Commemorating Colonel Edward Hack Moseley
(1743- 1814)
Saturday, May 17th,
2014
This was a service and wreath-laying ceremony
to mark a new gravestone for Revolutionary War Patriot Col Edward Hack Moseley
JR (1743 – 1814) and celebrate 13
founders and patriots (as listed on a new plaque also provided) spanning from
the first Englishmen to set foot on Lynnhaven Parish soil in 1634 as permanent settlers
up through the War of 1812. The ceremony was moderated by Dr Tom Whetstone and
organized by Vicki Kendall. Daughters of
the American Revolution and Old Donation Church Member Carol Shrader initiated a
fund raising campaign for the Moseley Stone
that eventually brought together eight organizations for this effort.
Carol Shrader
The plaque (near the handicapped parking area and Cpt Jonathan Saunders grave stone) was dedicated on this day by the Virginia Society Order of Founders & Patriots of America, the Lynnhaven Parish Chapter, Daughters of the Revolution; the Norfolk Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution; and the War of 1812 Society in the Commonwealth of Virginia (as noted on the plaque).
1. CAPT ADAM THOROWGOOD (1604-1640) FOUNDER.
He was an English colonist and community leader who helped settle the area of
Lynnhaven and form Lynnhaven Parish Church. At the age of 36 Adam was buried in
the churchyard at Church Point and would be accompanied later by his children
and Sarah.
2. COL THOMAS WALKE I (1642-1694) COLONIAL
WAR. He was an immigrant from British-ruled Barbados. He held colonial
distinction and was commissioned a colonel by the Governor of Virginia. He made
his fortune shipping goods to Barbados from Hampton Roads and slaves back to
Hampton Roads from Barbados.
3. COL EDWARD MOSELEY (1661-1736) COLONIAL
WAR. He was a Colonel in the County Militia, Justice of Princess Anne County,
High Sheriff, and as Lynnhaven Parish Church vestryman a member of the court
that tried Grace Sherwood. In 1697 he had the land around his estate
established as the town of Newtown.
4-H. COL ANTHONY WALKE I (1692-1768) COLONIAL
WAR. He was a man of high standing and character in the Lynnhaven Parish Church
serving as a vestryman for many years and contributing to its support. Through
his efforts and contributions, Lynnhaven Parish Church No. 3 was built using
imported brick. He was Colonel and Commander of troops in Princess Anne County
under his majesty King George III.
5. COL EDWARD HACK MOSELEY, JR (1717-1783)
COLONIAL WAR. He enjoyed the social life of Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore
right up until 1775 when the unpopular Lord Dunmore was forced out of Virginia
in skirmishes leading up to the Revolutionary War. He was prominent in the
affairs at Old Donation Church, and in 1767 he had a private Great Pew built
where the pulpit stands today.
6-H. LT COL EDWARD HACK MOSELEY (1743-1814)
REVOLUTIONARY WAR. Like his father, he was a member of the House of
Burgess, Clerk of Princess Anne County, and a vestryman at Old Donation. He was
a loyal patriot during the Revolutionary War. Father and son stood on opposite
sides, but this obviously did not affect their relationship.
7-H. CPT JONATHAN SAUNDERS (1726-1765) COLONIAL
WAR. He built Pembroke Manor in 1764, a year before his death. The manor stands
today on Constitution Drive, just off Independence Blvd. near Virginia Beach
Blvd. During the years preceding the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), there was
much debate in the social circles at Lynnhaven Parish Church over the growing
rebellion against Great Britain. We have no record of the political positions
of Captain Jonathan Saunders and what influence he may have had on his son who
chose to be loyal to King George III and eventually join the Queen's Loyal
Virginia Regiment.
8. COL ANTHONY WALKE II (1726-1779) COLONIAL
WAR. He was one of the wealthiest Virginians of his day, a great advocate of
social dinking, extravagant social gatherings, gambling, and horse racing. When
trouble with England began, as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, he
espoused the cause of the colonies, and united with Patrick Henry, Mason,
Madison, Marshall, Jefferson, and other patriots in resisting British
oppression and in establishing American independence.
