LVII. Sandys, Harwood, Worselnham, Riche, Johnson. Draft
of a Report of a Committee of the Virginia Company
April 27, 1619
Manchester Papers, No. 245
Document in Public Record Office, London
List of Records No. 105
At the meetinge of ye Comittees §27 Aprill 1619§ appointed for the settinge
downe the seuerall offices belonging to the Virginia Companye by
an order of Court of the 26 of this p̢ñt Aprill 1619
| Sr Ed. Sandys |
Sr Na. Riche |
| Sr Ed. Harwood |
Mr Alderman Johnson |
| Sr Jo. Worselnham |
|
The seuerall Officers, whose offices we conceiue fitt to be particularized,
are these.
The Treasuror, the Deputie, the Counsell, the Com̃ittees the Auditors,
the Secretarye, the Booke Keeper for Accompts, the Husband, and the
Bedle. There is also a Cashyer who is im̃ediatly the Treasurors seruant
and by him chosen howsoeuer as yet the companye hath giuen him a
yearelie Salary of 40
li p̱ Añ.
The Treasuror in regard of his Office we conceaue to be of a double
Capacitie, 1 as Gouernour, 2ly as Treasuror. [2][127]
[3] To giue order for callinge §keepinge§ of Courts & in particular often
to assemble his Counsell whom he is first of all to regard yt there be none
of them who shall not be sworne, to keepe §stet§ §appoint§ §Re§ ye
ordinary Courts, and to assemble extraordinary as occasion shall serue
In all wch assemblyes himselfe shalbe§le§ hould the place of President and
Moderator
§y
t no man may
be present when
anything is treat-
ed of w
ch con-
cernes thimselfe§
He shall haue §only§ a castinge voyce
All propositions made by any member of ye Companye he shall either
putte to ye question, or if theyr be any opposition then shall the first
dem̃ first question be vnderstand the mynd of ye Court by dem̃andinge
of them whither it shalbe putt to the question or no, and as ye greater
part shalbe so shall he proceed: And if he refuse to loose his office and be
made vncapable for euer after & then ye depute to doe it if he refuse to
loose his place & any of ye Counsell to doe it.
To assemble ye Counsell vpon all weightie occasions to doe his best yt
fitt men be chosen, yt they take theyr oath, yt by their aduise ye LLs of
ye §priuy§ Counsell b may be acquainted with businesses of major great
§est§ importance, such especially as concerne ye state in generall.
§ye Com̃ittees to
take Accompt oi
[130]
Husband whose
Accompt§
To assemble ye Com̃ittees
That
To haue care yt fitt Com̃ittees accordinge to ye Contents of ye ɫrs Patents
be chosen and sworne. and keep theyr Courts as occasion requires.
That ye Treas. shall aske an Accompt to be rendred in open Court by all
Com̃ittees wch shalbe vpon particular occasions designed.
That he may if he will be present at ye meetinge of any Com̃ittee, prouided
it concerne not himselfe.
He shall suffer no Patent to pass wch hath not ben first consydered of
and examyned by a particular select Com̃ittee and ye same reported to ye
Court vnder theyr hand.
[4] As Treas:
he is to stand charged with ye publick Treas. of ye Companye and to be
carefull to call in all moneyes and debts wch are due due payable by or due
to ye Company
Not to issue it but by warrant such as ye Court shall allow of.
To yeald vp his §a true & p̱fect§ Accompt of course once euery §at thend
of his§ yeare wch §Accompt§ shalbee appointed ye Wedsonday fortnight
before ye day of yearely elecc̃on of Officers appointed by ye Irs Patents
§presented to ye Auditors to be by them examyned 14 dayes before§ &
vpon all occasions being demande §required§ by ye Auditors or Counsell
to shew ye state of ye Cash, w that is to say what moneyes haue ben
receaued, payd and rem9.
That he shalbe particularly sworne to bring yeald a iust and true Accompt.
In regard ye lotteryes are determyned and so ye Cash like to be little
The reward of ye Cashier to be referred to ye Qua last qr Court §which§
vpon ye delyuerie §passing§ vp of ye Treas. Accompt shall giue order of a
reward conuenient to ye paynes wch it shall appeare ye sayd Cashier hath
taken for yt yeare.
It was conceaued in generall that all Office ye Gouernor and Deputie doe
not contynew in his place and office for aboue 3 yeares.
& that for these reasons. 1 yt ye burthen thereof may not alwayes rest
vpon 2: for yt it may be done without touch or imputation to any yt
haue hold those places. 3. to auoyd too much dependanc 4 to breed
§vp§ more men fitt for ye place.
[5]
The Deputie
In ye Treas. absence to p̱forme his office for §all§ matters of Court &
Counsell §wch doe concerne ye Treas. as Gouernor§ & in his presence to
assist him.
