Historical Notes and Queries; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 9, No. 1

Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project

************************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE:  These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in
any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons.  Persons or organizations desiring to use this material,
must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal
representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb
archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission
to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.

http://www.usgwarchives.net
***********************************************************************


Historical Notes and Queries

   William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 1.
   (Jul., 1900), pp. 60-64.

                             HISTORICAL NOTES AND QUERIES.

   SEASONING. - This was an expression used in Virginia to denote the period required for the
acclimation of emigrants.  During the seventeenth century the mortality was very great.  Out
of fourteen thousand person imported to Virginia but one thousand two hundred and fifty-
eight survived at the time of the massacre in 1622.  There were, however, other causes in
operation during the first fifteen years - famine and Indian attack.  Till 1619, the colony
was under marshal law, so that the noblest emigrant and the lowest servant were on a plane
of equality.  Men of "Auncyent houses and borne to estates of 1000b by the yeere" were con-
strained to serve at hard labor seven or eight years.  Many died.  (Neill's Virginia Company
of London, p. 419.)

   Peter De Vries visited Virginia in 1632, and wrote of the climate that "during the months
of June, July and August it

Page 61.

was very unhealthy, that their poeple who have then lately arrived from England, die, during
these months, like cats and dogs, whence they call it the sickly season".  At this time, the
better classes enjoyed political and individual freedom.  Only to the servants were the
conditions unchanged.  Consequently, the mortality engendered by the climate prevailed
chiefly among them.  A "seasoned servant", that is the servant who had become inured to the
country, was much more desirable and commanded a far better price than a fresh arrival.  In
the inventory of the estate of Stephen Gill of York county (1653), "a new hand, having 7 1/2
years to serve", was estimated as worth not much more than other servants, having a liitle
more than a year to serve.  According to Sir William Berkeley (1671) four out of five of the
unseasoned servants died during the first year after their arrival.  After this time, negro
slaves were substituted for white servants, the plantations were more and more cleared of 
wood, the Peruvian bark was introduced, and Virginia became gradually free from the reproach
of sickliness.

   HISTORICAL JOTTINGS. - Mr. R. A. Brock, of Richmond, writes as follows:

   "William C. Somerville, from Baltimore, Md., was addressed February 18, 1800, as 'student
at William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Va.,' by William T. Nevison, and in the letter
Nevison alludes to a wonderful legal authority, one 'Waller',  supposedly a friend of
Somerville and of Nevison.

   "I find from a provident note in my book that the armiger was James Milner.  The Smith's
Wealth of Nations, 3 vols., 18mo, has the imprint Philadelphia, 1796.  As to the second and
third volumes, they belonged to Bishop James Madison, William Ludwell Lee, and, in 1813, to
William H. Roane.  My first volume, 18mo. belonged to Marcellus Smith and 'James Plasants,
1820', the last, Governor of Virginia.  The date of this volume is 1816.  1796 probabaly
marks the introduction of Smith's Wealth of Nations as a text-book, as you seemed to think.

   "I have a copy of Holmes' Greek Grammar, third edition, London, 1743, 8vo, pp. 131, which
has the autographs of R. Randolph and of Peyton Randolph, and evidently was used by them
successively.

   "I have also 'A Treatise of the Animal Oeconomy', the second

Page 62.

edition, with additions, by Bryan Robinson, M.D.  Dublin, 1734, 8vo.

   "It has the library stamp in red 'Doctor James Blair', and the autograph of "Ro: Butler",
"Smithfield".

   "I have a school book somewhere used by Benjamin Harrison.

   "The Magills of Virginia have used, I think, armorial bookplates, and I have an imperfect
Timson plate."

   LITTLETON. - QUARTERLY, VIII., p. 230.  The connection of Col. Nathaniel Littleton, Nadua
Creek, Accomac county, with Sir Edward Littleton, baronet, Lord Chief Justice of England,

is further shown by an extract from the family pedigree book at the house of the present 
Lord Chief Justice of England, is further shown by an extract from the family pedigree book
at the house of the present Lord Hatherton, which was furnished by Henry Stewart Littleton,
his younger brother, to Major John Cropper, of Washington City, who kindly communicated it
to the editor.  According to this paper, the line runs:  Sir Thomas Lyttleton, or Littleton,
knight of the Bath, dec'd 2'3 August, 1481, author of Littleton's Tenures, married Frances
Burley, and had issue William, from whom springs Lord Lyttleton's family (1893) in direct
descent; Elena, Alicia, Richard, married Alice Wynesbury, of Pillaton, from whom springs
Lord Hatherton's family (Littleton), of Pillaton and Tedderley (1893), and Thomas.  This
last (Thomas) married Anne Batreaux, and had, with other children, John, who married Alice
Thornes.  They had issue (1) Thomas, of Stoke, in Shropshire, who married Frances Southey,
(2) Edward, of Henley, Shropshire, died 1622, who married Mary (Walter de Ludlow, (3)
Christopher, (4) Ada (?), married Margret Lacon, (5) William, married Margaret Hopton.  Sir
Edward Littleton and Mary de Ludlow had issue, (1) Sir Edward, Bart., (2) William, (3) James,
(4) William, (5) John, (6) "Nathaniel, emigrated to Virginia in 1635, a gentleman of the
Earl of Southampton's Company in the Low Countries, 1625", (7) Timothy, (8) Anne, (9) Mary,
(10) Martha, (11) Priscilla, (12) Joanna.