LT. COL LEMUEL THOROUGHGOOD (c. 1750 -1785) REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
According to Amy Waters Yarsinske in her book “Virginia Beach, A History of Virginia's Golden Shore,” (page 78), her reference from "Down on the Lynnhaven," Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, 28 April 1924 by Eveleth Kathleen Bruce; Colonel Adam Thoroughgood, a 7th generation descendant of Adam Thoroughgood, was an officer in George Washington’s Army who was wounded at the battle of Yorktown (October 1781). Yarsinske is wrong. This was not Col Adam Thoroughgood (1736 - c.1790) but rather the son of another Adam Thoroughgood (c. 1718- 1768) (Adam6 Thorowgood William5, Argall4, Adam3, Adam2, William1), Lemuel Thorowgood. The article Yarsinske used as a reference,“Down on the Lynnhaven,” said that the house of Colonel Adam Thorowgood was commandeered as a British headquarters. His wife Sarah Calvert Thorowgood bravely stood up to the British soldiers when they offered her husband a pardon if he stopped fighting and came home. In the tradition of Thoroughgood wives, she replied with rebellious indignation, "I would rather see him dead!" However, it was Lemuel Thorowgood (c. 1750 -1785) who married Sarah Calvert. Further, Lemuel was not at Yorktown. Rather, Lemuel commanded troops for protection of Princess Anne, Norfolk, Accomack, and Northampton counties during the war. He became a Captain, then a Major, and finally a Lt. Colonel by the end of the war. Lemuel died in 1785, probably as the result of a war-time wound.
"The Identity Crisis of the “Adam Thoroughgood” House, Thorowgood World, Exploring 17th Century Roots & Legacies," 2 April, 2018, by Janet Cumming: https://thorowgoodworld.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/the-identity-crisis-of-the-adam-thoroughgood-house
10. CAPT THOMAS WALKE IV (1760-1797) REVOLUTIONARY WAR. He was prominent in Princess Anne County. He fought in the Revolutionary War and was one of the two local representatives to the Virginia Convention. In Richmond in the spring of 1788 he helped Virginia, by a narrow margin, ratify the U.S. Constitution. He served as Vestryman and Warden of Lynnhaven Parish for many years.
11-H. PVT JOHN HENDERSON (1769 – 1825) WAR OF
1812. He was a native of Northampton County, Eastern Shore, VA.
12-H. PVT ANTHONY WALKE (1778-1820) WAR OF 1812. He was the Great Grandson of Colonel Walke I. Other than his participation in the War of 1812 and wife Anne amd their four children, nothing more is known about his life.
12-H. PVT ANTHONY WALKE (1778-1820) WAR OF 1812. He was the Great Grandson of Colonel Walke I. Other than his participation in the War of 1812 and wife Anne amd their four children, nothing more is known about his life.
13-H. SGT JOHN BROWNLEY (1780-1853) WAR OF
1812. Other than his participation in the War of 1812 nothing more is known
about his life.
Presentation by Bob Perrine, Old Donation
Church Historian.
There were certainly more founders and
patriots than just these 13, and our celebration should also observe the many unnamed
and unknown other men whose bravery carved out this land in the face of hostile
natives, pirates, French, and later the English. These men all had the help of
wives who supported them in so many ways.
I want to walk you through three centuries
focusing on the Moseley’s, the ancestors of a man
we are celebrating today and then others that came after Moseley in the War of
1812 - on this the 377th anniversary day of Lynnhaven Parish Church
as later named Old Donation Episcopal Church, a day in 1637 when CPT Adam Thoroughgood
summoned Reverend Wilkinson to
hold the 1st services in his home. You may want to follow my
presentation by noting on your bulletin some of the people I mention.
Our celebrated patriot Col Edward Hack
Moseley JR’s (1743 - 1814) great-great-great-grandfather,
48 year old William Moseley I (1601-1655) came to Virginia in 1649 from
Rotterdam with his wife Suzanna and two sons. As
a Cavalier opposed to Oliver Cromwell, a large quantity of jewelry was all he
was able to get out of England when he fled to Holland. Trading jewels to Adam
Thoroughgood’s widow in exchange for livestock, William slowly gained prominence,
becoming a leader in Lynnhaven Parish Church and local government affairs.
