CCXXXVIII. Captain John Bargrave. Disclaimer of Opposition
to the Present Management
May 30, 1622
State Papers, C. O. 1, Volume II, No. 7, I
Document in Public Record Office, London. Autograph, Signed
List of Records No. 326
30 May 1622
Whereas by the Right Honorable the Lord Keepers Decree it appeareth;
that Sr Thomas Smythe and the other Defendants, had so sheltered them
selues vnder the name of the Company, that he could not iudge whether
the wrongs that were doon me, were the Companyes Acts, or the Defend-
ants I complayned of: By wch meanes his Lps finding it to be matter of
State, forced me to complayne against the form of Governmt, and to desire
a Commission to examin and certifie the Governmt generally, thereby to
distinguish the Abvsers of the same. Now, So it is: That I doe freely
and voluntarily acknowledge, that my Complaint was grounded vpon the
abvse of the Governm
t as it §was§ ordered in the time of S
r Thomas
Smythe, when taking to himself absolute power of Governing both the
Plantation and the Company according to his will, when no Lawes were
made to prevent faction and packing of Coorts, nor no order kept of
menaging businesses in publique Coorts lawfully assembled, but they were
carryed by private packings: the then Secretary framing, leaving out,
adding and entring the Orders of Coort w
th other Acts that concerned the
Company, as he was guided by the Combiners, for w
ch he was since dis-
placed. No assurance given to the Planter either of his Estate or libertie,
Nor no Orders made to avoyd the engrossing of Trade into few hands,
nor no Course taken to prevent oppression of single Planters or small
Bodies of Adventurers by pluralitie of voyces of great numbers interressed
in any differences. But now finding vpon due examynation these things
rectified, partlie by Lawes established here for the Governm
t of the Com-
pany: and also by Charters and Privileges confirmed to the Colony, w
th
a promise of granting farther Privileges when it shall please his Ma
y to
grant farther authoritie to the Company Of w
ch reformation (beeing now
fully informed): I doe vtterly disclayme from laying any imputation vpon
the Governm
t for these three yeares last past. And doe farther averr,
that in my opinion the Businesse of the Plantation could not have been
menaged w
th more industrie or integritie then during that time it hath
been. In everie of w
ch three yeares, there hath been more doon w
th Ten
or Twelue Thousand pounds, whereof a true Account hath been made
then was before w
th fowre score Thousand pounds spent w
thout account
in Thirteen yeares. And whereas I have written five severall Treatises to
the maintenance of vnitie and peace in Virginia, and to the vniting of the
Governm
t of it to the Soveraigntie of England: I would burn them all
together w
th the hand that writ them, rather then they should be the
meanes to hinder the going forward of so Noble a Worke.
