University of Virginia Library

At a Courte held ye 16: of Iuly 1621

                               

mr Deputy.	mr Risley.	mr Robertℯ.
Dr Gulstone.	mr Rogers.	mr Wydowℯ.
mr Wroth.	mr Nich: Ferrar.	mr Baynam.
mr Gibbs.	mr Parkhurst.	mr Hackett.
mr Wrote.	mr Wm Hickes.	mr Bland.
mr Robt Smith.	mr Casewell.	mr Georg Smith.
mr Sandys.	mr Barbor.	mr Morewood.
mr Bromfeild.	mr Bull.	mr Newporte.
	mr Darnelly.	mr Harte.
	mr Fogge.
	mr Vyner.
	mr Palavacine.
	mr Crossland.
	mr Ladwin.
	mr Lawne.
	wth divers others.	[255]

Wheras att a Courte held the 12th of this p̢sent monneth the bargaine
made wth Captaine Norton and the Italyans for settinge vpp of a
Glasse ffurnace in Virginia for makinge of Glasse and beads was
taken into serious considerac̃on and findinge the charge of transport-
inge and furnishinge out the saide workmen with their servantℯ wives
and Children (being in all eleven p̱sons) wth apparrell, victuall, Tooles
and all other necessaries would come to a farr greater some then was
att first proposed when the agreement and Contract wth Captaine
Norton was first made, wherby the Companies stocke was no way able
to vndergoe the burthen of this new charge in so much as this buisi-
nes for want of sufficient means was like to fall to nothing

Itt was therfore now moved that seeinge the Company were not able
to goe through wth itt, itt might be lefte free to pryvate Adventurers
to vndertake the same vppon like condic̃ons in pointe of p̳fitt as
they should have done; vnto this moc̃on (so iust and reasonable) the
Courte did willinglie assent and by their said order did release and
quite discharge the said Captaine Norton of his §former§ Contract
with the Company; Hervppon the said bargaine beinge a new enter-
tayned by certaine adventurers now present they did now acquainte
this Courte that itt was not their intent therby vtterly to exclude the
Company from a buisiness of this speciall consequence vnto them all
(seeinge the Comoditie of Beads was like to proue the Verie Coyne of
that Country), and therfore intendinge to raise a Ioynt Stocke of at
least 400li the better to accomplish so good a worke they have agreed
among themselvs that the Company should com in for a fowerth parte
of the said charge, and therfore moved that for the better advancemt
of the said worke and encourragment of the said Adventurors therin.
That the Court would please to graunt him these p̳posic̃ons followinge.

First yt the said Adventurers might have a Patent of the said Glasse
Furnace for seaven years for the sole makinge of Glasse and Beades.

Secondly yt they might have 50 Acres of Land for every p̱sonn they
should transporte vppon this buisiness, and yt the Compa: would give
them their p̱t of the Land.

They desire itt may now likewise be p̳mised and att the next Quarter
Courte confirmed that the Sole makinge and transportinge of Soade
beinge a materiall of speciall vse in makinge of Glasse may be appro-
priated vnto them for 7: years.

Lastly they desire for the better releife and Comforte of their people
that the Guest house wch mr Whittacres hath built may be appoynted
for entertaynmt of their people some two monneths after their first
landinge yt they may be able to build theire houses, and this may be
specially recom̃ended to the care of the Gouernor to see itt done; All
wch proposic̃ons the Court takinge into due considerac̃on conceived

to be very reasonable and beinge putt to the question did willingly
condiscend vnto them and p̳mised further that they should be reco-
m̃ended to the next Quarter Court for confirmac̃on.

The said Adventurers moved likewise yt some might be deputed for
the Compa: and advise wth them aboute the well orderinge & manag-
inge of the same, To wch end the Court nõiated these that follow vizt:

         

mr Deputy.	mr Covell.
mr Keightley.	mr Barkham.
Dr Winstone.	mr Wheatley.
mr Cranmer.	mr Bolton.
mr Barnarde.	mr Cuffe.

who are appoynted to meete to morrow in the afternoone. [256]

The said Adventurers did likewise offer that if any other would com
in with their Adventure of xli a peec for neither lesse nor more was
resolved to be paid towards this, between this and thursday next they
should be admitted.

Itt was likewise moved and thought fitt yt two of the Company and
six of ye said Adventurers should meet att their first leasure and §to§
consider and sett downe some Instrucc̃ons for Captaine Norton for
his better direcc̃on in the managinge of the said Glasse worke.

