Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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p-i Lr ' -lJ i-n P-JLr nJ Ld [b c£l cbLLLD Da cH u-i : t. i£l olib fc cQ tl = [pt=[]D=j at Jt[ □ tdol ap Cn ap i settlement. This colony has been described as consisting of about a baker ' s dozen of ruinous houses, which doesn ' t suggest that the colony was a pros- perous one. It was to this vicinity that Spotswood retired after his removal from office. Q Here it was that Colonel Byrd visited his old friend; often they sat in front of the huge open fire and recalled their experiences in war, talked of the Governor ' s iron works and vine culture. This is what Colonel Byrd himself wrote of part of one of their conversations: In the meantime I observ ' d my old Friend to be very Uxorious and exceedingly fond of his children. This was so opposite to the Maxims he us ' d to preach up before he was marryed, that I cou ' d not forbear rubbing up the Memory of them. But he gave a very good-natur ' d turn to his Change of Sentiments by alleging that whoever brings a poor Gentlewoman into so solitary a place, from all her Friends and Ac- quaintance, wou ' d be ungrateful not to use her and all that belongs to her with all possible Tenderness. From this we get a good picture of the honest and straightforward Governor in his home life, his tenderness for his children and loving care of hi s wife. G, To his home at Germanna Spotswood retired, after being the Lieutenant- Governor of Virginia for twelve years. Here he found iron ore on his land; and he at once set to work to build an iron foundry. He soon had not only one but four of these, and also an air furnace at Massaponnax, at which he made andirons, stovebacks and other useful articles. From the foundries he sent iron to England. He had a great interest in these works, and after his removal from office, he frequently rode around to inspect them. On account of this industry, he was called the Tubal Cain of Virginia. Q, But Spotswood ' s iron furnaces were not the first in Virginia. The very first were those built by the London Company at Falling Creek in 1619. These cost the Company one hundred thousand dollars and were under the care of John Berkeley. The iron which was turned out from these works was said to have been the best that existed in the world. Just before the Revolution, they belonged to Archibald Cary, but were destroyed by Tarleton during that war. Now all that remains of them is a ruined mill by the side of a pretty little fall. Q Still, there seems to be a difference of opinion concerning Spotswood ' s iron works. In Colonel Byrd ' s writings, he said that Spotswood corrected me a little there, by assuring me he was not only the first in this Country, but the first in North America, who had erected a regular Furnace. And Spots- wood told Colonel Byrd a great many things concerning his furnaces, his failures and successes, and he also promised to help the Colonel found his own furnace. r3P ' =nCn LfinzDcDczl LnticIliiJ =aP ' T]CF LfinncDt! =ap D= ticHn- =np ' =0[P rDtiiilDzl

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U U ' - ' U U ' - ' u u k] Dz, c£] tL[i=n [L cD tUin Dd cD gJ kiGrnJoJ klticJDJ Spotswood presented each gentleman of his party with a miniature horseshoe, set with precious stones to represent the nails. The story goes that the Gov- ernor had asked the king to give these little mementoes to his men, but that His Majesty refused, sending only one, very handsomely jeweled, to His Excel- lency, the Lieutenant-Governor, and so the latter had to pay for his own souvenirs. Q, At this time, William and Mary College paid each year, on the fifth of November, two copies of Latin verse to the Governor as rent for their lands. That year, the praises of the Ultra-montane Expedition were written by Rev- erend Arthur Blackamore, Professor of the Grammar or Classic School, and were presented to Spotswood. G, During his administration, Spotswood did much for Williamsburg in almost every way. When he began his administration, there was one long street with the College at one end and the Capitol at the other. This thorough- fare was very rough and had several bad ditches in it. These the Governor had filled and the way made smoother. He also helped Blair collect money to rebuild the College, and at his death he left to this great institution his books and his mathematical instruments. Q, Spotswood was largely responsible for the grace and beauty of Bruton Parish Church. The