The Happy September Ninety-Nine Years ago

ENJOYING SEPTEMBER, 

New Kent People Are Happy.

Providence Forge. Sept. 20- September is making a record for itself. The magnificent days that have followed one another the past week, have added much enjoyment to those visiting our hustling little village.

Sora are being killed in small quantities. Messrs. J H. Christian, E.F. Gill, J.B. Richardson and W.F. Gilliam were in Bradby's Marsh, near Windsor Shades, last week, but the sora came up missing. 

Protracted meetings are in progress this week at Oliver Presbyterian church. Rev. Osborne officiating. 

The Masonic Lodge is being rapidly built. It promises to be quite a nice building. 

Mr. J. B. Richardson has returned from the White Sulphur Springs very much benefited in health. 

Mrs. W. F. Gilliam and son, Blair, and Miss Mary Taylor Gilliam, of Richmond, were visitors in Williamsburg a few days since. 

Miss Josie Oliver, of Richmond, is the guest of her brother here. 

Miss Clara Bock, of Pennsylvania. is visiting her brother, Fred S. Bock. 

Mrs. G.C. Edwards and daughter of Richmond. have returned to their home, after spending some time at the former's parents. 

Mrs. Julia Anderson and two children, of Portsmouth, are on a visit to her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Robertson. 

Miss Fedora Haxall has left for college in Red Springs, N.C. 

Mr. Home, the popular proprietor of the Windsor Hotel, Boulevard, and Mr. S.C. Burnette were in our village Saturday. 

Mrs. E. B. Townsend, of Washington. D.C., will arrive here Oct. 1st. to straighten up the late Col. E.B. Townsend's estate. he leaving all his property to his widow, who is sole administratrix.

Roxbury. Va.. September 20- 

A larger crowd of admiring friends of Mr. C.D. Binns, the young merchant of this place, at Roxbury Wednesday to congratulate the young man and his bride, but were doomed to disappointment when the young merchant got off the train alone looking sad. As he told of his disappointment, tears would force their way down his rosy cheeks. He told of his travels to far away Cincinnati with the fond hopes of bringing back a fair rose, out from the west, but the sweet thing changed her mind and took another. Yet the young man is not discouraged and says "if you wont another will; if none do not, it's better still." Cheer up, Charlie, "faint heart never won fair lady." 

The roads in New Kent have completed and the fine teem is hauling telephone poles.

September 28th will be court day for New Kent. Court will be held in a storehouse as the new courthouse is not completed. The most important case to be tried this is that of two negro boys for holding up and robbing a Syrian woman peddler some time ago.

-Virginia Gazette, September 23, 1909

"Man By the Name of Wilson"

 It is a wonder that so much information can be teased out about a man's life from one small advertisement.

$50 REWARD FOR WILSON.- Absconded from the subscriber, in the month of April, 1836 man by the name of Wilson. From information received, it appears that Wilson was raised in the county of New Kent, about 8 miles below the C.H., by a gentleman named Ratcliffe, and by him sold to a gentleman named Taylor, living 13 miles above Williamsburg, on whose farm he had a wife and several children. Mr. Taylor sold him to Mr. Slater, living near the New Kent and James City line, who, in consequence of removing to Alabama, left him, and when retaken was sold to John M. Gregory, Esq. of Williamsburg, Va., and afterwards purchased by his present owner, from Thomas McCargo & Co., of Richmond. Nothing was heard of him until last November,(1837) when I was informed he had been taken and put in New Kent jail, but afterwords made his escape, by burning out, and has not since been heard of. Wilson is about 5 feet 6 inches high, slender made, bushy head, dark yellow colour, pleasing countenance, and about 36 years old. The above reward will be paid for his apprehension, and placed in any jail in the State or United States, so that I obtain him again.  

ALEX  CUNNINGHAM 

Cunninghams's Store, N.C. Nov. 1838 59-w6w

 -Richmond Enquirer, December 14, 1838




Some notes

A) I wonder if the Ratcliffe named is the owner of the tavern of the same name that was in the Quinton area.

B) John M. Gregory, was soon to be Lieutenant Governor, and was Acting Governor of Virginia from March 1842 until 5 January 1843. He was later a judge.

C) Yet another burning of New Kent's jail.

D) Thomas McCargo was a slave trader based out of Richmond.  He gained a measure of notoriety in November 1841 when while transporting slaves down the coast on the brig Creole, the slaves rose up, took control of the ship and sailed it into Nassau, the Bahamas leading to an international incident.

E) Rather shockingly(at least to me) I had no trouble discovering more about the advertiser.

"Alexander Cuningham of Petersburg, Va (1776 -1849) was the owner of Cunningham Store in Person County. His father was also named Alexander Cuningham and was from Edinburgh, Scotland. He ran a wholesale merchandise business in Petersburg, Va with his brother Richard. and speculated in land in many states.
. . .
In 1814 He married Mary (Patsey) Wilson (1792-1886) daughter of John Wilson who built Dans Hill near Danville, Va. In the early 1820's he opened Cunningham's Store along the border with Halifax County, Va and Person County, NC.
. . .
 Alexander and his son John Wilson Cuningham (born Petersburg, Va 1820- 1887) built up the plantation to include 8000 acres and became one of the wealthiest planters in the area. He owned at one time 193 slaves. The Cuningham home called Waverly still exists on Cuningham Road in Person County along with the cemetery where Alexander Cuningham and 7 generations are buried." 

F) As for Wilson, well I would say the man did not want to be found

Governor at Bridge Opening-1926

                                                      
                                                         Opening Of New Bridge. 

Richmond. — Governor Harry Flood Byrd, John R. Saunders, attorney general and H.G. Shirley, state highway commissioner. were among the speakers at the opening of the Pamunkey River Bridge at West Point on Monday. September 20. The bridge joins West Point and New Kent county. It connects the section with the national highway to points north. It leads over the Washington route to Bowling Green. Mangohick and King William Courthouse, through to Newport News and Old Point. Outside of this connection with the national highway Richmond is connected with the sections between the Rappahannock and York rivers.

-Northern Neck News, 24 September 1926

New Pages- New Rosters

You will see on the left, as part of an ongoing program, links to pages with rosters of the New Kent Cavalry (Co. F, 3rd Virginia Cavalry) and the Barhamsville Greys ( Co. B, 53rd Virginia Infantry).


Here are the direct links


Barhamsville Greys


New Kent Cavalry