Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

ELKANAH DEANE HOUSE AND SHOP
Block 30, Lots #329, #330, #331, #332

Two of the four lots under consideration in this report were granted by the city trustees to John Holloway in 1720. These were lots #331 and #332. It is apparent from the wording of the grant that no house stood on the lots at that time. The deed, in abstract, is as follows:

July 11, 1720.

Trustees (of the] City [of] Williamsburg
to
Holloway, John
Consideration: 5 shillings.

[They grant] Two certain lots of ground in the city of Williamsburg denoted in the plan of the said city by the figures 331-332.

[The grantee] Shall begin to build within 24 months upon each of said lots one or more good dwelling houses according to [the requirements found in the] Act of Assembly 1705.

(York County Records, Deeds, Bonds, Vol. III, page 353).

There is no record of the use made by John Holloway of these lots. As he owned other lots in Williamsburg, some as early as 1715, (York County Records, Deeds, Bonds, Book III, page 67) it is impossible to say that he built a house on lots #331-332, or that he lived there. In fact, there is a gap in the history of the lots until 1759, when: the two, as well as lots.#329 and #330 were conveyed and sold to William Carter by John Robinson (Deed of 1772 quoted below) or by John Chiswell¹ (Deed of 1761 quoted below).

When Robert Carter of Nomini Hall, owner of Lots #333-336, came to Williamsburg in March 1761, he found that he was in "certain disputes and controversies" with his neighbor, William Carter, about the line between their properties. An agreement was reached by William Carter giving up title to the land in question for 5 shillings. The deed is as follows:

Aug. 11, 1761

William Carter, Surgeon
to
Carter, Hon. Robert

Whereas certain disputes and controversies have lately arisen between the said William Carter and Robert Carter of and concerning the true and just dividing line between the lots of the said Robert Carter which he lately purchased of Robert Carter Nicholas, Esquire, and the lots of the said William Carter, which he lately purchased of John Chiswell, gentleman, the said William Carter claiming certain piece or parcel of ground on the Northside of pales of the said Robert Carter which divides the lots of the said Robert Carter from the lots of the said William Carter from Palace Street to the West end of their said lots and which piece or parcel of ground is now in the possession of the said Robert Carter. Now, therefore, for ending and finally determining the said disputes and controversies, this indenture witnesses that the said William Carter for the consideration aforesaid, also for and in consideration of the sum of 5 shillings to him in hand paid by the said Robert Carter at and before the ensealing and delivery of these presents ... .....doth...... alien, remis, release and forever quit claim unto the said Robert Carter his heirs and assigns forever all the estate, right, title, which he the said William Carter hath or might have in and to the said piece or parcel of ground above mentioned now being within the said line of pales arid in the possession of the said Robert Carter as aforesaid ..... (York County Records, Deeds. Book VI, pages 364-365).

A letter written by Robert Carter years later (Nov. 5. 1778) to Dudley Digges, a prospective buyer of Carter's Lots #333-336, more clearly explains the cause of the "disputes and controversies" between the neighbors. Carter wrote

Doctor Wm Carter who formerly possessed the Lotts adjoining my lots complained of an Encroachment made by Doctor Mackenzie who formerly possessed my Lots, that he 3 had put part of his Meat house on his W-C's, ground-but acknowledged that R. C. Nicholas [owner of lots #333-336 before Robert Carter's purchase of them] had not been informed of said business that the line of Paling and stable which R. C. N. built corresponded with said meat house, making a due East & West line-on this information I agreed to some Proposal, which was reduced to writing to which I refer you, not having a Copy thereof-Whoever may Purchase may Lots he to stand in my shoes, touching the agreement I made with Doctor W. C . (Mss. Letter Book, Robert Carter of Nomini Hall, Chauvenet Collection, Vol. III, 1775-1780, page 71 In Duke University. Typed Carter Papers in Research Files).

In June, 1767, William Carter mortgaged his property on Palace Street as well as some on the south side of Duke of Gloucester Street in order to pay£ 130 due Thomas Moore. James Carter, surgeon, and John Carter, merchant, were his bondsmen. To them he granted as security "All those four Lots of ground in Palace Street in the city of Williamsburg whereon the said William now lives...." (York County Records, Deeds, Book VII, page 300). This is the first definite statement yet found that William Carter had four lots on Palace Street and that he lived there.

