| | 1 | Author: | Virginia Company of London | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | The Records of the Virginia Company of London  | | | | Published: | 2005 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | Present
Right Honoble: Lo: Cauendish1
1The handwriting of most of the first two hundred and fifty pages of this volume is the same as
that of the latter part of the first volume. It has there been referred to as that of the fourth copyist.
Sr Edwin Sandys.
mr Ro: Smith.
mr Iadwin.
Sr Iohn Dãuers.
mr Binge.
mr Kingstone.
Sr Iohn Brooke.
mr Wilmer.
mr Ditchfeild.
Sr Walter Earle.
Capt: Tucker.
mr Caswell.
Sr Edward Lawly.
mr Addison.
mr Sparrowe.
mr Dept̃ ffarrar.
mr Kightley.
mr Wood
mr Gibbs.
mr Withers.
mr Geo: Smith.
mr Wrote.
mr Berblocke.
mr Copland.
mr Paulavicine.
mr Winne.
mr Widdowes.
mr Barnard.
mr Balmeford.
mr ffelgate.
mr Bromefeild.
mr Nich: ffarrar.
mr Cuffe.
mr Shippard.
mr Meuerell.
mr D'Lawne.
mr Tomlins.
mr Mellinge.
mr Barbor.
mr Risely.
mr Robertℯ.
mr ffogge.
mr ffoxton.
with diuers others.
Sr Wee receaved your letters by the George1
1The caption and the first eight words of this letter are in the autograph of Nicholas Ferrar.
directed to the right Honoble
Lordeℯ Cr But before the receipt whereof wee had finished ours wch wee
purposed to haue sent to you by this conveyance without expectinge the
Georges com̃inge but by the vnexpected contenteℯ of yours wee are driuen to
lay aside our former and breifely to declare our mindeℯ in this wherein wee
take no pleasure. [28] Wee are now enforced to write unto your Ldp: of important matter of another
nature which is touching mr Samuell Argoll whom wee made Gouernour in
your Lordps absence. Wee make noe doubte but hee hath deliuered the
Gouerment wth an accompt of his doings into your Lõps hands. Wee haue
received from him by the George a very straunge letter which together wth
those Informations yt wee haue agaynst him by sundry Witnesses lately com̃
from thence doe importe more discontent to the Aduenturers heare & more
hazard to the Plantation then euer did any other thing yt befell that Action
from the beginning. His discontentℯ in yt wee subscribed our letter sent unto
him wth few hands, our terming him to bee but Deputy Gouernour hee dis-
dayning to bee Deputy to any man, our letters to bee deliuered unto him by
soe meane a man as the Cape-merchaunt wth many such like wch wee pass ouer.
And briefely1
1Written over "cheifely."
wee must complayne to your Lõp of his neglecting and trans-
gressing our Commission and Instructions. First hee hath made away all the
Kyne belonging to the Colony and taken satisfaction for them to himselfe
wheras wee gaue him express chardge in his Instructions to preserue and
nourish them to the Common use except some few which wee had disposed
whereof wee writt him in perticular. He hath suffered passengers mariners
and others wth out restraynte to shipp moast of the Tobacko and all the Sassa-
fras for themselues which by order of Courte at certayne rates agreed uppon
are appropriated to the Magazine—Hee armes himselfe and other wth uniust
accusations agaynst us to ouerthrow the magazine. Without which wee know
assuredly yt neither the Adventurers heare nor the Plantation there can long subsist. Hee hath gotten possession and keepes back our Hydℯ under pre-
tence of being Admirall wch cost our ioynt stock well neare—400li—wth a
greate deale of toyle and trouble before wee could obtayne them wth his obsti-
nate refusall to deliver them hee hath doñ us soe greate displeasure at the
returns of this ship as hee could not haue worked to haue doñ us a greater.
Hee hath forbidden all trade and commerce wth the Indians but trades amongs[t]
them wth the Summer Island Frigott and our men to his owne benefitt. Hee
takes the auncient Collony men which should now bee free and our men from
the Common Garden to sett them aboute his owne imployment and wth the
Collonys stoare of Corne feeds his men hee proclayℯ noe man shall dare
to buy any thing of Furr ∥of the Indians∥ but himself as yf the Plantation
and ye people there were ordayned onely to serue his turne. Theese and to many
like Errours of his are layde to his chardge for wch the Adventurers heare will
noe ways bee satisfyd wth out his personall appearance to make his Aunsweare
and they are hardly restrayned notwth standing the Kinges [farr of in?]
