University of Virginia Library

L. (John) Delbridge (Yeardley). A Letter to Sir Edwin Sandys
[1619]

Noble
Sir, trewly p̱ceiving your constant affection still to remayne towards
me, aswell in the great travaile and paynes you take for defending vp-
houlding and mayntayning my reputation and Creditt, as allso for the
good advise Counsell and directions I doe receave frõ you, with your harty
wishes and prayers for my happy and good p̳ceeding, I may not omitt

ffirst to give thankes vnto God who hath raysed me so worthy a ffreind,
next to retorne to your good selfe all my best and strongest endevors in
ffaythfull Love and service, whereby I may in some measure deserve your
so great kindnes shewed me, meane whille I retorne vnto you vnfayned
thankes, with p̳mise to p̱forme to the vttmost of my strenght and vnder-
standing all things I am required for the publike good, p̳ceeding in this
wayghty worke wch I have by god his p̳vidence now in hand, even with
all the dilligence I can, wherein considering the littell helpe I have for
men of vnderstanding and honesty with willingnes to lend theire helping
hand vnto me, I find great troble and some diffulty, wch I make shift so
well as I can to wade through being in many things by argument opposed
by those by whõ I should be strenghned, the reasons endeed being that
they themselves §some of them§ have bin partakers in Argalls actions, the
rest having fformerly by his p̱swasion sett theire hands to vntruthes are
now vnwilling to give themselves the ly but rather care not yf the whole
publike where overthrowne then theire p̱vate Credit crabt, to be taxed
with indiscretion or dishonesty but this they Smother and Smooth over,
and I am willing to lett pass so the p̱incipall may be p̱fected, and so it
will, and playnly apeare by Testimony vpon oath that Argall hath wrought
Craftily and dishonestly in all his p̳ceedings, and they won with the love
of his good Licour, and fayre p̳testations to be Joyned to sett theire hands
to that wch they cannott now chuse but in theire harts condem [1a] May
it please you to consider it will be alltogether requisite that I should be
assisted with the ffull nomber of 8 Counsellers here being now but six
neither could I tell in all the Land where to Chuse too more to ad to this
nomber, now mr wicham being dead whom the whole Land doth much
miss and lament and Capt West gon for England wohe helpe may easily
be spared, there Remaynes now but the nomber of 4 and those too of
them Capt Powell and Mr Macok dwelling at Charles Hundred 40 miles
frõ James towne it is a very great troble for them vpon all ocations to
come away frõ theire p̢vate workes to attend herevpon the publike, yett
in truth I find thẽ both willing to spare what tyme they can for the publike
espetially Mr Macok who is endeed my Cheife strenght in the ryght all-
though while Capt Argall was heere he did a littell run with the tyme, as
it was his safest Course for endeed, there was no daring to deny what he
would have done, what in p̱ticullar I have done, as I was Comanded by
§my§ Comissions and Instructions, may it please you that I refer you to
the generall letters, what remayneth with as much speed as tyme and
other most needfull ocations will give leave, I meane god willing to p̱fect,
allthough for restitution frõ Capt Argalls goods and Lands to be made
both to the Publike and p̢vate, there is found here at my Coming but
littell to make it good for having that littell tyme to run away frõ the
Collony he Caryed his Cheifest goods with him, leaving only behind him
his Cattell wch is the Cheifest and some other things arysing to no great
valew, but Concerning the publike, espetially for Corne, I will vse all the
care and Industry I can to rayse a stock by way of trade to wch end I
desire some trucking stuff may be sent me, for Cattell I finding I finding[123]
none to remayne to the Collony at my Arivall, I know not as yett how to
rayse that stock, but so soone as I can I will examine more exactly how
every man hath come by his Cattell so yt yf I find any vnlaufully bought
I may restore thẽ to the Publike, there are yett in the possession of Capt
West six Cowes with the encrease wch Capt Argall at his Arivall when he
had served himselfe and those he would, sett apart for my Lord Delawars
vse but my Lorde being dead they had now bin otherwyse to have bin
disposed to the Publike vse, wch I would have done but that Capt West
assureth me that my Lady Delavar hath allready gotten a grant of thẽ
ffrõ the Company, wch till I heare frõ you I lett them remayne in his pos-
session, being no whitt the farther yf the Company shall thinke fitt either
to Mr Wodall or otherwise to dispose of thẽ

