#courtrecords

[weemsbotts]

"Lest they should imbibe more exalted notions of their own importance than I could wish": The Incredible Fourteen Page Will

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Thomson Mason (1733-1785) was born at Chopawamsic Plantation in Stafford County, VA to the powerful Mason family. Instead of deep delving into his political career, we focused on his fourteen page will, and the impressive amount of control he tried to exert even after his death. Over his lifetime, he accrued property in Stafford, Prince William, Loudoun, Richmond, and other regions and was most eager to dictate every detail. Below are some of the more interesting excerpts with our commentary.

(Aaron Arrowsmith (1750-1823) and Samuel Lewis (1754-1822) 1804 Map of Virginia via The David Rumsey Map Collection)

Thomson Mason married twice. First to Mary King Barnes (before 1758-1771). They had four children: Stevens Thomson Mason (1760-1803), Abram Barnes Thomson Mason (1763-1813), John Thomson Mason (1765-1824), and Ann Thomson Mason (1769-1817). Although originally buried at Gunston Hall, her body was later moved to Raspberry Plain in Loudoun County. Thomson Mason married Elizabeth Westwood (1740-1824) in 1777, previously married to Rev. James Wallace. She also had four children with Thomson Mason, Dorothea Anna Thomson Mason (1778-1822), Westwood Thomson Mason (1780-1826), William Temple Thomson Mason (1782-1862), and George Thomson Mason (d. 1873).

“…my body I wish to have interred upon my Son Stephen’s Plantation in Loudoun so that the foot of my Coffin may touch the head of my Son George’s, and that a Space may be left on each side of me, to receive those of my two Wives, if my present wife should desire that her remains may be beside mine, & I desire that my son Stephen will remove those of his Mother from the family burying Ground, at my brothers for that purpose, As to my worldly Estate I give of it as follows – Imprimis I give to my beloved wife Elizabeth, all the Estate of whatever nature that shall be remaining at my death, of what I gained by marriage with her. Item I give to my said Wife, during her natural life, clear of the Mortgages, and other Incumbrances on it, all my lands on Chappawamsick Run, in County of Stafford, which lye below the lands of the Revered. Mr. Harrison, & bounded by lands of the late Mr. Moncure, Mr. Adie, the Rev’d Mr. Harrison, & Chappawamsick Run, & all my lands on the said Run in the County of Prince William, which lye below the lands of Coll. Burr Harrison, Robert Carter, Esqr., Mr. John Hedges, & the said Chappawamsick Run, containing 1220 acres, in the two Tracts more or less, reserving out of the Lands, to my son John Thomson Mason, & his heirs, his choice of 50 acres, to be laid off in a Square for a Sear on which side the run he pleases, so that it does not include the gardens, Orchard, or any of the Housing, in County of Stafford, or any of the low grounds, in the same County, and after death of my Wife, I give the Reversion of all the said Lands, to my said son John Thomson Mason & Heirs, provided he attains the age of twenty one years; and I hereby declare that I intend this device to my wife, in Barr of her Dower of my other lands in Stafford and Prince William Counties, but not in Barr of her Dower of any other lands she may be entitled to elsewhere.”

Mason referenced participating in William Byrd’s (1728-1777) lottery. Byrd’s ostentatious lifestyle led to a considerable amount of debt, some of which he tried to pay in the form of a lottery. He prized most of his estate at the falls of the James River, hoping to raise 50,000 pounds by selling tickets in both Virginia and England. While his entire life deserves one or more blogs, it is sufficient for now to know he swore allegiance to the King of England during the Revolutionary War, and we can see some of the ramifications in Mason’s will.

“I give my son Stephens Thomson Mason & Heirs, the unimproved  Lotts in the Town of Richmond & Manchester which was drawn in the late Collo. Byrd’s lottery, by Tickets marked with the Initials of his Mother’s or his Brother George’s name. Item, I give to my son Stephens Thomson Mason & Heirs, the Ground in the Town of Richmond, on which the Public Store House lately stood, together with the money due from the public for the valuation of the said Store House, and all the arrearages of Rent…which will appear from my books & all arrerages of Rent due from the public or Turner Southall, who took possession thereof immediately after the Death of Miles Taylor, with my knowledge or consent, and kept possession thereof until it was destroyed by General Arnold; and I think he is intitled to recover Damages of the said Turner Southall, he having converted the said House without my Leave into a public arsenal, by which means it was destroyed by the British under General Arnold…”

When it came to dividing his enormous landholdings, Mason devised that certain land be divided for his sons to do as they pleased after they reached the age of 21, leaving it uncleared for timber until then. He also had a mill set in motion.

