 | The records of the Virginia Company of London |  |
A Court helde for Virginia on Satterday
YE 24th of May — 1623.
| Right Honob | Lord Cauendish. |
| Lord Lawarre. | |
| Lord Paget. | |
| Sr Edward Sackuill. |
[Blank space for names of members attending.]
Mr Deputy signified that hee callinge this extraordinary Court was
vppon a ɫre from his Matie: dyrected vnto the Tr̃er Counsell & Com-
pany wch the Earle of Southampton havinge read had Deliuered vnto
him, himselfe by reason of extraordinary occasions beinge forced to
be absent The Coppie of the Letter here ensueth.
Iames Rex:[163]
of pernitious consequence to the Plantac̃on of Virginia (the good wherof wee
haue ever soe much affected) by sundry disorders and abuses crept of late into
the Courts & other assemblies held for that Companie, & haveinge to that pur-
pose dyrected now a Comission vnder the great Seale of England for ye
examyninge of those abuses and all other miscarriages in that Govermt since
the first begininge therof, Wee haue in our wisedome thought fitt as a Prepar-
ative to ye Reformac̃on wee intend, to signifie hereby our pleasure and expresse
Comaundemt vnto you, That no man of what degree or quallytie soever shall
com to those Courts or Com̃ittees of yor Compa: who besides his ffreedome and
Land hath not some men now or lately planted vppon his shares, or that is not
att this instant engaged (& accordingly pursues) the sendinge of men or supplies
thither by the next shippinge; Att wch meetings if any other shall p̢sume to
be p̢sent they are to be p̳ceeded against as factious and seditious p̱sons: And
our pleasure is yt this Comaund shall continue vntill the returne of the Comis-
forbid, that any Complaints be brought to the Comissioners against any man
in ye name of the Counsell or Company, (as wee doe in like manner require the
Comissioners not to meddle wth any such) because yt course tends onely to
Defamac̃on and to raise more contenc̃on, for nothinge [318] can be the Act of
ye Company wch is not first openly Debated and resolved; Wherin forasmuch
as wee vnderstand the Lords of our Counsell haue given express order that no
matters of difference should be any more stirred there, and soe by that means
to bringe matters Determyned by ye Counsell and Company to the Comissioners
iudgmts wch were to preoccupate the Comissioners Iudgmentℯ or else to oppose
the Act and opynion of the Com̃issioners to ye Act of the Counsell & Company
Our will and pleasure therefore is yt whatsoever hee or they be that will Com-
plaine of any man, either for publiq̢ wronge to the Company or pryvate iniu-
ries to himselfe, they shall bring their Complaints in writinge subscribed wth
their names to ye Comissioners, who shall receive answere therof in writinge
and therevppon p̳ceed as they shall see cause: In all wch wee doe assure our
selves to finde that conformitie from you, wch in duety you owe to our
Comaundemts, & wch vndoubtedlie wee shall expect att yor hands; Given
vnder our Signett att our Court att Greenwich ye 18 of May 1623 In the one
and Twentieth yeare of our Raigne of great Brittaine, ffraunce & Ireland.
The letter beinge read itt was generally agreed yt in obedience to his
Mats: Comaund they would keep no more Courtℯ vntill they further
vnderstood his gratious pleasure concerninge ye two pointes therin
conteyned, wch after they had wth much reverence and duty maturely
considered of the Court besought the Lo: Pagett and Sr Edward
Sackuill to drawe vpp an Humble Petic̃on to his Maty: wch they accord-
inglie did and bringinge itt into the Court itt was ordered to be
p̢sented to his Matie: together wth the reasonns of ye Courte ye Drawinge
of wch into forme maynteyninge the substance of what had been
deliuered in Court, was referred to the Lo Pagett and Sr Edward
Sackuill who pleased to vndertake itt And for ye delivery both of the
reasonns and Petic̃on the Court havinge had experience of his Honobl͠
love and affecc̃on to the Company and Plantac̃ons, besought my Lord
to entreat mr Chancellor of the Dutchy to perform this good Office
for them wch not doubtinge butt yt hee would accept, mr Georg Scott
mr Zouch and mr Bennett were desyred to attend on mr Chancellor
wth the Petic̃on and reasonns the day followinge att Courte.[164]
| The records of the Virginia Company of London | |