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At a Virginia Court on Munday ye 9th of Ivne 1623
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

436

At a Virginia Court on Munday ye 9th of Ivne
1623

Present
Right Honobl͠:

                                             
Lo Cauendish.  Sr Iohn Dauers. 
Lo De Lawarr.  Sr Iohn Ogle. 
Sr Ed: Sackuill.  Sr Iohn Bourchier. 
Sr Ro: Killigrew. 
mr Deputy.  mr Etheridge.  mr Morris. 
mr Gibbes.  mr Rogers Senior.  mr Sheldon. 
mr Io: fferrar.  mr Iadwin.  mr Couell. 
mr Christ Brook.  mr Hobbs.  mr Barbor. 
mr Wolstenholme.  mr Withrell.  mr Sheppard. 
mr White.  mr Robertℯ.  mr Collett. 
mr Palauicine.  mr More.  mr Whitley. 
mr Bynge.  mr Sharrowe.  Capt Io: Smith. 
mr Bothby.  mr Leauor.  Capt Bargraue. 
mr Copeland.  mr Georg Smith.  mr Rogers iunior. 
mr Balmforde.  mr Vyner. 
mr Ro Smith. 
mr Newport. 
mr De Lawne. 
mr Robts Iunior. 
mr Webb. 
mr Rider. 
mr Hackett. 
Wth divers others. [319

Mr Deputy acquainted the Compa: hee had Received a letter from his
Matie: formerly deliuered by mr Chancellor of ye Dutchy wch letter hee


437

presented to the Courte wher vppon itt was opened and read the
Coppie wherof doth here ensue.

Iames Rex.[165]

Right trustie and welbeloved wee greete you well; Wheras wee vnderstand that
or letters sent vnto you bearinge date the 18th day of May last past, haue been
conceived & vnderstood contrary to our meaninge and that for that cause yor
Courts and Com̃ittees haue been since forborne and the p̱secuc̃on of yor buisi-
nesses before our Comissioners neglected;
Wee doe therfore signifie vnto you that our intenc̃on was not to exclude from
sittinge in yor Courts any of those who by authoritie of our Letters Patentℯ
haue right to be present att the same, beinge an Adventurer but onely if itt
appeare that any man for the strengthninge of Sides and mayntenance of
ffaction haue been vnduely or wth out certaine right admitted, that then wee
will ye examinac̃on therof be likewise had before our said Com̃issioners or
such others as wee shall appoynte if the cause shall sooner requyre itt; In the
meane time you may p̳ceed in yor Courts to yor buisinesses vsinge ye libertie
graunted you by our Letters Patents, wth such discrec̃on and moderac̃on touch-
inge the admittance of any man for the time to com as shalbe fitt soe hee be
an Adventurer. Itt is likewise our pleasure yt in p̱secuc̃on of such causes
before our Comissioners as concerne the vnited body of yor Company the
Compa: may in their owne name followe the same butt shall nott by any
meanes in publiq̢ Court cause to be read any matter of p̱sonall charge tending
to the publiq̢ disgrace of any p̱son whatsoever butt shall leave the same to
such of our Counsell for Virginia as ye body of ye Compa: hath no complainte
against or such other Comittees as yt Court shall thinke Convenyent; And our
express pleasure is that ye Compa: forbeare to take vppon them the p̱secuc̃on
of any one p̱ticuler mans cause but shall leave them wth out such publiq̢ p̱tec-
c̃on to exhibite everie one his Complainte in his owne name wch they shall allso
subscribe wth their hands; Given vnder our Signett att our Court att Whithall
the fowerth day of Iune 1623 in ye one & twentith year of our Raigne of
Greate Brittaine Fraunce & Ireland

The Court herevppon thinkinge itt fitt some remonstrance of their
thankfullnes should be given to his Matie for soe gracious an Answere
desyred the Lord Cauendish, Sr Edward Sackuill, Colonell Ogle and
Sr Iohn Dauers to entreat mr Chancellor in the name of the Company


438

to take that further paines to p̢sent their Humblest thanks to his
Maty: accordinge to the minde of the Courte wch was att large
expressed.

Itt was moved yt seeings by his Mats letter the Company were att lib-
erty to prosecute such causes before the Comissioners as concerned
the vnited body of the Compa: they would therfore now bethinke
themselvs of some fitt matter to present vnto them to worke vppon
yt by a speedy begininge they might com to a speedy end: Wher-
vppon itt was agreed and ordered that their should be im̃eadiatly pre-
sented to ye Comissioners the reasonns of the exceptionℯ wch the Com-
pany tooke against Sr Tho: Smithℯ Accomptℯ And together therwith
the other Declarac̃ons Answers Cr. wch the Grand Com̃ittee haveinge
drawne vpp had formerlie presented to the Company. Amongst wch
they conceived [320] Capt Butlers Vnmaskinge of Virginia to be of
greatest importance and therfore to be recom̃ended to the Comission-
ers to be expedited And to this end for the better preparinge of those
and other matters wherof the Company were to make their defence;
Itt was thought fitt and by a generall erecc̃on of hands ordered yt
the Auditors and those seuerall Comittees yt were formerly appoynted
should againe meet as often as there should be occasion; And that
the Counsell should allsoe meet and ioyne wth them in their advises
about the same And soe in the Companies name matters should be
presented to the Comissioners accordinge to the permission of his
Mats: letter.

Vppon request made a Comission was ordered to be drawne vpp and
Sealled for Edmund Tutchin Mr and Capt of ye Due Returne of Lynn
of about 60 Tunn for Transport of Passengers to Virginia and after
for a fishinge Voyadge.

Vppon a Moc̃on a Patent was ordered to be drawne vp against the
Quarter Court for mr [166] Dilke and his Associates for Plantinge
one hundred personns in Virginia at their owne charge.

Mr Deputy propounded the passinge of one Share from mr Iohn
Burgh to mr Anthony Withers beinge one of those 10 Shares formerly
passed vnto the said Iohn Burgh from Peter Humble.

 
[165]

In the Public Record Office, Manchester Papers, No. 378, is a copy of this letter, signed "vera
Copia E: Collingwood Secrẽ" in the autograph of Collingwood. The handwriting is similar to that of
a copyist of the Court Book. See List of Records, No. 520, Vol. I, page 176, ante.

[166]

A blank space in the manuscript.