Part 9 (1/2)

10. And forasmuch as ther hath ben in theise late yeares great fault or defect in nott putting in execucion our orders of court and Counsell for the setting upp & upholdinge those staple comodities which are necessarie for the subsisting and encrease of the plantation, which hath happned in part by the our chargeing the Governor with toe much buissnes, wee have uppon espetiall approvement of the industry and sufficiency of George Sandis, Esqr., as also for his faithfulnes and plenarie intelligence of our intendments and counsells here (wherunto hee hath from time to time bein privie, not only elected and athorised him to bee Treasurer in Virginia, b.u.t.t also committed to his spetiall and extreordinarie care the execution of all our orders, charters and instructions tending to the setting upp, encrease and maintaininge of the said staple comodities); wee, therefore, requier you that upon all such occationes wherin the said master ... shall have occation to bee employed, you give him all such countenance, help and power in the execution therof as you would doe to the Governor himselfe if hee were personallie present; and that provition bee made for convenient transporting him from place upon all those occations; we have by order of our quarter court bearing date the second day of May last, allotted unto the place of Treasuror fifteen hundred acres of land and fifty tenants wherof twenty five are now sent and twenty five more are to bee sent the next Spring; to the place of Marshall (wherunto wee have chosen Sir William Neuce) wee have likewise allotted fifteene hundred acres of land and fifty tenantes now provided and furnished and deliverid to the said Sir William Newce to bee transported this present somer; to the place of the Companies Deputie (wherunto wee have formerlie allotted twelve hundred acres and forty men) wee have added three hundred acres of land and tenn tenants more to bee sent the next springe; to the phisitions place wee have allotted twenty tenantes sent last spring and five hundred acres of land; to the Secretarie, five hundred acres of land and twenty tenantes sent out the last springe; for the accomateinge of which severall persons in ther places & offices in the best manner according to our promises, furtherance that in you lieth.

11. Item: wee pray you likewise with convenient speed to reveive the commissiones formerlie directed to Sir George Yeardly, then Governor, and to the Counsell of State ther beareinge date the 18 of November, 1618, conteining the lawes & orders for dividing the citties and burroughs with ther land and people, and sondrie other particularities for the well settling of that State. And haveing sent you coppies of all such instructions, letters, charters & directions as have here before been sent from time to time, wee pray you to peruse them all and what soever you shall find not contrarie to any of theise instructions and requisite for the behouf of Collonie ther or of the Companie here, wee wish you to observe itt as though the same were here particularly inserted. Also all orders of courtes that shall bee certified uppon peticions or otherwise, under the attest of our Secretaries hand referred unto the Governor or Counsell ther, wee pray you see that a due course bee taken accordinglie to doe the partie whome it shall concerne right and justice, no lesse then if they had been particularly here by name commended unto you.

12. Item: that the captaines and heades of everie particular plantation or hundreds, as likewise everie cheif officer that hath people under his charge, deliver severall catalogues at one of the fower quarter sessions of the Counsell yearly as well of the severall names, conditions and qualities of those that bee liveing, as also of those that bee dead, and likewise of the mariages and christnings hapninge with that place; and that the personall goods and estate of the partie deceased bee carefullie keptt & reserved to the rightt owners therof; and lastlie that a list bee kept of the nomber of all sorts of cattell in each particular burrough or plantation; and that you cause the Secretarie once everie yeare to returne us hether a perfect coppie of all the premisses.

13. Item: that whereas the princ.i.p.all hope of the plantacion dependes much on the prosperity of particular Colonies or hundreds, itt wilbe verie necessarie that in case of the death or other misaccidents of the chief heads of those Colonies, you take into your carefull regaurd the conservation of the bodie and sinews of that plantation united, preserving the remaines by the best meanes that either industry or charity can effect.