William was uniquely different from many of
the land owners around him who had first come to Lynnhaven Parish as indentured
servants, a result of the “Headrights”
system initiated by the Virginia Company. They granted 50 acres of land to sponsors
who paid passage for Englishmen who had to work the tobacco fields to pay for
their passage. Adam Thoroughgood came in
1621 as an indentured servant and later was one of the early men to take
advantage of Headrights bringing 105 Englishmen here. Some of these folks in turn followed
Adam in bringing more indentured servants after they had worked off their
indenture, Augustine Warner being one such man, the ancestor of George
Washington.
During the 17th century Lynnhaven
Parish was still a wilderness and the natives outnumbered the English 4 to 1.
In this regard to build the population no widow was a
widow for long. They were paraded in front of eligible bachelors in the church and, if not by mutual
attraction, they were coerced by William Moseley’s
son, Church Warden William Moseley II (1635-1700)
to quickly choose a
new husband. By 1692 just about everyone in Lynnhaven Parish was related. William
II married Sarah Thoroughgood-Gookin-Yeardley’s daughter Mary. When William
died, Col Thomas Walke I (1642-1694), married her. He was the first Walke in Princes Anne
County. So began another uniquely different clan not arriving here as an
indentured servant. Of the 13 founders and patriots we honor today, 5 are
Walkes and 3 are Moseley’s.
Now we come to the 18th century,
the “Golden Age,” a time of
prosperity and economic growth. Lynnhaven Parish, now part of Princess Anne
County was exclusively
from English ancestry to include almost half the population, the other divided equally between slaves
and Native Americans. Tobacco was king, and horseback riding and fox
hunting were the predominant sports. Being
part of the Church of England, Lynnhaven Parish Church was supported by
taxation, and Senior Warden, Lt. Col Edward Hack Moseley (1717-1782), the
father of our celebrated Moseley, set tax rates and made collections in the
form of tobacco. Being loyal to King George III, he enjoyed the social life under Virginia’s Governor, Lord Dunmore right
up to 1775 when he was forced out of Virginia in skirmishes that led to the
Revolutionary War, a period that would see dramatic changes in the way of life
for Lynnhaven Parish.
Our celebrated Revolutionary War patriot, Col.
Moseley Jr. (1743 – 1814) stood
on opposite sides from his father, but this did not affect their relationship. After
the war Moseley followed in his father’s footsteps becoming a powerful figure
as a member of the House of Burgess, a sheriff and a vestryman in the church. His stewardship would see the end of the
Golden Age as a number of Lynnhaven Parish Church
members found themselves in debt due to their extravagant life-style. This downward
spiral picked up momentum after the war with the church losing its tithing tax.
We now move ahead to the War of 1812. Less
than a month after America declared war on England, on July 10, 1812 Sgt John
Brownley, Pvt John Henderson and Pvt Anthony Walke, our three War of 1812 celebrated
patriots, as members of the Princess Ann County Militia, participated in
capturing an English ship off Cape Henry, the first ship captured in the war. Then
a half year later the Militia took a crew of 24 men prisoner and turned them
over to the local marshal. The Militia had skirmishes with British landing
parties throughout the war.Of the 13 founders and patriots, six are
buried in our cemetery. You might want to mark them on the back of your
bulletin and view their graves after the ceremony. Thank you.
No. 4 - Col Anthony Walke I (1692-1768) is quite noticeable as a large 5 foot high rectangular vault.
The epitaph reads:
A sincere friend and cheerful
companion
Steady in the Practice of
Christianity
and a zealous
promoter of Virtue
he was for
many years a member
of the House
of Burgesses
and Judge of
the Court of this County
in his public
capacity he behaved himself
with a uniform
regard to Justice
tempered with
mercy and in all respects
consulted with interests of the
county
over which he presided. 
No. 7 - Cpt Jonathan Saunders (1726-1765). The epitaph reads:
No. 6 - LT Col Edward Hack Moseley Jr (1743-1814), our celebrated patriot. The epitaph reads:
William I Moseley (1601-1655) and wife Suzanna emigrated to Princess Anne Co from Rotterdam, Holland.
