University of Virginia Library

CLXXXVI. Virginia Company. Letter to the Governor and Coun-
cil in Virginia
August 12, 1621

Copy of a letter To the Governor and Counsell of State in Virginia by
the Marmaduke.

August 12th 1621

After or harty Comendac̃ons &c In or last letters sent youe by the George
we promised a full and sattisfactary answer to all yor propositions, but

by reason of the absence of the most part of the Counsell, as also that
bussines dayly beyond or expectacon infinitly increaseth, we are con-
streined only to touch vppon some few p̱ticulars reservinge or selues for
more oportune tyme, when wth a clearer iudgment we may fully deliur
our mindℯ to you. You shall receiue by the handℯ of mr Leech now
bound for Virginia in the Marmaduke a Copy of or last letters, together
wth a Duplicat of the Instrucc̃ons and Comissions, sent by the new Gov-
ernor Sr Francis Wyatt, by whose happy arivall we hope you are informed
what care we haue taken to giue you full sattisfacc̃on in most or all of
yor demandℯ: and therefore we will hope for of the like respectiue p̱for-
mance of or desires from you. There are gon and in goinge from hence
many Shippℯ for Virginia and we canot but apprehend wth great griefe
the sufferings of these multitudes at theire first landinge for want of
Guest houses wherein they might haue a while sheltred themselves from
the iniuries of the air in the cold season; wch omission and defect we hope
and very earnestly desire you will supply by a curteous and Christian
entertainment of them in yor owne howses, till they may conveniently
provide themselves; and that against the next yeare you will haue erected
in the foure severall Boroughs as many Guest houses capable to receiue
those great numbers.

Wee send youe in this Shipp on Widdow and eleven Maidℯ for Wiues for
the people in Virginia: there hath beene especiall care had in the choise of
them; for there hath not any on of them beene received but vppon good
Comendacons, as by a noat herewth sent youe may perceiue: Wee pray
youe all therefore in generall to take them into yor care; and more espe-
cially we recomend them to youe mr Pountis, that at theire first landinge
they may be housed, lodged and provided for of diet till they be marryed:
for such was the hast of sendinge them away, as that straightned wth time
we had no meanes to putt provisions aboard: wch defect shalbe supplied
by the Magazine Shipp: and in case they cannot be presently Marryed
we desire they may be putt to severall housholders that haue wiues till they
can be provided of husbandℯ: There are neare fiftie more wch are shortly
to come, are sent by or most honoble Lord and Treasuror the Earle of
Southampton and certaine worthy gentlemen, who takinge into theire
consideration, that the Plantac̃on can never flourish till families be planted,
and the respect of wiues and Children fix the people on the Soyle; therefore

haue given this faire begininge; for the reimbursinge of whose charges, itt
is ordered that who every man that Marries them giue 120li waight of the
best leafe Tobbacco for each of them, and in case any of them dye that
proportion must be advanced to make it vpp vppon those that surviue;
and this certainty is sett downe for that the price sett vppon the boyes
sent last yeare being 10li wch was so much mony out of purse here there
was returned 66ɫi of Tobacco only and that of the worst and basest, so
that fraight and shrinkage reconed together wth the basenes of the Com-
oditie, there was not on half returned: wch iniury the Company is so
sencible of, as they demand restitution, wch accordingly must be had of
them that tooke vppon them the dispose of them, the rather that no man
may mistake himselfe in accomptinge Tobacco to be currant 3s sterling
the pound contrary to or expresse orders: And though we are desireous
that mariadge be free according to the law of nature, yett would we not
haue these maidℯ deceived and married to servantℯ, but only to such
[17a] freemen or tenntℯ as haue meanes to manteine them: wee pray you
therefore to be fathers to them in this bussines, not enforecing them to
Marrie against theire willℯ neither send we them to be servantℯ, saue in
case of necessitie extremitie, for we would haue theire condic̃on so much
bettered as multitudes may be allured thereby to come vnto you: and you
may assure such men as marry those weomen that the first servantℯ sent
over by the Company, shalbe consigned to them; it being or intent to
preserue families, and to preferr married men before single p̱sons: The
tobacco that shalbe due vppon the mariadge of these maides we desire
mr Pountis to receiue and to return by the first; as also the little quantitie
of Richard Pace the Copie of whose bill is here returned. To conclude
the Company for some weighty reasons too long to relate, haue ordered
that no man marryinge these weomen expect the proportion of Land
vseually alotted for eury head: wch to avoid clamor or troble hereafter you
shall do well to giue them notice of.

