Two Spotswood Boys at Eton in 1760, &c; Wm. and Mary Qrtlyl., Vol. 2, No. 2, 1893 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 *********************************************************************** Two Spotswood Boys at Eton in 1760, &c Andrew G. Grinnan William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers, Vol. 2, No. 2. (Oct., 1893), pp. 113-120. TWO SPOTSWOOD BOYS AT ETON IN 1760, &C. BY ANDREW G. GRINNAN, M.D. Gov. Spotswood of Virginia had four children; the oldest was John, who married in 1745, Mary, daughter of Wm. Dandridge of the British Navy(1). Dorothea Spotswood married Capt. Nat. West Dandridge, also of the Navy. Alexander and John Spotswood were children of John. Alexander in due course of time became a general in the Revolution, and had high reputation as an excellent officer; he lived on the banks of the Rappahannock, on an excellent estate a few miles below Fredericksburg, Va(2). He married Elizabeth, daughter of Wm. Augustine Washington, brother of Gen. George. John, brother of Gen. George. John, brother to Alexander, married Miss Rowzee, and did good service to the colonies in the Revolution as a captain. John Spotswood, son of the Governor, died, and his widow married Mr. Campbell and lived at Williamsburg, Va.; his mother, Mrs. Campbell, named Margaret, was a widow and lived at London. Col. Bernard Moore of Chelsea, Va., who married Kate Spotswood, became guardian of Alexander and John, grandsons of the Governor. Col. Moore sent his wards to school at Eton in England, and they boarded with Mrs. Mary Young. In her yard was a famous elm tree, whose ample ___________________________________ (1) St. Mark's Parish. (2) Hayden. Page 114. shade aforded(1) shelter to many English youths who became celebrated in after life, among them Wellington, Bishop Young of Ferns, (Seat: Ferns Palace, Wexford, Ireland) was her son. She had a daughter Catherine, who married the Rev Septimus Plumtree, and at Mansfield in the County of Nottingham. Mr. Plumtree died before 1788, and left her with a large family. The two Spotswood boys began boarding with Mrs. Young on the 8th of January, 1760, and it was agreed that they should pay each for board per year . . . . . . L25 sterling for candles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L1 " for fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L1-10 " for mending linen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L1 " and that Mrs. Young should charge in her bill for each one as entrance fee L6-6. Mrs. Young was paid her bills for 1760 and 1761, with commendable punctuality, but alas! for the boys, Col. Moore, their guardian, made no more remittances from Virginia. They were left penniless in a strange land. Neither their aunt Brayne, who lived in London, nor their uncle Dandrige, who resided at the back of Buckinham gate, London, would make any advances, or even permit them to enter their houses(2). The boys, however, were in charge of Mrs. Margaret Campbell, the mother of their step- father, who resided in London also, and had them frequently at her house, especiall in vacations. She was very kiknd to them, though her means were too limited to enable her to render pecuniary aid. She persuaded Mrs. Young to retain the boys, and advance all the money for their current expenses, _______________________________________________ (1) Life of Wellington (2) Authority: The Plumtree-Spotswood Manuscripts. Page 115. assuring her that remittances would be made by Col. Moore. At the end of 1762, no funds being forthcoming, Mrs. Young was extremely unwilling to keep the boys longer, or make further advances, and desired Mrs. Campbell to remove them, but the latter succeeded in persuading the good nature Mrs. Young to retain them. They remained until May, 1764. During a part of this time they were sick at Mrs. Campbell's; they were several times sick at Mrs. Young's, and were attended by Dr. Dampier, probably a son of the celebrated navigator, whose bills she paid. A letter of Mrs. Campbell, to Mrs. Young, written probably at the close of 1762, relates so quaintly the forlorn condition of the young Virginians, that we give it in full: "Madam, I am much obliged to you for the regard which you have testified on this juncture to the Master Spotswoods in offering to take them back to Eton, at least until their guardian can give instructions to have their bills paid, and themselves under better directors, who will be more punctual in