The said Adventurers made choyce of mr Nicho: Ferrar to be thier
Thr̃er whome they entreated very earnestly yt hee would not refuse
to doe that favoure.

Itt was likewise moved yt the said Adventurers would please to pay
in their subscripc̃ons between this & Thursday next for the more
speedie dispatch away of Captaine Norton and the said Glassmen.

ffower seuerall Rolls were now read and offered to such as would
please to vnderwrite The ffirst beinge for a Magazine of Apparrell,
and other necessary p̳visions such as the Colony stood in great need
of; The Second for sendinge of 100: mayds to be made wives; The

third for the advancement of the Glasse ffurnace as hath been for-
merly menc̃oned; The ffowerth was for the settinge out of a Voyadge
to trade with the Indians in Virginia for Furrs, It beinge certainely
enformed by mr Chamberlyn & others and now of late from the
Gouernor and Counsell of State in Virginia of the great trade of Furrs
wch the French and Dutch have yearly made in Lawarr and Hudsons
Riuer some 20: or 30 Leagues in distance from the Sotherne Plantacon
to their incredible gaine and wealth; ffor better p̱formance of wch
voyadge a means woulde now be found to doe itt att a less charge then
att other times.

These said good vndertakingℯ were generally approved of and moved
many then present to vnderwrite in the said Rolls, And for the better
furtherance and advancement of this Acc̃on itt was moved & thought
fitt yt direcc̃on should be given to the Gouernor to afforde his best
assistance herein.

The said Adventurers have made choyse of mr Blany to be their
ffactor or Agent to trade with the Indians for Furrs, and for this
purpose allso mr Bland hath vndertaken to p̳cure one to ioyne with
him that is verie skillfull in those kinde of Comodities if the Adven-
turers think so good.

Itt was moved that seeinge mr Iohn Peirce had taken a Patent of Sr
Ferdinando Gorge and ther vppon seated his Company wthin the
lymitℯ of the Northerne Plantac̃on as by some was supposed wherby
hee seemed to relinquish the benifitt of the Patent hee tooke of this
Company that therfore his said patent might be called in vnlesse itt
might appeare hee would begin to Plante wthin the lymittℯ of the
Sotherne Colony, Herevppon the Courte appoynted mr Robertℯ, mr
George Smith, and mr Webb to treate with mr Peirce aboute itt and
certifie att the next Courte what aunswere they should receave frome
him.[974] [257]

ffor so much as the Phisic̃ons place to the Company was now become
voyde by reason of the vntimely death of Doctor Bohune slaine in

the ffight with two Spanish Ships of Warr the i9th of March last;
Doctor Gulstone did now take occasion to rec̃omend vnto the Com-
pany for the said place one mr Pottℯ a Mr of Artes and as hee afirmed
well practised in Chirurgerie and Phisique, and expert allso in Dis-
tillinge of waters and that hee had many other ingenious devices soe
as hee supposed his service would be of great vse vnto the Colony in
Virginia, but prayed yt wheras Doctor Bohune was tyed by his Con-
tract to supply such of his Tenantℯ as should dy after the first year
att his owne charge that mr Pottℯ might be released of that Covenant
beinge too strict and ouer hard as hee supposed, butt itt was aunswered
itt was not in the power of any other butt a Quarter Courte to reverse
or alter the same butt should allwaies finde the Company in all thingℯ
verie reasonable to all well deservinge men, and therfor if mr Pottℯ
would accept of the place vppon the same condic̃ons as Doctor Bohune
did hee should be entertayned and for his better content should be
specially recommended to the Gouernor to be well accom̃odated and
should have a Chest of Phisique of 20li charge vnto the Company and
all thingℯ thervnto app̱tayninge together wth 10li in Books of Phisique
wch should allwaies belonge vnto the Company, wch Chest of Phisique
and Books Doctor Gulstone was desyred to buy, and seeinge hee
intended to carry ouer wch him his wife a man and a mayde they should
have their transporte freed and if one or more Chirurgions could be
gott they likewise should have their passage freed, wth condic̃ons mr
Pott havinge accepted of was referred to the Comittees to be further
treated & concluded with.

