Capecapon, for sometime yet.
Before this reaches you, you may (perhaps) have marched from
Pearsalls; as I understand you intend it. Upon
your return from escorting Governor Innes, I would have you make
Pearsalls your HeadQuarters, and to send
out your Scouting parties as low as the mouth of the River. If
you learn any further intelligence about the
strength and motions of the Enemy, which you may think worth
regarding; I desire you would lose no time in
communicating it to me. I am &c.
- GW
To COLONEL HENRY PEYTON
Winchester, May I6, I756.
Sir: The Detachment from King George, under Lieutenant Newgent,
is to be stationed at Ashby's Fort; and
you are to proceed with the whole of your Militia, to the Mouth
of Little Capecapon.
1. Evidently plans were sent for the number of men to be ordered to these alarm posts, but the copyist has ignored them.
ORDERS FOR THE MILITIA
[May I5, I756.]
The Commanding Officers of the Militia left at this place, are to order all their Men to be under Arms at Retreat-beating this Evening: and are to acquaint them, that if any of them desert, they will be immediately draughted as Soldiers into the Virginia Regiment.
They are also to order them to lodge their Arms in some secure place; and not suffer them to go about the Streets with their Arms. They will be Relieved as soon as the Draughts for the Regiment are made: and will not be liable to a chance of being draughted themselves.
IN CONSEQUENCE of the Council of War that was held the I4th. instant: Such part of the Militia of the several Counties as rendezvous'd at this place, and were detained here; are ordered to be posted as follows vizt.
At Mendenhalls Fort Lieutenant Thomas, with two Sergeants and twenty-five private men, from Orange County.
At the Mouth of Sleepy Creek; Captain Woodford; one Lieutenant, three Sergeants, and fifty private men, from Caroline.
At the Mouth of Little Capecapon, Colonel Peyton; one Captain, four Subalterns, four Sergeants, and Ninety men, from Prince William.
At Ashby's Fort, Lieutenant Newgent; two Sergeants, and twenty-five private men, from King George; Lieutenant.
American grain was excluded from Britain by the Corn Laws, these were suspended after a bad harvest in 1757. The export of grain again plunged as the Corn Laws were reinstated between 1759-1763. The southern european market remained open after 1758, with shipping being direct or through Pennsylvania....
Recruiting 1 Jul., 1757 Personal Data on Militia Soldiers,
Records of Draughs
1st Va Regmt. 5 Capt. 13 Lts. 6 Ens. 34 Sgts. 6 Drummers 3 Fifes
2nd Va Regmt. 3 Capts. 6 Lts. 4 Ens. 9 Sgts. 1 Drummer 0 Fifes
Fit for duty 528, Tot. 533
134 134
Capt. Posey
Capt. Fields
To Colonel Henry Lee
July 1, 1757.
Sir: You are to proceed to Fredericksburgh, where you are to
remain for the reception of the Draughts for the
Regiment. You are to take their names, size, complexion, age,
country, and former employment; and the
Officers names who deliver them: specifying the number you
receive from each Officer; to whom you are to
give a receipt for them. You must not receive any that are
subject to fits, or that have ulcers or old sores on
their legs, or any other disease that renders them incapable of
service. Nor that are under five feet four inches
high; unless active and well-built. You are to order them up here
in parties as they are; and to transmit me, by
the commanding Officer of each of the parties, an exact muster
roll of his command. You are to give the
Officers of these commands, orders to be particularly careful,
and to use every precaution to prevent desertion.
You are to procure provisions for them upon the best terms you
can, and see they are properly supplied: They
are to get nothing but provisions, 'till their arrival here; when
they will receive necessaries of every kind.
You are to continue at Fredericksburg, to march up the last of
them ordered to rendezvous at that place,
unless you shall receive a counter-mand.
You are to kep exact copies of the receit you give for the
Draughs: and endeavour to give these men a
favorable opinion of the way of life they are entering upon, by
treating them with kindness and humility, the
most effectual of removing those strange prejudices which the
common people have in general against it.
If any of them should desert, you are to write to the commanding
Officer of the county whence they came,
informing him of it, and begging his aid in apprehending and
sending them to the Regiment.
GW
Writings of Washington
PRlNCE WILLIAM MILITIA - 219-220
To FRANCIS FAUQUIER
Fort Loudoun, June I9, I758.
Hon'ble Sir: The Letter herewith Inclos'd, wou'd have been sent according to the date, but I have been waiting till now for Captn. Rutherfords Pay Roll, his Company being much dispers'd in the Ranging Service.
This day the Prince William Militia are to March for the South Branch, to relieve two Companies of my Regiment, agreeably to Orders. Inclos'd is a return of their present strength. I shou'd think myself difficient in my duty were I to pass over in Silence the transactions of and State of this Company from their first coming out, about the 20th. "Ulto".
