Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

TIMSON HOUSE
Block 30, Building 4, Colonial Lot 323

The Timson House on colonial lot 323 (on the corner of Prince George and Nassau Streets) is generally credited with being one of the oldest houses in Williamsburg. On March 17, 1713/14 Captain William Timson, of Queen's Creek, was deeded lot 323 (along with lots 46 and 47 on Duke of Gloucester Street) by the Trustees of Williamsburg —— with the stipulation that he "build within space of 24 months one or more good dwellings on each lot according to directions of An Act of Assembly 1705" or the lots would revert to the Trustees. [York County Records, Book III, Deeds and Bonds, March 16, 1715, pp. 109-110.]¹ (See Appendix for biographical information on William Timson.)

Evidently, Timson did build the required houses because 1) the lots did not revert and 2) the next deed for the three properties (which Timson sold to James Shields May 31, 1717) read "together with the houses thereon." [Ibid., May 31, 1717, p. 185.] Timson sold the properties to Shields, along with two hundred acres of land in York county, for £300.

James Sheilds [note the variation in spelling] held the property until his death. In his will, dated 1727, he bequeathed it to his son Matthew. [Ibid., Book 16, Orders, Wills, July 13, 1727]. On January 28, 1744, Matthew Sheilds sold lot 323 " . . . and messuage and tenements thereon erected" to William Pegram, a bricklayer, for £60. [Ibid., Book V, Deeds.] On May 16, 1745, William Pegram deeded it to James Wray, a well known carpenter and joiner, also for £60. [Ibid., Book V, Deeds.] Although Wray was known as a carpenter and joiner (in 1749 both he and Richard Taliaferro were placed in charge of repairing and enlarging the Governor's Palace), there is no indication that he was a "Master Builder." Still, we cannot positively say that the house on lot 323 is the same as the house Timson had built prior to 1717. Wray died in 1750 and left his property to his 2 son, James. James Wray, Jr. sold the property "and all houses, buildings" to John Connelly on August 19, 1772 for £50. [Ibid., Book 8, Deeds.]

This is the last record traceable to the property. Following the Revolution, the property is marked "Ferguson" on several town plats, but it has not been possible to trace ownership to any particular Ferguson. Two lots located on Nicholson Street between Queen Street and Greenhow Street are shown on the unknown draftsman's map to be owned by "Ferguson," and Bucktrout "Furgoson." The lot under study, however, is a single lot situated on Prince George and Nassau Streets.

The late citizen of Williamsburg, Mr. John S. Charles, described the city at the time of the War Between the States. In writing of this house he said:

The house at N.W. Corner of Prince George and Nassau Streets is without doubt a very old building, and according to tradition was used by French soldiers either during, or just after, the Revolution. This old house is still standing and in good shape of preservation and repair. It is a story and a half frame building with dormer windows and a basement, and has a single story annex on the west. It is learned that many, many years ago, an old lady lived in this house, and kept cows, which in those days grazed over the ditch banks, open lots and greens of the then verdant city. She, along with many others, in order to get "chinquapin money", and perhaps money to buy other things more substantial, sold, for a long time, butter and buttermilk, and the hill on which this house is located came to be known as "Buttermilk Hill", as no milk has been sold on that hill for generations, it took the name of Minor Terrace, from the fact that Prof. Lucien B. Minor, who was professor of law at the College of William and Mary, and who for many years lived on this hill, immediately opposite to the old house described above, and died there, just preceding the Civil War…

The house is not privately occupied and has not been restored.

[Retyped June 5, 1980; compiled from notes by Mary Goodwin]

APPENDIX

William Timson was a grandson of Samuel Timson, merchant of London, who came to Virginia circa 1677, married Mary Juxon, and settled on a plantation on Queen's Creek in York County. Samuel Timson became a justice for York County in 1683, and died in January, 1694/5, survived by children William, John, Smauel, and Mary. William was born in 1678 and died in 1718/19. His son, William, who died in 1726, was the first owner of the Williamsburg lot 323. Buried on the Queen's Creek plantation, the tombstone of Samuel Timson, the immigrant, was near the mouth of Queen's Creek at the turn of this century, but it is not known whether it is still there and intact. It had the coat-of-arms of the Timson family impaling Juxon on it.

The following Timson wills are in the York County Court records: Samuel Timson, Will 1695; Francis Timson, Will 1702; Samuel Timson, inventory of personal estate, 1704/5; John Timson, will 1709; William Timson, will 1719; William Timson, will 1726; John Timson, will 1738; Samuel Timson, will 1739; John Timson, will 1742; Samuel Timson, inventory 1748; William Timson, will 1757; John Timson, inventory 1777; Samuel Timson, will 1782; Mary Timson, inventory, 1783.

A brief account of the Timson family of York County appears in the William and Mary Quarterly, 1st series, Vol. III (1895) pp. 208, 273-275; Ibid., V (1896) p. 305.