The Tidewater 1' r a i l 



the Townsend Burdens, the William R. Travers and Mrs. Ogden 

 Doremus came from the same line. 



Christopher Todd, great-grandson of the emigrant, dying with- 

 out issue, left Toddsbury to his nephew, Philip Tabb, son of Lucy 

 Todd and Edward Tabb of Amelia County, Virginia. Philip Tabb 

 married his first cousin, Mary Mason Wythe-Booth, daughter of 

 Elizabeth Todd by her first husband, Nathaniel Wythe of Williams- 

 burg, and widow of George Booth of Belleville. In this manner, 

 although Toddsbury passed from the name of Todd, it was owned 

 by two direct heirs of the emigrant. 



Mary Mason Wythe-Booth-Tabb was a personage in her day, 

 as was her husband, Philip Tabb. Their home was the centre of 

 the county's hospitality, and Mrs. Tabb was a model for wives, 

 mothers and housekeepers. While Philip Tabb followed the 

 hounds, bet on horse races and played cards, as did all of the 

 gentlemen of his day, his wife became more and more devout; 

 she joined the Methodists and the large church in that neighbor- 

 hood was built by her. The story goes that after providing a 

 bountiful supper for her husband and his guests, she would retire 

 to the "chamber" and pray for their souls, while they cast the 

 dice, swore brave oaths and drank merrily till late into the night. 



The old house is of true Colonial architecture and has never 

 been remodeled. The interior is like a jewel-box, so beautiful arc 

 the carvings and panelings. The dining-room, with recessed win- 

 dows looking out to North River on two sides, is a spot to sit and 

 dream in, and all sorts of visions come unbidden to the visitor. 

 Near the entrance gate is one of the above-ground icehouses 

 peculiar to the tidewater country; it is conical in shape and stands 

 on a high mound overgrown with vines. At the back of the house 

 is an old dairy with overhanging eaves, still in use. On the east 

 of the lawn, which is nearly surrounded on three sides by water, 

 is one of the most ancient family burying-grounds in Virginia. 

 Here rest the ashes of seven generations of Todds and Tabbs, 

 handsome stones and inscriptions preserving the records from the 



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