In the next month, "a fire broke out in the stable of Doctor William Carter, at the foot of his lot in Palace Street, which consumed it and a couple of horses, with some grain, etc. The fire had got to such a height before it was discovered that Mr. Carter, in attempting to save his horses, ran a great risk of his life, by the fire blazing out soon after he had opened the door. Fortunately there was little or no air stirring, which in all probability saved the adjoining houses " (Virginia Gazette, Purdie & Dixon, July 30, 1767).

On December 15, 1768, Dr. Carter offered his house for sale through 4 the columns of theVirginia Gazette: (Purdie & Dixon; Rind)

To be Sold, on very reasonable Terms, for Cash, or on 3 or 4 year's credit, paying interest for the Money.

The Dwelling-House in Palace street, with four Lots of Ground, well enclosed, and in good repair where the subscriber now lives. There is no situation in this city superior to it, for pleasantness and convenience.
WILLIAM CARTER

In 1771, Dr. Carter moved to Gloucester County, and again offered his houses and lots on Palace Street for sale or for rent. This information is found in the following advertisements:

GLOUCESTER County, August 29, 1771.
THE Subscriber gives this publick Notice, that he is now settled at the Plantation which belonged to the
late Mrs. Batop....with an intent to practise PHYSICK AND SURGERY.....
WILLIAM CARTER

He is inclined either to sell, or rent by the Year, his Dwellinghouse and Lots in Palace Street, which may be entered on by the first of October next. For the terms apply to Mr. John Carter. Merchant in Williamsburg. (Virginia Gazette, Purdie & Dixon, Aug. 29; Sept. 12, 1771.)

The October advertisement of this property contained the information that Dr. William Carter had "lately lived" in the house. (Ibid, Oct. 17, 1771). This statement would indicate that though Carter began to advertise his Palace Street house in 1768, he had not up to October, 1771, found a renter or purchaser, and had continued to live in the house himself.

Sometime during the year 1772, Elkanah Deane, coachmaker, bought William Carter's house. Apparently the mortgage of 1767 had not been paid off, since it was necessary for James and John Carter to be the second and third party in the deed. The deed transferring the Palace 5 Street property of William Carter to Deane reads

July 4, 1772.

Carter, William - Surgeon (Gloucester)
Rebecca, his wife
Carter. James
Carter, John - Gentlemen
to
Deane, Elkanah - Coachmaker
Consideration: 700 Pounds.

All those four lots of land lying in the City of Williamsburg and Parish of Bruton, County of York, on the West side of Palace Street, and bounded on the North by the lots of the Hon. Robert Carter, on the West by Nassau Street, on the South by Prince George Street, and on the East by the said Palace Street, lately in the possession of the said William Carter, except a small piece or parcel thereof adjoining the lots of the Hon. Robert Carter and conveyed him by the said William Carter, which said lots were sold and conveyed to the said William Carter by John Robinson, decd, by deed dated July 20, 1759.
And all. houses, buildings. (York County Records - Deed - Book VIII, page 238).

Here Deane carried on coach-making and its allied crafts. In his first advertisement, Deane stated that he had learned the coachmaking trade as an apprentice in Dublin to the noted coachmaker, Joseph Caracross; that he had carried on the business "in all the different branches" in Ireland, and in New York, where he had the "honour of making a coach, phaeton, and chaise, for his Excellency the Right Honourable Earl of Dunmore." Deane said he had moved his family from New York to Palace Street where he proposed "to make and repair all sorts of coaches, landaus, chariots, postchaises, curricles, chaises, and chairs with harness of every sort. Also steel springs, and iron work of every kind, relative to the coachmaking trade. Likewise painting, gilding, and japanning." Deane added that he had "two or three spare rooms, [and] would be glad to accommodate gentlemen with private lodgings". (Virginia Gazette, William Rind, May 21, 1772.).

Deane carried on his coachmaking trade at his shop, in Palace Street. 6 (Virginia Gazette, Clementina Rind, October 28, 1773; John Pinkney, March 23, 1775).

Through the pages of the Virginia Gazette (Clementine Rind, October 28; November 11 and 18; December 2, 1773), one may read the charges and counter-charges of the rival coachmakers, Peter Hardy and Elkanah Deane. Hardy, a Canadian located near the "Madhouse" referred to Deane as "an HIBERNIAN COTTAGER" and the "PALACE STREET PUFFER".

It is interesting that Robert Carter, living at "Nomini Hall", Westmoreland County, should have used the proximity of Deane as a means of locating the Carter property when offering his Palace Street house and lots for sale, in 1774. Carter advertised

For SALE,
THE improved Square of Lots adjoining the lots belonging to Mr. E. DEANE, coachmaker in Palace street, Williamsburg ........ (Virginia Gazette, Clementina Rind, May 26, 1774).