William Moseley II (1635-1700) & Mary Gookin (1642-1702)
John (1670-1739)..brothers..Edward (1661-1736)
Anthony (1689-??)..cousins..Hillary 1697-1730\/
Frances (?-?)……………..Edward Hack I (1708- 1783)...brothers...Edward Hack SR (1717-1782)
William (1725-1773)..Col Edward Hack II (1740-1811)...cousins...Col Edward Hack (1743-1814)
(1) Mary Gookin (1642-1702) was the daughter of John Gookin (1613 - 1643) and Sarah Thoroughgood-Gookin-Yeardley (1609 – 1657). Mary was Sarah’s fifth child (the only one she had after the death of her first husband).
(2) Col Edward Hack Moseley (1743-1814) was a Revolutionary War Patriot. He is buried at Old Donation, the oldest grave with remains (Section1, grave no. 1). A relation to him is also buried there (Section 1, no 9), i.e., Betty Thoroughgood (1747-1808). Betty is the 6th generation descendant of our famous Adam Thoroughgood (Adam(6), William(5), Argall(4), AdamII(3), AdamI(2), William(1)). Her first husband was William Moseley (1725 – 1773).
No. 11. Pvt John Henderson (1769 – 1825) is near the south wall of the church near the air conditioning unit. The epitaph reads:
No 12 - Pvt Anthony Walke (1778-1820) is in the flower garden near Col Anthony Walke’s vault.
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
CAPT. JONATHAN SAUNDERS
who was a person of great piety and a most
humane Disposition
being beneficent to all
as far as his ability Reached
An easy unoffensive, obligating behavior
adored all his actions
was a kind Husband
tender father a sincere friend
he died universally Lamented
on 21st January 1765
in the 39th year of his age.No. 6 - LT Col Edward Hack Moseley Jr (1743-1814), our celebrated patriot. The epitaph reads:
SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF
COLONEL EDWARD HACK
MOSELEY, JR
1743- 1814
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF
BURGESS
SHERIFF
VESTRYMAN
COLONIAL SOLDIER
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
PATRIOT
NORFOLK CHAPETR NSSAR
LYNNHAVEN PARISH
CHAPTER
NSDAR 2014
William Moseley II (1635-1700) & Mary Gookin (1642-1702)
John (1670-1739)..brothers..Edward (1661-1736)
Anthony (1689-??)..cousins..Hillary 1697-1730\/
Frances (?-?)……………..Edward Hack I (1708- 1783)...brothers...Edward Hack SR (1717-1782)
William (1725-1773)..Col Edward Hack II (1740-1811)...cousins...Col Edward Hack (1743-1814)
(1) Mary Gookin (1642-1702) was the daughter of John Gookin (1613 - 1643) and Sarah Thoroughgood-Gookin-Yeardley (1609 – 1657). Mary was Sarah’s fifth child (the only one she had after the death of her first husband).
(2) Col Edward Hack Moseley (1743-1814) was a Revolutionary War Patriot. He is buried at Old Donation, the oldest grave with remains (Section1, grave no. 1). A relation to him is also buried there (Section 1, no 9), i.e., Betty Thoroughgood (1747-1808). Betty is the 6th generation descendant of our famous Adam Thoroughgood (Adam(6), William(5), Argall(4), AdamII(3), AdamI(2), William(1)). Her first husband was William Moseley (1725 – 1773).
No. 11. Pvt John Henderson (1769 – 1825) is near the south wall of the church near the air conditioning unit. The epitaph reads:
In Memory of John Henderson
a native of
Northampton County
Eastern Shore,
Va
Who died in
this County
February
1825
Aged about 56 years
Aged about 56 years
No 12 - Pvt Anthony Walke (1778-1820) is in the flower garden near Col Anthony Walke’s vault.
No 13 - Sgt John Brownley (1780-1819) is at the back of the cemetery on the other side of a tree which has grown into William Dixon’s grave stone. Until 6 April 2016, his wife's gravestone was thought to be his. A dig found his broken off stub and the gravestone in the church shed behind a pile of wood.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The graves were marked with a red rose for the ceremony. Capt Adam Thoroughgood was buried in our first churchyard cemetery at Church Point. The river claimed the church and cemetery, so his grave rests in silt in the Lynnhaven River. In 1997 underwater archaeologists identified his gravestone, but to date no efforts have been undertaken to move it, along with his family, to our Historic Cemetery.
