The Spy from Williamsburg

 Sam, May 2025

A Spy from Williamsburg is a book I’ve had in my library for some time..  I bought it because it had a character in it that I was related to, Gabriel Maupin.  But, I have 4 Gabriel Maupins in my family tree who lived in or around Williamsburg before the Revolutionary War. This book was sold at the Williamsburg book store so I trust it has accurate information.  While reading the book,I read that Gabriel Maupin had a son named George Washington Maupin (p. 84), I thought, “I have never heard of a Maupin with that  name.  So, with a little research I found the Gabriel Maupin mentioned in the book —-my first cousin 5 times removed (7 times removed for you).  That one did indeed have a son called George Washington Maupin. So, it’s not one of my ancestors but a still a family member.

Reading on (89-91), I was very interested in all of the details about black smithing.  I come from a long line of black smiths. One of my father’s grandfathers was a smith as were two of his great grandfathers. One worked for the railroad, one for a lead mine and another made wagon wheels but went on to making carriages.  His sons worked in the early automobile industry assembling cars.

In that same section (91) is a story about King Alfred of England——at last someone I knew I descended from—-my 33rd great grandfather who was sometimes called Alfred the Great.  That’s an interesting story they tell in the book about him realizing that life would be difficult without the blacksmiths..  Wikipedia says of King Alfred:

Alfred had a reputation as a learned and merciful man of a gracious and level-headed nature who encouraged education, proposing that primary education be conducted in English rather than Latin, and improving the legal system and military structure and his people's quality of life. He was given the epithet "the Great" from as early as the 13th century, though it was only popularized from the 16th century.^[4] Alfred is the only native-born English monarch to be labelled as such.

This year, each of the grandchildren is being given a book mostly from our bulging bookshelves with special meaning.  Yours is a book that reminded me on one I read on YouTube “Tolliver’s Secret”.  They both take place in the 1770’s, with 12 year olds taking on adult responsibilities when a family member is injured. But this book takes place in Virginia where Grandpa and I both had family living in the 1770s. I hope you enjoy it.  And, I hope you understand a little more about your ancestors and family history.

Love, Grandma