Papers from the Records of Surry County, William and Mary College Quarterly, 1894 Transcribed by Nancy Taylor 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 *********************************************************************** William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 2. (Oct., 1894), pp. 121-126. PAPERS FROM THE RECORDS OF SURRY COUNTY. 121 BACON'S SPEECH AT GREEN SPRING. The following is the speech of Nathaniel Bacon, Jr.,1 delivered to his men drawn up in Green Spring Old Fields, preparatory to attacking Sir William Berkeley at Jamestown: GENTLEMEN AND FELLOW SOLDIERS: How am I transported with gladness to find you thus unanimous, bold and daring, brave and gallant. You have the victory, before the fight, the conquest before the battle. I know you can and dare fight, while they will lie in their place of refuge and dare not so much as appear in the field before you. Your hardiness will invite all the country along as we march to come in and second you. The Indians we bear along with us shall be as so many motives to cause relief from every hand to be brought to you. The ignominy of their actions cannot but so much reflect upon their spirit, as they will have no courage left to fight you.. I know you have the prayers and well wishes of all the people in Virginia, while the others are loaded with their curses. Come on, my hearts of gold; he that dies in the field lies in the bed of honor. ____________________ PAPERS FROM THE RECORDS OF SURRY COUNTY. RESTORATION OF CHARLES II. I. Proclamation of Sir William Berkeley, dated 20th September, 1660, published in a previous number. II. Proclamation of the People. "We the freemen & Inhabitants if this County now present doe according to our Dutye & allegiance Heartily, Joyfully, & unanimously acknowledge & proclaim that Immediately upon the decease of or late Soveraigne Lord King Charles The Impereall Crowne of the Realme of England & of all the Kingdoms, Dominions, & rights belonging to the same did by inherent Birthright, & lawfull & Un- ________________________________________________________________________ 1From the report of the commissioners. The gave the following description of Bacon: " He was said to be about four or five and thirty years of age, indifferent tall, but slender, black haired and of ominous, pensive, melancholly aspect, of a pestilent and prevalent logical discourse tending to atheism in most companies, not given to too much talk or t make sudden replies, of a most imperious and dangerous hidden pride of heart, despising the wisest of his neighbors for their ignorance, and very ambitious and arrogant. But all these things lay hid in him till after he was a councillor and until he became powerful and popular. 122 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY. doubted Succession, descend & come to his most excellent Majestye Charles the Second, being Lineally, justly & Lawfully nex heire of the Blood Royall of this Realme, And that by the goodness & providence of almighty god Hee is of England, Scotland, France & Ireland, the most potent, mighty, & undoubted King. And thereunto wee most humbly, & ffaithfully doe submit & oblidge our Selves our heires, & posterityes for ever. God Save The King. "These proclamations were proclaimed at Southwarke in the County of Surry in Virginia with the acclamation of great part of the County then present and Recorded, the Eleventh day of ffebruary being Thursday Anno 1660" Per Ro: Stanton cl. of sd County. III. Petition of Peter Greene, one of the Magistrates of Surry. "To the Honorable Coll Browne the Humble Remonstrance of peter Greene giveth you to understand that the secondary yeare there was a strang horride Imposition by Oath Enjoyned on the peopell in gennerall, but most Especially upon the Commanders of the Collony of the which I was then one of the number in the behalfe of my King & Countrey the whole oath seemed so Detestable & sacralegious to me that I did not only Refuse it, but likewise utterly detest the Thoughts of it being most Damnable heraticall imposition contrarye to the fundamental laws of the kingdom & my tender Conscience & withall did then in the face of my Enemy that had the power to Destroy my body Express & declare that I would suffer ye execution off death before my owne Dore than derrogate from those kingly principils which I have beene ever naturally Endued with this I have thought good to declare unto you that I desire a Capt pleace according to succession but that you would be pleased to Consider yis Endeavors & loyalty of the King's antient friends and acquaintance not that it is my desire to displace any man but that my loyalty may be considered by some Encouragement according to my desarts which is the harty & loyall desire of him yt is or would wish to be accounted your loyall friend & servant. PETTER GREENE. Teste: W. m Marriott, John Burges. Rec. 3 7ber, 1662. REBELLION OF 1674. Surry. 