University of Virginia Library

CCXII. Council in Virginia. Letter to Virginia Company of London
January, 1621/22

Right Honoble &ct. Wee Receaued your Letter bearinge date at London the
11th of September 1622[282] by the Warwick arived heere at James Cyttie
the 19th day of December, wherin you haue manifested so greate Ca[re]
of us, and the whole Colony, as we cannott but wth all Thankfullnes,
acknowledg our selves much bounde vnto you for the same, before the
receipt of wch Letter wee had (accordinge as §to§ the instructiones geven
us) taken order in the firste Sessione of the generall Assemblie, helde in
November and December, that greate store of Vines and mulbery trees,
should be planted in all places, and such as were growinge preserved,
and had expresly p̳hibited the destroy[ing] of mulbery trees in the Cleeringe
of Growndes: Att wch assemblie wee did playnly p̱ceave that the whole
Countrey was very well affected to the plantinge of both, and to the
receavinge of Silke worm seede, And yt ys our ernest desire, that you
woulde be pleased to p̳ceede in [in] this Course, and of sendinge us all
sortes of Vines in greate aboundance, as alsoe greate store of all sortes
of the best graine, as wheate Barlie Oates and pease of all the beste
kindℯ, for though wee bee very desirous to falle to the sowinge of all sortes
of our English graine as well as Indian (since this Countrey ys very p̳per
for them and that there ys much cleare grounde in the Colonie) wherin a

plowe may bee able to goe) yet are wee at this tyme very much vnpro-
vided of any good seede corne, for our wheate wch was firste brougth hither
from the ffrench Colonie, ys not onely of a smale and bad kinde but hath
alsoe beene much decaied (since it came hither) for wante of well Culti-
vatinge the grounde, As for Barlie oates and the best Pease, there ys
either none or a very smale quantetie of any of them in the Countrey,
And to ye ende that wt graine or seede soever, you shalbe pleased to sende
us ouer; may bee in the more likelyhood to prosper when it Cometh
hither, wee desire that A Care may bee taken, that the wheate and Barlie
may be brought in the Chaffe, And that such corne or seedes as you shall
sende, may bee noe older, then of the harvest next precedinge, And that
they may nott bee stowde in the holde butt betweene the Decks, for yt
the heate of the Holde will spoyle whatt Corne or seede soe ever you shall
sende, And wee doe conceave it to be very fitt, that what Shipps shalle
bringe such things, bee appoynted to Come the Northerne Course, and to
sett owte at such a tyme, as they may in all likeliehood arive heere about
September or October, wch tyme alsoe and Coorse, wee holde to bee the
most healthfull for the Cominge in of Passengers, and theref[ore] coulde
wishe, that as fewe bee sent hither in the Springe of the yeere, as may bee,
seeinge yt of those 9 Shipps wch arived heere this Autum, There hath §nott§
died one Passenger by the way, and haue hetherto had theire health's
since theire Landinge. Wee haue receaved all such Provisiones as were in
those Shipps sent to the dutch and frenchmen, save onely the Cloath
sent to make them Apparell, wch wee feare was lost in the Tiger (taken by
the Turks) since wee cann by noe meanes heere thereof, Wee cannott give
you Condingne thankes for Sending hither this Magaseine soe well furnished,
to wch, wee shall to the vttermost of our powers bee aide and asistinge in
all thingℯ wee may, that by the p̳fitable retourne ther[o]f, the Adventure[rs]
may bee Encoraged to goe one Cherfullie in this Course, and to Establishe
wth us heere [a] Constant large and continuall Trade from tyme to tyme,
onely wee are sorrie that yt a[rrived] heere soe late, that the most of this
yeers Tobacco was otherwayes disposed of before, b[ut we] are perswaded,
that yf mr Blanye bee faine to trust foorth any of his Comodities hee wi[ll be]
noe looser therby, by reasone that the next yeers Tobacco, cannott butt
in all likeliehood b[y] the Coorse that wee haue taken, bee very much
improved, It is a thinge very w[ell] liked of heere that you haue left the
Price of Tobacco at libertie, since that it is [ * * * ] of such an
vncertaine valew, by reasone of the greate Difference therof in [ * * * ]
And howsoeuer much of the Tobacco of the last Cropp, hath nott proued
very good [ * * * ] of the vnseasonablenes of the Yeere and of the
wante of tyme for the Curinge of [ * * * ] wee desire that noe Presi-
dent may bee made therof, Especyallie, of that [ * * * ] by the
maryners, whose beinge of badd as well as good wee could nott at
[ * * * ] Butt haue taken order as much as in us Lyeth to prevent
this misch [ * * * ] to Come; Wee haue taken as greate care as possible
wee colde ([ * * * ] wthowt any p̳visione at all) for the well dispos-
inge of the maides sent in t[he Marmaduke] and the Warwick, and could
wishe that the next Supplie of m[aides] may bringe some smale p̳visione
wth them to helpe them for [ * * * ] vntill they may bee conven-
ientlie disposed of:

[1a] The People of martins hundred (as we are informed by mr H[arwood])
doe willinglie & lovinglie receave the new Comers, who alsoe shall haue
from us all lawfull aide and asistance in all thingℯ, The Informatione
given you of the wante of wourthie Ministers heere is very trew, And
therfore as wee must give you greate thankℯ for sendinge over mr Thomas
White who we hope shalbe accomodated to his good likinge, soe ys it our
ernest request, that you woulde bee pleased to send us ouer many more
learned and sincere Ministers (of wch there ys greate wante in many p̱tes
of the Countrey, who shalbe assured to finde very good Entertaynment
from the Inhabitans, who are very §vn§willinge to lay any p̱te §of the
burthen§ therof vppon them §your§ selves, Hauinge accordinge to your
instructions, taken into sincere Consideratione the matter of defence, wee
doe finde that §it§ heere ys of soe great a necessarie[283] ymportance, as we
most humblie desire, that you woulde be pleased not onlie to sende us
over hether some men Skillfull in the Arte of ffortificationes, to whom wee
shalbee redie to give our best assistance, but to give us leaue alsoe, to
devise wth them of the Moste Comodius and most Defencible place for
the seatinge of the Chieff Cyttie of this kingdome, Yf they shall finde
James Cyttie aplace nott fitt or p̳per for that purpose Wheras Sr: Francis
wyatt findinge the Countrey at his arivall in very greate amytie and

confidence wth the natiives, and beinge desirous by all good meanes to
contynue and enlarge the same as a thinge very necessarie at the begininge
of his Gouerment did & wth the advise and consent of the Counsell, sende
Capt Thorpe wth A Message and a presente, both to the great Kinge
Sasawpen[284] formerly called Ocatan, and to his Brother Apochankano now
Mangopeesomon, whom he founde much satisfied wth his cominge, though
they were before as they Confessed, in some Jealousie whether our new
Gouernor, woulde Contynue the League or nott, Apochankano gave him
very good hope of theire Entertaininge of some of our famylies to live
amongst them, and of theire sendinge to Cohabitt wth us, and did confirme
a former p̳mise of Sendinge one to be our guide beyonde the falles to Certen
mines, wch wee purpose to tye him vnto, Capt Thorpe §found§ by dis-
coursinge wth him, that he had more motiones of religione in him, then
Coulde be ymmagined in soe greate blindnes, for hee willinglye Acknowl-
eged that theirs was nott the right waye, desiringe to bee instructed in
ours and confessed that god loved us better then them, and that he thought
the cause of his Angre againste them, was theire Coustome of makinge
their Children black boyes He fownde alsoe that hee had some knowl-
edge of many of the fixed starrs, and had observed the north Starr and
the course of the Constellatione aboute yt, and called the great beare
Manguahaian, wch in theire Language signifies the same, and beinge then
in the midest of his huntinge, did in Conclusione referr Capt Thorpe
touchinge all matters to a fourther Conference at Pomucke when he had
ended his huntinge,

The lande belonginge to the place of Gouernor was resigned to Sr. ffrancis
Wyatt, but of the hundred Tenantes wch should bee one that lande, hee
hath receaved only 46, There were more of Capt Argals Guarde alive,
but they are to bee made free, and for one, mr Pountis will give you Satis-
factione who receaved him of Sr. George Yardley at his Landinge because
he was his Prentice by Indenture in Englande, As for the rest of the Ten-
antes Sr. George yardley denieth to make them good, And sayeth that
havinge made noe strong Agrement wth you at any tyme he holdeth nott
him selfe tyed vnto yt, And therfore should take it for a matter of great
Iniustice to bee Compelled thervnto, and in that you refused to accept
of his offer of the p̳ffitts of his Tenantℯ, yt was in your pleasure soe to doe,