“Item I direct that the Mill now begun, shall as soon as possible be finished off, a complete Merchant Mill, with two part of Stones, one pair of which at least shall be double Burr and that another set of Mills, with two parts of Stones, shall be built at the expence of my Estate upon the same run near the Mouth thereof as soon as may be & that the said Mills when finished, and all my Lands in Loudon County, between the Main County road, the Limestone Run & Potomach River, & the Cool Spring Run, together with the cleared lands on the Plantation, now rented by Fouchee, below the Mill run be also rented for the benefit of my Estate for twenty years, that four horses, four Mares, six Servant Men & one Servant woman be immediately purchased, & placed together with six Milch cows and twelve breeding sows, & worked thereon, for four years after my death, but that not more than 40 acres of fresh land shall be cleared within the bounds…”

He specified that his son Abraham would have sole management of the mills, but under strict instructions on how to divide the profit, what he could purchase (mainly enslaved persons and stock), and conditions if the mill was not profitable within a short period of time. Not surprisingly, he had similar rules for other mills.

“Item I direct that a Merchant Mill be built on Chappawamsic Run, on the lands given to my son John, where he shall direct, not to exceed the expence of four hundred pounds, which expence is to be repaid out of the profits of the Mill, in part of his Sister’s Nancy fortune…”

Here he specified everything from the names of the enslaved to the names of the prized riding horses, such as Rupert, along with other horses and colts. He also included,

“…that two indented farming white Sevants be purchased for John who have four or five years to serve, provided they do not exceed the price of thirty pounds each…”

For his wife, he left all his household furniture at Errol and Chopawamsic, stock of cattle, sheep, goats, cows, oxen, hogs, ewes, horses, his chariot and harness, and mares. For the enslaved,

“I give to my wife my negro girl Pegg till January 1789 and I direct that one Negro girl between age of sixteen and twenty be purchased by my Executor for my wife, within three years of my death and I direct that another Negro Girl and two Negro lads between age of 16 and 20 be purchased for my wife, by my Executor, within six years of my death and I give said Slaves, in Trust for use of my wife for her life and to uses she shall direct by her last Will and Testament…it being my intention that the four slaves with their increase shall be for the separate use of my Wife without the Interposition of any husband she may marry.”

She also received the promise of “geered Mill” to be constructed and maintained on Pearson’s Run. For his two youngest sons,

“…may be put to learning English, at one of their Guardians Houses till eight years of age, and that then they be kept at Writing, arithmetic, and reading elegant English Authors and modern languages till they are 12 years of age, and then to be kept at learning the Latin Language, Book keeping, Mathematicks, and other Useful branches of literature, till the age of 18, and then to be put out to such Business or profession as their Genius’s are best calculated for. Item I particularly direct that neither of my younger sons shall reside on the South side of James River, or below Williamsburgh, before they respectively attain age of 21 years, lest they should imbibe more exalted notions of their own importance than I could wish any child of mine, to possess.”

His thoroughness continued.

“Item I give the use of my Gold watch, to my wife till a new Gold watch with an embossed case and Equipage suitable for a Lady, of the price of 30 Guineas can be purchased for her out of my Estate, and as soon as such Gold watch and equipage is furnished for her I give my gold watch to my son Westwood. Item I give to my daughter Ann Thomson Mason the equipage that was her mother’s and direct that a gold Watch of twenty Guineas value be purchased for her. Item I give to my sons Abraham, John and Westwood and Temple such a horizontal Silver watch, when they arrive at the age of twenty one years, and I give to my son John Thomson Mason my brass barreled Pistols.”

Two of the enslaved persons received special accommodations.