The cemetery is divided into six parts.
Beside the 74 buried in the historical section, there are 18 in the wall
columbarium, 42 in the in-ground columbarium, 14 in the Memorial Garden
where remains are scattered on a gravel bed, 9 in the full casket
burial area, and 2 inside the church under the central isle floor for a total 159.
Above from left to right -
Susan
Stephenson, David King, Kera Howeth, Gary Kline, Cecilia McCoid and Jackie
Murray.
On Memorial Day 26 May 2014 there are 34 flags in our cemetery next to each veteran
(which includes our Founders & Patriots).
These three
are in the Full Casket Burial Ground
V-Eaton Sr., William G. - Jan 25, 2011 – Ob
V-McAtee, George W. - Jun 25, 2008 -Ob
V-Rinehart, Barton B. - Dec 30, 2008 – Ob
These ten
are in the Historical Burial Ground
VH- Henderson, John – 1825 – Note:
V-Kellam, Henry, Capt. – Died Approximately 1790 –
Note:
V - Shipp, C.L. – Apr 28, 1876
VH - Moseley, - Colonel Edward H. JR 1743-1814– Ob
VH -Saunders, Capt. Jonathan – Jan 1, 1765 – Ob
VH - Walke, PVT Anthony – Sept 13, 1820 – Note:
VH -Walke, Colonel Anthony – Nov 8, 1768
V- Leitch, Jr., John David - Mar 1, 2004
V- Leitch, Elizabeth "Betty"
Kidman - Apr 13, 2014 Ob
VH - Brownley, Jno. (John) - Oct 8, 1853 -Note:
These eleven are in the In-ground Columbarium
V - Smith, Leonard C – Sep 22, 2008 - Ob
V - Tripician, Robert J. - Aug 20, 2012 –-Ob
V-Awbrey, Roy Dale Cdr USN Ret – May 23, 2010 –
Ob
V-Beale Jr., Robert O. - Mar 1, 2011 - Ob
V-Groenke, Mark J. – Aug 30, 1989 – Ob
V-Guarnieri, Lewis John – Feb 11, 2007 - Ob
V-Macgregor, Robert M – Jul 15, 2003 - Ob
V-Parks, Ann Nivison Bradford - Jun 21, 2002 - Ob - Note:
V-Parks, Littleton Walke – Dec 23, 2007 – Ob - Note:
V-Robertson, Fred Waldo – Jan 6, 2007 - Ob
V - Murphy Jr, Rear Admiral Charlton L. - Dec 5, 1961
V - Murphy Jr, Rear Admiral Charlton L. - Dec 5, 1961
These five
are in the Wall Columbarium
V – Scott, Stanley Fitchett- Dec 21, 2012 - Ob
V-DuVall, Jr., Seab Edgar "Frenchie" - Nov
5, 2008 – Ob
V-Freeman, John Lawrence - May 12, 2004 - Ob
V-Intrieri, Leonard - Jul 7, 2009 - Ob
V-MacDougall, Donald - Oct 8, 2009 – Ob
These three
are in the Memorial Garden (Scatering Garden)
V-Johnstone, Frank – May 28, 2009 - (no plaque) –
Ob
V-Arnold III, Joseph David - Nov. 5, 2008 - Ob
V-Joyce, Benjamin - Apr 13, 2012 – Ob
A plaque in
the Church memorializes these two
V-Dawley, Captain Dennis – in the 1780’s
V-Woodhouse, George H.H. - Oct 24, 1915
V- Indicates he/she was a veteran and served in
America’s armed forces.
VH – Indicates the 13 Lynnhaven Parish Church founders
and veterans of Colonial and Revolutionary wars or the War of 1812.
Note - Congregants posting eulogies, something about the
deceased, or this author’s note.
There are lots of Kellams in Virginia Beach, including our member Harold (Hank) B. Kellam. The 23-mile-long Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel opened in 1964 was officially named the Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge–Tunnel in August 1987 after one of the civic leaders who had long worked for its development and operation. We need your help in finding more information about Capt. Henry Kellam. Please, if you have information, contact the church office at 497-0563.
Capt. Henry Kellam
Is He the Fourteenth Founder/Patriot of the
Colonial War?