But he holdeth him selfe agreved, that you should now seeme to require
a farr greater matter at his handes, he after the refusall beinge bounde
To p̱forme neither, who sayeth alsoe that he did never place vppon the
Gournors lande aboue 117[285] p̱sones, but that the residue of the 130[286]
were by him placed one ye compenies Lande, for theire benefitt, Now
seeinge Sr. George yardley denyeth that there was any Agrement made
betweene you and him for the makinge good of the 100 Tenantes vppon
the Gouernors Lande, we haue forborne to Compell him thervnto, vntill
wee Receave your further directiones therin, The oath of Counsellers
hath beene Administered to all the severall p̱sones mentioned in that
Comissione, save only to mr Leach who cam nott to us, and mr Paulett
of whom wee weere duptfull, there beinge heere * * * of that name,
and neyther of them required it of us,: yt beinge a matter of * * * ch
difficultie to finde owte one the suddene such a Convenient place for the
[2] Seateinge of the Thresurers Tenantes, as in our Judgmentℯ we thought
requisite, and that h[e] would haue much endaungered the health of
his People, and been the meanes of the certai[n] losse of his next yeers
Cropp, to haue kept them longe wthowt ymployment about James
Cyttie, Mr Thresurer was owte of necessitie enforced to purchace for
him selfe owt of his owne private Estate 200 Acres of Lande beinge the
divident of A privat planter for the present ymployment of his People,
where they are yett remayinge, But th[e] Lande belonginge to the
place of Thresurer wee purpose as soone as may bee to haue allotte[d]
owte and the Tenantℯ belonginge thervnto placed thereone, The like
Course wee purpose to take for the lande and Tenantes belonginge to the
Place of Phisitione who owte of the like necessitie was[286] faine for the
present, To hire certaine howses and Clere grounde for the ymployment
of his People not farr from James Cyttie, The Secretaries Tenantes were
the last yeere placed at Achamak where soe many of them as remaine
alive, doe yett remaine, butt whether yt bee fitt they shoulde Contynue
there still or nott, yt is a matter very Considerable, since that place ys
soe farr from James Cyttie, And seeinge that of the twentie Tenantes
belonginge to that place there are butt onely 9 remaynige, we have
§thought§ yt fitt to allow §for§ Secretarie in the meane tyme certaine
Fees for the supplyinge of his Tenantes, that are wantinge vntill you
shalbe pleased to take some order for the makinge of them vpp; For the
Drawinge of the People from the excessive plantinge of Tobacco, wee haue
by the Consent of the generall Assemblie, restrayned them to one hundred
plantℯ ye headd vppon eache of wch plantes, there are to bee left butt
onely nyne leaves, wch p̳portione as neere as coulde bee geassed, was
generally Conceaved would bee agreable wth the hundred waight wch you
haue allowed, By wch meanes as alsoe by the Course that wee haue
taken for the keepinge of every man to his Trade, wee doupt nott but
ver[y] much to prevent the Imoderate plantinge of Tobacco, But noth-
inge can more e[ffectu]allye encourage all men to the plantinge of
Corne in aboundance (and soe divert th[em] from plantinge of Tobacco,
then that you woulde bee pleased, since yt ys yor desir[e] that greate
plenty of Corne bee planted heere as well for such Multitudes of
people as you hope yeerly to sende over, as for our owne vse, to
allow us a Marchantable Rate heere for our Corne, either to bee
paide by Bills of Exchange in Englande or in Comodities to bee
deliuered heere at 25 p̱ Centum, the prise of 7s the * * * §Bushell§
beinge p̳posed by the generall Assemblie was by us thought very
reasonable, since the Corne you sende ouer, besides the Hazard of beinge
lost or spoyled at Sea, doth stande you in as much or more, the Charge of
ffraight and Cask considered, before yt Come Hither, The good Example
of Sr: George Yardley by whom a wind mill hath beene allredy built, and
of mr Thresurer who ys about the Erectinge of a water mill, will wee hope
be greate encouragementℯ to others in a matter of soe greate and generall
vse, The care we haue taken of the Irone Woorkes we referr to bee
reported by mr Thresurer and mr Barkley hime selfe Wee are aboute
the Erectinge of a salte woorke by the helpe of Mr Maurice Barkley who
hath vndertaken the oversight therof, and ys a man that hath very good
skill therin, and miles Prickett whom you haue sent to yt purpose ys to
be ymployed vnder him Pitch and Tarr we are in doupt will never
proue staple Comodities in the Countrey by reasone yt the Trees (for
ought yt we cann yett vnderstand), doe grow soe dispersedlie as they are
nott woorth the fetchinge togeather Sope Ashes and P * * * heer
after proue a good Comoditie, but there are required towards that woor[k]
* * * hands and at soe Cheape a rate, as cannot yett possiblely bee
affourded in * * * Wee haue sent you a Sample of yt wch wee take
to bee the trew Silke gra[see] * * * by mr Harryott in Sr. walter
Rauleighs Vioage, and wee are inform[ed] * * * grow farr larger and
fayrer in many places then ye Sample wch * * * as mr Pory who
found yt owte in his late Vioage of discoverie * * * and after, wch
yt ys our purpose seriouslie to make further inquirie * * * By the
Consent of the last generall Assemblie, there ys a large Contribu[tion]
* * * to be vnder written, for the buildinge of a howse of Entertain-
ment at James [Cyttie] and therfore wee doe earnestlie desire yt you would
bee plesed to sende over [some] * * * of Carpenters, Brickmakers
and Bricklayrs, of wch vsefull trades there ys [a] very great want, and for
whose labour wee wilbe content to paye after a good rate,

