Manchester Papers, Nos. 348, 347
Document in Public Record Office, London
List of Records No. 440
[No. 348.] Disorders in the Company and Colony in the 4 last yeares
§4§ 1
The transporting of great multitudes of people to Virg. wthout
sufficien[t] of hou p̳vision §of victualls to feed them or§ of houses to enter-
taine them at their ariuall and it is mortall for new comers to ly of the
ground.
§5§ 2
The shortness of provision for food wch the Company & priuate
Aduenturrℯ haue sent wth their Tenants wch was onely a smal quantity of
meal sufficient to feed them for 6 monethes for the most p̱t
§6§ 3
The chaingeing of those p̳visions by the officers who gaue them
Virginia corne instead thereof in exchainge, the beating whereof being
exceeding painfull togeather wth the bareness & suddaine chainge of dyett
(they haueing nothing but that and water) brought them into ffluxe.
§7§ 4
The badness of the p̳visions for food especially the meale being so
meane and base, that the officers in Virg. made great complaints of a good
§great§ part thereof, wch was sent ouer in the Abigale about 2 years since,
and the Comittee that p̳vided this meale was buyer & seller.
§8§ 5
The pestring of ships wth such a multitude of passengers & store of
goods in the heat of Sum̄er by wch means and the ea short allowance of
food to the passengers they land half starued and bring wth them their
owne deaths and infect others in the Country
§9§ 6
In less then 3 yeares their dyed about 3600 §3000§ p̱sons in Virg. *
for wch mortality noe other cause hath yet been shewed but the want of
houses, pestring of ships, shortness & badness of food seing that about that
number there by computac̃on of the lists sent hence, hither near so many
§*were dead be-
fore the massacre§
[2] 7.
The excessiue prices the m9chaunts vends his tobacco §Comodityes§
at, for instance Corne this yeare, being was sould for 80ɫi of tobacco the
qrter §for xijli the hogh̴d, and the planters being most of them Tenants at
halues, and by order from hence not to plant but 100 wt of tobacco a man;
he for twelue moneths bread payes abo 2 years labor, and for cloths and
tooles, he hath not wherewth to furnish himself.[173]
8
The seldome advice we haue from Virg for that from June till the end of
March there is almost no exact notice giuen of the state of the Colony,
and for want of frequent corospondencye wth between the Comp̃ and
Colony disorders infinitly increase[174]
9
The Exhausting of the publiq̢ stock by stateing of §officers§ places wth
excessiue p̳porc̃on of tenants, whereby the Company is brought into great
debt and they not at all pleased, for some desyer to liue vpon ffees & all
desyer to haue their tenants chainged into penc̃ons[175]
10
The many wilde & vast p̳jects set on foot all at one time, viz 3 Iron works,
saw mills, planting of silkgrass, vines, mulbury trees potashes pitch tarr
and salt &c all wch were enjoyned to be effected in the space of 2 years,
by a handfull of men that were not able to build houses, plant corne to
lodge & feed themseluess & so came to nothing[176]
[3] 11
The large p̳porc̃on of 50 acres etc.[177]
§13
The great bridge at James Cittie etc.[178]
12
By reason of these two p̳ceding courses etc.[179]
§14§ 13
The double & contradictory ɫres that come from thence hither, the
publique ɫres speak for the most p̱t all good § & p̳miss aboundance of all
things§the private ɫres craueing large supplyes so that it is conceiued the
publi§ ɫres are written [4] by appoyntment ad faciendum populum wch
haue p̳duced bitter effects for thereby many hath §haue§ ben allured to goe
ouer very meanly provided wch increaseth the mizerye of the Plantac̃on,
and this evidentlye app̱s by the contradiccon between the Publiq̢ ɫres and
the priuate lately sent ou9 in the Abigal & now in the hands of yor honble͠
Comrs[180]
14
The spreading falce rumours etc.[181]
15
The remoueing of the old planters etc.[182]
16
The improvidence in the Planter etc.[183]
The excessiue drinking wines and hot waters keeps downe the growth of
the Plantac̃on for that in one [5] week they spend more in drink than they
get in 6 moneths∥ ∥The great neglect∥ A strange improuidence∥ of the
Company here in sending so few Cattle etc.∥ ∥[184]
§17§ 18
The want of lawes whereby to be gou9ned etc.[185]
∥ 18
The want of experienced and skillfull officers∥ etc.[186]
Disorders in the Company.
