CCCLXXXVI. Notes for an Answer to the Propositions made by
Lord Chichester
August or September, 1623
Manchester Papers, No. 387
Document in Public Record Office, London
List of Records No. 528
Answere to the propositions made by the Right Honorable the Lord
Chichester for the benefitt of the better setling of the plantation in Virginia.
1.
- The places wch were antientlie §best§ fortified were the Cities of Henrico
and Charles wch are now vtterlie demolished by th'Indians: And the
fortifications about James Citie & Elizabeth Citie are §haue ben§ suffered
by the Colonye of late to grow to such decay that they left nak are become
of no strength or vse so that as to the first point the truth is That at this
tyme there are no places fortified for defence & safetie for the Access of
Shipping from the Sea and Boates vppon the Riuers.
2.
- There are diuerse small plantac̃ons all seated vppon the Riuers sides and
accessible by Boates, and before most of them Shipps of 2 or 30 aboue 200
Tun may ryde: But §the plantac̃ons are farr asunder &§ their houses are
seattere standℯ scattered one from another, and are onlie made of wood,
few or none of them beeing framed houses but punches sett do into the
Ground And couered wth Boardℯ so as a firebrand is sufficient to consume
them all.
3.
- The Cities of Henrico & Charles stood vpon high ground the Cliffes
beeing steepe. And but of a claye mould & yet §&§ the ayre good and
wholesome. And §Also about those places§ good quantities of cleared
groundℯ about those two Townes: but all the land generallie is ouergrowne
wth great Timber Trees so that there is little or no land fitt for §present§
culture but what is §what§ by industrie is cleared of the wood or either by
the Colony §English§ or th by th'Indians.
4.
- The fortifications antientlie vsed were by Trench and Pallizado wch now
are all gone to ruyne and diuerse blockhouses made of Tymber great
Tymber built vppon passages all and the for scouring the Pallizadoes: all
wch are now gone to ruyne.
5.
- The lands where the Colonyes §Townes§ are seated §doe not for ought
is knowne§ affoord not stone for building nor limestone for Mortar. But
there are good store of Shells about Elizabeth Citie wch will make
very good lyme and may by water be easilie transported to the seuerall
plantac̃ons
6.
- In most places and p̱ticularlie about Henrico & Charles Citie the Sodds
are §very§ good to fortifie wthall especiallie if they be cutt in the sedgie
ground wch is so full of Rootes that it bindℯ the earth close and keepes it
from falling in peices
7.
- It is very necessarie to rayse new workes especiallie at Henrico &
Charles Citie wch by reason of their situation may be stronglie fortified,
and are most com̃odious for habitation in regard of the wholesomnes of th'
aire, access of Shipping, & store of cleared groundℯ [2] but it is not knowne
that there are men of experience in the Countrie fitt to direct those workes.
8.
- There is good store of earth fitt to make brick almost in euery place;
And heretofore much Brick hath ben made in the Contrie And it were
would exceedinglie both strengthen and beautifie the plantacons if they
§people§ were enioyned to make all their buildingℯ thereof
9.
- This is a very good direcc̃on And it would much exceedinglie both
strengthen and beautifie the plantation if one Towne were some convenient
number of houses were built §together§ of Brick and enclosed wth a brick
wall that might deserue the name of a Towne: one of these at Henrico
(wch is the fittest place of all) and another at the place now called Charles
Cittie: But this must be p̱formed at the publiq̢ charge for the poore
miserable people that are now there doe are doe onlie worke for themselues
& their p̱ticular owners and are so miserablie poore that all they can rayse
by their priuate labour is hardlie sufficient to find them Corne to preserue
them from staruing, and to plant some Tobacco to find them clothes: So
that vnles there were some vntill there be some reasonable nomber of men
wch maynteined only by §at§ the charge of the Companie only to imploy
their tyme to worke for §in§ publiq̢ workes, it is there is small hope that
the plantac̃on will be brought vnto any good pass: For as the case now
standℯ if a man be taken from his priuate labour but for a day or two he it
turnes to his great preiudice and he hath reason doth not wthout reason
repine at it seeing he take hath no meanes to susteyne himselfe but his owne
what he getts by his owne industrie &
10.
- The 10th 11th & 12th are so good and full that direccons, as nothing can
be added vnto them but only to be wished they were putt in execution
13.
- It is most fitt for his Matie to appoint the §cheife§ Gouernor, and if
§the§ such Gouernor§ dye then the Counsell there by pluralitie of voyce
to elect one to succeed him vntill they haue his maties pleasure be knowne
either for confirming §of§ him that shalbe so chosen, or for appointing
some other
14.
- The sd̴ thingℯ were §may§ (if so it seeme good to his Matie) be left to
the care of the Gouernor and Counsell here, who may vppon all occasions
as the matter is of more or less waight aduise wth the Aduenturers and
Vndertakers and agree vppon §such§ Rules orders and direccons as may
be the shalbe thought most behoofefull for the generall good and benefitt of
[3] Answ
[Touching the direcc̃ons giuen by his Matie concerning the Plantac̃on in
Virginia
1.
- It is very necessarie that it be examined he whether the direcc̃on giuen
for the releife of the Colony haue ben p̱formed: for the last Shipp that
went thither is now gooing thither carryes so many passengers that it is
doubted the p̳uisions wch she carryes will hardlie be sufficient for those pa
men. And so by sending of more people the Colony is like to be more
distressed And those wch are now and not at all releiued wch would b
would vtterlie frustrate his maties gracious direcc̃on][303]
Amongst diuerse other rules orders & Instructions for the good of the
people it may please his Matie to direct that in regard the people are exceed-
ing poore & miserable & brought into §much of§ it by reason of extortion
and oppression §by§ taking aduantage of their necessities to sell them
prouisions at excessiue Rates That they may be forborne the paymt of
their debts for this yeare that so whatsoeuer proffitt they can rayse this
yeare may be wholie conuerted for the feeding & clothing of them els they
are like vtterlie to p̱ish
The nomber of Counsellors here wch his Matie designes to be but 13 in all,
is feared will prooue to be too few as experience shewed in the begiñing of
the Plantac̃on but if it please his Mate to make them vp 23 wch §25§ it is
thought it wilbe a most competent nomber: And that euery two yeare
onlie six of the this nomber be not encreased nor altered ex they may be
contynued and altered at the Kingℯ owne will and pleasure wthout limitac̃on
of tyme:
It is most requisite (if so it seeme good to his Mate) that a Com̃ission be
sent forthwth to discouer the true estate of the plantac̃on §as for other
Reasons so§ That so it may be discerned what effects this new settle-
ment will produce: otherwise men wilbe discouraged to deale in it, when
what euer euent proou §if the§ when if it prooue well it wilbe ascribed to the
gre former gov groundℯ layed in the form9 gouermt: And if it doe not
succeed then the blame likewise will in the redound to these that shall
manage the business: Whereas if once it appeare euidently that the p̢nt
estate thereof is desperat9 His Mate will receiue much honor by setting
reuiuing of it And those that §shall§ take paynes therein shalbe freed of
vniust Imputations wch by the clamarous multitude are like otherwise to
be layed vppon them.