That ye Deputie shall ouersee ye Secretarye, yt §& cause him to enter§
ye orders & resolutions of ye Court may be entered accordinge to §as§ ye
ffo shalbe agreed by ye §in [pri]vy§ Court and see that ye sayd Bookes be
fayrely engroced §yt§ all letters to & from ye Companye to be registred
and to endite §see yt§ such letters as shalbe ordered by ye Court for ye
publick may be endited drawne and prepared for ye Court.
Generally to ouersee all inferior officers ytei p̱forme theyr dutyes.
The Deputye to haue a speciall charge of ye Com̃ittees
To keep the Court of Com̃ittees §vpon all occasions§
To suffer no warrants to be made and signed for issuinge of monye but
in ye open Court of Com̃ittees after examinac̃on of ye cause.
The Counsell and Com̃ittees
That a Register of ye Counsell be kept and read euery qr Court, that
they may be required to attend, and if there be any want, then to be
supplyed of §with§ such men of abilitye qualitye & sufficiencye as will
attend yt service: That they may be warned all to come and take theyr
Oathes or els to be discharged §and theyr cheife care shalbe together wth
ye Treas. or his Deputie to make orders and lawes for ye well ordering of
ye Company her[e] & ye Colonyes there in Virginia.§
The Com̃ittees
That euery yeare 6 new, shalbe chosen, & 6 of ye old putt out §dismissed§.
To deale in all businesses of buying & selling for ye Company for hyringe
and furnishinge of shipps that are for inployed for ye Companye and
prouidinge of all necessaryes &c. to be sent thither & §to§ regardinge
the bestowinge & safe keepinge of such Com̃odityes as shalbe retourned
to be layd vp where ye Company shall appoint.
In generall faythfully to p̱forme such things as shalbe com̃itted to them
by ye Gouernor Deputy & Companye.
That they be carefull to appoint 2 or 3 at least among themselues who
may shall alwayes be present at ye buying of all prouisions for ye Com-
pany by ye Husb. & yt no prices be agreed vpon without such consent &c.
[6]
for ye Auditors
It is referred to Sr Ed: Sandys to propound such rules as he holds fitt to
be obserued in ye execution of that office, for yt he hath ben long acquainted
with it &c.
The Booke Keeper
The Secretary
This is referred to ye an order of Court already made for yt purpose wch
is to morrow to be presented to ye Lls. and if occasion be to add or change.
Wages p̱ Añ
| Secretary |
20li |
| Beadle |
40li |
| Husband |
50li |
| Bookekeep |
50 |
The Booke Keeper
We thinke fitt to lett this office rest as hitherto he hathe done only
this p̢nt Officer to be enioynd forthwith to attend ye Auditors wth all
his Accomptℯ
The Auditors §booke keeper§ shall receaue his charge from ye Auditors and
receaue Salarye at ye yeares end as ye Auditors shall find his paynes to
deserve. This officer to be sworne to deale iustly and truly in his place,
to conceale nothinge yt may serue for ye clearing of ye Accompts.
The Husband beeing sworne
Is to be directed in his office by ye Treas. Dep. and §standinge§ Com̃ittees to keepe his Accompts exactly & to bring then in first to be allowed by
ye Dep. and Com̃ittees or vnder ye hands of 3 or more of them, and then to be examyned and reported §presented§ to ye Court by ye Auditors
The Beadle
The Hu
The Beadle
To be at Comd of Tres. Dep. & Courts
Generall consyderac̃ons
1.
That all officers be sworne.
2
That at ye yeares end euery officer shall giue an Accompt of his office, [and][132]
either by word or in writinge §the Treas. shall delyuer ye state of
ye plantac̃on & the Auditors ye stat of ye Cash & Accompts§ and hau-
inge so done he shall withdrawe §t§hi§e§ mselfe§s§ tyll himselfe or a new
be chosen
200 Tun of Cloves
at 6
d a po. 200
Nut at y
t rate
[
a]re together
240000
d̴3
That Treas. and Deputy §here§ and y. Gouernor and all principall
officers in Virginia to be chosen by ye ballading box & it is thought fitt if
ye LLs consent to prouide one against to morrow.
[7] You shall sweare to be true and faythfull to or Soueraigne L. the King
his heyres and Successors, you shall truly and faythfully performe all
matters belonging to yr office so much as shall lye in yor power vnless you
shall haue a lawfull and iustifieable excuse, or be otherwise dispensed
with by a generall Court. You shall giue vp a true and iust Accompt of
all such moneyes and goods belonging to the Companye, or to the Colonye
of Virginia as shall come to your hands accordinge to the order of the
Company.
You shall practise no hurt or danger to ye Plantation of Virginia nor
§what in you lyes§ suffer it to be done by any other, but shall hynder or
discouer it §to some one or more of ye Councell[134]
§ (to the Gouernor or
Depute) to ye vtmost of yor power So helpe you God.
[Indorsed:] Description of ye p̱ticular dutyes belonging to ye seuerall
officers of the Virginia Companye Ap: 27. 1619
