Marriages of Richmond County Virginia 1668-1853, compiled and published by George H.S. King
John Tarpley's Will written November 23, 1738 proved May 17, 1739, Richmond Co, VA, WB 5, p 338, Names wife Anne; youngest grson. John Tarpley plant. whereon I now dwell, if he has no heirs, then to grson. James Tarpley; grson. Travers Tarpley my mill called the New Mill standing on Constable's Run at the head of Farnham Creek; eld. dau. of grson. Travers Tarpley, Betty; grson. [Fortius] QUintus Tarpley; wife to live in my dwelling house with my grson. John during her widowhood or otherwise if she should think fit, she should have my plant. at the head of Moratico which I bought of Mr. Lawson; desires est. to be div. by Col. Chjarles Grimes and Capt. Leroy Giffin; ex: grsons. Travers and John Tarpley; wits: Thomas Bluett, Elanor Bluett, Rebecca Closington.
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Virginia in 1740: A Reconstructed Census, 1992, TLC Genealogy, Miami Beach, FL
Richmond Co, James Tarpley: listed in Richmond Co Order Book 11, 1739-1746
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The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 1, No. 4, Oct-Dec, 1957, p 169, Extracts from The Virginia Gazette for 1755-56
The Snow Fanny (Charles Thomas, master) is about to sail for Bristol. Gentlemen that are inclined to ship may make payment to Mr. James Tarpley, merchant in WIlliamsburg, or to the Captain on board. (26D55:31;2Ja56:41)
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William and Mary Quarterly, Vol XVI, 1907-08, p 153
James Tarpley, a prominent merchant of Williamsburg, who in 1761 donated to Bruton Church the historic bell which still swings in the steeple.
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Bruton Parish was formed in 1674 by merging earlier parishes, dating to 1633. It was named for an English parish on the River Brue in Somerset, from whence came several leading parishioners, including Sir WIlliam Berkeley, then governor, and Thomas Ludwell, secretary of Virginia.
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Bruton Parish Church, Its Spiritual and Historical Legacy, Hugh DeSamper, Published by Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1996, p 26-27
Bruton's 450-pound bell is known as Virginia's Liberty Bell. Cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London by the same craftsman who cast Philadelphia's Liberty Bell, it was presented to Bruton in 1761 by James Tarpley, a Williamsburg merchant. The bell has been rung on many momentous occasions over the past two centuries, including the adoption of the Virginia Resolution for Independence at the Captiol on May 15, 1776; Washington's victory over Cornwallis at Yorktown in October 1781; and the signing of the Treaty of Paris bringing the American Revolution to a conclusion in 1783.
Cast in the bell are the words "Gift of James Tarpley to Bruton Parish 1761"
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In March 2007 on a visit to Bruton Parish Church, the warden let Jean Ann Moon, descendant of James Tarpley ring the bell calling worshipers to 11am morning prayer. As by tradition the bell is rung 18 times. Because of the age of the wooden structure that holds the bell in the belfry, the bell is no longer allowed to swing for the clapper to strike the bell. Now when the rope is pulled a mallet strikes the outside rim of the stationary bell.
The Moons, also, visited the reconstructed building in Williamsburg, known as Tarpley's store.
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"Notes on Tarpley's Store", typed 3 pages plus 2 letters about the resotration work in 1937 and two photos of the store, digital photos taken March 2007 from original in Tarpley's Store, Williamsburg, Virginia
Summary:
A store house on Lot 20 was erected by James Tarpley, merchant, sometime between 1759-63. Besides Tarpley, who held two different partnerships in the building, the store continued off and on under succeeding merchants. ... At an unknown date, perhaps as late as 1900, fire destroyed the building. The present structure is thus a reconstruction.
History of Building and Occupants: A. James Tarpley and partners.
His father was Captain John Tarpley (occupation unknown) of RIchmond County whose ancestros were transported in the colony in 1664 to Rappahannock and Northumberland Counties (Richmond county was later detached from these two counties). Captain Tarpley had married Elizabeth Ripping, the daughter of an ordinary keeper in Williamsburg. When he died, Elizabeth became the guardian of his estate with control over the four minor children: Edward, James, John and Tertius Quintus. She there upon moved to the captial and lived with her parents. When James came of age, he received part of the Ripping estate, including a dwelling house and slaves.
James' only career apparently was in the mercantile trade. By the age of twenty-one, he was apprenticed to a merchant, Armistead Burwell, employed probably as a clerk. His earliest appearance in Williamsburg was in a suit. In 1752 the court paid him 75 pounds of tobacco for three days attendance as a witness in the suit between Richard Coventon, dancing master, and Robert Lyon, wigmaker. He may have begun his business in Yorktown, for he sold a lot there in 1753 to a merchant, David Jameson. He was possibly transferring his business to Williamsburg. He bought a small piece of land, 30' by 30' from his mother somewhere in the capital in 1755. Either on this site or somewhere else the same year, "Tarpley and Tate" (Tate's first name unknown) advertised imported goods. The partnership shortly transferred to Thomas Knox, with the store location possibly on one of several lots on the Palace Green. In 1760, Know purchased Tarpley's interest in this store.
The year before, Henry Wetherburn conveyed a portion of Lot 20 to Tarpley. The portion, 45' by 50', was the site on which Tarpley erected a new storehouse between 1759-1763, the same site of the reconstructed store. He found a new partner: William Hunter, printer, joined him for only one year until Hunter's death. Beginning in December, 1761 and continuing into December 1762, Tarpley paid Alexander Craig, Williamsburg Saddler, for "carting from ferry's" "to carting to Burwell's Ferry", "to carting to the landing", "to carting from ferry", etc. Then, at the end of 1762, "Tarpley & Thompson" paid Craig for saddle, cloth and bag. These items seem to indicate the active business and the need for the carting of goods. Also, at this time Tarpley donated a bell to Bruton Parish Church which held the mark of Whitechapel Foundry in London.
For several years, "John Thompson & Co." remained in business. He looked for a purchaser in 1766, advertising for sale "A Very Handsome and Convenient Storehouse..."
Hand written notes at the bottom of the typed pages: Bldg. reconstructed in July 1937, Pender's Dry Goods on Lot and in this bldg until 1950, Print Shop here until 1958, Costume Dept., Audiovisual storage, became Tarpley's store again in 1972.
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The Record of Bruton Parish Church, by Rev. WIlliam Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin, D.D. LL.D., page 16, states:
"The outside of the church also received some attention at this time (1755). The steeple on the brick tower was erected in place of one which was beyond further repair, and arrangements were made to have a belfry in it. THis was soon followed by the fit of a bronze bell with this inscription on it: "The gift of James Tarpley...."
This same reference states on page 95: "When the restoration of 1907 was being completed tablets were placed in the tower, on the walls of the nave and transcepts, and in the vestry toom commemorating various gifts and events. These simple bronze tablets are all of similar design differing only in size. The inscriptions on them are given below, beginning with the two in the tower. The Bell ......"
