University of Virginia Library

CDLXXV. Council in Virginia. A Letter to the Commissioners for
the Affairs of Virginia
June 15, 1625

Right Hounbll͠ &c.

We haue had many royall assurances of his maties greate care and favor to
this Plantatione & we returne our humblest thanks vnto his Highness,
yt (not wthstandinge the revokinge the former Pattent) he hath gratiously
p̳mised, not only to confirme, but to enlarge wth ample priveleges ye private
interestℯ of Adventurers & Planters.

It is trew there hath been a late decrease in ye progress of Adventures and
supplies sent hither, butt in other respectℯ ye Colonie was in a hopefull
waye & in as good a Conditione as ever, howsoever his matie hath benn
informed the Contrarye as appeers by your Lr̃es to our noe smale preiudice.

We haue to our vtmoste habileties endevered to discharge that trust
imposed vppon us by his matie in his late Comissione, but we hope that
we shalbe shortlie eased of this burthen, ye Comissione beinge only for
the present, in p̱ticuler, Sr: Francis wyatt doth render all humble thankes
to his matie that he was graciouslie pleased to dispence wth his service, in

grauntinge leave at his choyse, to retourne, Although at our ernest requestℯ,
and his zeale to the Actione he is Content to staye a little longer, the
arivall of a new Gouernor, wch we haue longe expected.

It is no new thinge to us to be wronged by the defamatione of malitious
rumors, wheras this concerninge Capt Haruy may match any in falshoode,
and we desire that the awther therof, yf it cann haue any, may be noted
wth ye infamye of a slanderer, and we wounder that such a rumor should
goe vncontrolde, when mr Porye one of his maties Comissioners was present
at the fynell conclusione of that busines, and coulde haue certified the
Contrarie.

We had by the laste shippe sente a generall muster wherof we now sende
you a copie wth additions of the distances of the severall Plantationes,
How they haue been since awgmented, you shall know by the next generall
muster, wch we intende, god willinge to take after ye next harvest

We haue wth these retourned you ann Accoumpte of wt landℯ, goodes, serv-
ants, Tenants, howses, boates or shipps, are any waye belonginge to the
Compeny, and wt belongℯ to ye Offices stated by the Compeny, as farr as
we coulde learne by oath or otherwyse.

Concerninge the depts and the moytie of the labors of the Compenys
Tenants, mr George Sandys now returned hath brought into us an ac-
coumpte, wch we heerewith send you.

That transactione made by the Compenye to the Gouerner and mr George
Sandys was in p̱te of Satisfactione of theire p̳mised meanes, a dwe dept,
and not a gifte, And to haue it wrested from them, vppon the revokinge of
ye Pattent, we accoumpte it a greate oppressione consideringe his maties
gracyous p̳mise of preservinge ye p̱ticuler interest of every man, other
alienatione we know nott of.

We hope yt no man doupts but yt it was necessarie to enioyne ye Planters to
finde men towardes ye erectinge of a Blockhowse, though it fayled in suc-
cess, through many misaccidents, easier to Censure, then to haue pre-
vented, the five pounde of Tobacco p̱ pole was not imposed, Lest a volun-
tarie contributione of such as had been at no charge conceringe the same,
to ease the burthen of others, of wch little hath been gathered, The tenn

pownde of Tobacco was also a volutary gift of ye Countrey, and ye charges
allowed uery necessary, nether could it be expected, consideringe our
troubles, but yt they should haue been much greater, Howsoeuer ye Cla[m]or
of some suborned calumniators may haue moved you to cale it a pretext,
And we hope that ye free Acts of the Countrey shall not be farther ques-
tioned to the preiudice of any man. The accompts therof as much as
haue benn receaued we haue heerwth returned.

The fower pownde of Tobacco p̱ pole was given by ye Countrey to mr
Powntis Conditionally yt he receaved the money and solicyted ye cause of
the Countrey, wch faylinge, the Countrey conceives yt it must in iustice and
equitie retourne to themselves, as ye trwe p̳prietors thereof, Besides as we
vnderstande, there is like to be suite about ye recovery of the two hundred
pownde by mr Pountis his Executor, wch although we doupt not, when
the case shalbe trwlie knowne, will appeere to haue no Couller of law or
conscyence, yett in the meane tyme it is necessary yt ye saide Tobacco
should remane as a securitie to those yt stande engaged, wch is ye generall
desire & resolution of ye Countrey.

The marchante was never enforced to take Tobacco at three shillings the
pownde nor did they allow us aboue twelue pence a pownde at the moste as
the Comodities were worthe in Englande, Butt we fownde it absolutlie
necessarie to sett some bounde [t]o the sea of theire Covetousnes, that
would else haue overwhellmed all, although the penaltye of theire daylie
faylinge were never exacted, and since, They haue taken more libertie to
them selves vppon this new order, The wch haue beene inhaunsed so intoler-
ablely, as yf it contynue but a yeere to an ende, the Colonie will vtterly
be ruyned, neyther see we how it can be redrest, except the late p̱nitious
contracte be overthrowne, wherin we doupt not of your vttermost asist-
ance, as the most important service you can do to his Matie for ye vpholdinge
of the Colonye.

