Queen Anne walnut looking glass mid 18th century arched top S-scrolled to stiles, enclosing beveled glass panels. (Good condition consistent with age) H49" W21 3/4" *Provenance: From Four Mile Tree Plantation, Surry County, Virginia. On the south side of the James, in Surry County just across the river from Jamestown, is Four Mile Tree. This point originally marked the western corporate limits of Jamestown. John Burrows married the widow of the Reverend Richard Buck, the clergyman who officiated at the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. In 1624 Burrows patented one hundred fifty acres at Four Mile Tree, but he called the place Burrows Hill. Mr. Burrows (before or during 1628) sold the land to one John Smith, who changed the named to Smith's Mount. The one hundred fifty acres later became the property of Captain Henry Browne, who in 1637 patented twenty-two hundred fifty acres, and soon after acquired nine hundred acres more. Part of this total acreage had been included in the Richard Pace Grant, dated 1620, of six hundred acres known as Pace's Paines. About the middle of the seventeenth century Colonel George Jordan purchased part of the large Four Mile Tree plantation. He was Attorney General of Virginia in 1670. His wife's tombstone in the orchard at Four Mile Tree is the oldest tombstone in Virginia with a legible inscription. The inscription reads: Here lyeth buried the body of Aylce Myles daughter of John Myles of Branton neer Herreford Gent: and late wife of Mr. George Jordan in Virginia, who departed this life the 7th of January 1650. Reader, her dust is here inclosed Who was of witt and grace composed. Her life was Vertuoue during health But Highly Glorious in her death. Colonel Jordan requested that he be buried beside his wife "in Major Browne's orchard." Four Mile Tree remained in the Browne family until the end of the nineteenth century. This family was prominent socially and in public life. During the War of 1812 the British landed at Four Mile Tree. The captain of the Surry Militia, by hard riding, brought his company from Old Southwark Church and met and defeated the British at the plantation. During the Civil War Mr. Algernon Graves lived at Four Mile Tree. He was Commonwealth's Attorney for the county, so probably felt some responsibility for the conditions existing at Jamestown at the time. The island was being used as a refuge by many runaway slaves. In going to investigate, Mr. Graves took with him in a boat his own little boy, his friend Mr. Shriver, and a dependable Negro, Gilbert Wooten. When they arrived at the island, the Negroes, resentful of this intrusion, met them as they got off the boat, took them to the bridge, lined them up and shot all of them. The three whites died instantly, Wooten, the Negro, who had been shot in the abdomen, pretended to be dead; later, after calling to each of his white friends and finding all dead, he escaped to the marsh, thence to the boat, and crossed the river back to Surry. Four Mile Tree was fired upon from gun boats during the Civil War. One shell burst inside the house. The mansion is a story and a half high, has a gambrel roof and five Dutch dormers across the front and the back of the roof. The four huge end chimneys rise high above the roof. There is a high basement and small front porch, and near the gate are the old-fashioned horse blocks from which it was customary for ladies to mount their horses. The interior of Four Mile Tree is particularly interesting. In one room Dutch cupboards flank the reeded mantel, and the stairway is very lovely with its delicately turned balusters. The wainscot of square panels, the woodwork, the locks, hinges and fireplaces are also all old, which contributes to the house's atmosphere of charming antiquity. The beautiful site of Eastover was part of the original grant of twenty-two hundred fifty acres to Henry Browne, of Four Mile Tree, in 1637. It was later (1657) bought from Browne by George Jordan. Reference: Farrar, Emmie Ferguson. OLD VIRGINIA HOUSES: THE MOBJACK BAY COUNTRY & ALONG THE JAMES. New York: American Legacy Press, 1955. pp.153-154.