In the next place, Wee comend vnto yor care Capt Wm Norton and his
Italians together wth the rest of his Company, to whom we pray you to
be helpfull at his landing, to convey his people and goodℯ vp to the guest-
house of Liuetennt Whittakers; It is the only body in this Shipp the
general Company hath interest in, and therefore we will expect yor best
helpes and advice, especially in making choise of a healthfull place to

plant himself in neare to the best inhabited towne, either in Charles Citty
or Henerico, but by no meanes lower then James Cittie, nor remote from
people: and in case Capt Norton shall dy we pray you mr George Sandys
to vndertake the oversight of the worke; and if he should faile by any
misaccident (wch God forbidd) then we intreat you mr George Thorp
and mr Jo: Pountis to take it into yor care and in yor absence to appoint
some trustie person to oursee that bussines, for wch curtesie the generall
Company, and private Adventurers wilbe very thankfull to you.

The makinge of beadℯ is one of Capt Nortons cheife employmentℯ wch
beinge the mony you trade wth the natiues we would by no meanes haue
through to much abundance vilified or the Virginianℯ at all p̱mitted to
see or vndrstand the manufacture of them: wee therefore pray you seriously
to consider what proportion of beadℯ can be vented and their worth not
abated, and intimate the proportion to Capt Norton and his Italians, and
certifie the same to us in yor next letters, that accordingly we may limitt
the quantitie that shall from time to time be made: Vppon sight of Capt
Nortons Invoice you shall p̱ceive, what large provisions he is sett out wth,
wch in case of his failing we desire may be carefully preserved for his
people. And here we cannot hide from youe an information that is lately
given vs that such provisions as we send wth new men are taken from them
& Indian corne given them instead thereof, the extreame labor of beatinge
thereof, being no smale disharteninge to the new comers; and this sud-
daine change of diett is affirmed confidently to be the cause of the flix in
or men to or irreparable losse; we desire youe the whole body of the Coun-
sell, to take care that these abusses be reformed for the future.

The Adventurers of Martins hundred intend to proceed in theire Planta-
tion they haue sent twelve lustie youths in this Shipp wch supplie they will
second wth a greater of fourty more in the Magazine Shipp very soddainly to
followe: theire governor mr Harwood is enioyned to accquaint youe wth his
Instrucc̃ons, to whom wee pray youe accordingly giue yor best assistance.

Wee cannot but condempne the vse that is made of or boatℯ that are only
employed in trading in the bay for Corne almost every letter tellℯ of that
trade wch wee only approue in case of necessitie; for we conceiue it would