“Item I direct that my Negro boy Jack be allowed to settle upon any of my land in Loudon Stafford or Prince William, and that my Executors lay off for him, 30 acres of good arable land 10 acres of pasturage, to tend a crop for himself, build him a barn of Loggs, 20 feet square and furnish him with 1 cow, 2 sows, 1 Ewe and a Mare of ten pounds value, one barshare plow, one Dutch plow, 1 broad Hooe, 1 narrow hooe, 1 axe, 1 mattock, 5 barrels of oats, 5 barrels Rye, 5 Bushels Wheat and 10 barrels of Corn, to stock his Plantation and set him forward, and let him have one month’s work of an able negro man and the loan of my ox cart, for the same time, to put his little farm in order with Liberty to get Rails and fire wood off my adjactent lands and I direct thr whole profits of his farm and the Stock given him be at his own Disposal and over and above the bore mentioned provisions. I also give him the annual sum of six pounds specie, the use of the lands I give him for life and the Stock forever; and I hereby direct that my Executors and Heirs all join in protecting of my said slave Jack, in all his just rights, and the he shall be subject to the control of no person whatsoever, and this provision I have made for him as a grateful acknowledgment of the Remarkable fidelity and Integrity, with which he has conducted himself to me for twenty years and upwards. I also give to my said Slave Jack, 300 weight of pork to be paid him in the year I shall dye.

Item I direct that if every my maid Catina should be parted from my Wife, that she also receive 200 weight of Pork, a White shift, and a Callico Gown and petticoat annually…”

Thomson Mason died on 02/26/1785. Interestingly, Elizabeth Mason appeared in front of Stafford County Court on 10/10/1785, to declare she would,

“not accept, receive, or take any Legacy, or Legacies or any part thereof, to me given by last will and Testament of my late Husband Thomson Mason Esquire, and do renounce all benefit and advantage which I might claim under the said Will.”

Why would she contest the will? Given that he had eight children, four with his former wife Mary King Barnes, she could have protested the distribution of inheritance or the rules concerning her dowry if she were to remarry or remain a widow. A will that went so far to specify who would determine the proportion of meat given to enslaved persons, could create chaos if the provisions were not desirable as Thomson Mason clearly tried to control his wife, children, and property from beyond the grave. He often noted the conditions of her dower, a crucial element to her livelihood as a widow. The legal rights of women in the 1780s solely depended upon their marital status. Different rules and rights applied to single, married, and widows, and often widowers experienced the most freedom. Almost immediately, Thomson Mason noted Elizabeth’s dower,

“and after death of my Wife, I give the Reversion of all the said Lands, to my said son John Thomson Mason & Heirs, provided he attains the age of twenty one years; and I hereby declare that I intend this device to my wife, in Barr of her Dower of my other lands in Stafford and Prince William Counties, but not in Barr of her Dower of any other lands she may be entitled to elsewhere.”

On 11/14/1797, a different Elizabeth Mason submitted a similar document to the Fairfax County court protesting her deceased husband, George Mason V’s, will. Scholars believe she renounced his will because of the consequences of remarriage and the inheritance of the two oldest children. Ultimately, she won with a 1799 deed that preserved most of the original document’s language but removed stipulations regarding her widowhood and/or remarriage and granted her more property at the expense of her son’s inheritance.

While the Mason family was extremely powerful, Thomson Mason’s attempts to control the years and decades following his death were remarkable, especially given the country’s emerging and still very fragile independence and identity. From an economic and moralistic perspective, Mason created a will that probably caused a few headaches.

Note: The Prince William Resolves Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) will hold a Wreath Laying Ceremony honoring the 274th Anniversary of the Town of Dumfries and the 249th Anniversary of the signing of the Prince William County Resolves. The event will take place at the Weems-Botts Museum, Dumfries, VA at 11:00a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023. HDVI & The Weems-Botts Museum is honored and excited to help commemorate the many historical happenings in our community!