[13] Mr Blany [&c (on next page)]
mr Blany never medled wth the disposinge of the maides, But mr Pountis
by whose death the accoumpts are left much intangled & perplexed, many
in ye list mentioned, wch haue made payment and most of ye rest pretend
the like, of wch yett we haue not had tyme to examine the prooffs, That of

the Shipwrightes and the glass woorkes geuen in by mr George Sandys we
heerwith send you, the death of one of ye princypall woorkmen, an other
beinge subiect to the falinnge sicknes, and many defects wch render the
woorke vnservable, Hath moved us to Cond[e]scende to the importunate
suite of the glass men of returninge for England, wch woorke so longe, as
there was any hope, was supported by mr George Sandys to his great charge
and hinderance, We haue taken Cautione of them to be at ye disposall of the
Adventurers till the expiratione of the tyme of theire Covenants.

The accoumpt of Suthamptone hundred, we refer to Sr: George Yardley
who is now retorninge for England who alleageth yt it was a dwtie belong-
inge vnto mr Pountis, vnto whom he resigned all the estate and accoumpts
of yt Plantatione, when that socyetie first appoynted him Threar, but since
he harde of his death he hath dilligently enquired into the state therof,
and wilbe redie to acquaint you, how it standeth at present.

Those transcriptℯ wch you require, will aske more tyme, in any tollerable
sorte to p̱fect, Then the stay of those shipps will affoorde, mr Cleybourns
accoumpts you shall receaue heerwth.

The oath hath been Administred to those nominated in his Maties Comis-
sione, butt since, for many weightie causes we haue been forced to suspende
Capt. John martin from the exercise of his place, a man of a prostituted
conscyence, a sower of disentione and seditione, one from whose false
accusations no innocencye can be safe, disobedient to Gouerment, and a
p̱sone exceedinge daungerous to the state and Colonie, and we humblely
desire he may not be restored, wthout our remoueall.

We should be redie wth our vtmost endevors to asiste yt pious worke of ye
East India freescoole, but we must not dissemble, that besides theire
vnseasonable arivall, we doupt yt the age of mr Careleff will over ballance
all his other sufficyency, though exceedinge good, and the number soe few,
as little wilbe expected from them, They were not liable to subsist of them
selves vppon certen Cleered grounde wch they might have had in Martins
hundred, and cam in so late as they could hardlie haue howsed themselves,
But what Accomodations they could possiblely give them, was offered by
mr Horwood and mr Emersone, but mr Careleff vtterly refused to seate
there, though we advised him to it, he pretending yt many of you disliked

of that place, and yt the charge of disposinge ye men lay vppon him, The
accoumpt of ye people and goodes formerly sent for the Easte india scoole,
we heerwith send you, We desire yt theire zeale who haue traduced us in
that busines may heerafter be ioyned wth some better knowledge, and y
casuall faylings by mortalitie and otherwise, may not be charged vppon us.

We haue receaved the twelve bar̃r̃. of powder sent in the Tomperance, for
wch we render our humblest thanks to his most excelent Matie, The longe
stay of ye Elizabeth makℯ us doupt hir safetie, yf she misskarie this p̳por-
tione & our former store being vtterly exhausted, and no hope left of suplie
from private Adventurers, will hardlie enhable us to defend our howses,
much less to p̳secute our revenge vppon ye salvages, and therfore we
ernestly desire, that wth the first, it may be supplied in a large p̳portione,
one hundred bar̃r̃: of powder beinge but a yeerlie Competencye for the
numbers heere.

Concerninge Vrsula ffrench there is securitie putt into the Courte in the
behalfe of Elias longe yt one hundred waighte of the best Tobacco shalbe
paid in for ye said vrsula french at ye next cropp.

Concerninge the Cattle in Controversie between Sr Samuell Argall & the
Company, we retourne you the accounpt (from those to whom they were
severally disposed by Sr George Yardley by order from the Company) of
soe many as we finde to be remayninge.

We finde yt you haue bynn exceedinglie misinformed by mrs Blany, the land
wch she claymeth beinge excluded by a p̳viso in the Pattent, and ye goodes
most of them beinge dwe to ye saide Capt mathews, by Capt Powell, And
longe before her retourne the accoumpts cleered between him and mr
Blanye. A Copie of the Pattent and the case as it appered to us, Together
wth the severall depositions, and the order thervppon concerninge the same,
we heerwth send you. Yt appeers yt Capt mathews was seated vppon the
saide Lande neere twelve moneths before he was questioned at all by
them, and no Complaint brought before us, till mrs Blaynies retourne out
of Englande, By wch means Capt mathews hath p̳ceeded in great Charge in
Buildinge and cleeringe, Wch however the case may proue, ought in Con-
scyence & equitie to bee satisfied, And exceedℯ the value of the lande.

Mounsier Bomonte is arived, and accordinge to your order we haue geven
him the best Accomodatione we maye.

[13a] Thus humbly desiringe yt false reportℯ may not gaine creditt aboue
our publique informationes, and that wronge Courses contrary to our
certin knowledge and experience may not be taken, To the indangeringe of
the Colony, And yt our trwe and faithfull endevours may haue due ac-
ceptatione, recomendinge all to the p̳tectione of the Allmightie, We humbly
take our leaues, and remane,