The "Deed"

Accession #: 1992.8

Item: Deed of land, signed by William Randolph, I 

Possibly one of the most unique pieces in our collection came to us directly through the Randolph family line, descending from Wilton’s Peyton Randolph (the second owner of Wilton).  It is a deed allowing Curles [Plantation] to be purchased by William Randolph I, giving us a glimpse of how he amassed such large quantities of land by the time he died. The deed was donated by Jefferson (or Jeffrey) Randolph in 1992 at the request of his late father, Peyton Randolph, and had been discovered folded up behind a picture.

The deed is extremely important to Randolph family history, because it is evidence of how William Randolph I was able to acquire enough land to give estates to each of his sons upon his death in 1711. William I came to Virginia sometime between the years 1670-73 in his early twenties. As a newcomer in the colony he relied on his uncle, Henry Randolph for support and connections and through him was able to create a foundation to quickly move up the ranks in colonial society. Being a landowner was the cornerstone to wealth and future political sway in the colonies and William was quick to buy up land of his own.

 Both Turkey Island (the main Randolph family seat) and Curles Plantation became available to William for purchase upon the confiscation of Nathaniel Bacon’s lands, in addition to lands belonging to other leader’s who took part in the rebellion of 1675-76. Nathaniel Bacon came to the colonies from England in 1674, and after being in Virginia only two years, in 1676, became discontent with Governor Berkeley’s administration as Royal Governor. Bacon believed that Berkeley was not providing the colony’s frontier with enough protection against the constant threat of an Indian invasion, and when his own plantation was attacked and his overseer killed Bacon took action. He amassed followers from all over the colony, marched out, and massacred different Indian tribes, despite the fact that some of them had peaceful relations with the colonists. The Rebellion then morphed into an uprising against Governor Berkeley and other Virginia gentry, whom Bacon believed were not taking action to protect the colonists due to their personal relationships trading with different Indian tribes.

Despite the Rebellion’s popularity throughout the colony it was short-lived due to Nathaniel Bacon’s untimely death of dysentery. Once the rebellion lost its leader the movement fell apart and Berkeley was able to roundup the remaining leaders and execute them. That meant that the land previously belonging to Nathaniel Bacon and other leaders of the Rebellion went back into the ownership of King Charles II in 1677, and upon his death went to his successors. In 1698, William III is King of England and current “owner” to Curles Plantation when William Randolph I decided to purchase 1,230 acres for £150 sterling on July 21, 1698.

What is also interesting to note about the deed is that it outlines the history of the ownership of the land. Curles, located in the county of Henrico, was formerly known as Long Field and the Slashes, and contained “Marshes, Swamps, & low grounds.” It was originally a land patent granted to Thomas Harris by Sir John Harvey, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on February 25, 1638. The deed also mentions that Curles is located near land called Bremo, which later became another Randolph family plantation. The document is written and signed by the Royal Governor of Virginia in 1698, Francis Nicholson, and the Deputy Secretary Edmund Jennings.

Curles Plantation was owned by William Randolph I until he willed it to his son Henry Randolph. When Henry died, in England, without heirs the property passed into the hands of his brother, Richard Randolph, and then to his son by the same name. After being in the family for about three generations it passed into the hands of a new owner.  Even though the original Randolph family home no longer exists on the property Curles is still a privately owned farm.  Unfortunately, it is not open to the public.

Stay tuned for the "Deed" post two, coming soon!

Bibliography:

Cowden, Gerald S. "The Randolphs of Turkey Island: A Prosopography of the First Three Part 1." PhD diss., The College of William and Mary, 1977.

Cowden, Gerald S. "The Randolphs of Turkey Island: A Prosopography of the First Three Part 2." PhD diss., The College of William and Mary, 1977.

McCulley, Susan. "Bacon's Rebellion." Historic Jamestowne. Accessed 2011. Last modified 1987.  http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/bacons-rebellion.htm.

Randolph, Jefferson, Mr. "Source of Item." In Item File #1992.8. 1992.

Standard, Mary Newton. "The Story of Bacon's Rebellion." New River Notes -Since 1998 Historical and Genealogical Resources for the Upper New River Valley of North Carolina and Virginia . Last modified 2007. http://www.newrivernotes.com/va/bacon.htm.

The Henrico County Historical Society. "Varina District Historic Sites - Curles Neck." Henrico Historical Society. Accessed May 1, 2011. Last modified 2011. http://www.henricohistoricalsociety.org