(Sources: Sparacio, Ruth and Sam Sparacio. Stafford County, Virginia. Order Book Abstracts, 1664-1668 & 1689-1690. Millsboro: Colonial Roots, 1987, Note: The enslaved names were often excluded from this transcription; The Mason Web: The Mason Descendants Database, Gunston Hall Library, https://gunstonhall.org/wp-content/uploads/masonweb/index.htm; Mason Family Papers: The Digital Edition: Exhibits: “I Elizabeth Mason … Do Hereby Declare That I Will Not Take or Accept [the] Provision for Me Made”: A Widow Asserts Her Independence, https://research.centerformasonslegacies.com/s/masonfamilypapers/page/elizabethmabmason; Evans, Emory, and Dictionary of Virginia Biography. "William Byrd (1728–1777)" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (22 Dec. 2021). Web. 19 Apr. 2023)

[temporalhiccup]

⛅️

🌤️Share your favorite mechanic from a game you’re working on.

In my on going war against Setting Elements in Belonging Outside Belonging (I'm half-joking!), I've been experimenting with unlockable and growing sections of the City in BALIKBAYAN: Returning Home. Here are two (out of eight) parts of the City you can work towards accessing: the Market and the Sensorium. The group tailors the leader, aesthetics, and threats to their liking.

In the Cyberpunk genre the city always feels like an important character. Also, unlocking components of the game that everyone can enjoy in a BoB game is one of my fave design things to do now. The Unlockable sections here are the Market Contacts and the Hidden Power, and you unlock Moves within that part of the City that any player can lean into as they like. It's worked out really well in playtests so far (and I have more about how to unlock the more magical/supernatural aspects of the City).

[jdragsky]

⛅️ hi it’s me the mechanics enjoyer

hi riley the mechanics enjoyer its me the mechanics creator

🌤️ a mechanic from an upcoming game that i like

let me just include the full explanation of how hounds work in Prince of Hounds

[bronanlynch]

in our shared struggle to manifest a casablanca fandom: rick blaine for hc meme <3

oops sorry for asking for asks and then uh. not going on tumblr for like two weeks and then forgetting abt this. anyway. hi

Sexuality Headcanon: literally the most bisexual I have ever seen in my life Gender Headcanon: well-meaning but kind of clueless cis ally vibes I think. however I can see an argument for him being the type of well-meaning ally dude who has like, someone come out to him and he's like "well yeah of course you'd want to be a woman, women are beautiful, who wouldn't want to be a woman" and the other person is like. hmm sure hope he unpacks that at some point (he never will) A ship I have with said character: I mean. v/i/r real. they're in love. did you know that they're in love. have you seen how much they all love each other. I know this is going to be news to you, the person with the multichapter fic abt them being in love, A BROTP I have with said character: with the caveat that I wish that the movie like. had more respect for sam as a person. there are some nice moments when they do seem to like. genuinely be friends A NOTP I have with said character: tbh I'm not sure I have an answer for this one like I know how you feel abt the hypothetical rick/renault shippers that you would be in a fight with if this were like. an actual fandom but honestly tbh I can see a world where they do hook up after the end of the movie. like they're not in love and it is probably kind of miserable but I can see it happening A random headcanon: ok I know that this is incredibly anachronistic but he would be a very funny guy to subject to emails I think. he would fucking hate being a small business owner in 21st century america General Opinion over said character: what a guy. he's so valid for being kind of obsessed with victor laszlo. who wouldn't be obsessed with victor laszlo

[theriveroflight]

🌀⛅️

🌀Post the fic summary for a fic you haven't written/published yet. It can be hypothetical or something you really plan on releasing...

This is the story of Dick Grayson (otherwise known as Nightwing) coming back to Gotham either because of his annoyance of a little brother or because Gotham just can't let go of anyone in its grasp, depending on who you ask.

Or: This is the story of Helena Bertinelli (and what she prefers to be known as depends on who you ask, but if you ask her, it's the Bat) staying in Gotham and making the best of it.

Or: This is the story of Barbara Gordon (otherwise known as Oracle) trying to make the best of a terrible situation, and depending on who you ask, she's doing a pretty good job of it.

Or: This is the story of Gotham's defenders during a time when Gotham has been abandoned by everyone, tilted a lot a bit to the left.

🌤️Share your favorite piece of dialogue from your WIP.

