Edenton Journal of Material Culture

Interior of ca. 1710-1730 Red Mulberry Tidewater Virginia Desk.

Southern yellow pine corner cupboard ca. 1795.

A new book by Tom Newbern and Jim Melchor, “Earl Granville’s ‘Proper’ Office,” deals with the unusual original layout of Edenton’s Cupola House. In it, the authors examine a largely overlooked document sent by Granville to Francis Corbin in 1757 that appears to explain questions about the original purpose of the Cupola House construction.

Interior of ca. 1710-1730 Red Mulberry Tidewater Virginia Desk.

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Hayes Part 4 - Rieusset

The last owner of the land at Hayes was John Rieusset, who purchased the plantation in 1757 from descendants of Frederick Jones, viz., Thomas his son and Harding Jones his grandson. It was John Rieusset that gave the plantation the name it bears today.

Hayes Part 3 - Jones

The second owner of the land at Hayes was Frederick Jones, who purchased the tract from Edward Smithwick around 1708. Jones first arrived in this country in 1702 with his brother Thomas and both initially settled in James City County, Virginia, near Williamsburg. Frederick Jones’ plantation there was known as Tutter’s Neck.

Hayes Part 2 - Smithwick

The first owner of land that later became part of what is now known as Hayes plantation was Edward Smithwick, who obtained a Proprietary land grant dated January 1, 1694 for three hundred and eighty acres of land there. However, Smithwick is probably best known today for the fact that at the first vestry meeting of St. Paul’s Parish held on December 12, 1701, he offered an acre of land out of this tract as the site for the parish’s first church or chapel.