Coorespondence between John Hill Wheeler and John Wheeler Moore
[COMMUNICATED]
WASHINGTON CITY, }
NO 28 GRANT PLACE. }
September 3, 1876.}
Maj. John Wheeler Moore,
Pitch Landing, Hertford Co., N. C.;
MY DEAR JOHN:-I received, last week, yours of the 15th inst.
It gave me much satisfaction to hear from you and to afford to you such poor aid as I can, in your proposed effort-
the preparing a Historical sketch of our native county of Hertford.
The resolution of Congress of the 13th of March last, requesting the people of the several States
to assemble in their several counties on the Centenial Anniversary of our National Independence,
and cause to be delivered on such day, a historical sketch of each county, from its foundation;
and that a copy of said sketch be filed in the Clerk's office of said county, and an additional copy,
in print, or in manuscript be filed in the office of the Librarian of Congress;
to the intent that a complete record may be obtained of the progress of our Institutions during the first
Centenial of their existence, was followed by a Proclamation by the President of the 25th of May last,
which document brought this resolution to the notice and knowledge of the people of the United States;
with the hope that it would meet their approval and be carried into effect.
This appeal has met with a response from various sections of our Republic: notably from the North-west;
and the Library of Congress has been much increased by full and accurate contributions.
It is a matter of congratulation that the patriotism of Hertford county has responded, and that so able
a representative has been selected.
It is to be hoped that other counties in the State have done the same.
This spirit of historic research is abroad in our land.
At the request of the Committee on the restoration of the Independance Hall, the Authors and Literati of
the United States met at Philadelphia on the 2nd of July last: and each from Maine to California presented
an oblation of historic love.
The contribution from North Carolina was on the life and services of Richard Dobbs Spaight, of Newbern:
who was a member of the Continental Congress of the Convention which formed the Constitution of the United States,
and the Governor (1792) of North Carolina. These are to be published, and if so, I will send to you a copy.
The occasion was full of interest and one long to be remembered.
[Y]our letter as[k]s for information as [...] the county takes its name. From the]
Geneaological and Heraldic Dictionary of the British Empire, by Sir Bernard Burke (London 18__, we learn that
Francis Seymour was created Earl of Hertford in 1750. He was a decided opponent of the measures of Lord North
and the Ministry as to the American colonies -and moved in 1766 in the House of Lords, in the British Parliament
the repal of the Stamp Act. This course gave him the popularity that bestowed his name on our county.
In 1765 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland -and he was Embassador to France. He died on 14th June, 1794.
If you wish I can give you a full sketch of the life and services of this distinguished man.
I have from London a splendid portrait of him, copied from Sir Thomas Lawrence.
Your letter states that "Winton derives its name, not from the Wynns family, but from a family by the name of Winton."
This is news to me-
"---Though I am a native here,
And to the manner born."
this tradition has never reached me, and if you have any satisfactory evidence on this subject I shall be happy to receive it.
If you have in your library (as I su[p]pose you have, or can get access to a copy) Martin (Francois Xavier) collection of private
acts from 1715 to 1790 (Newbern 1794) you will find (on page 56) that in 1768 a town was established in Hertford county
on the lands of Benjamin Wynns on the Chowan river, and that William Murfree, John Baker, Mattias Brickle, Joseph Dickerson, Henry King
and Benjamin Wynns were appointed Directors and Trustees, and "said town shall be called Winton."
Also an act was passed in 1779 "for prolonging the time for saving the lots in the towns of Windsor and Wyntgn."
William Wynns was that year a member from the county.
These authorities would seem to contradict your tradition. Doubtless the name of the town is derived from the family of Wynns.
Your tradition that the Court House of Bertie county, was once located at St. John's Chapel,
in the present county of Hertford, I have never heard, but it may be probable.
This could be satisfactorily certified by an examination of the early records of Bertie.
-The distruction of the records of Hertford county would not affect this question.
Perhaps the memory of some of your oldest citizens may enlighten you.
See my old friend Jonathan Tayloe, he may aid you. Bertie was a precinct in 1743
and it was nearly 25 years after that Windsor was established.
In the reign of George III, on the 2d April, 1743, it was enacted by His Excellency, Gabriel Johnston, Esq., Governor,
by and with advice of His Majesty's Council and the General Assembly of the Province of North Carolina,
that the Court House of Bertie county shall be built between Cashie Bridge and Will's Quarter, in Bertie county,
and all the Courts shall be there held for said county, (see Martin, page 8).
Bertie, (formed in 1722) once comprehended the territory of Northampton (formed in 1741)
Hertford (formed in 1749) and Gates (formed in 1779).
Of this extended territory, St. John's Chapel would be about the central point.
Your letter asks, "wh[e]n did Windsor become the Shire Town of Bertie county?"
In the reign of George III, on the 5th Dec., 1767, it was enacted by the Governor's Council
and Assembly that a town shall be estab[li]shed on the South side of Cashie r[i]ver at a place
called Gray's Landing, in Bertie county; and be called Windsor.
Cullen Pollock, John Dawson, Thomas Ballard, William Williams and David Stanly Gentleman were appointed Trustees." (Martin 32.)
I have thus endeavo[r]ed to answer the points of your let[te]r.
I shall be glad if I can serve you further in your laudable undertaking,
"Sequari vestigia rerum."
Your remark that in looking for some data for your sketches you find
"never was historian launched upon so meagre a field."
Allow me to suggest that no country ever presented a more rich field -"a field so full, so fair and so full of goodly prospects,"
rich with memories, patriotism and virtue, as does North Carolina.
The deeper t[h]is mind is explored the richer the [m]aterial.
Yet how few of these treasures have been presented to the world[.] The present age seems to have arou[s]ed from this
lethargy and enquiry an[d] research into the glowing records "rich with the spoils of time," has succeeded.
I rejoice that one so gifted and so laborius has undertaken thi[s] pious duty.
May I further suggest t[h]at additional interest would be create[d] by biographical sketches of the live[s] and services
in the field, the war, and the farms of the men of Hertford.
You will find ample material in priva[t]e lives, and public services of Hardy Murfree,
(after whom our native p[la]ce is called)
who led the forlorn ho[p]e at the desperate and successful ass[a]ult on Stony Point
under Anthony Wayne, on the Hudson river, New York, in 1779;
also in the character of his son, William H. Murfree, distinguished as a lawyer and statesman ([i]n Congress) from this District
in 1[8]13 to 1817.
Also of General Thomas Wynns (and his numerous name-sakes in Congress in 1802.
The Littles, th[e] Ridleys, the Rayners, the Sharps and [m]any others.
I trust that you will do this service to your "day and general __t."
And if little Hertford has s[o] s[h]iny bright stars, what a galaxy [... is won]
worth the attention of [...] Historian and Biographer.
Will n[o ho]me son of hers enter into this field so inviting and full of usefulness?
Very affectionately yours,
JNO. H. WHEELER.
Albemarle Times Commentary on Wheeler to Moore Coorespondence
Col. Jno. H. Wheeler's Article on the History of Hertford county.
Our readers will notice in our columns a letter to Major J. W. Moore from Jno. H. Wheeler on the history of Hertford county.
The immense resources now at the command of Col. Wheeler enables him to throw light on many points in our history which
otherwise were a blank vail. We would express our high sense of obligation to Col. Wheeler for this
effusion of his fertile pen, and earnestly hope that he will enrich future numbers of the TIMES with
similar productions.
Col. Wheeler and Major Moore are, doubtless, as well informed on the history of their native county as any
two gentlemen living, and it is amusing to see how the differ.
We had supposed that there was no fact better understood than that the town of Winton (originally spelt Wynton) derived
its name from the Wynn family; name farmerly spelt Winn, in the old county records, destroyed by fire in 1930;
by Wright Allen or by his connivance, yet Major Moore says the name is derived from the family of Wintons.
Again the venerable historian of North Carolina says that he "had never heard that the court house of Bertie county
was located at St. John's Chapel."
Twenty-five years ago there was not an old man living in the vicinity of St. Jons but could tell of old Bertie county court house
and the county jail, public whipping post, gallows, &c., standing in the rear, near the old colonial chapel, of St. Johns,
which gave name to the settlement.
There are probably men now living who recollect seeing debris of the old court house and jail.
Perhaps that pure man, Dr. G. C. Moore now moore than three score and ten,
could relate some interesting details concerning those early times, and if we err, we now call on the good Doctor
to correct us. Our columns shall be open to him until he has shed full light
from his well stored mind and very accurate memory on this interesting subject.
At some future time we may say more on the History of Hertford, but would only
draw attention to Colonial Wheeler's article at this time.
"The Albemarle Times", Winston & Gillam, eds., Windsor, [Bertie County] N.C.
Friday, September 29, 1876 [Vol. 4, No. 34]
Return to Miscellaneous Menu