Friday, March 20, 2015

The Petitioners

Those who singed the letter to the Virginia Legislature dated 19 November 1787 are listed below.  The request begins:

"Petition of inhabitants of Danville and others...".  They would be the first citizens of Danville!

1)  Harry Innes
2)  Martin Daniel [brother to Walker Daniel]
3)  P. Tardiveau [first name was Peter]  He was a friend of Walker Daniel.
4)  Robert Corbi
5)  Robert Daniel [brother to Walker Daniel and heir at law to the estates of Walker]
6)  James Lawrence
7)  David Furguson
8)  J. Brown [believe his first name was James]
9)  Jon. Belli
10) Stepn. Ormsby
11) John Crow [sold the 76 acres to Walker Daniel]
12) Andw. McCall
13) Thos. Barbee
14) M. Nagle
15) Samuel Irwin
16) Christo. Greenup
17) Ben Grayson [ believe "Grayson's Tavern" named after]
18) John Irvin
19) George Muter
20) Ro. Craddock [ Robert was the first name]
21) Jas. Dunlap
22)Thomas Lodg[?] unable to read name from document
23) Willis Green [business partner to Walker Daniel]

Say hello to the petitioners and first citizens of Danville!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

In Trust

A petition was sent to the General Assembly of Virginia on November 19, 1787 stating:

            "They pray for an Act to establish the land into a town called Danville"


The petition reads that Walker Daniel

      "...proceeded to lay off a part of the land into lots and streets and disposed of some of the lots".

Walker was killed by Indians the 12th of August 1784.  After his death Robert Daniel [the oldest remaining brother] laid the remainder of the land off into lots and streets.  The petition continues

      "For the safety of purchases Robert has conveyed in fee simple the streets and springs within the tract of George Muter, Harry Innes, Peter Tardiveau, Thomas Perkins, and Andrew McCalla in trust for the benefit of the inhabitants."

This is first listing of the folks who resided in Danville prior to it becoming an "official" city.  The town lands were placed "in trust" to these folks for the first three years of the life of Danville.  Thank you for keeping this trust.

Taken from "KEN-TAH-THE" , The Life and Times of Walker Daniel... p.34.