This week, we take a look at an advertisement from the October 10, 1771, issue of the Virginia Gazette, offering a stark glimpse into colonial Virginia’s economic and legal systems. Placed by Sheriff John Upshaw, the notice announces the court-ordered sale of three lots in Tappahannock, including a dwelling house, outbuildings suitable for an Ordinary Keeper, eight enslaved individuals, and household furnishings. The sale was due to financial troubles faced by James Emmerson, whose property had been mortgaged to Archibald Ritchie and was now being liquidated to satisfy debts.

At the time, Tappahannock was a key port town along the Rappahannock River, making this sale significant in both local commerce and the region’s reliance on enslaved labor. Notices like this were a common feature in the Virginia Gazette, which had been the colony’s primary newspaper since 1736. By 1771, it was published by Purdie & Dixon, printing everything from legal notices and advertisements to news from England and debates on colonial rights—discussions that would soon ignite into revolution.

The mention of outbuildings “suitable for an Ordinary Keeper” suggests this property may have once operated—or had the potential to operate—as a tavern. Colonial taverns were more than just places to eat and drink; they were hubs of news, politics, and community gatherings, making newspapers like the Virginia Gazette vital to their patrons.

This single advertisement is a reminder of the deeply intertwined systems of property, debt, and slavery that shaped Virginia’s past. It also underscores the role of newspapers as not just sources of information but active participants in the colony’s economic and legal affairs.

Stay tuned for more Tavern History Tuesday, where we continue to uncover the stories hidden in the pages of the past!