progress from going to the Court to make there Complaynte and to procure
his Mats commaund to fech him home and therefore wee pray yr Lordp for the
avoyding of farther scandall and slaunder to the Gouerment of our Plantation
yt you will cause him to bee shipped home in this ship the William and Thomas
to satisfy the Adventurers by aunswearing such things as shall be layde to his
chardge and for yt wee suppose there will bee found many misdemeanours of
his for wch hee must make satisfaction to the Compagny wee pray your Lorpt
to ceaze upon such goods of his as Tobacko and Furrs wherof it is reported
hee hath gotten together a greate stoare to the Collonies preiudice and to sende
them to us to bee in deposite till all matters bee satisfyd and yt yr Lop: would
bee pleased to take back agayne thos Kyne and Bullocks wch by his unlawfull
sale are dispersed heare and there and yt they may bee brought together
agayne to the Collonies use and to such others of the Hundreds as the Generall
Courte by yr Lopps consent did order and appoynt. Iohn Seuerne Maisters mate of the Iames affirmeth, that cominge one morninge
to Captaine ∥Natha∥ Butler for some monny due to him from the said Cap-
taine, hee the said Captaine brought a Writinge in his hand sayinge hee had
been wth the Kinge and protested that the writinge was for the good of the
Contry and desyred him the said Iohn Seuerne to sett his hand there vnto and
began to read some of itt butt the said Seuerne beinge in great hast did not
attend the matter nor give ear what itt was butt sett his hand to the writinge,
esteeminge and conceivinge Capt Butler to be a ∥verie∥ worthy man but since
vnderstanding yt itt was a writinge in disgrace of the Country the said Iohn
Seuerne doth Disavowe the said writinge, as vntrue, and protesteth that hee
vppon his Oath must say the contrary. Iohn Lowe Boatswaine of the Iames cominge alonge wth Iohn Seuerne to Capt:
Butler sett his hand likewise to the writinge esteeminge Capt Butler to be a
verie worthy gentleman and heard not but a few lines onely of ye said writinge
read wthout markinge itt, butt now hee vnderstandinge yt itt was a writinge
in Disgrace of the Country hee Disauoweth his said handwritinge, and protest-
eth that vppon his Oath hee must say the contrary. A Declarac̃on made by the Counsell for Virginia and Principall Assist-
ants for ye Sumer Ilandes of their Iudgments touchinge our ∥one∥
originall great cause of the dissentions in ye Companies and present
opposic̃ons. The most humble petic̃on of ye Companies for Virginia & ye Sum̃er Ilandℯ. Wee whose names hereafter followe have audited the Accompts in this Booke
p̢sented vnto vs by mr Nicholas fferrar Deputy, of his Disbursments for the
generall Company and wee finde the estate therof to stand thus—(vizt) Wee the Auditors and Comittees of ye Company for Virginia hauing
this present Twelueth of May 1623. audited ye accompts of the Right
honoble Henry Earle of South̴ton for ye yeare Last past begining at the
Two and Twentith of May 1622, vntill this present Twelueth of May
1623, doe find that there hath beene receaued by the said Right honoble
the some of 320li of monyes taken vp at interest accordingly as in the
said Account is expressed; for wch monies mr Iohn fferrar hath giuen
his Bondℯ vnto ye Lady Rumny for 200li and to mr Melling for 120li
So that ye Virginia Company doe owe mr Iohn fferrar the some of
Three hundred & twenty poundℯ. In witnes whereof wee haue here-
vnder sett our handℯ, Dated the Twelueth of May 1623. The Treasuror and Company of Aduenturers and Planters of the
Citty of London for the first Colony in Virginia to all vnto whome
these presentℯ shall come greetinge: Wheras Nicholas fferrar Deputy
Treasuror of the said Company hath by one Booke of Accompt of
his Office of Deputishipp of the said Company extendinge from the
2
2A blank space in manuscript.
