Norfolk’s Revolutionary Past: The Complicated Story of Lord Dunmore

What if one of the main characters in Virginia’s Revolutionary history was more complicated than we thought? That was the question at the heart of a presentation by Norfolk native Andrew Lawler, author of A Perfect Frenzy.

Growing up in Norfolk, Lawler viewed Lord Dunmore, the last royal governor of the Virginia Colony, as a villain. The cannonball embedded in the wall of St. Paul’s Church, fired by Dunmore’s forces, seemed to offer all the evidence needed. But extensive research for his book revealed a far more complicated story.

Jim Kitz, Rotary Scribe of the Week, captured several of Lawler’s fascinating historical revelations, or “Who Knew’s,” that shed new light on the Revolutionary era.

Virginia was deeply divided over whether to break away from Great Britain. For many Virginians, access to more land for tobacco farming was of greater concern than independence.
In 1774, four of every 10 people in Virginia were enslaved.
There was no love lost between Norfolk, the economic center of Virginia, and Williamsburg, the political capital of Virginia, leading up to the American Revolution.
Lord Dunmore is credited with the first proclamation of emancipation when he offered enslaved people freedom if they would side with the British in the conflict. This act would cause George Washington to integrate his Patriot forces. Later in American history, Dunmore’s proclamation was cited as a precedent for Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Norfolk was not burned by the British during the New Year’s Day inferno as reported. Patriots were largely responsible and blamed the British.
At one point during the early Revolution, the largest city in Virginia was actually afloat in Norfolk Harbor.
Lord Dunmore created an “Ethiopian Regiment” of former enslaved people who continued in the British Army and participated in several battles in the northern colonies.
Revolutionary battles were often fought by soldiers on both sides seeking freedom.
The near-complete razing of Norfolk devastated the Virginia economy for decades after the Revolutionary War

Lawler’s presentation offered more than a collection of surprising historical facts. It was a reminder that history is rarely as simple as the stories we inherit.

THE MEETING

The club was pleased to welcome the following guests:

Bruce Holbrook and Sandy Harris, guests of Armistead Williams

Misty Leinberger and Andrew Spencer, guests of Dave Duncan

In addition to the Upcoming Events listed on the left side of this newsletter, the following reminders were shared:

Support of Next Step to Success’s feminine hygiene drive is ongoing. Please consider supporting this worthy campaign. Contact Marty Raiss for information.

A moment of silence was held for former longtime Rotarian Dr. Bill LeHew, who passed away on October 17, 2026.

Member Spotlight: Meet Clay Porter

Travel can expand your horizons and, for Clay Porter, helped him find his core mission.

Clay pursued an undergraduate degree in Anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth University because he was interested in other people and cultures. He has lived in Indonesia, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Amsterdam, and worked in an orphanage in Ecuador. Today, his core mission is to help make the world better by working in underserved communities.

Some of his college friends lived in Norfolk, and he settled here in 2018 until COVID hit. During this period, he earned a Master's in Public Health in Epidemiology from Eastern Virginia Medical School. While pursuing his Master’s degree, he worked on a team of six people, including Virginia Senator Mamie Locke, to craft a bill to modernize Virginia’s HIV-related laws and remove the possibility of a prison term for those convicted of transmitting HIV.

He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health from Mercer University. Mercer is in Georgia, so his studies are on a hybrid basis using Zoom. When he works on a project as part of his studies, he uses Virginia information rather than Georgia. Long-term, Clay hopes to do research at the University level.

Clay established Health Equity Analytics to support the Minority Aid Support Services, LGBTQ Life Center, and Virginia Public Health Department. Where traditional models provide services to those most vulnerable to infectious diseases at public health clinics or gay bars, Clay seeks out vulnerable people, including people who use drugs, sex workers, and people of color where they are … in poor neighborhoods.

He serves on the local board of the Ryan White Planning Council, which allocates money to non-profits for HIV services. Ryan White was the teenager who died from AIDS after being infected by a blood transfusion. He has also volunteered in substance abuse prevention (Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition).

While Clay joined our Rotary Club a couple of months ago, he was a Rotaractor at VCU. Two of his uncles, one a Consular General for Indonesia and the other a newscaster, are both Rotarians, as are several cousins.

Clay grew up outside of Petersburg, Virginia, and enjoys being outdoors. He loves to read (primarily non-fiction philosophy), going to the opera, and attending the theater. He has two dogs, one of which, Giles, a miniature schnauzer, is a therapy dog. Giles was named for the dog in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”