After Deane's death at some time before October 26, 1775, (Virginia Gazette, John Pinkney) his wife, Elizabeth, offered the property on Palace Street for rent or for sale:

To be SOLD or RENTED,
THE HOUSES and LOTS of the late Elkanah Deane, deceased, pleasantly situated in Palace Street. There is a Well of good Water on the Premises, an exceeding good Garden and Pasture at the Back of the Dwelling-House, all well paled in; and there are several Springs, and a Run of Water through the same. The Houses are in good Repair, and some of them but lately built....And on Tuesday the 28th of November next will be sold, for ready money the HOUSEHOLD and KITCHEN FURNITURE, a large Quantity of COACHMAKERS, JOINERS, and BLACKSMITHS TOOLS, belonging to the said Deceased ......... There are on Hand, and will be sold remarkably cheap for Cash, an elegant PHAETON, and DOUBLE and SINGLE 7 CHAIRS of several Sorts, finished in the best Manner .. ..... (Virginia Gazette, Dixon & Hunter, Nov. 4, 1775).¹

By, public sale "two Hundred and forty odd Pounds" of Deane's estate was sold. This money was "collected and feloniously carried off" by Deane's brother, William Deane, according to the notice of Elizabeth Deane. (Virginia Gazette, Dixon & Hunter, Dec. 13, 1776). Later information in this report suggests that this sale was probably of Deane's personal rather than real estate.£240 when "Continental" and other depreciated money was in circulation would have been a very small price for the dwelling and lots.

There was a quick turnover of coachmakers who attempted to carry on their crafts at Deane's shop. The first two craftsmen appear to have used the shop jointly and to have had complementary crafts. Within a month, a new coachmaker occupied Deane's shop. It will be noted that in none of the advertisements was there a mention of the dwelling. The important part of these announcements is the description of Deane's shop as "near palace street". This is the first indication that the shop was not located directly on Palace Street.

WILLIAMSBURG, Dec. 13, 1775

The subscriber continues to carry on the business of SADDLING, CAP, and HARNESS making at the late mr. Elkanah Deane's shop, near Palace street.
EDWARD ROBERTS. (Virginia Gazette, Alexander Purdie).

The subscriber still continues to carry on the PAINTING business of COACHES.. CHARIOTS, &a. at the
late mr. Elkanah Deane's shop, near palace street.
JOHN HOWARD. (Ibid).

The subscriber begs leave to inform the publick that he has opened the late mr. Elkanah Deane's shop near Palace street, where he intends to carry on the COACH and CHAIR making business in its various branches.
WILLIAM HOLLIDAY. (Ibid. Jan. 12, 1776)

A year later, July 11, 1777, another coachmaker announced that he had taken over Deane's shop. It is an interesting commentary on the importance Deane had gained in the public mind as a coachmaker, that he, rather than some of his successors at coach-making should have been referred to as the former coachmaker in the shop. The announcement is as follows:

July 11, 1777.

SAMUEL A. BELL,¹coach-maker, begs leave to inform the publick, that he carries on his business at the shop lately occupied by mr. Dean in Palace Street, where gentlemen may have their work done in the most elegant and substantial manner, and with punctuality... He is in want of 3 or 4 good hands, to whom suitable wages will be given. (Virginia Gazette, Alexander Purdie).

The Frenchman's Map of 1781 [?] shows a large rectangular house on the southeast corner of the lot with five small outhouses located on the lot. (Illustration No. 1.). This arrangement of outhouses on the line between lots 329-332 and 333-336 is interesting, in view of the statement made by Robert Carter on page 3 of this report that the meat house and stable made a due east and west line.

Elizabeth Deane was listed by a secondary source as proprietor of lots in Williamsburg in 1783 (William & Mary Quarterly Vol XI, first series, p. 114). The Williamsburg Tax Records show that she had died before 1797. In that year the property is listed as "Elizabeth Deane's Est." (See Illustration No. 3.)

The name "Dean" is found on Lots #329-332 on the plat of the lots of Williamsburg. (Illustration No. 2).

Several problems involved in the Deane estate remain unsolved. One of these problems is the question of the disappearance of the dwelling from the lots. An insurance policy taken out by Henry Skipwith in 1806 on the Wythe House describes that house as situated between the "Lott of Robert Saunders and the Church Yard". (Photostat copies of policies of the Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia, p. 51). Robert Saunders, Sr. owned the Robert Carter lots as early as 1801 (Williamsburg Land Tax records in 1801 show that he had three lots which had formerly belonged to Robert Carter. By 1810, Saunders had four lots.)

