Sunday, April 29, 2018

Sunday's Obituary: James R. Purcell

Richmond Times Dispatch
1 February 1916

FUNERAL OF JAMES R. PURCELL
[Special to the Times-Dispatch]

Manassas, VA, Januar 31 - Funeral services were held here to-day for Mayor James R. Purcell, of Gainesville, a lifelong resident and native of Prince William County, who died at Staunton on Saturday.  He was seventy-eight years old and a veteran of the Civil War. At one time he was a member of the House of Delegates from Prince William County and was a former deputy sheriff of this county. He is survived by his widow and four children, three of whom are sons.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Crime & Punishment: Thomas Daniell (1792)

Virginia Gazette and Agricultural Repository
14 June 1792

THOMAS DANIELL, personally appeared before me  Alexander Lithgow, Esq., Justice of the Peace for the County of Prince William, maketh oath on the holy Evangalist of Almighty God, that an escape from either the Prisons at Alexandria or Dumfries other than a termination of his life during the whole of his confinement, never was directly nor indirectly with him in contemplation, and that such an alternative never has or ever shall enter his mind or breast, that no consideration on Earth shall cause him to prove unfaithful as a Prisoner, either to his friends or adversaries. Given under my hand this 19th day of May, 1792.

ALEXANDER LITHGOW

After seven months experience of my fidelity as a prisoner, for more than ten times the amount, in value of the new writs, immediately, on a DISMISION, of the former ones, it was most unmercifully circulated, that I intended to break Jail, to frustrate so cruel a report, occassioned the above affidavit.

Agents in London have caused arrests to take place in New York, Lord Mansfield's opinion and practice was invariably not to demand any kind of bail on processes, or affidavits issuing from any foreign courts of judicature, for reasons of exemplary, justice and policy.




Saturday, April 14, 2018

Current Affairs: George Ray Farm

After a Planning Commission public hearing on April 4, 2018, Prince William County gave the green light to Ray's Regard, a proposed 350 housing development on the old George Ray Farm.  

Before the property disappears forever, David Cuff and Don Wilson of Historic Prince William have written an informative article about the property's history and the Ray family, that can be found HERE.