[No. 347.] §10§ 11
The excessive prizes of the Comodityes sent from
hence by way of marchandize. Ffor Instance, Corne this yeare sold to
the Collonie for 12[195] the hogshead or 80[195] of Tobacco, and the Planters
being most of them Tenantℯ at halues, and by order from hence to plant
but 100 waight of Tob: for eu9ie man, he for 12 monethes bread payes 2
yeares labour, and for Clothes tooles and other necessaries he hath nothing
left wherwith to furnish himselfe and so becometh vnsupportablie miserable.
§11§ 12
The seldome aduice we haue from Virginia, for that from vsuallie
from June till th' end of March there is no exact notice giuen of the state
of the Collonie so that for want of frequent Correspondence between the
Companie and Collonie, disorders doe in infinetly increase.
§12§ 13
The exhausting of the publique, of §profit wch should accrew to
the§ stocke and benifit that should grow to the Company by stateing of
new Officers in W Vi the Collonie with excessiue proporc̃on of Tenantℯ
Whereby the Companie is brought into great debt, and they not at all
pleased, for some desire to lyue vpon fees, and all desire to haue their
Tenantℯ changed into Penc̃ons.
[2] §13§ §14§ 13
The manie wild and vast proiectℯ, set on foote all at
one time, vizt 3 Iron Workes, saw mills planting of Silkegrasse, Vines,
Mulberry trees &c. all wch were inioyned to be effected in the space of
2 yeares, by a handfull of men that were not able to build houses, and plant
Corne to lodge and feed themselues, and so came to nothing
§14§ §15§ 14.
The large proporc̃on of 50 ac9 of land allotted to eu9ie
Person that was shipped to Virginia being by order of Court presentlie to
be set out, hath bred a vastac̃on there, and the old Planters leaueing their
habitac̃ons in Townes had likewise verie large Diuidentℯ set out by wch
Cou[r]ses the best and most habitable places lye vnmanned the Townes
almost vn §a§bandoned, and the Plantac̃ons §farre§ seu9ed and therby
extreamelie weakened. this mischeife being increased by a Clause inserted
in eu9ie Pattent, that they shall not inhabite within 5 miles of the prin-
cipall seate of anie English formerlie planted.
§15§ §16§ 15
By reason of theis two p̱ceding Courses the Gou9nour §Sr
Geo: Yardly§ was forced to make a dishonorable peace with the Natiues,
leaueing vnreuenged the death of some of or people barbarouslie murdered
by the Virginians, and the strength of the Collonie at a most vnseasonable
time diuided into so manie small bodyes that it did euen invite the Sauages
to execute the late [3] horrid Massacre.
§16§ §17§ 16
The great bridge at James Cittie in Sr Tho: Smithes tyme at
a great Charge erected for landing of goodℯ and safetie of mens liues being
now decayed and broken downe hath brought much damage and occa-
sioned much sicknes in the Collonie.
§17§ §18§ 17
The fortℯ formerlie built haue likewise to the great preiudice
of the Collonie beene demolished the Ordnance become vnseruiceable and
generallie all the publique Workℯ with great Care and Charge dureing
Sr Tho: Smithes Gou9nment erected are become ruynous.
18 §19§ 18
Double and Contradictorie ɫres often come from the Cheife
officers of the Collonie to the Companie hither by whose procurement it is
desired may be examined the publique ɫres speakeing for the most part all
good, and giueing assurance of aboundance and prosp̱ite when as the priuate
letters from §of§ the same Persons Craue large Supplies, and declares much
miserie, as was euidentlie to be seene by the last ɫres that Came into the
handℯ of the Comrs: wch practise hath procured bitter effectℯ, manie
haueing beene thereby allured to goe ou9 verie meanelie prouided with an
seduced by with the hope onelie of an imaginarie plenty.