3rd Jany Ao Dom 1673. Of how Dangerous consequence unlawfull Assemblyes and meetings have bin is Evident by ye Chronicles of our Native Country wch are occationed by A Giddy PAPERS FROM THE RECORDS OF SURRY COUNTY. 123 headed Mulititude, and unless restrayned may prove ye Ruin of a Country, and for yt we Law. Baker, and Robt Spencer two of ye justices of this County, being Informed yt on or about ye 12th Xbr.. now Last past, a company of seditious and rude people to ye nubmer of ffourteene did unlawfully Assemble at ye pish church of Lawnes Creeke, wth Intent to declare they would not pay theire publiq taxes & yt they Expected diverse othrs to meete them, who faileing they did not put theire wicked design in Execution, & for yt ye good Law made agt Routes & Riotts and pticulerly ye Statute of ye 13th of Henry 4th Chap & Injoyning Justices to Enquire of such meeteings, we therefore sent our warrant to ye shrft of this County to cause Mathew Swan, Jno Barnes, Wm Hancock, Wm Tooke, Robt Lacy, Jno Gregory, Thomas Caly, Michll Vpchurch, Jno Shepperd, Geo. Peters, Wm Little, Jno Greene, & James Chessett to appeare before us, ye sd persons not being Satisfyed wth theire former unlawful meeteing, did this day, ye greatest pte of yis, meete together in ye old field called ye Divells field,1 & as we doe justly Suspect, did Confederate not to discovr who weere ye first Instigatrs or movs if them to theire unlawfull Assembling as Aforesd, & we upon theire Examinations doe finde yt they have unanimously agreed to Justifie theire meeteings, presisting in ye same: as appeares by ye open declaring of Rogr Delk yt If one Sufferes they would burne all, & we finding finding theire contemputuous behaviour & carriage, not respecting Authroity: have therefore committed ye psons aforesd to ye sheriff, untill they finde Security for theire appearance att ye next County Cort: & alsoe for keepeing ye peace, wth wee Concieve Consonant to ye Law in such Cases: and ye Mutenous psons aforesd, being soe many in number, we have be Virtue of ye Statute of ye 2d if Henry 5th commanded ye aide and Assitance of Sev'all of ye neighbourhood for theire Security: Given undr our hands ye daye & yre aforesd. LAW BAKER, ROB'T SPENCER Recorded ye 13th Janry 1673. Teste Wm Edwards Cl Cur. Rogr Delk being this day brought before us ye subscribed & compit being made to us by Wm. Sherwood Sbusherrift of this County, yt ye sd Delke did this day say, yt we will burne all before ________________________________________________________________________ 1Near Smith's Fort, on Gray's Creek. The names of the places in Surry are often curious, such as the "Flying Point," "Sunken Marsh," "Hallowing Point," etc. 124 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY. one shall Suffer, ye sd Delke Acknowledged he said ye same words, & being asked why they meet at ye church he said by reason theire taxes were soe unjust, & they would not pay it: he was demanded who was ye pson yt Invited thim to meet, he peremptorily denyed it: but ye sd Delk did on his own behalfe & on ye behalfe of ye others then mett declaire ye theire meeting was to be releived from paymt for Drams & Cyder wch they nevr had, all ye Rest Assented to what he said, save only Michll Vpchurch. Mathew Swan being yis day brought before us ye subscribed, & being asked why he and othrs mett at ye Church ye 12th Xber Last, he said it was to agree about redress from theire taxes wch were heavy, he was asked how he knew theire taxes were unreasonable Laid: he said mr Mason told him, and alsoe mr Goreing said ye same, & ye there were some Extraordi'y taxes, he being demanded wt discourse he & mr Goering had about ye meetting, he said mr Goering said he would be there if he did not goe from Home, & said Swan hay alsoe very obstinately persisted in Lawfullnesse of ye meeteing, & said yt all or most of ye County were of his minde. [Similar depositions of James Chessett, Robt Lacy, John Gregiory, Tho: Clay, Wm Hancock, Geo: Peters, John Greene, William Little, Jno. Shepherd, Jno. Barnes, Wm. Tooke.] Michll VPchurch Sayes he was att ye meeting at ye church, but denys to declaire by whome he heard of it, or yt he knew any of ye business they mett about. The deposicon of ffrancis Taylor being called before Capt Law: Baker, mr Robt Caufield & Capt Robt Spencer, to sweare his true knowledge concerning a meeteing of some of ye pish on fryday ye 12th xbr 1673 att Lawness Creek pish Church is as followeth That being at home at my lodgeing--looking out I Espyed Jno Grigory goeing through the field, and called him desire him to make me wastcoate, wch he told me he would, but he aske me If I would not be at ye Church for yere was to be a great Pt of ye Pish mett yere yis morneing concerneing ye Levys, I told him I knew nothing of it, Neithr was I Concerned in it as being noe housekeeper, but I did not much care if I went wth him to see wt was done, he told me he was goeing to mr Caufields to take measure of one of his men, to make his freedome Cloayes, & he would hollow for me as he came back, wch Accordingly he did & wee went togeayr, and when wee came yere we found about halfe A score men Sitting yere, and asking yem how yey did, & wch yey mett for, yey said yey did Expect some more to come Intending Civilly to treate concern PAPERS FROM THE RECORDS OF SURRY COUNTY. 