Lord Botetourt
From Special Collections Research Center Wiki
Norborne Berkeley, Lord Botetourt was only 52 years old when he died and had been governor of the colony since 1768. He had already given a substantial sum for the founding of what is now Eastern State Hospital and another gift to found a work house for the poor, as well as a gift of silver service for the communion table at Bruton Parish Church. He had the reputation of being a generous, courteous, and sympathetic gentleman and was greatly loved by his constituents.
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Statue
Lord Botetourt was so revered by the Virginians that in fact they erected a statue in his memory which stood first at the Old Capitol building and then was purchased by the College of William and Mary in 1801. Barring a brief period during the Civil War when it was moved to the Public Asylum for safety, it stood in the College Yard until 1958 when it was removed for protection from the elements, and then installed in the new Earl Gregg Swem Library in 1966 in the Botetourt Gallery. A bronze replica created in bronze by College of William and Mary alumnus Gordon Kray was installed in the College Yard in 1993. It is a College tradition to dress up the statue to mark special events and holidays including hanging a wreath on his outstretched hand.
Inscriptions on the Statue of Lord Botetourt
The Right Honourable Norborne Berkeley Baron de Botetourt His Majesty’s Late lieutenant; and Governor General of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia. (Resurge Rege Favente)
America! Behold your friend
Who, leaving his native country,
Declin’d those additional honours, which
Were there in store for him, that
He might heal your wounds, and restore
Tranquility and happiness to this
Extensive continent; with what zeal
And anxiety he pursued these glorious
Objects, Virginia, thus bears her
Gratefull testimony.
Richard Hayward London MDCCXXIII
Deeply impressed with the warmest sense
Of gratitude for His Excellence the
Right Honble Lord Botetourt’s prudent
And wise administration, and that the
Remembrance of those many public and
Social virtues, which so eminently
Adorned his illustrious character might
Be transmitted to latest posterity,
The General Assembly of Virginia
On the XX day of July Ann. Dom. MDCCLXXI
Resolved with one united voice to erect
This statue to His Lordship’s memory.
Let wisdom and justice preside in any county; The people will rejoice and must be happy.
Coffin
During the looting and burning of the Wren Building in 1862, the plate from Lord Botetourt's coffin was stolen from the burial vault under the Wren chapel by a Union Soldier. It was later returned to the College in the 1890’s by a Presbyterian minister who had discovered it in Rome, New York. While the coffin handles, escutcheons and the engraved coffin plate belong to the College, the coffin plate is usually in the shop room of the James Geddy House in Colonial Williamsburg where it has been on display since 1956.
Botetourt Medal
The Botetourt Medal was the second academic prize medal awarded in the colonies and the first to be stamped from dies created at the Royal mint in 1771. Lord Botetourt’s intention to give the two gold medals as prizes to the two best students at the College of William and Mary, one student in Classics and one in Physical or Metaphysical Science, was announced in 1770. The medals were originally presented on August 15th, Commemoration Day of the transfer of the charter to the President and Masters of the College. Today a single undergraduate with the greatest distinction in scholarship is awarded a medal on Commencement Day in May.
Lord Botetourt Award
The Lord Botetourt Award, begun in 1997, is presented to individuals or institutions that embody the spirit of Norborne Botetourt, Baron de Berkeley, a colonial governor of Virginia as well as rector and a friend of William and Mary. It is given to non-alumni who have contributed to the college’s advancement and prosperity.
In the News
- The College's Most Beloved Ghosts, Ghouls, and Secrets, The Flat Hat, 21 August 2009.
Share Your Memories
Do you want to share your memories of the recent or distant past? You are welcome to create an account and add your memories to this section of the SCRC Wiki page or if you prefer, contact University Archivist Amy Schindler (acschi@wm.edu or 757-221-3094). In either case, please include your name and class year. We look forward to hearing from you.
Need help?
To search for further material, see Finding Materials in the SCRC for an introduction to the SCRC Collections Database, card catalogs, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, etc.
Questions? Contact the SCRC at spcoll@wm.edu or 221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William and Mary (hours).
| A note about the information in this wiki |
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| Unfortunately, many of the early original records of the College of William and Mary were destroyed by fire, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information available here is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in the SCRC's collections and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the SCRC's access tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive. |