Itt was signified that Sr Frauncis Wyattℯ brother beinge a Mr of Artℯ
and a good Divine and very willinge to goe wth him this present Voy-
adge, might be entertayned and placed as Mynister ouer his people
and have ye same allowance towards the furnishinge of himself wth
necessaries as others have hadd, and that his wife might have her
transporte freed, wch moc̃on was thought verie reasonable and ordered
by erecc̃on of handℯ that hee should be entertayned and haue the
place hee desyred and the same ∥like∥ allowance of monny graunted
vnto mr Bolton lately entertayned.

Captaine Welden moved yt hee might have leave payinge his fraight
to take out his Tobacco now brought home in the Duty wherby hee
might sell the same to his best advantage, butt itt was obiected that
hee must first take order to sattisfie the Company for the §great§
charge they were att in transportinge and furnishinge himselfe and
two servantℯ att his first goinge to Virginia for wch hee was by coue-
nant to have stayed in the Companies service for seaven years wheras
hee had continued butt two years, and came away without their leave,
and yett had given no accompt vnto the Company for that time for wch
hee p̢tended some excuse and withall offered that for somuch charge
as the Company were att for him (wch hee guessed to be some 44li or
ther aboutℯ) hee was contented that mr Swaine should sell so much
of his Tobacco as should aunswere the said debt vntill the matters in
difference were decided, and ordered, wth this offer the Courte [258]
was contented for the p̢sent to release his Tobacco and ordered yt
direcc̃on should be given to mr Swayne to make sale of so much
Tobacco as should amount to the said some of 44li to be made ouer to the Company.

mr Wrote acquainted ye Courte yt haveinge taken into considerac̃on
the p̢sent State of the Companies Stocke and knowinge ∥it∥ to be
vtterly exhausted and that all means of supply for the present are
altogether seased hee conceaved itt to be a p̱t of his dutie to offer vnto
this Honorable Courte such of his concepc̃ons as may for the p̢sent
supply the Companies necessitie wth great plenty & defray ordinary
charges.

ffirst therfor hee p̳pounded that wheras ther are divers com̃odities in
Virginia of good value in themselvs wch by the ouermuch greedines of
the Planters have beyonnd all moderac̃on been sent ouer in that aboun-
dance as the price of them is so abased as they will hardly discharge
the fraight And are now vnp̳fitable both to the Adventurers and
Planters, and for instance hee named that of Saxafras heretofore of
good value and now not worth any thinge, that therfore hearafter
divers of these Comodities may be appropriated to the Company and
tearmed the Companies Comodities; Amongst these hee propounded

Saxafras for one, and three other or[980] more of such Comodities as wilbe
of good value if they might be brought ouer sparingly and the pro-
porc̃on lymitted.

And that neither the Planter nor Adventurer may[982] iustly condempne
the appropriatinge of these Comodities hee did likewise propound the
vse and end of them, hee wished therfore that the benefitt hereby
accuringe may be imployed in buildinge of Churches, Hospitalls in
fabricke of the Colledge in publique libraries for the vse of Mynisters
in supply of Preachers in cause of death or their returne into England
In ffortyfycac̃on, Armes Powder and Munic̃on, in erectinge new
Officers necessary for the gou9ment of the Plantacon, especially for
establishinge Courtℯ of Iustice, in buildinge of Ships, Galleys, &
Shallops for Defence Trade and Discouery, In defrayinge the Charges
of the Counsell of State in Virginia att their seuerall Quarter Ses-
sionnℯ In buildinge of Bridges, makinge of Highwayes, and Aqua-
ductℯ Cr And that this may continue for seaven years onely or till the
publique Revennues be advanced, And that the Colony may ratefie
this att their generall assembly, And that a select Comittee may be
chosen to consider herof, and power given to them to add alter or
diminish what they please, And so corrected bringe itt to ye Courte
And if itt shall then be approved to receive a full confirmac̃on in a
Quarter Courte ∥all wch hee humbly submitted to the censure of this
Court.∥ Whervppon the Court conceavinge itt to be a matter of great
importance and worthy of Consultac̃on com̃itted the same to ye con-
siderac̃on & advise of.

