The Richard Henry Lee chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution met May 18 at the Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club, Kilmarnock.

Dr. Paul Malone, a clinical psychologist in Urbanna, spoke on the famous Mitchell Map, a copy of which may be seen in the Urbanna Museum. The map was used to negotiate the treaties that ended the Revolutionary War, define eastern states boundaries as recently as the 20th century and was consulted in the 1980s to settle an international dispute.

In his presentation, Malone focused on the legacy of the map’s cartographer, Dr. John Mitchell, as well as some hidden secrets to be found in the cartouche on the lower right corner of the map.

Born in Lancaster County in 1711, Mitchell was the son of a wealthy Virginia trading and planting family. He was sent abroad to study, earning a Master of Arts degree from Edinburgh University and taking up the study of medicine.

After two years he left Scotland and returned to Virginia to ...