their payments to you. You have been much more their friend than any one of their own Relations, and I am well convinced by their conduct, that they must have encumbered you all the Holidays. If my friendship, from the connection I had with their mother, had not protected them in their distress, poor babes! Their aunt very early forbid them her house. It it could proceed from their inability of Fortune, and having no accom- modation, I am sure that I might have justly made the same objection. I have children of my own, and have been obliged to rob myslef of all company during their stay with me, because my first floor was dedicated to them, and I have ruined my furniture of it, in Page 116. letting them lie in my dressing room, and live in the dining room. I have been at the pains of writing many letters on their account, especially on the late accident to Mr. Knox, and I shall write to their mother the obligations they are under to you, and answer that she will use her utmost endeavours to get Col. Moore to send remittances to you, for they are wholly under his care. Mr. Knox [probably he was Mr. John Knox, of Windsor, Culpepper Co., Va., who went over in the Bogle ship and came back to Virginia in 1762. See Hayden's Va. Genealogies, page 699] wrote that if you were not kind enough to let them trespass on you any longer, I was to send them down to Bristol. When I was preparing to do this, I received your kind letter that you would take them again. I hope you will have no reason to repent it yourself, and I dare say their friends will be much better satisfied to have them continue under your care at Eton. I am very Sorry, Madam, to send them back with such bad coughs, though I have nursed Jack, who was so bad that we were obliged to Bleed him and physick him, that he is much better. I can't judge how they got them (the coughs). My son came home with one, and has never been out of the house but once since, and these children have always laid warm, and lived constantly in the house, except taking a walk in fine days, though not this fortnight past. Aleck is just attacked with one, and I fain would kept them home, till they were quite recovered, but that my son is in so poor a way, that I am advised to take him immediately out of Town, and to keep him under a course of asses milk, and my brother is to send his post chaise for me on Sunday or Monday. Page 117. And, as Mr. Dandridge has a house no further than the back of Buckingham gate, and was in clear air, I sent my servant with a letter to-day, to request that he should take the children, until the middle of next week, in hopes that by a change of air, their coughs would be greatly removed, but his answer is as rude to me as barbarous to the poor children; and he has denied them house room, but they may depend upon it that his unkindness shall be made known to their absent friends, as will your great goodness. I beg that they may be kept in a very warm room, and take the drops I send every night, and the pectoral drink several times a day, and that they eat no meat or drink anything but warm barley water and lemon juice, and if Aleck increases to get Blooded. I sent my servant in a Post chaise, to take care they don't catch cold. I am certain that with the country air, with your care and the helping of God they will soon be well, and I beg you will soon send a letter to let me know how they do, as my brother sends to town often. I send all their clothes which came here, except eleven shirts, which shall be sent as soon as washed, and now I conclude myself, Madam your most humble servant, MARGARET CAMPBELL." From this letter it appears that the forlorn coundition of the boys did not repress their exuberant spirits - they returned home in 1764, and in a letter from President Nelson of Yorktown, Va., to his agent in London, desiring him to send his son, who afterwards became General Nelson home, written in 1764, he cautions(1) him not to send him on the same _________________________________________ (1) Bishop Meade's "Old Va. Families." Page 118. vessel with two wild Virginia youths who were about to return. Mrs. Young allowed the boys, for pocket money, about three pounds per six months, in weekly installments, and paid the bills of tailors, shoemakers, cobblers, doctors, barbers, book-sellers, dancing masters, post chaise hires, fees to servants and to the bell man, sweeping out school room, chapel clerk, salt money, expense to the elections, cost of