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Alexander Spotswood has been mentioned several times recently here. First, to correct one error, Spotswood did not leave Virginia for England in early 1723. There is on file, in the Public Record Office in London, a letter written by Spotswood from Germanna on June 16, 1724, to the Council of Trade in London. I have a copy of this letter which was reprinted in Beyond Germanna . I believe there is a record in the Trade files dated late in 1724 which refers to Spotswood as lately arrived. He had asked the Board to notify him if any business concerning him came before the Board. His marriage must have been in March 1725 by the new style calendar.
There is a Robert Spotswood in Virginia who has never been identified. This Robert obtained a patent for 400 acres of new land dated 27 June 1726. The land, as best I could estimate it from my land plots, would have included the land that the present Culpeper County Courthouse sits on. (See Patent Book 12, page 472.) I believe this land was adjacent to the land of Alexander Spotswood.
This is probably the same Robert Spotswood who had a patent for 525 acres on both sides of Black Walnut Run on the south side of the Rapidan River in 1727 (Patent Book 13, page 92).
Paula Felder has told me that when Alexander Spotswood went back to England that he gave permission for two people to transact business in his name. One of these was Mrs. Russell and the other was Robert Spotswood. (Later, a cousin of his came out to run his affairs.)
It has been said that this Robert Spotswood was a natural son of Alexander Spotswood by Mrs. Russell. Perhaps, at the time Robert Spotswood was born, Mrs. Russell was not yet married. Or it may have been that she was never married but the title “Mrs.” was a cover up to protect the boy that she was raising. Please note that the comments of this paragraph are speculations. The other items that have been mentioned are facts.
It does seem very probable that Alexander Spotswood had a natural son who was born in England before he came to Virginia. Whether this son Robert had any children is unknown. Or could Robert Spotswood who is known to later historians not be a son of Butler Brayne?
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(13 Mar 07)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.