             

Sr Iohn Dauers.	mr Casewell.
mr Wroth.	mr Abrah: Chamberlyn.
mr Deputy.	mr Dr Gulstone.
mr Wrote.	Doctor Winston.
mr Gibbs.	mr Widowes.
mr Darnelly.	mr Ayres.
	mr Wiseman.

who are desyred to meete about itt when mr Deputy shall appoynte.[259]

mr Wrote further signified that wheras the reputac̃on of this Honoɫe:
Company hath by many sinister courses and iniurious Calumnies been
blemished, (wch as a membr of this Company hee could not but resent)
yett the greatest obliquie that hath been layd vppon itt hath been the
im̃oderate prizes that our Comodities hath been vented att, wherin
the Charitable and pious intention of good men hath been extreamly
wrested and traduced, for avoydinge wherof hee propounded, ffirst
that accordinge to former orders that such Cape marchantℯ as have
abused their trust and transgressed their Instrucc̃ons may receave
exemplary punishment, And for the future to prevent scandall that
ther be a course taken to decry the price of Tobacco in Virginia, as
beinge the onely couller they have to make good their asserc̃ons, for
that Comoditie is become their monny and is valued att 3s the pound
certaine, (be itt good or badd) wherby they are nourished in that
thirstles and p̱nicious humor of plantinge Tobacco: and the evill
returnes they make they attribute still to the oppression of the
Adventurers here never consideringe the basenes of their Comodities
and the infinite losse the Company have susteyned by itt, this beinge
not onely the Destrucc̃ons of more then halfe the last Magazine adven-
ture but the consumpc̃on allso of well nigh all the Companies Stocke
by sendinge the last supply of Prentizes and maydℯ for wch the
Planters have repayd them againe in nothinge butt Tobacco att 3s
p̱ pound: And yett notwithstandinge the publique Declarac̃on of the
Company and pryvate informac̃on by publique §frequent§ ɫres and
otherwise of the base estimac̃on and price of the Comoditie and of
their desire to be repayd in other Comodities, yett such is their
opinion of this alone as itt hath not been possible hetherto to awake
them out of this straunge dreame; Hee therfore advised that besides
the decryinge of Tobacco some course be taken that some other Com-
oditie may be made their Coyne and that Tobacco might be vented as
as marchandize onely of no certayne price butt accordinge to the
goodnes, this hee desyred might be Comitted as the former; Wher-
vppon the Courte ordered that the former Comittee should take itt
into their Considerac̃on and certifie their opinions what they should
thinke fitt to be done therin.

Itt was likewise moved that wheras ther was sent hertofore 50: Boyes
in the Duty wch cost the Company 500li: for wch ye Planters repayd
them in 66 waight of Tobacco att 3s p̱ pound ratinge itt att 10li a boy
wch Tobacco beinge sould by the Company they could hardly reach to
5li the Boy that therfore order might be taken to cause such of the
Planters as had the said Boyes to make vpp a full allowance of the
rest to the iust rate and valuac̃on of i0li the p̱sonn as itt stood the Com-
pany in ∥in∥: wch moc̃on was very well approved of and ordered that
a present Course should be taken to require the said p̳porc̃on of the
Planters that the Company might not be loosers in the Disbursment
of their monny to their vse & benifitt. [260]

Wheras Credible informac̃on hath been given of the Death of Doctor
Bohune mr Ouldsworth, and mr Tracy late chosen to be of the Coun-
sell of State in Virginia, The Courte now thought fitt and requisite
in supply of them to make addic̃on of other gentlemen vizd, mr Pott,
mr Leech mr Paulett mynister and Captaine Roger Smith to be as
p̳visionalls Councellors till they may receave confirmac̃on att the next
Quarter Court and their names be incerted in the Comissions.

The Petic̃on of Widdow Gunston was now read and ordered that itt
itt should be referred to some of the Counsell and Comittee to cal
mr Damiron and other the officers of the Ship before them to examine
them touchinge certaine bookℯ and notes, touchinge Beniamyne Gun-
stone her husband deceased concerninge his wholl estate wch shee sayth
came to the hands of the said Damiron and others and now deteyned
by them from her, as likewise agreat p̱t of her husbands estate.

mr Deputy signified that wheras the Tryallℯ fraight was nowe to be
payd wch came to 240li or theraboutℯ one mr Couell had attached the
said monny vntill hee might be certified §sattisfied§ for certaine goods
deliuered to the Mr of the said Ship: ffor somuch as mr Morer p̱t
owner of the said Ship beinge now p̢sent did signifie yt hee was con-
tented that Defalcac̃on should be made vnto him for the said Debt; Itt
was agreed and ordered that the mony should be payd.