be much better for the Plantation and more honor for you and or nation,
that the naturallℯ should come for theire provision to you; then you to
begg yor bread of them, we shall wth a great deale more content heare of
Store-houses full of corne of yor owne growth, then of a Shallopp laden
wth Corn from the Bay: wee pray you therefore that a larger proportion of
ground be assigned to every man to plant then formerly hath beene, and
that severest punishmentℯ be inflicted vppon such as dare to breake yor
constitutions herein; and that officers be not spared, nor theire tenntℯ nor
servantℯ dispenced wth. Our Magazine is soddainly to follow this [18]
Shipp, wherein there are much greater proportions of thingℯ sent then was in
the last: And though or factor of the last Magazine was either by importu-
nity p̱swaded, or by constreint inforced, to part wth his goodℯ at vndr valews
to be paid in tobacco at 3s p̱ ɫ (wch here, all charges deducted was should
for lesse then then 20d p̱ pound) yett will not the Adventurers be so in this
wrested; for they are determined to accept of tobacco at no certaine price,
nor will sell theire Comodities vppon trust, till that wicked phras[e] and
conceipt be rooted out of the mouths and hartℯ of the Planters that any
thing is good enough for the Marchant. how vnworthy we and the Com-
pany are of this contempt we appeale to yor selves, yet hath it not been
resented by you, nor the insolencie punished, but seeing or care and charg
is repaid by such monstrous ingratitude we desire you to giue notice to
the Collony that after this yeare they expect no further supply of any
necessaries to be exchanged wth them for theire darling tobbacco: wee haue
given them a yeares notice before hand, that they may fall vppon some
other course. And beinge sensible of the great losse the Adventurers still
sustenith by yor roule Tobacco made vp wth fillers (as the terme is) itt is
by vs and the Adventurers ordered that the Cape marchant accept of
none but leaf Tobacco: wee pray youe to publish this or order throughout
the Collony, that they may be provided to exchang wth or Cape Marchant
non but leaf: and such as wilfully transgresse this havinge notice, if they
suffer for it, it shalbe no part of or care: There is an intention to send on
an exellent Shipwright wth a ginge of thirty or fortie Carpenters and
boatwrightℯ; The Company is in treatie wth him, and the rowle of Adven-
turers is almost full; so that youe may certeinly expect him the next
Spring: in the interim we pray youe that great number of trees of the
white and black oake, growinge in wett groundℯ be felled and many more
barked to season by standinge. The time most fitting to fell and barke
yor trees is in November and December, and the begininge of Januarie.
In the choise of the place we pray youe to haue respect vnto the nearenes
of the Iron workℯ, and of the Saw Millℯ; most especially we pray your best
asistance in the p̱fectinge of those two workℯ, the profitt will redound to
the whole Collony, and therefore it is necessarie that you extend yor
authoritie to the vtmost lymittℯ, to enforce such as shall refuse theire help
to a bussines, so much tendinge to the generall good: yf those workℯ be
not p̱fected the body of the Shipwrightℯ wilbe of no vse, and if this oppor-
tunity be lost, mens heartℯ wilbe discoraged from further adventuring:
wee haue to sattisfie yor desires and to supplie yor necessities entred vppon
this proiect, wee therefore expect yor best help to perfect yor owne worke
whereby youe shall do a thing, glorious in it selfe, benefitt for yor selues,
and the whole Collony; acceptabl to vs and the whole Company; and
being p̱fected it wilbe the securitie, reputation, and defence of yor litle
Com̃on Wealth, wch now in his infancie must be supported by fame and
hope of such Comodities: And so desiringe god to blesse youe and all
yor good endevors tendinge to the advancement and establishing of yor
Collony, Wee bidd you farewell.

Wee send you againe Copies of the letters and agreementℯ wth mr Gookin
and recomend his good enterteinment to you, and in p̱ticuler we seriously
advise that you do yor best endevor to pay him in tobacco though at one
C waight the Cow, and to take as few Cowes as possible may be vppon
mony heare to be paid by the Company; because or stocke is vtterly
wasted: lett him hau[e] very good tobacco for his Cowes now at his first
vioadge, for if he mak[e] a good returne, it may be the occac̃on of a trade
wth you fro those par      [18a] whereby you may be abundantly
supplied, not only wth Cattle, but wth most of those Comodities wch you
want, att better and easier rate then we from hence shalbe able.

Directed: To or very Lovinge frendℯ the Governor and Councell of State
residinge in Virginia.

Since the Conclusion of or Letters, we haue received from his Matie a
Petition exhibited vnto him by certain Frenchmen and Walloones desirous

to inhabit in Virginia: wee haue considered of theire propositions, &
haue returned them so faire an answer, as wee conceiue they will resolue
to go, they wilbe 60 families consisting of about 300 p̱sons, youe may
expect theire cominge about the next Spring. we hope they wilbe a
great strength to the Collony.

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