day of May 1622 till the 25th daie of Ivne 1623 exhibited vnto
ye Courtℯ of ye [331] said Thr̃er and Compa: a true and p̱fect Acco of
all monneys by him receaved for ye vse of the said Company; In wch
accompt hee hath allso p̱ticularly declared how the said monneys
haue been disbursed and expended for the vse of ye said Company by
lawfull warrants wth Receipts endorced or subscribed or otherwise
Wch Accomptℯ accordinge to the Orders of the said Company haue
been dulie examined Audited and approved by the Auditors of the
said Company as appeareth vnder their hands, and afterward the said
Booke of Accompt haue layne openly on the Table in the Courtℯ of
ye said Treasuror and Company duringe the time in ye said Companies
Orders appoynted and noe excepc̃on hath been taken to itt. The said
Thr̃er and Company therfore accordinge to their Orders in that case
established haue for them and their Successors acquitted and dis-
charged and by these p̢ñts doe for ever acquitt and discharge the said
Nicholas fferrar his heirs executors and Administrators of and from all
and everie the said Monneys by him received and of and from all
further Accomptℯ by him to be rendred for the same. And of and
from all Acc̃ons Suites and Demaunds for or by reason of the monneys
or Accompt aforesaid; In wittness wherof the said Thresuror and
Company haue hereto caused their Legall Seale to be affixed. Given
in a great and Generall Quarter Court of ye said Thr̃er & Company
held the five and twentieth day of Ivne 1623. And in the years of
the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Iames by the grace of God Kinge
of England Scotland ffraunce and Ireland defendour of ye fayth Cr
vizt of England ffraunce and Ireland the one and Twentieth and of
Scotland the six and ffiftieth. To the Kings most Excellent Matie: The humble Petic̃on of Iohn Boyse,
Richard Brewster, Henry Wentworth, Williã Perry, William Best and
others the poore Planters in Virginia
Most humbly shewinge.
That where yor Matie for the advancement of ye Plantac̃on in Virginia, &
encourragment of Aduenturers thither was heretofore most graciously pleased
to pryveledge ye said Aduenturers from payinge any Custome, or Impost
vppon their Tobacco Cr vntill the said Plantac̃on by Peace became somwhat
settled and enabled to returne such duties to yor Maty: aswell in gratefull
acknowledgment of yor Maties: said favour as in regard of ye many great ayds
and supplies they received from many Collections & Contribuc̃ons flowinge
from yor Maties: like gracious disposic̃on towards the good of the said Plantac̃on.
Butt now soe itt is that aswell ye generall State of yt Plantac̃on, as the p̱ticuler
of every Planter beinge fallen into a farr worse and poorer estate then they
were in former times when yor Matie spared to demaund those duties. And
yor Petic̃oners p̱takinge in the generall Calamitie of famine and scarsitie, sick-
nes, mortallitie and bloody Massacre wch hath befallen the said Collony, haue
p̱ticulerly been more neerly pressed then ever, not onely with the now vrginge
and Continuall assaultℯ and surprizes of the incensed enemie wherby they are
inforced by one halfe of their men to secure and gaurd the §labour of ye§ other,
butt allsoe by the many Imposic̃ons and Levies laide and made vppon them
towards the support of the Company from whence heretofore they were wont
to receive releife. By wch occasions beinge impoverished if they shalbe com-
pelled to pay yor Maties: Imposic̃on vppon Tobacco (made cheap by the great
glutt of that Comoditie from Spaine and other partℯ) beinge 6d p̱ pound, and
the Custome 3d p̱ pound (the Customers haueinge abated 3d) this 9d wth other
incident charges will make the cleered proffitt soe little that out of that (though
yor Peticonrs: sole help) itt wilbe impossible for them to raise such supplies of
provision as must necessarily be returned thither, much less shall they be any
wayes enabled to send such more Company of men and servantℯ as they doe
otherwise intend for and towards the advancement of the said Plantac̃on. [374]
The Petic̃oners most humbly therfore pray
That yor Matie out of yor Princely Compassion to the many endurances of yor
Peticoners (many of them haueinge been the ruynes of the late Massacre) and
most gracious affecc̃on to the good of that Plantac̃on for releife of yor Petic̃on-
ers and encourragment of them to continue and others to becom Adventurers
in the same, Graciously consideringe the premisses and that as greate or greater
causes returne for contynuinge of yor Maties former favour to them, will ther-
fore be graciously pleased.
To abate for the present yor Maties: Impost of 6d p̱ pound vppon the
Tobacco now brought in by the said Planters wherby they intend not to
preiudice yor Matie for the future butt onely to releive and able them-
selvs for the present to returne and settle in their Plantac̃ons, And by
yor Maties: most gracious takinge yor said Planters into yor Royall mercie
and Protecc̃on to free them for ye future from the greivous Imposic̃ons
of the said Company wherby they shalbe better enabled herafter to
render more cheerfully yor Maties: said Duties: And yor petic̃oners Cr.
Att the Court att Theobalds 8th Aprill 1624:
His Matie beinge verie Compassionate of the miseries and povertie of the
Planters (and willinge they should haue releife) is graciously pleased to referr
the Consideracon therof to the right Honoble: the Lord Treasuror and Mr
Chancellor of the Exchequor yt some good order beinge established amongst
them they be not soe much opprest by the Company as is alleadged and that
they haue such releife concerneinge ye Impost as they in their wisedomes
(weighinge the Petic̃oners necessities) shall finde most Convenyent. wcihinge | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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