[2a] I find that we * * * Smyths Hundred are alltogether destitute
of Cowes therefore I sho[ul]d be glad you would take order we may be
furnished with those, and more I hope you have, p̳vided that we may
buy of thẽ that are coming in the Shipp, for oxen of those that remayne
here to the Collony I entend about Michallmas to take as many as will
sett vp 3 ploughs at Smythes Hundred, for we have there great store of
good Cleered grounds, this yeare both before and since my coming in
hath bin a very great drought, so yt I cannott expect much tobako our
Cheifest care must be for Corne, whereof I hope the next yeare to send
you word of plenty, I am sory that I shall not this yeare send home tobako
as I well hoped to have done, what I fayle this yeare I doubt not but to
make good the next, when I shall have the whole winter before hand to
dispose, and order the men, yett I confes the care Charge and troble of

the Publike buisines doth much hinder me and keepe me frõ looking after
that of Smyths Hundred, where I wish to be p̢sent oftner then my occa-
tions will suffer me. agayne, I want some experienced men for officers and
Baylyes to direct the workes in my absence, for lack whereof there are
many things canot goe well foreward when I am away—and to say truth
it would desire my p̢sence there alltogether and I could be well content,
so yt the publike were otherwise by gods apoyntmen well p̳vided for, to
spend my tyme wholly in that employment. There hath lately hapened
a misfortune done by him who Comanded there Mr Eps whõ I found
cheife in the buisines at my coming Mr Haull and Mr Neman being dead,
Mr Eps being a hopefull yong gentellman I constituted Captayne over the
people and Comitted the buisines wholly to his disposing in my absence
and as he should receave directions frõ me, but so it fell out one the 30th
§of§ may last that one Capt. Stalling employed hether by Sir ffardinando
Gorge, Coming to Smythes Hundred some difference ffell betweene thẽ
and drunkennes wch of late hath bin to Common stiring them farther to
malice and blowes, so that Epps lett drive at Stalling and with his sworde
but scaberd and all, yett the blow was so fforcible that he Cleft him to
the scull and next day he died thereon, this matter is not yett tryed in
regard I have bin trobled with these buisinesses of Capt Argalls, in the
meane he is Committed to the Provost Mareshalls, and in his stead I have
entreated [2b] Capt Graves and Antient officer of this Co[mpa]ny to take
Charge of the people and workes my selfe as occassion will p̱mitt making
a step thether, I am sory for Capt Epps in Regard he is a proper yong
man, and Recomended to me by Sir Nicholas Tuston for whose sake I
desired to doe him all the ffurtherance I could, and I hope yett yf he be
Cleared with his lyfe of this matter he may by god his grace repent and
become a good member of that Plantation, wherein I shall be willing to
Instruct him, Stalling his Shipp being maymed before he died lyeth now
like a wrack vpon the shoare and yf I doe not vse some speedy course to
trim hir she will be for ever vnserviteable, but therein I entend to doe
the Owner a pleasure, yf it Shall stand with your good liking I should be
glad Sir ffardinando had content for hir, and that I myght Employ hir
here to trade for Smyths Hundred, herein yf you send your resolution
by the next retorne after I see hir trymed I shall be able to say what she
is worth, Sir I vnderstand by §a letter§ I receaved frõ you of Capt Lawne,
that some of the Company tooke it ill I putt into Dartmouth, but therein
I may be very well excused being resolved to put in to some place of the
West Country to make vp the nomber of the men and to certify you
thereof with other reasons Wch myght have hapened to any of the excepters
but theire malitious harts are herein more seene, that any way I can be
Justly taxed, for those my ffreinds that wisht me me[124] so well, that they
would have bought the wine yf so to have bin sould my Love and service
shall allway be ready to requite those theire good wishes, for those wch
are Jelous about my touching there being p̱swaded by some neere §me§ I
cleere them of that doubt, allthough in some other matters they may
doubt, but for my Capitall Enimy I hope I shall by the mercy of god
stand Cleare of him his ends being evill mine good, for the generall con-
ceite that I will either be slack or misled or in any respect hindred in the
orders given §me§ for the reformation and restitution of all matters, they
Judge amiss of me, yett endeed as it is ffallen out, Capt Argall being gon
with his Ritches I am destitute in the greatest to make restitution yett
for restoring the Publike stock of Corne I will doe my best, and for resti-
tution of all damages there remaynes at the stake only his Cattell the
nomber whereof the Lyst will shew you, and a few other goods whereof
allso I have sent an Inventory
[Indorsed] Delbridg to Sr Edw Sandes.