Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

I. HENRY BOWCOCK'S INVENTORY of 1729/30 (5 pages, copy attached):

It is almost certain that Henry Wetherburn took over all of Henry Bowcock's estate, with the exception of a few bequests to a son, Henry, after Wetherburn's marriage to Bowcock's widow, Mary Bowcock, a little over a year after Bowcock's death. Henry Bowcock was keeping an ordinary in Williamsburg by 1716; and by or after 1724, when he purchased lot #53, with buildings, from John Holloway for £70 current money of Virginia, he was apparently operating on that site. (The building in which he kept ordinary after 1724 disappeared in or before 1764, for in that year John and James Carter purchased the eastern portion of the lot, which then adjoined The Raleigh on lot #54, where by 1765 they had erected their brick store and shop; and soon thereafter "The Golden Ball" stood on the western portion of lot #53.) In any event, an inventory of Henry Bowcock's personal estate, listed by rooms, has survived; and as he left most all of his property to his wife, Anne Bowcock (with no strings attached), it would, by Virginia law, pass to her new husband, Henry Wetherburn.

Bowcock died soon after he wrote his will dated December 27, 1729; his will was probated in York county court 2 on February 15, 1725/30. He left a son, Henry Bowcock, his silver watch, a "Gun which was made by John Brush" of Williamsburg, a case of pistols, his "housing and holster Caps," to be delivered when the boy reached the ago of 18 years. He left everything else to his wife Anne, as follows, making her his sole executrix:

"And for the better enabling my wife to pay all my just debts and to bring up and provide for my Sons (only Henry was named in will) I do hereby give and bequeath unto my said wife all my Lands Lots and Tenements Slaves Goods & Chattels and all other my Estate of what kind soever to her heirs and assigns forever."

Anne Bowcock continued her husband's ordinary, to provide for herself and her son or sons, obtaining license in her own name in July, 1730. Before June 21, 1731, she had married Henry Wetherburn (they appeared in court together as husband and wife at that time, in connection with one of Bowcock's debts' and in August, 1731, Henry Wetherburn was granted a license to keep an ordinary "at his house" in Williamsburg. There is no record that he owned any other property in Williamsburg prior to 1738. It is very possible that he used the Bowcock furniture when he became keeper of the Raleigh circa 1742 - but this cannot be definitely established, as at that time the Raleigh was owned by a "company of merchants," who may have also furnished it. Whether or not is was used, by Wetherburn at the Raleigh, it is almost certain that it was used by him in the building across the street from both the Bowcock and the Raleigh lots - Wetherburn having purchased lots #20 and #21, with buildings thereon, from Benjamin Harrison of Surry County for £150 current money of Virginia in 1738. Wetherburn did not move to his property on lots #20 and #21 until ca. 1745 or 1746; and if he did use his "Bowcock" furniture at the Raleigh, he doubtless moved it to that property. Mrs. Mary Bowcock Wetherburn died in 1751, some years after they were established on the property now known as "Wetherburn's." The Hon. John Blair mentioned her death, and Wetherburn's remarriage, within ten or eleven days, in his diary as follows: he noted Mrs. Wetherburn's death on July 1, 1751; on July 3 he wrote - "Very rainy while at Mrs Wetherburn's funerl," adding, "He has found her hoard they say." On July 11, 1751 he wrote: "H. Wetherburn married to Mrs Shields."

A comparison of the Bowcock inventory of 1729/30 and the Wetherburn inventory of 1760 (the year he died) show articles that could have appeared in both: it would be difficult to determine much about the beds and bedding: both inventories listed leather chairs (some noted as "old" in Wetherburn's), both listed oval walnut tables, pictures, looking glasses and dressing glasses; Bowcock's listed a "Walnut press" valued at £2:l5:-, which did not appear in Wetherburn's: but, as noted above, some of Wetherburn's inventory is illegible. It is probable that during the period between 1731 and 1760 Wetherburn kept some of Bowcock's furniture, and discarded or sold some, possibly adding some of the Marot and Shields furniture to his supply.

II. MAROT INVENTORY OF 1717/18: (5 pages - copy attached).

John Marot (sometimes written Jean Marott), was a Huguenot emigrant to Virginia ca. 1700. Marot was with William Byrd I at "Westover," until the latter's death in December, 1704, after which he came to Williamsburg,, and obtained license to keep an ordinary there. In 1706 he purchased the property on which "Marot's" has been reconstructed (lot #25) from James Shields (a tailor who was keeper of the Public Gaol from 1720 until his death in 1727). In the same year, 1708, Marot added to his property by purchasing an adjacent strip of lot #26 to the east of #25. His ordinary was frequented by William Byrd II and other members of the Council and General Court, who often dined or supped there. Marot died in November, 1717, survived by his wife Anne and three minor daughters. He owned other property in Williamsburg - lot #56 (on which the present reconstructed "Nicholson, Pasteur-Galt, and Scrivener" buildings stand); and he bequeathed his property - one third to his wife, and two-thirds to his daughters, - his wife, Anne, to "enjoy" all the profits of his property until his daughters came of age or married. His wife enjoyed the profits of his "ordinary" on lot #25, apparently, until her death in 1742; although she married Timothy Sullivant within a few months of her husband's death. Sullivant obtained license to keep the ordinary in March, 1717/18, but evidently gave up keeping the ordinary after a few years - Mrs. Sullivant obtaining license in her own name in 1721. Sullivant died ca. 1730, leaving a very small "personal estate"; he evidently obtained none of Mrs. Suilivant's - probably because Marot's estate had never been settled. In 1738 Mrs. Sullivant gave notice that she was giving up "Publick 4 Business"; and she moved to Amelia county, where her daughter and son-in-law, Edith (Marot) and Samuel Cobbs were living, leasing the ordinary to James Taylor, who may have continued there until her death in 1742. In any event, by 1745, if not earlier, Mrs. Sullivant's daughter Anne (Marot) Ingles Shields and her husband James Shields, were operating the ordinary, then known as "The English Coffee House," purchasing the portion they did not inherit from Edith (Marot) Cobbs and her husband Samuel Cobbs. Much of Marot's furniture may have remained in the ordinary (see the Marot inventory) when the Shields occupied it.

