September, 1907 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



329 



Historic Mansions of the James River 



I. — "Martin's Brandon," the Home of the Harrisons 



By Francis Durando Nichols 



F ROMANCE and history it may be said that 

 they are themes of inexhaustible interest, 

 as potent in their charm to-day as in the 

 older periods when mankind had less 

 numerously varied things to demand his 

 attention. Separately and alone each has 

 fascination to command the heart and 

 mind of the most indifferent; united and 

 combined they yield nothing to any form 

 of human memory or endeavor. There are 

 many places in this broad land of ours that are richly 

 dowered with romance and completely saturated with the 

 memories of the historic Incidents of which they have been 

 the scene, but perhaps nowhere do they grasp the emotional 

 heart so thoroughly as on the shaded waters of the James 

 River. Here history is breathed In with the very air; It 

 peeps at one from behind the trees, one steps upon historic 

 earth at almost every footstep, and stately buildings rise 

 above the river bank, recalling romantic episodes and testify- 

 ing to this day the very rare and unusual circumstance — for 

 America — of centuries of ownership and occupancy In single 

 families. One does not need to seek for history or for ro- 

 mance here, for they stare one In the face at every turn In 

 the gracious form of splendid trees and fine old mansions. 

 The procession of the years has brought many changes to 

 these quiet river sides, but the grand old mansions still re- 



main intact in their rare old splendor, and one has but to 

 enter their hospitable doors — as hospitably open to-day as 

 in the days of their greater activity — to step instantly Into 

 an historic past of a true romantic memory. 



The beginnings of Brandon as an estate go back almost 

 to the commencement of Virginia history. Among the com- 

 pany that sailed in the expedition sent out by the London 

 Company in 1606, under the command of Captain Christo- 

 pher Newport, was one James Martin. He was the son of 

 Sir Richard Martin, and was born about 1 560-1 565. He 

 had commanded the "Benjamin" In Drake's voyage of 

 1585-1586, but from 1606 became Identified with the history 

 of Virginia. In 1616 he received from the Virginia Com- 

 pany a grant of "ten shares of land In Virginia," which In 

 the following year he located at Martin's Brandon on the 

 James. The patent covering this grant was very broad; "he 

 was to enjoye his landes In as lardge and ample manner, to 

 all intentes and purposes, as any Lord of any Manours in 

 England dothe holde his grounde" ; and It was the cause of 

 the first contest in America on charter rights between "The 

 First House of Burgesses" and "their loving friend, Captain 

 John Martin, Esquire, Master of the Ordnance," a contest 

 that took Martin back to England more than once and which 

 provoked much contention In the colony for many years. 

 The original deed to Captain Martin Is still in the possession 

 of the present owner of the plantation, Mrs. Guile C. HarrI- 