old church had become too small to hold the crowds that were constantly in Williamsburg on account of the Burgesses, the Council and the Court all holding their meetings there. Blair presented to the people a plan of the church, as it now stands, which Spotswood had given. And the Governor, with the aid of Mr. Edmund Jenings, promised to give the bricks at fifteen shillings per thousand, when they saw that the contractors would probably take advantage of the people. They volunteered this aid on condi- tion that the people should do the rest. The church, that has lately been re- stored with all its strength and beauty of line, was built according to Spots- wood ' s plans. Q, During Spotswood ' s last year of administration, Williamsburg was made a city incorporate by the Colonial Council. John Holloway was the first mayor; John Clayton the first recorder; John Randolph, John Custis, James Bray, Archibald Blair, William Robertson and Thomas Jones the first alder- men. O, Spotswood had long been interested in making Virginia a vine-growing country. Through his working and under his care, a colony of German Prot- estants settled on the Rapidan, near where his home was later on, and started in the vine culture. This culture never grew into a large source of wealth to the Virginians, but some of the wines that Spotswood had with him on his Ultra-montane Expedition were made there on the Rapidan by his German LDDzicacJ .r£] Dn cD []=. Ln n-, r l r-l I Lq .zDticDt. ba[]=..d]Qj LoDzxratL u u-- LatcDt LoDzicDt =aCbc£]Dr pP D= (=3pq]CF k]lit£lD=

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LTHJ U U Ld D=i c£] [ihllk] L cS tUk] Dd cD u u LatcDcz =nD=.i£|[]J z£]LcDt LnQD:£][]=! Q The two characteristics, obstinacy and freedom of speech, were sources of great trouble to Spotsvvood. On account of these traits he had many a quarrel with the Burgesses and Council, which finally resulted in his removal from office, Lieutenant-Governor Gooch being substituted in his stead. During his last years in office many complaints and anonymous letters were sent to England. Most of these complaints Spotsvvood answered readily, but, not- withstanding this fact, he was removed. CJ[ After his removal, he became Postmaster-General ; and in a short while the mail ran regularly between Philadelphia and Williamsburg, taking one week to cover the distance between these two cities. But even this was better than It had been some years before, when Philadelphia might have burnt down and the people of Williamsburg not have known it until three weeks later! Q, In 1740, England had an outbreak with Spain; and it was at this time that troops were taken from Virginia to aid those of the Mother Country for the first time. Spotsvvood was made general of this expedition against Cartha- gena in Central America. He paid a visit to Williamsburg, before setting out for Annapolis, and stayed at the Brafferton building of William and Mary College. After making his will here, he then proceeded to Annapolis, where he died before the embarkation of the troops. Colonel Gooch was appointed in his place. Q, A man eager for adventure, a cavalier and a great warrior was Spots- wood. Still, he was a churchman, loving the church with a devotion which has put his name high among the names of Virginia ' s great and good men, and which has given it the place it deserved in the canopied pew where we see it today. The Governor ' s pew has been restored and now on the top of the can- opy, in the place it had during his administration, we may read Alexander Spotswood. And again we see that noble name among those of the many governors of Virginia on the back of a chair in memory of them. Q, No praise is too high for him, or any love too great. Spotswood was one of Virginia ' s wisest governors, combining noble virtues, executive ability, pub- lic-spiritedness and shrewdness with a good heart, gentle breeding, courteous- ness and honesty. No governor of our State has ever surpassed him in ability. No one has done more for Virginia than he; and he undertook many things other governors left untouched. Q And it was largely due to his unconscious influence that he was able to write the Bishop of London that he had observed less Swearing and Pro- faneness, less Drunkenness, less uncharitable feuds and animositys and less Knaverys and Villanys in Virginia than in any part of the world where my Lot has been. Mary McFaden. kl[Lic£]D=[ f3[p ' =i]C=j e [p ' =acn LoGzicaCr! kCbcDOr kiEbdlt kiti lt T P CF p:iP intent