The Stronghold: A Story of Historic Northern Neck of Virginia and Its PeopleHaynie, Miriam
History
The Stronghold: A Story of Historic Northern Neck of Virginia and Its People
Haynie, Miriam
Northern Neck (Va.)
The court then made a quick and emphatic decision that Richard was "a
partye with his father-in-law in ye crime," and that for bringing the
challenge, whose character he well knew, and for delivering it while the
justices were sitting, as well as for his contemptuous manner and bold
words he was "adjudged"--"to receive six stripes on his bare shoulders
with a whip," at the hands of the sheriff.
The sheriff was then directed to arrest Captain Hackett and have him
"detained in safe custody without baile" until he should "answer for his
crimes" at the next session of the General Court at Jamestown.
Thus a duel was averted, and Mr. Fox did not meet Captain Hackett "in ye
valey." The valley was probably chosen by Captain Hackett so that the
duel could take place without observation or interruption, and it was
the dividing line between their estates.
Hackett was scrupulous to inform Fox of the length of the rapier he
intended to use, but had he followed regulations exactly, he would have
left the selection of the weapon to his opponent.
_TRADE_
In the early days the Northern Neck carried on trade with various places
besides England. Lancaster County seems to have been especially active
in this trade. From the following record it appears that tobacco and
grain were not the only articles used in trading with the Barbadoes: "In
1686 the sloop Happy transported from Lancaster County to that island, 2
firkins of butter, 2 barrels of pork, and 22 sides of tanned leather, in
addition to 144 bushels of Indian corn." Trade to the West Indies was
conducted in small Virginia-built sloops.
The Dutch brought to the Neck to exchange for tobacco such things as
linen, coarse cloth, beer, brandy and "other distilled spirits." In 1653
Henry Mountford of Rotterdam appointed an agent in Lancaster. About the
same time, Jacobis Vis had "important transactions in exchange of
merchandise for tobacco in the counties of the Northern Neck." It was
said by the Dutch that Virginians could beat them in a deal.
A letter from Captain James Barton of New England to a citizen of
Lancaster indicates that there was commerce between these places. Barton
stated in the letter that he wished to secure a cargo of tobacco, hides
and pork for market in the Barbadoes. His ketch, with a cargo of rum,
salt, sugar, cloth and salted cod and mackerel, would sail from Salem
and exchange cargoes in Virginia and then continue to the West Indies.
Boats from the West Indies sailed to Virginia and then on to New
England.
_THE COLONIAL SAILOR_
A sailor was always a source of interest to the public in colonial days,
whether he wore his tarry working clothes or his shore outfit. There was
the aura of foreign lands about him--he brought stories of far places to
the news-hungry colonists of the New World.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account