CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
A bookplate is a small-sized, decorative label that is adhered to the inside front cover of a book. They are used to identify the owner of a book for personal use or for use in a library. Bookplates are designed to reflect a person’s interests or to represent one’s family history. Bookplates may be found as inscriptions in early manuscript. The first printed bookplates were produced in the 15th century
Robert Dinwiddie (1692–1770) was born near Glasgow, Scotland. He came from a prosperous Scottish family of ancient lineage dating to the 13th century. The family coat of arms developed as the family's circumstances, lands, and titles changed throughout the centuries. Early versions included a hunter with a bow, a stag, and a ship which also appear in the version used by the Dinwiddie family in the 18th century.
The son of a successful merchant, Robert Dinwiddie graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1710 or 1711, and later left Scotland for Bermuda, where he established a bustling merchant trade business. He obtained a position as a local customs official, was appointed to the governor's council in 1730, and was made surveyor general for the southern part of America, which allowed him to serve on the council of any of the colonies. He chose Virginia, moving there in 1741.
In 1751, the king appointed Dinwiddie lieutenant governor of Virginia. Since the royal governor was absent from the colony, Dinwiddie became the de facto governor. He pursued a policy of British expansion into the Ohio River Valley and was a stockholder in the Ohio Company, which sought to acquire land in the west. His military actions to expel the French from the western frontier led to the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), also known as the French and Indian War.
The family coat of arms used by Dinwiddie during his time as governor of Virginia is believed to have been designed while he was in the colony. It retains the earlier imagery, but represents a departure from the style typical of the age. At the top is an eagle ready to take flight, but the images inside the coat of arms are split in the middle forming two separate scenes: an American Indian with a bow targeting a stag and a ship under sail making its way to the colonies. Dinwiddie left Virginia in 1758, settling in Clifton, England, where he would die in 1770.
Citation: Robert Dinwiddie Bookplate, Prints and Photographs, Special Collections, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia
Learn more about Robert Dinwiddie in the Dictionary of Virginia Biography here.
Standards
VS 1 VS 5 VUS 1 USI 1.1 USI 1.6
Suggested Questions
Preview Activities
Look at It: Look at the image. What do you notice about it? List three items or words which stand out.
Post Activities
Form an Opinion: Given Dinwiddie’s policies that led to the French and Indian War, why would an image of an American Indian be used in his coat of arms? Is it appropriate? Explain.
Artistic Exploration: Create a new bookplate for Dinwiddie using events from his life. Explain why you chose those events in a paragraph.