 | The records of the Virginia Company of London |  |
At a Generall Court held for
Virginia 5o Iunij i622
| Sr Edwin Sandys. | Capt: Gifford. | mr Newport. |
| Sr Phill: Carey. | mr Barnard. | mr Leuer. |
| Sr Iohn Dãuers. | mr Rogers. | mr Harrison. |
| Sr Io: Brooke. | mr ffreake. | mr Martin. |
| Sr Tho: Wroth. | mr Bromefeild. | mr Seward. |
| mr Nich: ffarrar Dpt: | mr Paulavicine. | mr Hackett. |
| mr Iohn Wroth. | mr Caswell. | mr Geo. Smith. |
| mr Gibbs. | mr Bennett. | mr Wentworth. |
| mr Iermyn. | mr Wiseman. | mr Cuffe. |
| mr Io: ffarrar. | mr Palmer. | mr Woodall. |
| mr Ro: Smith. | mr Boothby. | mr Robertℯ. |
| mr Io: Smith. | mr Baynham. | mr Underwood. |
| mr Binge. | mr Widdowes. | mr Sparrowe. |
| ∥mr Bromfield.∥ | mr Wm ffelgate. | mr Caps. |
| mr Tomlins. | mr Winne. | mr Chaplin. |
| Capt: Tucker. | mr Meuerell. | mr Grindon. |
| mr Ewens. | mr Mellinge. | mr Steward. |
| mr Rossingham. | ||
| with diuers others. |
My Lo: of Southampton beinge nowe present signified vnto the Court
that he was content to accept the place of Treasuror for the yeare
ensueinge accordinge to their elecc̃on wherein he would be ready to
p̱forme the best seruice he could for the Companie and Plantac̃on,
hopinge they would please as formerly to dispence with his absence
when either his Mats seruice or his owne vrgent occasions did with-
and harty acknowledgement of their bounden thankfullnes vnto his
lp: for his noble fauor and affecc̃on vnto the Plantac̃on vnder whome
it had pleased God to prosper it so well in the two preceedent yeares
of his gouerment, as there was nowe greater hopes then euer of a
flourishinge State and Com̃on Wealth in Virginia, and so his lp: tooke
his oath.
My Lo: Cauendish acquainted the Court with his Mats Answeare vnto
the Message he deliuered in the name of the Companie in the presence
of my Lo: Haughton and diuers others of the Counsell that attended
them.
ffirst concerninge the petic̃on he presented to the Kinge in Answeare
of Capt: Martins, wherein the Company through iust suspic̃on of par-
tiality in some of the former Referrees desired the matter might be
referred together with those ll͠s in the first referrence, to certaine other
Lords of his Mats most honoble Priuy Councell, whome they nominated:
his Matie said he much wondred at this newe [16] sprunge vp custome
that Petic̃oners should nominate their owne Referrees, to wch his lp:
made Answeare that in that pointe Capt: Martin had bin their exam-
ple who in his petic̃on wch his lp: then shewed his Matie had named
his owne Referrees wch his Matie had approued.
Touchinge the Account of the last yeares Supplie wch he likewise pre-
sented vnto the Kinge his Matie graceously accepted thereof.
Lastly vpon presentinge the Companies most humble thankeℯ vnto his
Matie for the graceous message deliuered by mr Alderman Hamersly
and mr Bell signifyinge that in proposinge the persons menc̃oned in
the paper for Treasuror and Deputy it was not his Mats meaninge to
infringe the liberty of their free elecc̃on; Wherevpon choise beinge
made of two of each proposed by his Matie to stand in elecc̃on with two
others named by the Companie they beinge all put to the Ballatinge
Boxe, the elecc̃on fell vpon my Lord of Southampton for Treasuror
(vnder whose gouerment the Plantac̃on had exceedingly prospered
and encreased) and vpon mr Nicho: ffarrar for Deputy; But his Matie
om̃ended they had not made any choise: His Matie Conceauinge that
Marchanteℯ were fittest for the gouerment of that Plantation in respect
of their skill and habilities for raisinge of Staple Comodities, and
instancinge Sr Tho: Smith in whose times many Staple Comodities
were sett vpp wch were nowe laid downe and onely Tobacco followed
to wch his lp: made Answr that in this pointe as likewise in many
other perticulers touchinge the Companie and their proceedingeℯ his
Matie had bin much misinformed, the followinge of Tobacco onely and
the neglectinge of all staple Com̃odities haue bin the fruiteℯ of Sr
Thomas Smiths and Alderman Iohnsons times but on the contrary
euer since it hath bin laboured with all industrie care and diligence to
erect Iron-Milleℯ Plant Vineyardeℯ nourish Silke and other like, of some
whereof they hoped very shortly to giue his Matie good proufe, and
that since the time of Sr Thomas Smith, the Colony had growne almost
to as many Thousandeℯ of people as he left hundredeℯ good encrease
hath bin also of the Cattle: And that with ten thousand pounds
expence there had bin more p̱formed for the aduancement of the
Plantac̃on then by Sr Thomas Smith with fowerscore Thousandeℯ:
And further his lp did assure his Matie that some of those persons rec-
omended beinge present in Court did then and most of them haue
otherwise publiquely since acknowledged and proffessed that they
would neuer haue accepted of those places, professinge themselues
through want of experience and aboundance of other imploymenteℯ
so disable that they should haue brought backe the buissines more in
one yeare then it had gonn forward in these last three so that the
choosinge of them had bin the hazardinge of the whole Plantac̃on.
My Lo: of Southampton signified to the Court that himselfe and
some others of his Mats Counsell for Virginia together with ye
Gouernor and Assistanteℯ of the Sum̃er Ilandeℯ had nowe (before the
settinge of the Court) been consultinge about a waightie Proposition
made vnto them from my Lord Treasuror wch they conceaued might
turne to the benifitt of both the Plantations: Wch Proposition his lp:
entreated Sr Edwin Sandys (as best acquainted with the manner of it)
to relate vnto the Court. [17]
Wherevpon Sr Edwin Sandys signified that my Lo: Treasuror out of
his personall Duety as also the duety of his place bendinge his thoughteℯ
to the aduanceinge of his Mats proffitt and Revenue, and yet carefull
to avoyde greivinge of his Mats Subiecteℯ and in perticular out of his
Noble affecc̃on and well wishinge to the Plantation, wherein himselfe
was one of the most auncient Aduenturers, as also of longe time a
Counsellor for the same had bin pleased of late to make an overture to
him for contractinge with the two Companies of Virginia and Sum̃er
Ilands for the sole Importac̃on of Tobacco into England, as also into
the Realmes of Ireland: The graunt whereof havinge in these two
former yeares been managed by other Contractors to the discontent and
perhapps Detriment of the said Plantations, they might nowe haue
the Grant thereof made vnto themselues and consequently haue the
sole managinge of all that Comodity with reseruac̃on of a valuable
rent to his Matie wch he thought might redound to the great benefitt of
the Plantac̃ons.
Touchinge wch Proposition his lp: desired to knowe his opinion in
priuate before it were further published, Sr Edwin Sandys professinge
his ingorance in matters of that nature desried to haue some other
associated with him, wch his lp: well likeinge of, and giuinge him his
ownce choise, he chose Sr Arthur Ingram, who then was present beinge
likewise an auncient Aduenterer and Councellor for the Plantation
and who vpon all occasions did manifest his great good affecc̃on to it.
Sr Edwin Sandys and Sr Arthur Ingram fallinge into a consultac̃on
amongst themselues touchinge this Proposition and consideringe ye
vncertainty of this deceaueable weede Tobacco wch serued neither for
necessity nor for ornament to the life of man, but was founded onely
vpon an humor wch might soone vanish into smoake and come to
nothing, whereby the vpholding of any great rent to his Matie to be
raised out of that Com̃odity might in a short time bankrupt the Com-
panies, and vtterly ruine the Plantac̃ons: conceaued that it was a
much safer waye for the Companies rather to yeald vnto his Matie a
certaine proporc̃on out of the Tobacco it selfe in specie then a certaine
Revenue in money, being subiect to so great danger.
This Answeare within a fewe dayes after they returned to his lp: who
requiringe their opinion what proporc̃on they thought fitt, Sr Edwin
Sandys made Answeare that the Comodity beinge managed by men
of skill and dexterity he thought that if the Companies should yeald
to his Matie a fourth part of the proffitt thereof it might raise vnto him
a verie faire Revenue, And for his owne priuate opinion he thought
it not impossible that the Companies (taking all circumstances into
their ∥due∥ considerac̃on) might yeald to that fourth part, so as to be
discharged of all other burdens.
His lp: herevpon fallinge into a calculac̃on of the quantitie of Tobacco
yearely spent in these Kingdomes, as also of the prices at wch it might
be sold concluded that without the Grant of a Third part, there could
not be that revenue raised to his Matie as was expected, and as for
other charges his lp: answeared that the old Custome of vjd and iiijd
the pound beinge already graunted to his Mats ffarmors it might needs
be [18] paid, for otherwise the Defalcac̃ons wch the ffarmors would
dem̃aund might swallowe vp the greatest parte of his Mats Rent in-
tended, how beit he would helpe to bringe the matter to a reasonable
composic̃on and such as might be no great burden to the Companie.
In conclusion his lp: aduised Sr Edwin Sandys to comunicate this
Proposic̃on first wth the Gouernor and Deputies of the two Companies
and if they did approue of his lps opinion who conceaued it
might redound to the great benifitt of the Plantations and that in
more respectℯ then one, beinge duely waighed and considered, they might
proceed to impart it to the Companies so to receaue their resoluc̃on
and further direcc̃on.
Accordinge wherevnto Sr Edwin Sandys hauinge acquainted both their
ll͠ps then present and the Deputies of the Companies with the offer
and nature of this Contract proposed And their ll͠ps havinge com̃-
unicated the same to the Counsell of the one Company and Assistants
of the other they all thought it fitt that the same should be proposed
to the considerac̃ons of the Companies wch accordinge to their ll͠ps
com̃and he had nowe performed.
Wherevpon after some pause and deliberac̃on the Companie signified
their general well likinge of it: but withall desired that it might not
be concluded vpon vntill such time as they had better considered of
euery perticular matter and circumstance thereto incident and deliu-
ered theri opinions thereof either by writinge or otherwise.
Touchinge wch it was answeared that nothinge could be yealded vnto
to binde the Company without the consent of a Quarter Court, wherer-
vnto the ratificac̃on of this buissines must be referred:
Wherevpon it beinge put to the question first whither they liked to
entertayne this Proposition in generall on such condic̃ons as should
be afterward agreed and assented vnto by themselues: The whole
Court with an vnanimous consent signified their approbac̃on thereof.
Next it was propounded and thought fitt that a Comittee of either
Companie should be appointed to treat and consider of the matter of
this Contract and out of their number to select some to treat with my
Lord Treasuror from time to time about it.
Wherevpon for the Virginia Companie these eight by erecc̃on of handℯ
were chosen (vizt)
| The Ea: of Southampton. | mr Nico ffarrar Dpt̃. |
| Sr Io: Brooke. | mr Bennet. |
| Sr Edwin Sandys. | mr Io: Smith. |
| Sr Io: Dãuers. | mr Ro: Smith. |
After this the Virginia Court beinge dissolued into a Sum̃er Ilandeℯ
Court and the Lo: Cauendish Gouernor of the said Companie takinge
the Chaire, Choise was made of six for that ∥ye∥ Company vizt
| the Lo: Cauendish. | mr Caswell Trẽr. |
| mr Bernard ye elect Gouernor. | mr Gibbs. |
| mr Io: ffarrar Deputy. | mr Ditchfeild. |
who are entreated by the Court to take the premises into their con-
siderac̃on and to make report from time to time of their proceedingeℯ
vnto the Court, that their opinions and aduises may be also had
therein. [19]
| The records of the Virginia Company of London | |