[2a] Touchinge the p̳ceeding of Capt Nortons and the Italians, mr Thres-
urer hath p̳mised to giue you p̱ticuler Avertisment, The booke wch you
haue been pleased to Comend vnto us hath nott yett beene redd over by
everyone of the Counsell, butt by as many as haue redd it is very much
distasted for the bitternes of the Language

Yt is noe smale encoragement vnto us, that the Right Honable͠ the Earle of
Pembrooke hath vouchsafed to caste a favorable eye vppon the Southerne
Colonie, who shall comande from us our beste endevours in chusinge out
for his Lorp; and his Assocyates the most Comodious seate that may bee

There arived heere about the 22th[287] of Nouember a shipp from mr Gookine
out of Ireland wholy vppon his owne Adventure, wthoute any relatione at
all to his contract wth you in England wch was soe well furnished wth all
sortes of p̳visione, aswell as wth Cattle, as wee could wishe all men would
follow theire example, hee hath also brought wth him aboute 50 more
vppõ that Adventure besides some 30 other Passengers, wee haue Ac-
cordinge to their desire seated them at Newports news, and we doe con-
ceaue great hope (yf the Irish Plantacone p̳sper) yt frome Ireland greate
multitudes of People wilbe like to come hither.

Wee doe humblie entreate you to goe on wth your purpose of sendinge over
of Shipwryghtes, who for this Colonie yt is yett seated one the rivers side,
wilbe heere, men of singuler vse for the buildinge of Shipps Pynnaces and

smale Vessells, wthout the wch wee [can] neyther well p̳secute our dis-
coverie and seakinge of Trade wth our neighbours or Transporte eyther
our selves or our Goodes from one place to another.

Wee haue heerin closed sent you a p̳iect of Capt Newces wch yf you shalbe
pleased to take likinge of, yt is thought heere will yeelde you, a more
certaine p̳ffitt then your Tenantes to halfes, wch beinge p̳posed to the
generall Assemblie, was by them very well approved of; we haue vppon
his Peticione and deepe p̳testacione (yt he is vtterlie ignorant in the busines
of the Sawinge mills) sent home the dutchmans sonne who cam over hither
onely for the Comforte of his father, and the rather to discharge you of
the payinge of unnecessary wages.

Mr Powntis hath had some conferens wth ye mr of the Irish shipp a dutch-
man whose name ys Cornelius Iohnson, of Horne in hollande, who is soe
farr in love wth this Countrey as he intendeth to retorne hither, wthin this
Twelve moneth, and of him selfe offered to p̳cure and bringe over a fitt
mr workman, to builde Sawinge millℯ heere wch shall goe wth the winde,
of wch you may bee pleased to enquire fourther, yf you thinke good, wch
wee desire they may undertake themselves, by wch Course, you shall run
noe hassarde, but yf it p̳ved well, you may take yr Advantage of theire
Example. Thus desiringe you to beleiue yt wee will vnanimouslie joine
to the vttmost of our powers for the Advancement of the Colonie, of ye
future p̳speritie whereof, wee conceaue the greater hope, by how much yt
hath pleased God to blesse this Colonie, wth much better health then
formerlie, we most humblie take our leeves, and remaine at your Comaunde,