W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1986 Community in Gloucestertown, Virginia: The Context and Archaeology of Town Development in 17th and 18th Century Virginia Karen B. Fisher College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Fisher, Karen B., "Community in Gloucestertown, Virginia: The Context and Archaeology of Town Development in 17th and 18th Century Virginia" (1986). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539625335. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-xfez-ff71 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COMMUNITY IN GLOUCESTERTOWN, VIRGINIA: THE CONTEXT AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF TOWN DEVELOPMENT IN 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY VIRGINIA A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Anthropology The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Karen B. Fisher 1986 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts thor Approved, June 19,86 Dr. Norman Barka A? Dr.(V-Cl Theodore Reinhart D r . Anne Yents]ph Af ftM Dr. Kevin Kelly TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................ iv A NOTE ON HISTORICAL SOURCES.......................... vi LIST OF TABLES.......................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES......................................... ix ABSTRACT................................................ xi INTRODUCTION............................................ 2 CHAPTER I. THE CONTEXT................................ 16 CHAPTER II. SELECTIVE FACTORS: PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL DETERMINANTS............................... 25 CHAPTER III.GLOUCESTERTOWN: "WE CAME TO GLOUCESTERTOWN UPON YORK RIVER".......................... 55 CHAPTER IV. THE COMMUNITY.............................. 78 CHAPTER V. AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATION.......... 169 CONCLUSION.............................................. 191 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................ 195 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks and appreciation are due to the staff of the Virginia Research Center for Archaeology, for their coop­ eration in sharing information and in loaning equipment; David K. Hazzard and Martha McCartney, in particular, provided valuable information and guidance as I researched the historical and archaeological record of Gloucestertown. The efforts of the VRCA in preserving Gloucestertown's legacy are to be commended. Thanks are due also to Dr. Kevin Kelly of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; Dr. Kelly was kind enough to read my several papers and offered many helpful suggestions and criticisms. His work on settlement patterns and urbani­ zation in York and Surry Counties in Virginia gave him a vantage point which he extended to my study, helping me to understand broader currents in Tidewater urban development. The Department of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary should also be acknowledged; my association with the department over the last eight years has been fruitful, indeed. Thanks to Dr. Norman Barka and Dr. Theodore Reinhart for serving on my thesis committee and for the benefit of their experience during my education. iv Lastly, but most importantly, I am indebted to Dr. Anne Yentsch who advised me over the several years this research was in progress. Her appreciation and understanding of historical ethnography has greatly influenced my work. Dr. Yentsch's guidance and direction have been invaluable to me. v A NOTE ON HISTORICAL SOURCES One difficulty facing researchers of historical documents lies in the selective preservation of records over time. This problem seemed to be enhanced in this study as there are few extant records for Gloucester County. The bulk of the county's papers were destroyed by fire during the Civil War. Those documents which have been saved were collected by P.C. Mason in two volumes of Records of Colonial Gloucester County (1946, 1948). There are only a few inventories and wills here, the staple of most archaeo­ logical research; there are, however, many land transactions which reveal social networks and patterns of association, something of greater significance for the purposes of this study. The paucity of official county records is mitigated by the wealth of information to be found in other sources. There are two parish vestry books and a parish register for Gloucester County. References can be found in the papers of adjacent counties — particularly in land deeds-- and especially in York County. Gloucestertown was located directly across the river from Yorktown, a county seat and bustling port town. Gloucestertown merchants and residents vi appear regularly in York County transactions. Other colony records used in this research include the Calendar of State Papers, tax lists, the Quit Rent Roll of 1704/5, Hening's Statutes at Large, and several contemporary narratives. Through such 'indirect' sources, a great body of detail was amassed on the community at Gloucestertown, enabling the town's history and development to be traced. LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Duration of Virginia Port Towns................ 31 2 . Social Functions of Port Towns: Court and Church 34 3. Population Distribution 1699..................... 48 4. Tobacco Production for Tidewater Virginia...... 51 5. Socio-Economic Characteristics of pre-1707 Gloucestertown Lot Purchasers.................... 91 6. Residence Patterns of pre-1707 Lot Purchasers... 92 7. Land Holding Status of pre-1707 Lot Purchasers.. 96 8 . Parish Associations of pre-1707 Lot Purchasers.. 97 9. Political Roles of pre-1707 Lot Purchasers..... 101 10. Political Activity Among Descendants of pre-1707 Gloucestertown Lot Purchasers.......... 102 11. Distribution of Office-Holders by Economic Class 103 12. Petsworth Parish Associations.................... 109 13. Socio-Economic Characteristics of 17 0 7 Gloucestertown Lot Owners.................. 120 14. Land Holding Status of 1707 Lot Owners.......... 122 15. Residence Patterns of 1707 Lot Owners........... 135 16. Family Networks Among Gloucestertown Lot Owners..135 17. Status of Early Lot Owners in 1707.............. 145 18. Factors in Lot Divestiture Prior to 1707........ 146 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Counties and Designated Port Towns of Virginia........................................ 3 2. View of Gloucestertown, 1754.................... 4 3. Gloucester Point and Yorktown, 1862............. 4 4. Settlement Patterns of Tidewater Virginia...... 18 5. 1707 Plat of Gloucestertown..................... 23 6. Environmental Zones of the Virginia Tidewater... 27 7. Centrality as a Factor in Town Development..... 34 8. Population Distribution.......................... 47 9. View of Yorktown, 1754........................... 59 10. Gloucestertown and Yorktown, 1778 and 1782..... 63 11. List of Initial Gloucestertown Investors....... 84 12. The Whiting Family Tree.......................... 90 13. Family Networks and Associations Among Gloucestertown Lot Purchasers............. 113 14. Inter-Family Marital Associations............... 118 15. 1707 Plat of Gloucestertown, Redrawn............ 120 16. Associations of Colonel John Thruston.......... 137 17. Gloucester Point Archaeological District....... 180 18. Robert Beverley, Description of Virginia Material Culture........................ 185 19. 18th Century Foundation Remains................. 186 20. Brick Remains of Gloucestertown Structure...... 186 ix 21. Delft Chimney Tile, the Hunters.................. 186 22. Brass Door Knobs from Gloucestertown Dwelling... 186 23. Delftware Plate Base.............................. 187 24. 18th Century Pipe Bowl from House Lot........... 187 25. Intact Wine Bottle and Wine Glass Recovered During VRCA Excavations.......................... 187 26. Brass Book Clasp Uncovered at GL170 in 1982 by the VRCA............................... 188 27. Evidence of Gloucestertown's Material Remains... 193 x ABSTRACT Culture is not an abstract entity, but is shared meaning and value among groups of people? as such, it is meaningful only in the context of those who carry it. The social context of artifactual material, which is culture- specific, can be recovered for past societies by historical archaeologists through the use of analytical techniques of anthropology and through the means of historical ethno­ graphy. The cultural structures which organize, categorize, and give meaning to events in daily life impose constraints on the archaeological record. Thus, an understanding of the cultural and historical context becomes vital for inter­ preting uncovered material remains. A study of 17th and 18th century Gloucestertown, Virginia demonstrates the usefulness of historical ethno­ graphy for recovering context: the various forces behind the establishment and development of this port town, and the values and social behavior of lot owners and residents. xi "In bringing our people to a more regular settlement and of great advantage to trade... COMMUNITY IN GLOUCESTERTOWN, VIRGINIA: THE CONTEXT AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF TOWN DEVELOPMENT IN 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY