Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
While looking at that issue of Hampshire County being dissolved back into Frederick Co VA in April 1759, the subject of the town of Romney appears. Romney is officially created 3 years later 23 Dec 1762, but we find an interesting story here. There is an excellent site that attempts to answer why the name of Romney was chosen in Hampshire County. They ultimately admit there is no conclusive proof why the name was chosen. There's only one slim connection. And it's too interesting not to ignore.
The town name of Romney chosen by Lord Fairfax could be related to the Cinque Ports on the English Channel, and one of those ports was Romney Marsh.
And Romney Marsh happens to be the locale setting for a series of Novels on Dr Syn which Walt Disney later developed as the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh.
This area of Romney Marsh was a very independent area, resisting regulation and resisting taxation. The area was lucrative in trade and in smuggling. The other towns of the Cinque Ports (meaning 5) were like that too.
Check out this excellent site discussing
"Old Romney, New Romney, and our Romney":
Why "Romney"
We still have not answered the question of why Lord Fairfax chose to name our West Viginia town after New Romney in England.
There are some possibilities.
First, it is possible
that the Culpeppers had landholdings in southern Kent County in the area of Romney Marsh. [See the map of how Romney Marsh in England has changed over the ages.] If so, Thomas would have been familiar with the old Cinque Port town of [old] Romney. Unfortunately, it is difficult to trace all the family's parcels of land across England. Smaller holdings, in particular, may not have been important enough to appear in general references.
However, there is also the possibility
of a distant link that may have been in Fairfax's mind. In researching the title of St. Clements Church, the late local historian, Ann Roper, states that the advowson of St. Clements belonged to several notable families including that of the Badlesmeres. We had met Bartholomew de Badlesmere and his connection with the Culpeppers earlier in the article about Leeds Castle. Whether the Culpeppers (and thus Lord Fairfax) later came into some of Bartholomew's holdings, or whether it was just an interesting connection, we may never know.
There is also the possibility
that Lord Fairfax personally knew of Romney by travels to the family's estates on the Isle of Wight.
However, there is no documentary evidence
of any of these connections. It is still a puzzle.
Unfortunate OwnerBartholomew de Badlesmere, 1321 - his wife in his absence refused to open Leeds Castle to the Queen of King Edward II. In retaliation the King besieged the castle and upon storming it had its keeper, William Culpeper, hanged. Bartholomew was hunted down in Yorkshire and beheaded. The King then confiscated Leeds Castle from the de Badlesmere family.
Source of excerpt: https://historichampshire.org/research/searching3.htm
Sources:
Compiled by Jim Moyer in May 2023, updated 5/21/2023
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.See a story where the future town of Romney might have stayed with Frederick Co Virginia.
House of Burgesses Journal entry:
Tuesday, the 27th of March. 32 Geo. II. 1759.
(meaning 32nd year of King George II)
A Motion was made for Leave to bring in a Bill For dissolving the County of Hampshire, and re-uniting it to the County from whence it was taken; and the Question being put thereupon,
It passed in the Negative.
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