[4] §19§ §20§ 19
The like mischeife hath ensued by spreading false Rumors,
and publishing of ɫres bookℯ & balladℯ of the plentie §of prouisions§ and
happie estate of the Plantac̃on, wch was most vnseasonablie put in
practise this last lent when the Collonie was in most extreame miserie.
§20§ §21§ 20
Remoueing of the old Planters from their habitac̃ons and
Cultivated landℯ and places of securitie, whereby manie of them were
extreamelie impou9ished and manie p̱ished in the late massacre.
§21§ §22§ 21
The §Couetousnes &§ Improuidence of the Officers and
Planters in Virginia who aymeing onelie at profit by planting of Tobacco
haue suffred Tillage to decay, neglected the planting of Corne, and forsak-
ing the more healthfull partℯ of the Countrie, set themselues downe vpon
such groundℯ as are vnfittest to plant Tobacco.
§22§ §23§ 22
A strange improuidence of the Countrie §Companie§ here
of in sending so few Cattle within theis 4 yeares there not being 200 in all
sent for aboue 4000 Persons wch in that tyme haue beene transported
thither
§23§ §24§ 23
As wee haue in that tyme abounded The want of ex-
perienced and skilfull officers and Comanders to gou9ne th'affaires of the
Collonie and the Conferring of those places for fauour freindship and
alliance is Conceiued to be an [5] inexcusable Errour and a maine Cause of
the late massacre, and §of the§ miserie hapned §to§ the plantac̃on as
also th'arming of the Sauages with weapons and teaching them the vse of
gunnes.§24§ §25§ 24
As R ther is a Redundance of lawes to gou9ne the Companie
here so ther is a Just Cause of Complaint for want of lawes whereby to
gou9ne the Collonie there, for though the Planters 3 yeares since in a
Parliamentarie fashion were assembled and made lawes to gou9ne them-
selues yet haue they not beene Confirmed here, and the Councell in Virginia
gaue if for a Reason that they make no new lawes because those form9lie
made are not yet here ratified or disallowed.
§25§ §26§ 25
The lawes that are made for Gou9nment of the Companie
here are manie and set downe with an affected breuitie and in §so§ am-
biguous tearmes that they are thereby subiect to seu9all interpretac̃ons
Wherby manie differences arise in the Companie, and Sr Edw: Sandys the
Compiler of theis lawes (being ther liue §liueing§ liveing Com̄ent) vsuallie
takes vpon him to expound the sence, yet §and§ by his wrested glosses
doth often Corrupt the Text notwithstanding his definitiue sentence is
Comonly receiued as an oracle.
∥Disorders in the
Company disord∥
[6] §27§ 26 §26§
Hence followeth the Eludeing, makeing, breaking and
nullifying lawes and orders by acute distinctions, metaphisicall Reasons,
and transcendent authoritie after a supreame and Parliamentarie manner
some particulers whereof are readie to be showen.
§27§ §28§ 27
The vnlimited authoritie that is giuen by those lawes to the
Thrēr and Deputie, as by the particulers readie to be showen may appeare.
law: 3. 4. 8. 13.
24. 25. 27. 30. 35.
36. 37. 42. 43. 46.
50. 51. 54.
§28§ §29§ 28
To wch may be added the law Comonlie Called the Pistorian
law because first proposed by a baker, mo directlie Contrarie (as is Con-
ceiued) to the ɫres Pattentℯ and tending to facc̃on and disorder as by
th'euent thereof alreadie hath appeared.
