house came
here from Maryland. He was the son of John Ratcliffe of "Poynton"
and "Doyne" Manors, Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland.

He married Lucian Bolling who was from one of the families who had
moved into this area from the Jamestown Colony. Her father was
Girard Bolling who was one of 18 children and descended from Thomas
Rolfe.

Mr. Bolling was a planter and merchant who owned a store in Fairfax.
Ratcliffe became associated with his father-in-law in the mercantile
business and took over the business after Mr. Bolling died. In
Ratcliffe's will he left "the brick store and land lot to his sons
for the purpose of keeping store in or on if necessary".

He and his wife had five daughters and four sons. Penelope married
Spencer Jackson. Nancy married Stephen Daniel. Jane married Thomas
Moss, a future clerk of the court. Patsy married Richard Coleman.
Lucian married George Gunnell. His sons were Robert, who was Deputy
Sheriff in 1801, Charles, John and Samuel. Two of his sons were
evidently a disappointment to him for in his will he speaks of
Samuel "having conducted himself badly for several years past" his
debts were to be paid by the executors, who were Robert and Charles
Ratcliffe, Thomas Moss, Gordon Allison and Roger M. Farr. He also
stated that two of his sons had received more than his daughters
but he hoped his sons would do better and his daughters would
understand.

The Ratcliffe home place, "Mt. Vineyard" will be recalled by older
citizens in the town as the Rumsey place, which burned years ago.
The family graveyard still exists today. It is located on Moore
Street.

Besides owning a great deal of land and a mercantile business, Mr.
Ratcliffe owned a race track on the east side of town. Its
approximate location was east of Route 237, north of The Little
River Turnpike and west of Fairview Subdivision. His personal
property was valued at $4445.34. In his will the slaves were divided
among his wife and children. Some of the slaves were valued as high
as $600 each, while others were valued at a dollar.

[Illustration]

In 1836, when Mr. Ratcliffe died and the town had to be surveyed in
order for his estate to be divided, John Halley, the surveyor
writes: "In laying off I commenced at the northwest corner of Rizin
Willcoxon's Tavern House, Robert Ratcliffe having represented that
that house was considered when built as being exactly on the corner
of the lot on which it stands, and the side and