CCCII. Council in Virginia. Letter to Henry Viscount
Mandevile
March 30, 1623
C. O. 1, Vol. II, No. 21
Public Record Office, London
List of Records No. 431
To Henry Vicount Mandevile.
Right Honoble͠
Itt hath pleased his moste gratious Matie to directe his Royall letters to
the Gouernor Councell and Colony of Virginia, signifying his pleasure to
take the com̃odity of tobaccoe to his owne imeadiate vse, and requiring
that we should heere contract wth the Burgesses of ye severall plantac̃on
for the same on his behalfe, together wth instructions to yt purpose from
the Atturney geñall, wherevnto may itt please yor Lop in all humblenes
of duty we haue retarned our answere (as we weare required) by our
Petitions and generall declarations sent in these shipps, humbly shewing
vnto his highnes, the greate p̢iudice that this colony hath receaued by
diuers contracts made wholy wthout our consents or pryvity, and sett
on foote by auaritious & vnconscionable men intendinge their owne pri-
vate lucre and gaine in the snares whereof wee haue continually for these
six yeares ben intangled and misirabley p̱plexed to the generall dis-
couragmt of all men, & hinderance of the proceedings of this Plantac̃on,
wch otherwise would haue manifested better effects of more staple com̃odi-
ties soe long expected of vs, for the p̱fecting whereof, wee are disabled by
or poũty; whilst our affayres remaine vnsettled and vncertayne, & wee
in feare to be made slaues, to those men, from whose exorbitant & wide
consciences wee expect no mercye. But since all form9 contracts are
dissolued & that his Matie hath ben pleased to extend his princely care
for the establishmt of this Colony, wch wthout the supportation of his
Royall hand must necessarily sincke: wee haue regayned new hopes to
or dispayring minds in assured Confidence that all factions silenced, and
the priuate intentions of others p̢vented, our iust Petitions will receaue
a favorable admittance ã heering. In the wch wee the Gouernor & Councell
in the name of the whole Colony doe implore the Continuances of yor
Honoble favor towards vs, that as heretofore yor Lopp hath ben the greatest
meanes to ou
9throwe these former contracts, for w
ch we returne our
humblest thankes vnto yo
r Hono
r, soe now againe by yo
r iustice ã goodnes
wee may be p̳tected against the violence ã auarise of those men, who
haue ben soe thirsty of o
r miserie and ruine, wee rather desiri[ng] to
become servants unto his Ma
tie by the profite of o
r labours, then unto
others that should vnderhand contracte for the same, Thus wishing vnto
yo
r Hono
r all increase of goodnes and im̃ortall wee rest.
Att yor Lopp Com̃and
Francis West
John Pott
Sam̃uell Mathewe
Roger Smith
William Claybourne
William Tucker
Virginia the 30th March 1623
Vera Copia Ext p̱ Rob: Barrington: Cler:
