CCLXXVIII. Governor in Virginia. Instructions to Captain
William Tucker
January 3, 1622/3
Manuscript Records Virginia Company, III, pt. ii, p. 36
Document in Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
List of Records No. 398
By the Governor and Capt generall of Virginia.
Whereas at this p̢sent, through the disasters that haue lately befallen
this Plantacion ther is & maie be verie great want of Corne for the sus-
teyning of or people, as also in regards or numbers doe daylie Increase,
wherof some ariue meanly p̳uided in that kinde, it doth requier that wee
be not only Carefull to releiue the p̢sent necessities, but also to p̳uide for
the future, at least to p̢uent want, till it shall please god by his blessing to
yeald some fruit of Encrease of or Labors the next haruest: Knowe yee
therefore in Consideration of the p̢misses, that I Sr ffrancis Wyatt Gouernor
& Capt: generall of virginia, out of the assurance that I haue of the wis-
dome valour & suffyciencie of capt William Tucker to be Imployed in
busines of this kind, doe lycence & authorize him the sd Capt William
Tucker to Imploy himselfe in the seruice of this Plantacon: & in perticuler
in the seruice of Sr George yeardlie kt. & wth such shipps pinaces boates
as hee the sd Sr George shall thinke fitt to appoint vnto him, & that doe
any way belong or are in the service of him the said S
r George, to depart
therine w
th the first wynde & weather that god shall p̱mitt, & w
th them to
saile into the baye of Chesapieke, taking w
th him such men armes munition
& p̳uision, as hee the sd s
r George shall thinke fitt to appoint vnto him, And
either in riuer of Rapahanocke, or in any other riuer vpon the westerne
side of the sd baye, or vppon the south side, to trade, or take by force of
Armes, or any other meanes or wayes, fro the Indians ther Inhabitinge, as
subiects or Confiderates w
th Apochankeno, or as thoes whoe had ther hands
in the Cruell & treacherous murdering of o
r people, Corne, peas Beanes or
wtsoeu
9 else Comoditie hee shall finde and seisse vpon. And thence to
lade & putt aboard such vessells, as he shall haue w
th him, & to Convey
and bring both Corne & what soeuer else into this our riuer to the port of
James Cittie, ther to be deliuered vnto the aforesd s
r George & by him to be
disposed, as hee in his best discretion shall thinke fitt, ffurther granting
also vnto the sd Cap
t William Tucker, that if in Case hee shall by the
blessing of god attaine vnto a greater quantatie, ether of Corne pease or
beanes or any other Com
o: then the aforesd vessells will at once with-
hold & bring away, that then itt shalbe lawfull for him the sd Cap
t William
Tucker to make Choice out of his discretion of such place or places, wher
vnto hee may transport & bring such w
t Com
o soeu
9 hee shall haue &
Cannot loade away at once as aforesd & the
r vpon those places to staie
himselfe together w
th so many of his Comp
a as hee shall thinke fitt for the
guard & securitie of ther Corne & goodℯ, vntill the returne of the foresd
vessell frõ James Cittie. Expeckting frõ my selfe or frõ the sd S
r George
such further orders, as shalbe sent vnto him. W
ch orders as also such In-
structions for the better managing of his voyadge as he shall receaue,
either frõ my selfe, or frõ the said s
r George, I doe requier him as Neare as
he Can possible to obserue; And I doe further by these presents strictly
Charge & Comand all & eu
9ie person or p̱sons w
t soeuer that shalbe Im-
ployed & goe along w
th him in this his sd voyage, to giue vnto him all due
respeckt belonging to his place & office of Com̄and, & willingly & readily
to obey & execute, to the vttermost of ther power, all such orders & dyrec-
tions as ther hee shall thinke fitt frõ tyme to tyme to giue vnto them
during the tyme of these voyages as they will answer the Contrarie at
ther perillℯ. And I doe further Authorise the sd Cap
t William Tucker,
in Case any man of his Comp
a shall offend or Com̄itt any malise or dis-
order to punnish & Correct at his best discretion, Matters of lesse offence,
Reseruing matters of life & death & of higher Nature to my owne
Judicatorie
Given at my house at James Citty vnder my hand & Colony seale the
third day of January Anno One thousand six hundred twenty twoe
And in the sixteenth yeare of this plantacion 1622.