montem poles and the montem dinner, and all manner of expenses incident to their position. At the expiration of the boys' time in 1764, the entire amount due Mrs. Young was about two hundred and seventy pounds, and the writer has the itemized accounts, may items very curious indeed. We now give a copy of Alexander's letter to Mrs. Young, from London when he left Eton: "London, May 23, 1764. Hond Madam: I write by this opportunity, for to thank you for all the pst favors to me and my brother. I hope it will be in my power, one day or another to make you amends for all you have done for us. Mr. Hunter (Wm. H.) is to pay our bills. We go to Virginia in June. I have seen my aunt Brayne and they give their compliments to you; and I have been and seen Mrs. Campbell. I have wrote to my mother, and told her how kind you have been to me and my brother. I am your humble servant, ALEX SPOTSWOOD". Some time after reaching Virginia, Alexander deposited with Mr. James Hunter of Fredericks- burg, Va., a reputable merchant, the amount due Mrs. Page 119. Young, to remit to his brother, Mr. Wm. Hunter of London, and it was remitted to him - but Mrs. Young failed to apply for the money for some time -- and he became a bankrupt, and owing duties to the crown, he fled to Fredericksburg, Va., bringing his books with him. He afterwards died, still insolvent; and the examination of his books, by Mr. Henry Mitchell in 1788, dis- closed the fact that on them Mrs. Young was credited with the amount sent by Alex. Spotswood, which had never been paid, and it seems that the generous old lady lost the entire debts, for Spotswood, when called upon in 1788 to pay the debt, contended that he had paid it, by remit- ting to Mr. Hunter as was agreed upon. Mrs. Young died, and her will written in 1773 was probated in the Prerogative Court of Frederick, Archbishop of Canterbury, on the 30th of August, 1775, and we have it in perfect preservation, written in quaint old style on a sheet of parchment about two feet square, with the large seal of the Archbishop's court attached, and certificate of probate, and a blue revenue stamp on it, somewhat similar to the famous stamp of 1765. Mrs. Plumtree was executrix and chief legatee. She sent in 1788 the will and accounts against the Spotswoods to Henry Mitchell, a merchant of Fredericksburg, Va., with an elaborate power of Attorney to collect, sworn to by Mr. Hardesty and attested by John Evans, notary public of London, with his seal; and the Right Hon. John Burnell, Lord Mayor of London, certifies that full faith is to be given to John Evans' notarial acts. As we have stated, Alex. Spotswood, then (in 1788) a general, refused to pay the debt over again - though Mrs. Plumtree wrote a very eloquent letter to him, which the writer has, pleading for payment. The accounts were drawn upon fine, long, narrow Page 120. sheets of paper, tied together doubtless by Mrs. Plumtree's own hands with narrow silk ribbon, which, though over a hundred years old, is apparently as sound as ever. The seal of the Archbishop's Court is four inches by four and a half inches, and is attached by a broad band to the will. It represents the prelate on his Episcopal throne, with supporters on each side, and the coat-of-arms at the bottom. For the comfort of parents who have wild sons, we must say that our two wild boys made excellent citizens; very patriotic they were. A letter from Col. G. B. Wallace of Va., from camp in New Jersey, written about 1777, mentions Col. Alex. Spotswood as a most excellent officer(1). He lived for many years after the Revolution, and was a very prominent man in Fredericksburg and its vicinity(2). John Spotswood lived in the Wilderness a few miles from Germanna, and after the Revolution was known as "Col. Spotswood". He was noted for his hospitality, and his home was a favorite stopping place for Orange County gentlemen, going to Fredericksburg on business or for pleasure. He was once a candidate for the House of Delegates, but was defeated(3). _______________________________________________________ (1) Hayden. (2) The Plumtree-Spotswood papers were amongst the papers of Henry Mitchell, an old Merchant settled in fredericksburg before the Revolution. Mr. Daniel Grinnan of that City was Mitchell's admin. d.b.n., and in htis way the papers came into my possession, as D. G. was my father. - A. G. G. (3) Col. Frank Taylor's diaries from 1786 to 1799 inclusive; manuscript in my possession. - A. G. G.