University of Virginia Library

CLXI. Jabez Whittaker. A Letter to Sir Edwin Sandys
May, 1621

Right worpl

I wrote unto you by Cap: Hamor of ye receite of thos men wch I
receaved out of ye London Merchant ye Jonathan, and ye Triall with a
list of their names, and how ill provided I was to receave them. I have
since taken better order both for thos yt are yet remaining with me, and
for thos which shall be hereafter sent finding ye number of sixe in one
hous (as I had at first placed them) to be to many I have doubled ye
number of houses, and put but three to one hous, and for ye new men
which are to come I have alreddy built a guest hous of forty foote long,
and twentie foote wide to receave them at there first landing, and have
placed an ould woeman in it to wash their clothes and keep the hous
cleane and have built a little roome for ye surgeon yt he may be ever neere
and helpfull to them: and am now in building more houses upon ye ground
where I meane to seate thos men them which are to come, yt they may
at first (if I can) enter upon there owne portion with out any stay or long
expecting of what shall become of them. Since ye writing of my last
letter I have receaved ten young Kine, they thrife very well and I thinke
are all with calfe, I have railed in for them with a firme substantiall rale
two hundred acres of ground. Concerning ye ould men I wrote nothing
to you becaus I had not then receaved them home which were putt out,
the names of names of thos yt are both living and dead are herein inclosed:
Afer I had gathered in ye Cropp I enquired of Sr George what his pleasure
was I should doe with it, and he answered yt he thought you did expect

nothing from them §tenants§ this yeare, becaus some of them offered to
take there oaths that you made them that promise, therefore that I should
pay into ye stoare so much as was there owing and divide the rest amongst
them. There was owing into the stoare for fiveteen hundred of fish, at
three pound fifteen shillings ye hundred, for woodden platters, spikes, iron
pots §and§ kans foure hundred and fourescore waight of tobacco, ye
tobacco which was due unto them that died for ye time they lived, he gave
unto me, for which I thanke you and him unto whom I have many waies
been behoulding, whos life, goverment, and proceedings I Can not but
admire, the fish he sent to me with ye newe men becaus there provisions
of meale and oyle were short: I receaved one ye I have for this yeare
caused as many to worke upon other trades beside ye ground as I Could,
both for ye hansomer building in my plantation, and benefit of ye Colonie,
and myne owne eas ease: I have appointed foure Carpenters, three
sawyers two Smiths three tailors [1a] Ye rest plant Corne and Tobacco,
for vines we can not goe about it with courage untill such time as we h
may have such plants as we knowe are good and will be worth our labour,
which we expect out of Ingland, it is with out question, that they will
prosper exceeding well, by ye next yeare I thinke Sr George will be able
to furnish some of us out of his owne vineyard as also with silke-worme-
seede. I have both ye last yeare and this yeare planted some young
nurceries of vines which live and growe, but I can have no confidence in
them, that they should ever make good wines thes and other com̃odities
of ye like kind are to be ripened by time, and multitudes of people. thus
with my hartie thankes to you for your love and kindnes to me I humbly
take my leave.