Many thanks to both you and Stuart Butler. I now have the copies from which to write the appropriate footnote. I like Joseph Ball's term "designedly burnt." Then again, I like of his words, for example, in another to Joseph Chinn he calls his overseers "slubbering sons of bitches" -- turning a adjective (slubbery) into a verb while at it. The man certainly was not shy about writing what he thought. Craig On Apr 24, 2013, at 6:35 PM, Michael Nicholls wrote: > The governor's message in The Journal of the House of Burgesses, 1742-1747, 1748-49 p 235 indicates that it was thought to be arson. The Norfolk County Order Book 16 October 1746 - 17 Aug 1750 f. 83 shows that a local man was paid in the county levy for 1748 for guarding Wm Beesley to Wmsburg on suspicion of Beesley having burnt the capitol. I don't remember having looked any further into this--Mick > Michael L. Nicholls > Professor of History, Emeritus > Dept. of History > Utah State University > Logan, UT 84322-0710 > > [log in to unmask] ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html