Following the conflict of 1676 (Bacon's Rebellion), Charles II appointed a commission to examine the counties of the colony of Virginia. This commission asked for letters of complaint regarding the various concerns among those now present in Virginia. [General order issued Feb. 3, 1677.] One such letter was a petition of Sittingbourne Parish, located in the upper end of Rappahannock Co. It reads:
"We had trouble in these upper parts until at last our firebrand (Bacon), who had taken our good Major that had by God's assistance so well defended us, sent to our assistance one Captain Simon Miller a liver amongst us, and since his time we have had no men killed, nor great damage to our stocks, though since this war began we have lost over 600 pounds sterling. Now since by an evil hand we his Majesties always liege people have in a manner had our lives defended by the said Miller, in gratitude we desire he may be looked upon with an eye of favor."
"We need better frontier protection."
The petition is dated Feb. 14, 1676-7, and is signed by Cadwallader Jones (JO-1) and John Rouzie (RO-1) [Often miss spelled John Bowsee.] This is the same Simon Miller (MI-1) who had land next to Cadwallader in 1673. Thus, by 1677, Cadwallader Jones (JO-1) had become a leading figure in Sittingbourne Parish, the most western part of Rappahannock Co. VA.
Taken from The Jones Genealogist, Research Notebook #80, Rappahannock Co. (Old), The Joseph Wheeler Jones Memorial Library, Danville, KY.
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