I already shared part of this conversation a few weeks ago, but. From the same WIP as above because while I do have other WIPs I may as well remain consistent:

“Could you not talk about me behind my back?” Nightwing asks. “No,” Robin snarks in return. “Who are you?” He turns towards her, eyes widening in recognition. “What are you doing wearing that?” He jabs at the bat symbol on her chest. She rolls her eyes. “Ever the critic, aren’t you?” "You’re not—" He cuts himself off, almost like he isn’t sure what exactly should go in that phrase. Worthy? Family? Her? “I’m not Batgirl,” she answers, taking a stab at the possibility that’s the easiest to argue, “and I’m not trying to be, thank you very much. I’d like to think I’m old enough to not be considered a girl anymore.” Though she knows Batgirl isn’t in the field anymore… "Not what I meant," he says stiffly. "Forget it." "Fair enough," she says in response — she doesn’t really want to hear what he actually meant.

[alto-tenure]

aa ask: 10 & 15! <3

10. Favourite trial from all the games?

Oh, jeez, this is a hard one.

I have to shoutout Bridge to the Turnabout’s trial, last day, both for Dahlia and Diego/Godot. I’m also going to put Turnabout Succession’s final trial here because of Kristoph and the jury voting -- that’s just, so good

I also really like all the trials in DGS -- the summation examination mechanic is good actually

15. Random headcanon you can share?

Edgeworth and Franziska once got into an argument over whether putting milk/cream in tea is something that you should do or not. (Edgeworth is on the side of no because the Edgeworth household was less disconnected from Asian descent and thus he never really saw milk in tea as a thing until he moved in with the von Karmas. Franziska argues that milk/cream enhances the flavor of the tea and makes it more palatable.)

[fourteenfifteen]

✨👻

ty riley!!

✨ Choose three adjectives to complement your own writing.

hottie hot hot

👻 What is one WIP you think you may never pick back up?

this means nothing to u bestie but if anyone remembers the old louriv longfic i was doing last winter: it was gonna be a timeloop thing and the ideas for it became this your first time? instead lol. never being picked back up on account of i stripped it for conceptual parts

[octopiconsortium]

these 2012 LJ icons are everything to me

[pjoplanner]

🔱 CONTRIBUTOR LINEUP 🔱

Meet the creators who will be working on "Through the Mist", a PJO planner! We can't wait for you to see what everyone has been working on. Check them out below!

⚡️ Cover Artist

Sarah Moustafa

⚡️ Page Artists

@aylendoesart • @sunncean • @tonftyhw • @zambomarti • @soia-jpg • Floriane_Clabri • @myoonmii • @mageofspace924 • @starsarekind • Iitsnothingpersonall • @artsicfox • @cassecorrea

⚡️ Poets

Neems • Darby • @courtrecord • @lost-halo-rights

⚡️ Merch Artists

EpicGrapes • @orbitsab • Den

[cooltastrophe]

Secret samol gift for @courtrecord!! Jaceaddax mean everything to me and I loved the prompt of some diegetic writing from Jace's perspective!!

Summary:

Written by Dr. Jace Rethal-Dawn, published in This Branch Of Ours: Ancient Writings On Becoming Who We Are, edited by Ligature Dedicated to Addax Dawn. My love, in all the words I ever write, I can't hope to capture what you are to me. But in the striving, there will be a record that I lived, and that I loved you.

[cjlinton]

Indie TTRPGs as Teas

The Riot Starts by Riley Rethal / (@courtrecord) as Tealeaves Amour

Good Society by Storybrewers Roleplaying as Sunbird Superior Buchu & Rooibos

Our Haunt by Rae Nedjadi / (@temporalhiccup) as Rishi Tea & Botanicals Lavender Mint

Extracasual by Ostrichmonkey Games (@ostrichmonkey-games) as Taylors of Harrowgate White Tea

[weemsbotts]

Gifting Land Never Owned: From King Charles II’s Lips to Colonel Philip Ludwell’s Parchment

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

On 06/09/1690, Colonel Philip Ludwell (1638-1723) appeared in Stafford County Court as a land agent for Sir Thomas Culpeper to put an end to penning of wild horses by rangers in the Northern Neck.

