Colonial Attorney-Generals; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 10, No. 2, 1901

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     William and Mary College Quarterly Historical
Magazines, Vol. 10, No. 2. (Oct., 1901), pp.140-141

140
                  William and Marry College Quarterly.

5, Charles Wellford7, unmarried; secretary Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway Company.
6, Marry Alexander7, married James Markham Marshall, now
living in Fauquier county with her
three children, Emeline Wellford8, Beverley Alexander8 and
James Markham8.

          COLONIAL ATTORNEY-GENERALS.*

     Richard Lee was the first Attorney-General of whom we
have any notice.  He is referred to  as such in
the records of the General Court in 1643.  He was the
ancestor of Gen. Robert E. Lee, and came from
Stratford Lanton, in the County of Essex.  He succeeded
Richard Kempe as Secretary of State in 1649, and
continued such till April 1652, when William Claiborne was
appointed.  He first lived at Poropotank Creek,
in Gloucester county, and afterwards removed, about 1651, to
Dividing Creek, in Northumberland county.
He served also as a Burgess and Member of Council.  His will
was proved at London, January 10, 1664-'65.

     Benjamin Harrison succeeded Bartholomew Fowler as
Attorney-General in 1702.  He was the grandson
of Benjamin Harrison, the emigrant to Virginia, and
grandfather of Benjamin Harrison,  signer of the
Declaration of Independence.  He was born in 1673, and died
April 10, 1710.  He lived at Berkely, up
James River, which place was forty miles from the Capitol.
On account of the distance and the smallness
of the pay, which was only forty pounds, Harrison soon
resigned the office.  In 1705 he was treasurere and
speaker of the Houses of Burgesses.  There is recorded in
the Council Journal an order giving him access
to the records, as he intended to write a history of
Virginia.  Doubtless his early death prevented his
intention from being consummated.  He married Elizabeth,
daughter of Major Lewis Burwee, of Gloucester
county, and died April 10, 1710.  He was probably educated
in one of the law schools of England.

     Steven Thomson succeeded Benjamin Harrison.  In March,
1703-`4 Nicholson Wrote to the Board of
Trade asking that an attorney-general might be sent to
Virginia to take the place of

*  Omitted in the list given on page 31.

page 141

Benjamin Harrison, who, for the reasons given above, was
unwilling to serve.  The Lords of Trade
recommended Stevens Thomson, son of Sir William Thomson,
with a salary of one hundred pounds,
payable out of her Majesty's revenue in Virginia.  Thomson
was educated at the university, and studied
law in the Middle Temple.  On the 10th of August, 1704, he
waited on the Board of Trade at Whitehall, and
they gave him a letter recommending him to the Governor's
protection and encouragement in the
execution of the Attorney-General's office.  He arrived in
Virginia not long after.  One memorial of his
decisions has come down to us in connection with the famous
case of Grace Sherwood, of Princess Anne
county, who was tried for a witch.  He died about 1714.  He
brought with him to Virginia his wife,
Dorothea, who died in Williamsburg, July 12, 1713, and five
children, Mary, Elizabeth, who died in
Williamsburg July 14, 1713; William, Ann and Stevens.  He
had a son born later in Virginia named
Taunton, but all the children died without issue except
Anne, who became her father's sole heir, and in
1721 married Col. George Mason, of Gunston Hall, in Stafford
county.  George Mason, the famous author
of the Virginia Bill of Rights and first State constitution,
was her son.

          HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL NOTES.

                    Bedford County Officers.

     At a Court held for Bedford County, Nov.27, 1758.
Present, William Callaway, Samuel Hairston,
Richard Stith, Robert Baber, Joseph Rentfro, Richard
Callaway, Zackary Burnley, Charles Talbot,
William Mead, & Jeremiah Early, Gentlemen, Justices.
     William Callaway, County Lt., Charles Talbot, Capt.,
Joseph Rentfro, Capt.,  & John Quarles, Capt. of
the Militia of Bedford county, took the oaths to the
Government & subscribed the Test etc.
     At a Court held for Bedford County, June 25, 1771.
Present Robert Ewing, Francis Callaway, William
Trigg, Gross Scruggs, Gentlemen, Justices.
     John Quarles, Esquire, County Lt., took the usual oaths
to his Majesty's person & Government, &
repeated & subscribed the Test.
     At a Court held for Bedford County, November 24, 1778.
This