Location: Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:55pm

Transcription of marker: John Harvey served as a member of a royal commission investigating conditions in Virginia in 1624. As a reward, he received land at the east end of New Towne. There he probably built a residence and a wharf.

A temperamental sea captain, Harvey was twice charged with beating others–a servant for demanding his freedom and Richard Stephens, a councilman and frequent Harvey opponent.

When newly knighted Sir John Harvey returned as the new governor of Virginia in 1630, he acquired additional property, the former Governor Sir George Yeardley’s lot across Pitch and Tar Swamp and this prime New Towne lot. Here he built a fine house that often doubled as the statehouse during the 1630s.

Although the crown replaced Harvey as governor in 1639, his house continued in use as a statehouse through the 1640s and 1650s. When Sir William Berkeley arrived in 1642, it again doubled as a town residence for the governor. After Bacon’s rebels sacked and burned Jamestown in 1676, the house was rebuilt for a final time.

My impressions: I don’t know what is more surprising to me: a private home being used as a statehouse or the fact that it continued that way after the owner was no longer governor. I guess, thinking about it a little more, it is less surprising than it initially seems, because the governor was an appointed position at the time. I wonder if Governor Harvey returned to England after he was replaced. If so, he wouldn’t have needed it any longer, at least for a while. (I mean, he did leave in the 1920s and return to serve as governor.

I wonder what qualities there were that led the crown to decide that a “temperamental former sea captain” was suitable to govern the colony. Was his style a help or a hindrance? Or was he temperamental enough that the English were just as happy to see him on the other side of the ocean from them?

Location: Historic Jamestowne, Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:45pm

Transcription of monument:

[north side]

Virginia Company
of London
Chartered April 10, 1606
Founded
Jamestown
and sustained
Virginia
1607 — 1624

[west side]

This monument
was erected by
the United States
A.D. 1907
to commemorate
the three hundredth
anniversary of
the settlement here

[south side, at same level as other engravings]

Jamestown
The first permanent
colony of the
English people
The birthplace of
Virginia
and of
the United States
– May 13 — 1607 -

[south side, on the base]

“Lastly and chiefly the way to prosper and achieve good success is to make yourselves all of one mind for the good of your country, and your own, and to serve and fear God, the giver of all goodness, for every plantation which our heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out.”

Advice of London Council for Virginia to the colony — 1606

[east side]

Representative
government in
America
began in the
first House of
Burgesses
assembled here
July 30, 1619

My impressions: This is a very tall and impressive monument. There seems to me to be something very American about the obelisk: I don’t recall any off the top of my head that I saw in Canada, but this is the third significant one I’ve seen in the U.S. (The other two were in my pre-snarfing days: the Washington Monument in Washington, DC and the Masonic monument to Washington in Alexandria, VA.) I don’t know what that says that the United States adopted the obelisk so often as a symbol.

Coming, as it does, as you are entering Historic Jamestowne, the monument is a great introductory reminder to how much history the place holds. It also challenged a bit of my faulty memories of history. I had it in my head that Nova Scotia was the birthplace of representative government in the British Empire, but the Internet tells me I’m mistaken. Nova Scotia saw the start of representative government in Canada, but that came in 1758, well over a century later than the establishment of the House of Burgesses here. (In fact, Nova Scotia celebrated the 250th anniversary of its establishment there just last year.)

It also awes me to see a monument like this and know that it was made early in the 20th century and that it was erected without all of the technology we have today. And to think of the number of hours it would have taken for all that lettering…what patience and dedication and craftsmanship!

Location: Historic Jamestowne, Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:40pm

Transcription of marker:

George Yeardly arrived in Jamestown in 1610, was appointed captain of the guard, and eventually lieutenant governor. Later knighted and appointed governor of Virginia in 1618, he issued the Great Charter in 1619, establishing the first representative government in Virginia.

In 1620, Yeardly acquired a seven-and-a-quarter acre lot extending east from this location. A 1625 muster roll listed the members of Yeardly’s large household: Yeardly; his wife Lady Temperance Yeardly; their three children; and 24 servants, including three African men and five African women (eight of the first nine Africans documented at Jamestown). The muster also lists 50 cattle, 40 swine, and 11 goats and kids on Yeardly’s lot. In addition to three dwellings, Yeardly owned three boats — a barque, four-ton shallop, and skiff.

At this location, archaeologists excavated the brick foundations of a structure that may have been Yeardly’s. Scattered building materials along Back River suggest that two additional dwellings, perhaps for servants, may have been located at the eastern end of his lot.

My impressions: After writing about the markers on the Colonial Parkway, it’s nice to get to a marker that has a bit of meat to it. And after being in Yorktown, where Americans fought to gain control of their country from the British, it’s a bit of a start to remember that, oh yes, the British were in charge here. I like that this marker both explains who Governor Yeardly was as well as gives a link to the place you are standing when you see it.

It is also staggering to see a family of five requiring two dozen servants. It was a different age, that’s for sure! And more than 100 animals…well, I guess I can see how they would keep many servants busy, since that seems like the type of work a governor would not want to sully his hands with.

Notes for future snarfers: This marker is on the path behind the visitor center, after you’ve paid your admission or shown your National Parks pass.

Location: Colonial National Historic Pkwy, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:30pm

Transcription of  marker: This modern road crosses to Jamestown about on line with a natural isthmus which existed in Colonial times. The sandy strip that made Jamestown a “semi-island” was washed away in the 1700’s.

My impressions: At last, we’re drawing near to Jamestown. It is interesting to see what water does to land, especially so close to the coast. Having spent most of my life considerably inland from the ocean, I’m not quite used to the divisions between land and water being quite so changeable as they are around here (even if I’m largely talking about events of hundreds of years ago). I also have to think: Don’t you think the word isthmus is a funny-sounding word? It certainly doesn’t roll off my tongue easily!

I’m also looking forward to this blog’s posts arriving at Historic Jamestowne. It was an interesting place to walk around, though my stamina gave out before I ran out of markers! A return trip is in the cards for the future, I’m sure.

Location: Colonial National Historic Pkwy, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:25pm

Transcription of marker: This area, like a peninsula and bounded on three sides by a marsh, is just across Back River from Jamestown Island. In 1625 there were a number of houses and 25 people living here. The settlement had close community ties to “James Citty” and sent representatives to the General Assembly there.

My impressions: It’s funny, because it was not at all clear to me how Jamestown was an island when we were there, so one of the benefits of coming back at this is looking at the map and fitting it into my memories of the day. Of course, by this time in the afternoon I was also tiring of the Parkway markers (which, as a whole, were underwhelming in the amount of information they provided) and was anxious to actually arrive at Jamestown. With only one more marker from the Parkway to write about (of those we actually stopped at that day), I have to say that these feel like they were put up because the park management felt that they ought to have some sort of programming along the parkway, rather than because the particular points chosen had compelling stories.

Colonial Parkway markers
Real Estate

Location: Colonial National Historic Pkwy, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:25pm

Transcription of marker: Early records tell of a land sale in 1636 being these 500 acres with “all howses…gardens, orchards, tenements.” The property passed from Thomas Crompe “of the Neck of Land” to Gershon Buck son of the Reverend Richard Buck who ministered for more than a decade at Jamestown.

My impressions: It’s funny to see all sorts of references to land in areas of 500 acres, especially given how large that seems to someone who’s lived in mostly urban settings of one form or another. I also find it interesting how we have at least one person named on this marker who isn’t really known about: Gershon Buck. Looks like his only claim to fame is likely being the son of Richard Buck: Google only had four hits on the son’s name (and presumably will have another once this is posted.