Marriott High School - Colonial Royalty Yearbook (St Stephens Church, VA)

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HOW MARRIOTT SCHOOL RECEIVED ITS NAME There were no public schools in Virginia until 1870, even though Thomas Jefferson had advocated public schools for the state as early as 1784, so those who received an education had to be given it by their parents or wealthy citizens of the community. However, King and Queen County was an important Educational Center with many excellent private schools from the time it became a county in 1691. Mrs, Elizabeth Baylor Marriott and her husband, Mr. Obadiah Marriott, a very weal- thy Scotch gentleman, did not have any children. Captain Marriott lived at Bewdley which he probably built, and owned a great deal of land in King and Queen County. Mrs. Marriott had first married John Walker and had three children. These children were in affluent circumstances, so apparently both Mr, and Mrs. Marriott were interested in the education of those less fortunate, and here we find conflicting stories. According to Mr. J, Henley Walker, a descendent of Mrs. Marriott, Mr. Marriott devised in his will a large tract of land called Smithfieid to be rented out for the support of poor children as long as the sun and swamps were running, and assist in schooling them. In the King and Queen Historical Society Bulletins, we find references to Mrs. Eliza- beth Baylor Marriott leaving one thousand acres of land known as the Smithfieid tract to St. Stephens’ Parish for the establishment of a public school. It is also interesting to note that this Smithfieid tract was land first patented by Colonel Goodrich a century be- fore, and had been forfeited by him for his part in Bacon ' s Rebellion. It was later pur- chased by John Baylor, the father of Mrs. Marriott. The funds from this land, given in 1770, had been in continuous use at least 138 years for educational purposes but a school had not been built. However, on November 6, 1906, a contract was let and the school was opened the following fall. In 1906 when King and Queen County decided to build two public schools, the 1, 000 acres were sold and the money divided between Marriott and St. Stephens Church, which was named for Mrs. Marriott and Stevensville High School, since both were in St. Ste- phens Parish. Marriott was located on a part of the original tract of land.

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PRINCE CONSTRUCTION { c e0nmg MODERN COMPANY CLEANERS Roads - Driveways - Basements IH Grader - Asphalt i||in|A Tappahannock BOYD PRINCE fllr St. Stephens Church, Va. Warsaw, Virginia 769-415Z Two points for Mr. Gwathmey Janitor, Jonah! How about adding twenty points to our One of Mr, Cowne ' s quiet classes! acore LaVerne?

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