Failure to mention the Deane house as the northern boundary of the Wythe House seems significant.

The tax records for Williamsburg show that 4 lots were accredited to Elizabeth Deane or to her estate or to Elcanah Deane's estate through 1819. From the year 1820 when contiguous lots appear in the records as one, Elcanah or Elizabeth Deane's Estate (names used interchangeably in the tax records) were credited up to 1850 with one lot. (See Illustration No. 3). The value of the buildings $400, at a time when Robert Saunders, Jr., owner of the dwelling on #333-336 had his dwelling valued at $1500¹ on the tax records, seems too small to cover a dwelling. However, the proof of the disappearance of the building rests more securely on the Skipwith insurance policy than on the tax records. It can be said with certainty that, according to a deed of 1847, given by Robert Saunders, Jr. to the College of William and Mary, the "Deane" lots, or that part of them adjoining Palace Green, had come into Saunders' possession by that date. It is clear from the deed that no dwelling stood on lots #329-332 at that time.

The second problem posed by the scarcity of records is the question of 10 the use made of the lots between 1777, when Samuel A. Bell had the shop and 1847, when Robert Saunders, Jr. owned the "Deane" lots. In a deed given by Robert Saunders, Jr.¹ to the College of William and Mary, the descriptions of the property shows clearly that there was only one dwelling house on the part of the lots² that Robert Saunders owned. Saunders conveyed

"that Certain & Well Known house & lot his residence situate n the City of W^msburg & bounded on the South by Prince George Street, North by Scotland Street, East by Palace Green & west by the lot of Ro: H. Armistead, to secure the payment of twenty five hundred dollars." (Records of the City of Williamsburg and James City County, Deed Book I, pp. 317-318, Nov. 14, 1872).

In his will, July 20, 1848, with codicil, dated May 10, 1849, Saunders left all of his property to his wife, Lucy B. Page. (Ibid. Will Book, p. 148). This provision Mrs. Saunders renounced in 1869. (Ibid I, p. 186). When the Saunders' homestead was sold by the trustee of the College, he granted Mrs. Saunders a part of the property as her dower right in the whole. The document reads as follows:

&
"in Consideration of the premises of the sum of Two hundred Dollars .... the said parties of the first part do hereby grant & Convey .......... to the said party of the Second part, a part of the lot aforesaid To Wit. Commencing at the South East Corner of the said lot running North 64 feet, by the line of fence on the west side of Palace green, thence west in a straight line back to the lot of Ro. H. Armistead, thence South along side Armisteads line of fence to Prince George street & thence East along said Street to the beginning, together With the New wood dwelling house & Small Kitchen thereon. But it is distinctly understood & agreed between the parties that the Barn now located between the said new dwelling house & small Kitchen on the lot hereby Conveyed is not included in this deed & does not pass by it and the parties of the first part expressly reserve the right to move the same therefrom." (Ibid. Deed Book I, pp. 317-18).

In her will of 1879, Mrs. Saunders gave to her daughter, Roberta Page Saunders "the House and lot adjoining the Old Homestead".¹ (Ibid, Will Book I, p. 392).

Older citizens who recall the appearance of Williamsburg at the time of the Civil War, confirm the fact that there was no dwelling on the Deane lots. Mr. John S. Charles recalled that

"The only dwelling on the square bounded by Scotland, Nassau, Prince George and Palace streets was the Saunders house, with its numerous outhouses, such as kitchen, servant's quarters, etc. This house presented then very much the same appearance that it does today, with its doubel front porch supported by white columns built of brick. This was the hospitable home of "Bob" Saunders, once president of the College of William and Mary, and professor of mathematics. He was for many years mayor of this city. He was widely known and highly esteemed. He owned many slaves and an extensive plantation on York River. He died not long after the War and was buried in the garden of his home under a big weeping willow tree where now can be seen the tomb stone that marks his final resting place. Nearly on the site of the present Presbyterian Church, there was a big barn and carriage house and to the westward of it, up to recent years, was a small wooden house, used as the coachman's abode. Mr. Saunders owned the entire square at the northeast corner of which was burying ground for the colored.

The Federal Provost Marshall's office was in this building in the early part of 1862.

(Charles, Lee, Vandegrift Memoirs, Typed copy in Research Department, pp. 25-26)

The Saunders house, a large, two story building with a porch up and a porch downstairs, appeared then, as it did before its restoration. On the site of the old Presbyterian church was a large frame barn, part of the Saunders property. Mrs. Saunders owned and lived there in '61. (Ibid. p. 85).