§29§ §30§ 29
bitter asperc̃ons vpon men that haue gou9ned the Companie
or that §& their freindℯ and vpon such as§ haue opposed the late pernicious
Contract and Salarie it haueing beene a Comon practise with some of them
to grace and Collour their owne proceedinges by disgraceing and Calum-
niateing of others wch hath occasioned most of all the auncient Adventurers
wch were most §best§ Conv9sant in the affaires of the Plantac̃on to leaue
and desert the buisines.[7] §30§ §31§ 30
The Concealing and The often neglect and litle regard
showed to his matℯ most gracious Adu9tisemtℯ and directions for Choice of
Officers agreeable to his Princelie pleasure and likeinge; and for better
ordering of and Composeing of th'affaires of the waightie buisinesses of
that Plantac̃on
§31§ §32§ 31
The Concealing and suppressing of a Petic̃on sent into the
name of the whole Plantac̃on in Virginia and directed to his most excell
excellent Matye, contrarie (as is Conceiued) to their dutie and oath.
§32§ §33§ 32
The contriueing prosequuting and with violence mantayning
for the particuler lucre and gaine of some few Persons (especiallie of
Sr Edw: Sandys, and Mr Ffarrar) the late Contract and exorbitant Sallarie
tending to the ruyne of the Plantac̃on wh wch hath occasioned infinite
Contenc̃ons, breaches §Rentℯ§ & diuisions in the Companie
33 §34§ 33
Partiall and malitious setting downe of Courtℯ graceing whom
they fauour and disgraceing others.
34 §35§ 34
Packing of Courtℯ by turning ou9 shares to their freindℯ and
Confidence§tℯ§ to Composse their private Endℯ, & theis serue onelie to
fill the house, and to spread their §some mens§ praises §and other mens
disgraces§ but aduenture litle or nothing.
[8] §35§ §36§ 35
Putting §stet§ thingℯ to question in vndue §stet§ times
§& manner§ prorogueing of the Court till 9. 10. or 11 of the Clocke §at
night§ reseruing the wightest buisines till the riseing of the Court by§
§stet§ putting thingℯ to question in vndue tymes as also in vndue and
intricate mann9 by§ putting the Negatiue before th'affirmatiue proposic̃on,
by threatℯ that men shall answeare buisines before great Lordℯ, by
partiall Sumons§ing§ of their P freindℯ and by assembling great Persons
in awfull Reu9ence of whose presence §strangers to be spectators and hearers
and so to see spreade§ men forbeare to speake, by wch §& such like§
Artificers latelie practised in the Companie the libertie of the Adventurers
is inthralled and all matters are mannaged at the will of a few.
§36§ §37§ 36
The Continewance of the Deputes place betweene the 2
Ffarrars who yeald Accompt of all buisines to their sup̱intendent Sr Edw:
Sandys.
§37§ §38§ 37
Preparing accusations and scandalous reproches against not
only against ordinary Aduenturers, but euen against men of the cheife
ranck and qualitie by some few and that then publishing them in the name
of the Counsell and Companye that is to say of §p̱sons§ unknowne p̱sons
§38§ §39§ 38
Inviting of strangers yea of women to be present in a latticed
gallerye wch lookes into the place where the Courts theis last 4 yeares haue
ben kept §there§ to be spectators of their courses and hearers of their
calumnies &c to th'end the rumor thereof might be more generally spread.
∥ §39§ §40§ 39
∥ As for matters of §the Accompts for their last 4 yeares: they
are desired they may be veiwed and examined by some who on the behalf
of the Company are willing in this vacation to take paynes therein: the
generall exception that is taken in that point is that they are audited onlie
by a very few p̱ticular freindℯ and confidents, and euen as is doubted by
some who are themselues interessed therein and there is a p̱ticular com-
plaint putt in by some of th'Aduenturers in Southampton Hundred, that
whereas very good Som̄s vzt. about 6 or 7 thowsand poundℯ haue ben payed
in for that plantac̃on and §to Sr Ed: Sandys§ no Accomptℯ at all thereof
§haue ben§ giuen as likewise of the moneyes brought in vppon the collec-
tion of p̱ishes and by other meanes for pious and publiqu[e] vses: and wch is
worse th'uses for wch they were brought in and collected altogether
vneffected. Thus∥