One hundred Militia then, were Order'd from Prince William County (but at what time I can't exactly say by Mr. President Blair) instead of that number, they sent 73 and everyone of them unprovided with either Arms or Ammunition, as the Law directs; by which means they were useless but burthensome to the Country, as they receiv'd true Allowance of Provisions and had their Pay running on. This matter was represented to Colo. Henry Lee, Lieut't of that County, by Sir Jno. St. Clair then Commanding Officer here. The Consequence of this representation was; that about the first of this Inst't, near 100 Arms were sent up by his order out of which number. Scarce 5 were Serviceable; and not more than 30 cou'd possibly be made to Fire. This was also represent'd to Colo. Lee who after professing a Concern for it said, they expect'd Arms from England, (I think) every day, and took no further Acct. of the matter that I have yet heard of. I immediately set Smiths to repairing their Arms, and have at last, with the Assistance of 35 old Muskets which I caus'd to be deliver'd out of the Store here, got this Company, which shou'd consist of 100 Men, (tho' there is but 68) at last compleated. 'Till this time, they have been a dead expence to the Publick, and no Service to the Inhabitants. This Sir, are serious Facts, and really merits [reprehension] [30] for, if such behaviour is suffer'd to escape unnoticed, the most destructive Consequences may accrue to the Country, as in the present case for Instance, if the Troops had March'd agreeable to my first Orders, the Companies on the South Branch wou'd have been drawn off and the Inhabitants left either destitute of relief, or have come off with them, which they determin'd to do. This I understand actually hapen'd in Augusta County, when Maj'r Lewis came from thence, by the negligence, I suppose of the County Lieutenants. I am etc. GW
Naval Officer Returns exist for 23 complete reporting years between 1727-1758. and 9 years between 1759-1772.
October 4, 1759.
Oct. 4. We traveled twenty-five miles to another gentleman's house; and from thence, the day following, about twenty-five miles farther, to a town called Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg is situated about a mile below the Falls of Rappahannock . .
We returned from this place the next day to Fredericksburg; and ferrying over the Rappahannock into the Northern Neck, travelled about seventeen miles to a gentleman's house in Stafford county: in the morning we proceeded through Dumfries, and over Occoquan river to Colchester, about twenty one miles.
These are two small towns lately built for the sake of the back trade; the former [Dumfries]* on the Quantico, the other upon Occoquan river, both of which fall into the Potomac. About two miles above Colchester there is an iron furnace, a forge, two saw-mills, and a bolting-mill: at our return we had an opportunity of visiting them: they have every convenience of wood and water, that can be wished for. The ore wrought here is brought from Maryland; not that there is any doubt of there being plenty enough in the adjacent hills; but the inhabitants are discouraged from trying for it by the proprietor's (viz. Lord Fairfax) having reserved to himself a third of all ore that may be discovered in the Northern Neck.
*In the preceding editions of this book, Dumfries is mentioned as situated upon Acquia Creek: but this is certainly erroneous; for all the maps describe it as situated upon the Quantico. The error probably arose from the author's having passed the Acquia, the Quantico, and the Occoquan rivers in the same day; and his want of perfect and correct recollection, when he wrote his journal in the evening.
....court was moved to the house of Foushee Tebbs in Dumfries in November 1759. The new courthouse was constructed by Benjamin Tompkins, and judging from the rent that Tebbs received for the use of his house, it was not occupied until October 1762.
Tobacco stagnated in the Fburg region as wheat and other cereal
grains became increasingly more attractive
commodities for export. Between 1740-44 and 1760-64 prices for
tobacco on the world market rose far less
than for wheat and flour because the traditional grain suppliers,
Poland and Britain, were unable to meet
sharpely increasing demands for foodstuffs in the west indies and
southern europe.
As their populations increased, those areas turned to the North
American colonies for food. In the 1760s more
and more planters in the Chesapeake grew grain to take advantage
of the new markets.[7]
Customs records of the Rappahannock Naval District show that
farmers near Fredericksburg followed others
in the Chesepeake and responded to the pulls of the West Indian,
southern European, New England, and
English markets . . . . . . . . . .
By the mid-1760s both grains were major exports, and a large
proportion of the district's shipping was devoted
to them.[8]
[6]William H. Seiner, Economic Development in Revolutionary
Virginia. 1750-1810. PhD Diss. Wm & M. 1982
Prince, France and the Chesapeake.
[7]Egnal, Economic Development of the Thirteen Continental
Colonies.
Erale & Hoffman, Staple crops.
Phyllis Deane, The First Industrial Revolution. (Cambridge 1969)
Saladino, Wheat Trade.
Ralph Davis, English Foreign Trade, 1700-1774. EconHR, XV
(1962-63).**
[8] Siener, Economic Developments.