CCLXXIII. John Martin. How Virginia may be made a Royal
Plantation
December 15, 1622
Additional Manuscripts, 12496, fos. 456–457. (Casear Papers.)
Document in British Museum, London.
List of Records, No. 385.
The manner howe Virginia if his Matie and his Counsell & Company agree
may be made a Royall plantation for gods glory his Maties and Royall
progenyes euer happines and the Companies exceedinge good, & all
this land shall receiue dalye profitt thereby.
That parte of Virginia wthin wch wee are seated and fitt to be settled on for
many hundred yeares: Is wthin the Territories of Opichākano, it lyeth on
the west side of Chesepiocks baye, whoe Com̄aundeth from the Souther-
most parte of the first Riuer, to the Southermost parte of the fourth Riuer
called Patomeck wch lyeth North-next hand to or Riuer som̄e 50 leages in
latitude, In longitude it extendeth to y
e Monakins Countrie next hand west
and west and by North of equall length w
th the latytude: his owne princi-
pall seate is in y
e seacond Riuer called Pamiunkey in the harte of his owne
inhabited territories. This revolted Indian Kinge in his square Co-
m̄aundeth 32 Kingdoms vnd
r him. Euerye Kingdome Contayneinge the
quantitie of one of o
r sheires here in England.
Eauerie such Kingdome hath one especiall towne seated vppon one of the
three greate Riuers wth sufficiencie of cleared ground fitt for the plough
& brauely accomodated for fishinge, These three Riuers navigable and
fitt to Intertayne greate shippinge Soe is the fourth.
Nowe if it shall please his highnes the Counsell and Companie at once so
to ordr that so many sheires in England may send ouer 100 men a peece
to posesse theise 32 sheires as Servantℯ unto them furnished out by them
and liue vndr the Com̄aund of some Noble Generall fitt for so Royall a
plantac̃on. Theis Sheires may in one yeare wth godℯ blessinge haue there
principall stock back agayne, and some advantage to supplie more vnto
them and euer after subsist of them selues, and yearely send ouer good
store of Com̄odities to increase their seuerall sheires wth fresh supplies and
much gayne. And they neuer at further Charge.
Euerie Servant soe goeinge ouer at their Tearme ended to be as tennantℯ
Coppiehouldrs or freehuldrs as shalbe made in their agreemtℯ when they
goe ouer.
Eauerie Sheire in England to make Choise of some worthie gentleman that
his Matie may thinke fitt and the Companie allowe of to be a Deputie
Leiftennant to gouerne these people in their seuerall Sheires.
Those Deputie Leiften̄antℯ to haue other sufficient men vndr them fitt to
be Justices of peace there and other Officers vnder them as here in England.
Euerie Sheire to take notise yt they send so many men as may furnish a
Blom̄arie for the makeinge of Iron, Tanners for the tannyng of leather
Shippurightℯ and weauers the rest husbandmen and all other trades they
can fitt, for in all the Countrie they shall haue Iron Ore & all accom̄adats
for yt buysnes And for Tanners skynnes & hids to tann sufficient, and all
thingℯ fittinge their trade there, as barke, lyme, and fitting tymbr in all
places for fattℯ and other vses.
One furnas to be built at the generall Charge of the Countrie & Companie
here for the castinge of Ordenance, pottℯ, and other necessaries wth a lawe
to be made yt none be carried out of the Countrie ∥land∥ vppon payne of
death and Confiscac̃on of Shippe and goodℯ wthout expresse warrant from
hir Matie or Successors.
Thus those seuerall townes yet not posessed beinge seised on at once, and
this gouermt established before spoken of, This parte of his Maties dominions
there will quickly furnish this land of England wth good store of Iron
Shippinge and infinite other Com̄odities discouered and yet vndiscouered.
Shipps to be built there and their bulkes fylled wth seuerall com̄odities and
sent ouer here to be sould, thereby there will redound an vnspeakable
Com̄oditie, the passage from thence beinge so short.
His Maties Customs beinge there taken, and gathered in before they be
disp̱ced into shipps that vsually alreadie carrie or Com̄odities for the
Straytℯ Spayne Newfoundland and other places, Can not in verie fewe
yeares be lesse worth then 40000ɫi sterlinge yearley, reckoninge it after the
proporc̃on may nowe be wth willingnes yeilded & payd by the Inhabitantℯ
nowe dwellinge alreadie there.
All voluntaries yt will goe ouer vppon their owne Charges wth Com̄ission
from the Company to be equallie devided into theis seuerall sheires, and
their land there to be alloted them by ordr from the Deputie or Generall
to the Deputie leiftennantℯ of euery Sheire.
Thus this parte of the Countrie beinge possessed, it will not onely quite
frustrate and disable the Indians or enymies euer to subsist of them selues,
but force them to haue their dependancie vppon vs, for foode & Clothinge
wch their industrie will well acquite to the whole Kingdome in short space
And all other borderlie Kingdomes seinge their villanyes and trecheries
so rewarded wilbe euer affrayde to enterprise the like against or nation
when it shall so increase that they must stretch further ther possessions
and territories.
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Now it resteth how if it pleaseth God yt this manner of plantation be thus
setled to demonstrate an honble or Noble person that shalbe appointed
Deputie or Generall may be Noblye trasported and there brauely seated
wthout his owne charge or the charge of the Companye.
First to have appointed him by his Maties Counsell and Companie two seates
the first in Opichankanos Island in Pamaunkey river, beinge in the parte
of the most of the 32 Sheires.
The seacond at Okanahone Riuer, where would be fitter to be a plantac̃on
for many reasons I can alledge, then on the Easterne shore as they nowe
are planted.
His Matie to be gratiously pleased to authorize this honble p̱son chosen to
be Deputie or Generall to knight as the Deputie of Ireland doth.
Then theis Deputies Leiftennantℯ to be knighted and the benefitt to
redound to the Deputie or Generall, and all other yt shalbe thought worthie.
An order to be sett downe wch I knowe yt all the Inhabitantℯ allreadie wilbe
willinge to Condiscend vnto, that euerye sheire shall send vnto the Depu-
tie or Generall att such tyme as he shall sett his Corne, weede the same, and
gather it in tenn men for three dayes.
This will turne to Infinite benefitt vnto him and noe damage to the Sheires.
Jhō Martin.
[Indorsed.] 15 Decēb. 1622. The manner howe to make a Royall Planta-
tion it seemeth not improbable.