III. SHIELDS INVENTORY OF 1750-51: (3 pages - copy attached)

As noted above, James and Anne (Marot) Ingles Shields purchased what they did not inherit of the Marot ordinary property - possibly including furniture - from other heirs in 1745, and James Shields, in accordance with Virginia law, owned his wife's property outright. At the time of his death ca. December, 1750, it was being run as "The English Coffee House," according to a subsequent tenant. With the exception of a few bequests, James Shields left all of his property, both real and personal, to his "beloved wife Anne" for her free use and occupation during her "Natural Life or Widowhood." At her death or if she remarried, the property was to go to their son, James Shields, then a minor. About seven months after her husband's death, Anne (Marot) Ingles Shields married Henry Wetherburn, a neighboring tavernkeeper. Wetherburn's wife, the widow of Henry Bowcock (also a tavernkeeper) had only died about eleven days before Mrs. Shields married Wetherburn. Wetherburn obtained his start in tavernkeeping in Williamsburg. and Henry Bowcock's property, from his marriage to Bowcock's widow Mary Bowcock ca. 1731, shortly after Bowcock's death. Henry Wetherburn soon advertised the tavern lately kept by James Shields for rent. There is no record as to the furniture in the Shields inventory; possibly some of it was claimed by Anne (Marot) Ingles Shields Wetherburn, end some of it purchased by Wetherburn - we do not know. We do know that the ordinary was first rented by Wetherburn to Daniel Fisher, at which time a billiard table belonging to Shields, which Wetherburn claimed to be "the best . , . in the Country," remained lay the building. Fisher complained bitterly when, after using the billiard table as a special feature in renting the property to him, Wetherburn sold it, shortly thereafter, 5 to William Byrd, III. Wetherburn was acting, it is supposed, in the interest of the minor son and heir of James Shields, who was to inherit if his mother remarried. It is entirely possible that some or much of the Shields furniture had belonged to Marot; and it is also possible that some of it found its way into Wetherburn's tavern, after his marriage to Shields' widow.

The Marot-Shields situation is given in some detail in my 1951 report on Marot's, or The English Coffee House (about 99 pages). If you want a copy of this report, we will be glad to send it over to your office for reproduction. Let me know if you do.

Inventory and Appraisement of the Estate of Henry Bowcock, late of York County decd.

INVENTORY OF PERSONAL ESTATE OF JOHN MAROT
(Block 9 - Colonial lot #25 and part of #26)

Recorded York County Court, March 17,1717/18.

INVENTORY OF THE PERSONAL ESTATE OF JAMES SHIELDS¹ OF "MAROT'S" or the "ENGLISH COFFEE HOUSE."
(Block 9 - Colonial lot #25 & part of #26.)

[John (or Jean) Marot operated an ordinary on the above site from ca. 1708 until his death in 1717. His property was left to his widow, Anne, and his daughters--his widow to enjoy it entire until his daughters came of age or married. Anne Marot continued the business,(she soon remarried to a Timothy Sullivant, who helped her with it for a time, and died ca.1730), until 1738, when she "retired" to the country, and leased it to another ordinary-keeper. She died in 1742; and her daughter, Anne (Marot) Ingles Shields and husband James Shields, purchased of another daughter, Edith (Marot) Cobbs and her husband, what they didn't inherit of the ordinary property. How much, if any, of Marot's furniture was included in the purchase may be determined,possibly, by comparing the two inventories. In any event, James Shields owned the property at the time of his death in 1750, when it was known as "The English Coffee House." He willed it to his wife, Anne (Marot) Ingles Shields during her "Natural Life or Widowhood"--if she remarried, it was to go to their minor son, James Shields. She remarried, within six or seven months, a neighboring tavern-keeper, Henry Wetherburn, who was soon advertising the Shields property for rent. Whether the furniture was sold, whether the Wetherburns used or purchased some of it, or whether the property was rented with furniture, we do not know. We do know that a billiard table, described by Wetherburn to the first renter as "the best... in the Country," was leased to Daniel Fisher with the property, only to be sold shortly thereafter by Wetherburn (it is to be assumed in the interest of the minor son of James Shields) to William Byrd II of "Westover."]