Spouse: Jane Mills daughter of Robert Mills of Virginia Colony, locations noted as Rappahannock and Tappahannock rivers of early home sites. It is believed that John Rackley passed away 2 to 4 miles above "Hobs in his hole" in Virginia.

TAPPAHANNOCK, seat of Essex County, old and new houses look across the broad waters of the Rappahannock River from the dense foliage of large and beautiful trees. Since the Downing Bridge was built in 1927 the town has become one of two gateways to the once isolated Northern Neck; its old hotel among weeping willows by the river is notable for its soft shell crabs and shad.

Tappahannock Indian Village was constituted a town in 1680 when the general assembly, considering 'the greate necessity, usefullnesse, and advantage of cohabitation,' directed that 19 towns be established, one for each county. Everything went well until Charles II in 1681 vetoed the act 'for cohabitation and . . . trade and manufacture,' because planters objected violently to the provision that they should ship their tobacco only from the towns and only during stipulated periods. But in 1691, after William and Mary had ascended the throne, the towns were again made ports of entry-one for Rappahannock County at Hobs his hole . . . where the Court house, severall dwelling houses, and ware houses are) already built.' But in 1693 the general assembly, grown bolder, itself suspended the ports act. In 1705, after Anne had become Queen, ports were again constituted, this time only 16 but among them Hobbs' Hole, then renamed Tappahannock .

Tappahannock prospered. When created in 1680, it had been made the seat of Rappahannock County, and in 1692 after the old county was divided to form Essex and Richmond Counties it became the seat of Essex. Though the town was formally named, Washington, stopping here in 1752, referred to it as 'Hobs Hole.' A century and a half ago ships went hence to the remotest parts of the world and the town was something of a social center. But its importance declined after the construction of railroads. It was shelled in December 1814 by the British navy, under orders of Admiral Cockburn.


General George Washington with a few other investors purchased and surveyed land off to create a timber company out of the swamp lands of North Carolina known as the Dismal swamps. It is believed that the Rackleys acquired their timber skills and land survey skills early on with the Robert Mills family. It is documented that the land was not fertile for vast farming of corn or produce. John Rackley 3rd moved his family to the swamp lands of eastern North Carolina where his family hired Lumbee Indians to remove the timber out of the swamps, canals, docks and levies were made to drain out the water, then precious walnut & cypress trees were harvested out of the swamps and shipped to England and abroad. Also noted that the Rackleys became fluent in Lumbee Indian language who they contracted to work for them.

DEEP CREEK, at the edge of the Dismal Swamp, was long a stagecoach stop and a vast shipping point for valuable lumber.

The Dismal Swamp is a wilderness in which, through the centuries, trees have fallen and, with other plants, formed a mass of organic material. Much valuable timber had been cut in the swamp. The mass material, reaching the peat stage, has raised the surface of the swamp at its center. Forest fires, burning to the depth of several feet, frequently continue for weeks. The swamp was described by Colonel William Byrd, one of the commissioners who in 1728 surveyed the boundary between Virginia and North Carolina. This waterway, connecting the southern branch of the Elizabeth river with the sounds of North Carolina, was built largely to afford transportation for lumber from the swamp. The Dismal Swamp Canal Company was organized to cut the canal in 1787, but the canal was not completed until 1828.

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Spouse: Jane Mills daughter of Robert Mills of Virginia Colony, locations noted as Rappahannock and Tappahannock rivers of early home sites. It is believed that John Rackley passed away 2 to 4 miles above "Hobs in his hole" in Virginia.

TAPPAHANNOCK, seat of Essex County, old and new houses look across the broad waters of the Rappahannock River from the dense foliage of large and beautiful trees. Since the Downing Bridge was built in 1927 the town has become one of two gateways to the once isolated Northern Neck; its old hotel among weeping willows by the river is notable for its soft shell crabs and shad.

Tappahannock Indian Village was constituted a town in 1680 when the general assembly, considering 'the greate necessity, usefullnesse, and advantage of cohabitation,' directed that 19 towns be established, one for each county. Everything went well until Charles II in 1681 vetoed the act 'for cohabitation and . . . trade and manufacture,' because planters objected violently to the provision that they should ship their tobacco only from the towns and only during stipulated periods. But in 1691, after William and Mary had ascended the throne, the towns were again made ports of entry-one for Rappahannock County at Hobs his hole . . . where the Court house, severall dwelling houses, and ware houses are) already built.' But in 1693 the general assembly, grown bolder, itself suspended the ports act. In 1705, after Anne had become Queen, ports were again constituted, this time only 16 but among them Hobbs' Hole, then renamed Tappahannock .

Tappahannock prospered. When created in 1680, it had been made the seat of Rappahannock County, and in 1692 after the old county was divided to form Essex and Richmond Counties it became the seat of Essex. Though the town was formally named, Washington, stopping here in 1752, referred to it as 'Hobs Hole.' A century and a half ago ships went hence to the remotest parts of the world and the town was something of a social center. But its importance declined after the construction of railroads. It was shelled in December 1814 by the British navy, under orders of Admiral Cockburn.


General George Washington with a few other investors purchased and surveyed land off to create a timber company out of the swamp lands of North Carolina known as the Dismal swamps. It is believed that the Rackleys acquired their timber skills and land survey skills early on with the Robert Mills family. It is documented that the land was not fertile for vast farming of corn or produce. John Rackley 3rd moved his family to the swamp lands of eastern North Carolina where his family hired Lumbee Indians to remove the timber out of the swamps, canals, docks and levies were made to drain out the water, then precious walnut & cypress trees were harvested out of the swamps and shipped to England and abroad. Also noted that the Rackleys became fluent in Lumbee Indian language who they contracted to work for them.

DEEP CREEK, at the edge of the Dismal Swamp, was long a stagecoach stop and a vast shipping point for valuable lumber.

The Dismal Swamp is a wilderness in which, through the centuries, trees have fallen and, with other plants, formed a mass of organic material. Much valuable timber had been cut in the swamp. The mass material, reaching the peat stage, has raised the surface of the swamp at its center. Forest fires, burning to the depth of several feet, frequently continue for weeks. The swamp was described by Colonel William Byrd, one of the commissioners who in 1728 surveyed the boundary between Virginia and North Carolina. This waterway, connecting the southern branch of the Elizabeth river with the sounds of North Carolina, was built largely to afford transportation for lumber from the swamp. The Dismal Swamp Canal Company was organized to cut the canal in 1787, but the canal was not completed until 1828.

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