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An estate
established circa 1650, between the Yeocomico River & Machodoc Creek,
has a legend...
... of a mistress who was a petty tyrant
among her overseers and Negroes. In her last days she, her
coach, and her coachman 'were borne aloft in a terrible hurricane
and lost to sight.' From that time until it's destruction
on October 21,
1888, Pecatone / Peckatone was said to be haunted by lights, groans, and shrieks at night.
However, this legend has not
been dated ... |
 Hannah Lee Corbin,
an advocate of women's rights,
daughter of Thomas Lee, and the widow of
Westmoreland County's Justice of the Peace, Gawen Corbin. Gawen
& Hannah had one child, Martha ['Patty' Tuberville], but in 1759, at the age of 32,
Hannah became a widow.
Corbin's will bequeathed to his wife
all of his estate of Peckatone, which was to be divided in half upon
their daughter's marriage, provided Martha followed her father's
instructions and did not marry until she turned 21. Also in his
final decree, Gawen forbade the remarriage of Hannah, under pain
of losing all but one-third of the estate.
Will of Gawen Corbin
Hannah fell in love
with the physician attending her husband Gawen throughout his last illness.
Dr. Richard Hall owned a small estate in Fauquier County, but came
to live at Peckatone with Hannah.
In defiance of her
religion and family wishes, Hannah commenced a common-law
relationship with Richard.
Their first child, Elisha
Hall Corbin, was born March 1763, followed by a daughter also named Martha. In 1764, both Richard and Hannah were cited by a grand
jury for nonattendance at the Anglican Church. Hannah was
known through out her life as 'Widow Corbin'. |