Capt. Henry Kellam – Died Approximately
1790
Capt. Henry Kellam's grave stone (below picture) was moved from
Pembroke Farms without remains along with his five week old daughter, Nancy,
who died in May 1789. The fence in the picture enclosed the two Kellam
graves and the church air conditioning unit but has since been removed. The Church Interment Record Book shows his grave to have
the above inscription. Since the inscription has weathered away, the Cemetery
Committee is purchasing a plaque to be placed on the stone with the original inscription.
There are lots of Kellams in Virginia Beach, including our member Harold (Hank) B. Kellam. The 23-mile-long Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel opened in 1964 was officially named the Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge–Tunnel in August 1987 after one of the civic leaders who had long worked for its development and operation. We need your help in finding more information about Capt. Henry Kellam. Please, if you have information, contact the church office at 497-0563.
1779 – 1815. Lynnhaven Parish Church Members Involved in the Revolutionary War,
Forming a New Government, and the War of 1812
Note: The term “Old
Donation Church” did not appear until a Vestry
Record entry in 1822 used that term to order that the “church called ‘old Donation Church’”
be put in repair.
Captain
John Saunders II (1754 - 1834) chose to side with the British, and in 1779
was called before the Princess Anne County Safety Committee, declared a British
subject and had the house his father had build, Pembroke Manor,
confiscated. He fled the area, but in
1780, under the command of General Leslie, returned to establish outposts along
the coast. A year later in Yorktown
under the command of General Lord Cornwallis, Captain Saunders’ Regiment was
ordered to Charleston to command the garrison after it had been captured. Missing the October 1781 Siege of Yorktown
against General George Washington and before the war ended, Captain Saunders II
sailed for England in November 1782.
Colonel Adam Thoroughgood, a 7th generation descendant of Adam
Thoroughgood, was an officer in George Washington’s army who was wounded at the
battle of Yorktown (October 1781). While Adam was off fighting, the British
overran Adam’s plantation estate and commandeered it for a British
headquarters. The British told Adam’s wife, Sarah, that they would provide her
husband a “parole of honor” if he
would return home from the battle. In the tradition of Thoroughgood wives,
Sarah replied with rebellious indignation, “I
would rather see him dead.”
After the
Revolutionary War Thomas Walke IV (1760
– 1797) and his distant cousin Rev.
Anthony Walke, III (1755 – 1814) were selected at the Kempsville County
Seat to represent Princes Anne County at the 1788 Richmond Convention,
out-polling 71 year old Lt. Col Edward
Hack Moseley (1717-1782) and 70 year old Thomas Kempe. Moseley and Kempe were loyal to King George III
enjoying the social life under Virginia’s Governor Lord Dunmore right up to
1775 when he was forced out of Virginia in skirmishes that led to the
Revolutionary War. Moseley and Kempe would have voted against the new
constitution, but the much younger 28 year old Thomas Walke (182 votes) and 33
year old Anthony Walke (354 votes), handily beat Moseley (176 vote) and Kempe
(160 vote) since the Walkes had already held positions of leadership as justice
of the county court and delegate to the General Assembly. Along with other lower Tidewater delegates
they supported ratification of the Articles of Confederation at the 1788
Richmond convention by a narrow 89 to 79 winning margin.
After the
Revolutionary War the new young country would engage the English one more time declaring
war on July 10, 1812, the start of the War of 1812. Less than a month later Sgt John Brownley, Pvt John Henderson and Pvt Anthony Walke, members of Old
Donation Church and the Princess Ann County Militia, captured an English ship
off Cape Henry, the first military action of the war. They then took a crew of
24 men prisoner late in 1812, well before England had responded with a massive
force. Despite overwhelming odds, the Princess Ann County Militia continued skirmishes
with British landing parties throughout the war. All Three men are buried in
our cemetery.
*Captain John Saunders II (1754 - 1834) was the son of Captain
Jonathan Saunders I (1726 – 1765) and great-grandson of Rev. Jonathan Saunders
who provided religious leadership for the growing Lynnhaven Parish Church from
1695 to 1700. In 1789 he married Arianna Jekyll and in the same year moved back
to North America where, having been trained as a lawyer, he was appointed a
judge of the Supreme Court of New Brunswick, Canada. Here he lived out the rest
of his life. The grave of his father Captain John Saunders I is the oldest
grave site in the Old Donation cemetery.