“Whereas the Proprietor of this Northern Neck have by Coll. Philip Ludwell their agent and attorney prohibited all Pens to be made in the woods under pretensions of catching wild horses as also all Rangers to say those that make it their business to Range for wild horses & whereby it appears by the said prohibition put upon Record divers inconveniences and prejudices happen to several of the Honest Inhabitants as therein doth fully appear and hath been also submitted the order and direction for Rangers wholly to the consideration and discretion of this Court the Court doth fully appear and hath been also submitted the order and direction for Rangers wholly to the consideration and discretion of this Court the Court doth therefore concur therein and accordingly order that all Rangers from henceforth do cease their said ranging Let their pretentions be from whence they will also that they desist from making any more pens in the woods remote from habitations under pretense of catching wild horses and that those that are already made be with the first conveniency Throwne down and demolished That for the future whoever has any pretensions or claims to wild horses & doe first make application to this Court for an allowance for the same that the Court may have their reasons and pretensions therein and order as shall be most Just for them and convenient for the rest of the Inhabitants and it is further ordered that this order be publickly read at the beginning of each Court held for this County.”

(Fairfax Grant and modern political boundaries via Virginia Places, virginiaplaces.org, copyright Historian Charles A. Grymes)

While the Virginia Rangers of the mid-18th century are more well known, they also operated during the 1600s, mostly defending the frontier and responding to perceived threats and instances. Horses in North America first evolved in the Eocene epoch and had a closer relationship to modern zebras. The Equus scotti appeared in the Pleistocene fossil record and became extinct long before the English colonists traveled to America. The Virginia Company of London recognized the need for domestic beasts and encouraged colonists to breed, herd, and protect the animals they exported to Virginia. While horses appeared in the Chesapeake as early as 1609, they were scarce by the mid-17th century, enough to warrant Virginia to prohibit the exportation of horses and mares in 1662. They reversed this ruling by 1669 as the colony’s supply rapidly increased causing the legislators to prohibit the importation of the beasts. The colony also established early distinctions between native species and imported and domesticated livestock. In the 1660s and 1670s, legislators required colonists to find the owners of captured horses. This did not prohibit wild horse hunting, but the issue of controlling domestic, native, and wild livestock constantly plagued the colony. To complicate matters, colonists also tried to regulate and control horses among the indigenous people of America. Here we find them supposedly claiming wild horses and doe committing “inconveniences and prejudices” against “honest inhabitants.” Who are the “honest inhabitants?” By the 1690s, they are the Culpeper family mainly due to crafty political maneuvering extending from a time strife in England following a war and execution.

In 1649, King Charles II granted the land between the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers to seven supporters who pledged their allegiance and resources to helping him during his exile in France following the English Civil War and King Charles I’s execution. Those seven supporters were: Sir John Culpeper (1st Baron of Thoresway); Ralph Lord Hopton, Baron of Stratton; Henry Lord Jermyn, Baron of St. Edmundsbury; Sir John Berkeley; Sir William Morton; Sir Dudley Wyatt; and Thomas Culpeper (cousin of Sir John Culpeper). Gifting land in the Virginia colony that he did not profit from or even own was an easy gift for him to portion between the men, especially as this land was outside of the boundaries of King Powhatan making it harder to access and even more unknown. It encompassed 5.2 million acres and would remain in a state of flux as people continued claiming and carving Virginia land throughout the 1600s. Sir Thomas Culpeper actively pursued the land after King Charles II renewed the grant affirming its’ value in 1669, and Culpeper owned 5/6’s of the grant by 1681 with his cousin Alexander Culpeper owning the other 1/6th. Culpeper started hiring local Virginia agents in 1670 to start profiting from the land – his agents sold the land and collect quitrents, a 17th century version of annual property taxes. Philip Ludwell became Lord Fairfax’s agent for the Northern Neck proprieties from 1690-1693, followed by joint partners George Brent and William Fitzhugh. While Culpeper pursued other avenues of profit in the Virginia colony as well, including Brent Town in Prince William County, the Northern Neck properties remained within his family, eventually turning into a clear title by the mid-1700s with Thomas Sixth Lord Fairfax, the first and only person to control 100% of the original 1649 gift, becoming the sole proprietor of the Northern Neck.