   Col. Southey Littleton appears to have married twice, (1) Sarah, who, in 1665, is
mentioned as "the wife of Soluthey Littleton, of Nadua, gent.", and (2) Elizabeth, daughter
of Major Edmund Bowman.  In 1679, Major Bowman gave 2,264 acres to Bowman Littleton, son of
Col Southey Littleton, and grandson of said Bowman.  There is an order entered November 16,
1692, against Catherine Bowman, widow of Edmund Bowman, and

Page 63.

Gertrude Cropper, widow of John Cropper, to recover a silver bowl, etc., given the children
of Elizabeth Littleton by her father, Edmund Bowman, 22 December, 1681.  Gertrude Bowman was
the sister of Elizabeth Littleton, and the wife of the first John Cropper.  The estate of
Major Bowman, called "Bowman's Folly", on Folly Creek, as descended to John Cropper, Esq.,
of Washington City, he representing the eighth generation which has lived on the land. 
(See also "Memoirs of Gen. John Cropper", Virginia Historical Society Collections, XI, pp.
275-315).

   WALLER. - Through the courtesty of Rev. C. M. Ottley, vicar of Newport Pagnall, in Bucks,
England, I am able to give the following record, from the Parish Register, of the Wallers of
Newport Pagnall:  "Doctor John Waller" and Mary his wife had issue:  (1) William, born

September 24, 1671, (2) John, born February 23, 1673, (3) Mary, born May 23, 1674, (4) 
Thomas, born October 17, 1675, (5) Steven, born November 24, 1676, (6) Benjamin, born March
19, 1678, (7) Edmund, born February 3, 1680, (8) James, born May 25, 1683, (9) Jemima, born
August 31, 1684.  Buried:  Ann Waller, July 7, 1678, James Waller, son of John, January,
1683, Alice Waller, Setpember 27, 1699.  Mr. Ottley thinks "the family came from Beaconsfield,
in the south of Bucks, where probably more and earlier records may be found."

   At Beaconsfield, in Bucks, was buried Edmund Waller, the poet, who died October 1, 1687,
and there may be seen a monument with an inscription writtne on four sides.  He married
(1) Ann, daughter of Edward Banks, Esq., by whom he had a son, died in infancy, and a
daughter, who married Mr. Dormer, of Oxfordshire, England.  He married, secondly, Mary
Bresse, or Breaux, by whom he had five sons and eight daughters, viz., Benjamin, Edmund,
William, Stephen, a son, name unknown, Margaret, Mary, Eliza, Dorothy, Octavia and three
daughters, with names unknown.  Most of these names have been family names in the Virginia
family.  John Waller, of Newport Pagnall, Bucks, born 1673, is supposed to have been Col. 
John Waller, of Virginia, who married Dorothea King, and had issue:  John, Thomas, William,
Benjamin, Edmund, Mary, wife of Zachary Lewis.  He names in his will, grandson Pomfret 
Waller, son of John Waller, and his wife names in her will Dorothy Jemima, daughter of

Page 64.

son Edmund.  Col. John Waller's residence in Spotsylvania county was known as Newport, and 
his arms were the same as the poet Edmund Waller's.

   PORTRAITS:  Mrs. Sarah B. Talman, of Church Hill, Richmond, Va., has two very fine old
paintings -- one of the Lord Francis Bacon, and the other of Queen Elizabeth.  They descended

to her from her ancestor. Col. Robert Carter, famikliarly known as "King Carter" (1667-1732).

   We read in Lee's Lee of Virginia that Mr. A. G. W. Corbin, of Northumberland county, has
some very intersting portraits of the Corbins.  An account of them sent by a lady of the
county is as follows:  "Hon John Corbin, in British uniform, with sword in hand, full-size
portrait.  Wife of the above, who was a Lee (Lettice), taken in full dress, brocade silk,
with much lace.

   "Gawin - a boy - with his sister Jane, said to be children of above.

   "Bettie Tayloe Corgin, married a Turberville, in full evening costume, brocade silk,
handsome lace, decollete, an English face, full and florid, an exquisite arm and hand, which
she displays to best advantage by pointing to an imaginary object.  (Painted by John
Hesselins, 1755.)"

   QUERIES. - (1) "Who was Luke Mills, of Northampton, Va., who married Hannah Lang, of
Portsmouth, N.H., December 5, 1734? and did he continue to reside in Northampton?  (2) Did
James Mills, merchant of Urbanna, born April 4, 1718, have any brothers?  Who were his
parents?  (3) Information wanted of the Hodson family of Maryland in the eighteenth century.
Thomas Hodson came to Boston from Maryland.  In 1744, his intention of marriage to Mary 
Lee was published in Boston.  In 1745, my great-grandmother was born in Boston; at least,
she was baptized at a church there.  Thomas Hodson died in Boston in 1787.  Two coats-of-
arms handed down in the family, framed alike, bear the names Hodson and Hooper, and some of
the family think they were those of his father and mother". - Miss Mary H. Curran, Public
Library, Bangor, Maine.