125 ing ye Levy for yt the did undrstand, yt there was sevrall Officers to be paid tobe out of ye Leavy, wch they knew noe Reason for, by Reason yey were put to as much Trouble & Expence as they were, and yt Coll Swan was to have Five thousand pds of tobe for his trouble & Charge, ye wch tobe for ye Officers and ye Coll was to be leavied on yis pish onely, theire Company not meeteing yey stayed about an hower, & soe resolved to Speake aboute it on ye next Sabbath being sermon day, In ye Interim on ye Saturday, I being att mr Sherwood 1 requested him to see ye List of ye Leavy wch he did shew me, & there I was yt ye Charge was Levied on ye whole County, wch I spoak of at ye Church, yey heareing yey said noe more, & further say not ffra: TAYLOR By the Govrnor Capt Genll of Virga I doe hereby remitt the fines of Mathew Swann; & also the fines of the other poore men that were fined in Surry County Cort, provided they acknowledge there faults in the said County Cort, and pay the Cort Charges, Dated this 23d Sept 1674. SURRY FIRST RECOGNIZED.2 These are to Certifie yat ye agreement between ye South Side of James Rivr & yis pish is yat ye sd South Side shall pay unto ye pish of James City for ye yeare one yousand six hundred & fifty tenn pounds of tobbacco & one bushell of Corne p head & for ever hereafter to remain a pticular pish by Yem Selves without any further paymt att all to yis pish witness my hand yes 3d Janry 1649. WILLIAM BERKELEY. Recorded att ye request & charge of Majr Marriott 18th octob 1670. BACON'S REBELLION Att a Cort held for Surry County July 4th, 1677 Arthur Long appeared in Open Cort & made the following submission with a Roape about his Neck on his bend4 Knees: ______________________________________________________________________ 1William Sherwood, the sub-sheriff, subsequently Attorney-General 2 Surry was represented first in the House of Burgesses in April, 1652, by Mr. William Thomas, Mr. William Edwards, Mr. George Stephens. James City, like Charles City, orginally extended indefinitely on the south side of the River James. 3 Arthur Long was a captain in "Bacon's Rebellion, and was condemened by the General Assembly "upon his bended knew with a rope about his necke to acknowledge his treasons and rebellious before the right honourable governour and councell, and begg pardon for his life, and that in the manner he doe acknowledge his crimes in the county of Surry, and that he be committed to 4 126 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY. I Arthur Long that all bystanders may take notice of this my sincere Repentance of my Rebellion, doe here most humbly upon my knees with a Roape aboute my neck Implore Pardon of God, my King the Honorble Govrnor Councill & Magistrates of this his Majties country and humbly crave the benefitt of his Majties most gracious acts of Mercy & Pardon for my Treason and rebellion, And that this my Submission & Majties Royall Pardon to be granted me thereupon may be Entered on Record to make the same availeable to me, in the Pleadeing there if Occation shall hereafter bee. God Save the King, And Prosper the Govrnor & Magistrates of the County, with all happiness & Good Success. Vera recordr Test: W. E. Cl. Cur. __________________ LAMB FAMILY Anthony Lamb (died Dec. 29,1700) was an early resident of Poquoson parish, York county, Va. Inventory of personal estate, £22, and 12 cattle. He married 1st, Mary -----, who died Jan. 3, 1677; married 2dly Hannah ----, and had (1), John, b Aug. 22, 1679; dead before 1734. (2), Anthony, b Feb. 12, 1681; d. Nov. 15, 1734. (3), William, twin to preceding, b. Feb. 12, 1681; d. Sept. 30 1698. (4), Ursella, b March 11, 1683. (5), Mary, b. Feb. 15, 1686. (6), Hannah, b. Sept. 25, 1690. (7), Daniel, b. Feb. 12, 1692; d. July 4, 1744. 1. JOHN, d. March 28, 1733; married Frances -----, and had 8, Anthony, b. Oct. 7, 1720; d. March, 1758; 9, Hannah, b. July 30, 1723. 2. ANTHONY, married Sarah -----, had 10, Martha, b. July 24, 1720; 11, John, born July 19, 1723; 12, Daniel, b. Sept. 2, 1728; 13, Anthony; b. Dec. 21, 1731, bound to a trade in 1744; d. April 1750. 3. DANIEL, will proved in York court November 19, 1744, and mentions wife Abigail: sons John and William; daughter Elizabeth; nephew Anthony, son of Anthony Lamb, deceased. Personal estate inventoried at £336. 9, 6. He md. Abigail, and had 14, Sarah, b. Sept. 5, 1713; d. September 10, 1713; 15, John, ________________________________________________________________________ safe prison until he shall give good security for his future behavior.? There are several depositions recorded in Surry against Long in suits by Captain Arthur Allen for damages "when he forced him from his house 18 7ber last" [1676]