Scandal at Bizarre: Rumor and Reputation in Jefferson's America

.....in Virginia history. In Colonial times, the name Randolph meant something in Virginia. In fact, the Randolph family, in its various branches, were pretty much a law unto themselves, able to do anything, including murder, with impunity. Fortunately, most of them, like Speaker Peyton Randolph, were decent people, who provided sound leadership. The family has produced some of THE names in American history; Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Robert E. Lee.....Alas, much of the glory slowly departed after Independence....tobacco depleted the soil...wealth disappeared...power waned....the name was all some of them had left.... On the morning of October 1, 1792, Richard Randolph travelled from his estate, "Bizarre" to "Glentivar", the estate of his cousins the Harrisons. He was accompanied by his wife Judith, and his wife's sister, Ann Cary "Nancy" Randolph. The girls were the sisters of Jefferson's son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph, jr. [Jefferson's only connection...I'll return to that]. That night, something [or, I should say, SOMETHING] happened, and Virginia was never the same. Sometime during the night, Nancy screamed with abdominal pain, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and, the next morning, the Harrison slaves started telling of finding a dead white baby in the woodpile, though no body was ever produced. Rumors had already circulated that Richard was overly affectionate towards Nancy, though Nancy was also said to be attached to Richard's brother, by then deceased..... In the aftermath, Richard was accused of impregnating Nancy, helping her abort, and killing the baby. Worse, in the culture of the time, he was accused of not providing proper family leadership and protection. Nancy was accused of bring a "loose woman" [...], and forfeiting her right to protection. Richard was arrested, and, in April 1793, tried for murder. Somehow, he managed to hire a "dream team" defense of Patrick Henry, John Marshall, and Alexander Campbell, and got off. Richard was free, but with a ruined reputation; he was already broke. In 1796, he died. Years later, Nancy stated that she had been pregnant by Theo, and miscarried. Nancy stayed on at Bizarre until 1805, in what atmosphere we can only imagine. Richard's surviving brother, John Randolph of Roanoke, did all he could to make her life hell. She tried to live in Richmond, but was shunned by her own extended family....she moved to New York, and found redemption in the person of Gouverneur Morris, whom she married in 1809, and bore one son. When Morris died in 1816, Nancy was left rich, but under attack from the Morris family who wanted to dispute paternity of the child and get at the money. They were aided by John Randolph, who made sure Nancy's reputation followed her. But Nancy fended off all challenges, was as fine a mother as she had been wife, and even helped out some of the financially poor Randolphs who tried to ruin her. This book is a parable of family ruin, wrapped around a still-debated lega