*Colonel Adam Thoroughgood was a 7th generation descendant of Adam
Thoroughgood (1604-1640), i.e., 6th John Jr. (?-1803), 5th John (?-1763), 4th -
Argall (1687 - 1719), 3rd - Argall (1659 - 1704), 2nd - Adam II (1638 – 1685)
and 1st - Adam (1604-1640).
*Thomas Walke IV (1760 – 1797) fought in the Revolutionary War and
served as Vestryman and Warden of Lynnhaven Parish for many years. He had much
to do with the designing and building of the third Eastern Shore Chapel which
stood less than a mile from his home. Thomas IV had Communion Silver bearing
the date 1759 shipped from England to Eastern Shore Chapel. The silver is now
on exhibit at the Norfolk Museum.
*Reverend Anthony Walke (1755 - 1814) was 20 years old in the early winter
of 1775 when he witnessed troop movements and battles between Continental Army
troops and Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore’s Loyalist troops in battles at Kemp's Landing, 2.5 miles north
and then at Great Bridge, 9 miles south of his Fairfields Manor House. The
Revolutionary War (1775–1783) caught Reverend Walke at a time when he was
coming of age into a Virginia gentry threatened by the loss of political power,
wealth, and social prestige made possible by English control over the Virginia
Colony. In his writings he blamed the north and their foolish Boston Tea Party actions.
After the Revolutionary War, in early 1788 he was ordained a priest of the
Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, and then served the following year as an
elector from the State of Virginia to the first presidential election held in
Philadelphia. Returning to Princess Anne County, Reverend Walke, with a large
inheritance from his father, presided as rector over Lynnhaven Parish Church
for many years without a salary (from 1788 to 1800 and again from 1812 to
1813). Reverend Walke divided his time
between preaching and the hunt. Not only was he noted for delivering sermons
with a captivating mild mannered voice, but a more picturesque side of him was
his love of fox and deer hunting. He conducted sermons with his horse
Silverheels tethered near the door of the church. When he heard those hunting
horns, he would immediately turn the service over to his clerk, Dick Edwards,
and hurry off on Silverheels, not seen again until late in the day. As
congregants had come primarily by boat to sermons every other week, spent the entire day at Old Donation picnicking on the lawn and would
enjoy hearing the rest of Rev. Walkes sermon when he returned from the hunt.
*Colonel Edward Hack Moseley (1717 -
1783) was loyal to
King George III enjoying the social life of Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore
right up until 1775 when the unpopular Lord Dunmore was forced out of Virginia
in skirmishes leading up to the Revolutionary War. He remained loyal to the
King throughout the Revolutionary War but was too old to take an active part in
the conflict and eventually returned to England. So prominent was he at Old
Donation that in 1767 he had a private Great Pew built where the pulpit stands
today causing the side door to be moved about eight feet from the end of the
long north wall to its present location.
*Thomas Kempe (1718 – circa 1795). In 1785, 67 year old Thomas was appointed
Clerk of Lynnhaven Parish Church. He was the grandson of James Kempe (1753 - ?)
senior Warden of Lynnhaven Parish Church. Thomas was a descendant of William
Kempe, one of 105 indentured servants brought to Lynnhaven Parish by Adam
Thoroughgood between 1628 and 1635 and was among the congregants assembling in 1637 at the
first service Adam Thoroughgood held in his home.
“Virginia Beach, A
History of Virginia's Golden Shore,” by Amy Waters Yarsinske, page 78.
ODEC Cemetery, Old Section
Thomas Walke, IV
Virginia Ratifying Convention
A New Nation Votes http://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/tufts:va.constitutionalconvention.princessanne.1788
"Old Churches, Their Cemeteries and Family
Graveyards of Princess Anne County, Virginia” 1985 http://www.archive.org/stream/oldchurchestheir00gree/oldchurchestheir00gree_djvu.txt
"The Colonial Vestry Book of Lynnhaven
Parish, Princess Anne County, Virginia, 1723-1786,” Transcribed and Edited
by George Garrington Mason 1949