Although acting as an agent here, Philip Ludwell had an extraordinary life as he battled against the insurgents during Bacon’s Rebellion (1676-1677), a contentious time in history when Nathaniel Bacon challenged Sir William Berkeley in Virginia’s short civil war. Ludwell himself was a proprietor in the Carolina’s and served as the governor of North Carolina and South Carolina along with other political appointments although he also had his fair share of contentions political strife.

This one simple court record demonstrated the myriad of complications, tensions, and interactions between the people living in Virginia when royals and other officials divided and gifted land they never even owned. From King Charles II’s lips to Colonel Philip Ludwell’s pen, we can catch glimpses of life in Virginia after decades of actions taken by men to gain and control the most land possible.

Note: Thank you to Teresa A. Kelley for her wonderful donation of Stafford County court record transcriptions along with genealogical & estate books to the Lee Lansing Research Library!

(Sources: Sparacio, Ruth and Sam Sparacio. Stafford County, Virginia. Order Book Abstracts, 1664-1668 & 1689-1690. Millsboro: Colonial Roots, 1987; Virginia Places: The Fairfax Grant, http://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/fairfaxgrant.html; Tincher, Louise Horowitz. Taking Stock: The Import of European Livestock into Virginia and its Impact on Political Life. William and Mary: Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects, 1987; National Park Service: Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument – Ancient Horse)

[forcefatalezine]

💖 CONTRIBUTOR PREVIEW 💖

Preview of @courtrecord's thought-provoking piece of Mon Mothma, plus a little about the author!

Preorders for Force Fatale are open now through September 8!

forcefatale.bigcartel.com

[sevenyeargap]

Last Words of WIP Meme

Tagged by @oluka, thank you bestie!!!

"So, you're staying," Miles says.

"Fool!" Franziska's hand slightly shakes as she's putting her earring in. "Did you not listen to a word I've said?"

Miles laughs. It's not unkind. She can see his reflection in the mirror. He looks different, these days. Older. Softer. Like someone has aged up the 9-year-old Miles who'd just appeared in the von Karma mansion and scraped all the aching parts away. 

"I said that I was going to propose to Maya Fey, not settle down."

Miles coughs, and Franziska readies herself for whatever foolish foolishness he is going to come up with.

im tagging @volaile @ace-ace-attorneys @totalspiffage @courtrecord @sandboxer @mysterioustrumpet and anyone who wants to participate!! 💐💕

[bronanlynch]

aa ask game: 21, 50, 87 <3

21. Did you ever read fanfictions? Which one is your personal recommendation? I think this is an unfair question to ask me while I'm still recovering from reading that pacrim au so like. on one hand this is recency bias at work. on the other hand, so there's this pacrim au that makes me absolutely fucking insane maybe you've heard of it

50. Favourite moment? trying to fight against the recency bias with this one too uhhhh what are moments that I like that aren't in 4-1. hmm. probably either the narumitsu reunion in 2-4 or the bit in 1-4 where you learn the whole "I went to law school to save him from himself bc he saved me" thing because. god. them. but also everything with the forged ace in 4-1. aa4!phoenix my beloved

87. 3 characters you would have a sleepover with? hmm probably trucy, kay, and ema, they all seem like they would be fun to hang out with, also I think they would all be great at truth or dare because they would come up with fun dares and actually follow through with them

[theriveroflight]

Heads Up, Seven Up Tag Game!

Thanks to @multiversal-madness for tagging me.

Rules: Post the last seven lines of your WIP, and then tag no more than seven people to continue.

There’s two workbenches pushed together in an L-shape, with a stool that Kamila presumably drags around when she needs it. There’s a miniature bandsaw, a belt sander, and a soldering iron on one of the workbenches. The other is largely empty save for an anvil. Both of them have a couple built-in vices. There’s also a welding station facing away from Alma’s desk, with heat shields all around it. The welder sitting on top of it is of decent quality, and the mask sitting beside it will protect Kamila’s eyes. “That’s pretty much it,” she says. “Do you want me to make something for you?”

started a new Ghost Trick WIP after I hit a plot wall

Tagging: @magicwhiskers29 @courtrecord @snapdraqons @tiredfloridianbutverygay and anyone else who wants to!