14. Item: that according to His Majesties gratious advise and the desire & expectacion of the whole state here, you draw the people from the excessive planting of tobacco and that, according to a late order of court in that behalfe made the thirteenth of June last, you suffer them not to plaint in one yeare alone one hundred waight tobacco the head, that is the person; and that you do provide by some generall course to bee held amongst them that they apply themselves to the soweing and planting of corne in good plentie that ther may bee alwaies a large proportion not onlie for their owne use, but store also for such as in great mult.i.tudes wee hope yearly to send; likewise by the same generall course to cause the generall inhabitants and households to enclose by pale & strong fences some fitting portion of our land for the keping of cowes, tame swine and poultrie; and for the making all due provitiones for the encrease & preservation of the bread of all sorts of cattle, and in particular kine, wherof wee thinke itt most unfitt that any should bee as yett killed and requier your vigilent care for the inhibiting thereof.

15. Item: after corne, wee comend unto your care the matter of silke which his Majesty heretofore espetially to commended unto us and out of his owne store hath moste gratiouslie been pleased often to furnish our Company with seed: in supply of which more hath bin since sent and a greater quant.i.tie shall likewise followe hereafter as soone as itt shall come to our hands. Wee requier therfore that you cause in everie particular plantation great nomber of mulbery trees to bee plainted neare ther dwellings, and such as are already groweing to bee preserved for planting, of which many excellent bookes have binn already sent in December last, unto which wee referr you for your better direction therin, as also to divers French and other experienced men, late sent & procured at extraordinarie charge, of whose generall subsistence wee expect your a.s.sidious care.

16. Item: silke gra.s.se, being a comoditie of spetiall hope and much use, not with standing through negligence and want of experience, it hath lately been declared to bee full of difficullty and hazard both in groweing and curing, yett we doe especially recomend unto your care and that you direct some good way to bring it to perfection by experimenting the soiles, the seasons and true maner of cultivating of itt, being confident that that which growes so naturally in those parts will much more by art and industry bee at lenght brought to perfection, and being many wayes so usefull will bring great honor an [and?] proffitt unto the action.

17. Item: wee doe also especially recommend unto you the planting of vines in aboundance and that the vignerons sent with so great charge to the Company bee fairely & carefullie provided for.

18. Item: wee requier also that all sorts of artsmen be employed in ther severall trades and that store of aprentizes bee placed & held to learne ther occupations, especially those that are most usefull or most comodious; and that you duely consider the quallities and trades of all those people sent over for the Companies or any of the Collonies servis & that you cause them to bee held to ther trades and occupations wherin ther are like to deserve & win most bennifitt; and not to suffer them to forsake ther former occupacions for planting tobacco or such uselesse comodities. And here wee earnestly commend unto your care the Dutchemen sent for the erecting of sawing mills, a worke most necessarie since the materialls for howsing and s.h.i.+pping can not otherwise without much more troble, paines and charge bee provided; & although wee have received some notice that fitting places for ther works and not ther easilie found out, yett wee hope that dillegence fitting to bee used in a case of so generall benifitt hath discoverid how to make use of ther skills by this time. Nor doe wee here apprehend any difficullty of finding accomodation for that purpose about the falls or towards the heads of some river or brookes by the station, wherof timber may be brought unto them verie easili and by the current of the river the plankes or boords sawen may bee transported for the generall use of all or the greatest part of our people.

19. Item: that your corne mills bee presentlie erected and pupliqe bakehowses in everie burrough bee built with all speed and dilligence.

20. Item: that all apparent or proved contracts made in England or in Virginia betweene the owners of land in Virginia and ther tenants or servants be truly performed and the breach of them reformed by due punishment as justice shall requier.

21. Item: that you suffer no crafty or advantageous meanes to bee used to entice a way the tenants or servants of any particular plantacion from the place they are ... ceited and that all offenders herein bee severlie punished and the partie drawne away bee returned to ther former place.

[22]. Wee commend unto your especiall regard the providing for such persons as have already bin sent or are now or shall be hereafter entertained for the erecting of iron works; that all possible meanes bee used for ther encouradgment & for the performing of generall contracts here made with the Company wherby justice unto them and profitt to the plantation may arise. And whereas Mr. John Berkly hath bin approved unto us here by extreordinary recommendations to bee industrious and intelligent gentleman many ways, b.u.t.t espetially for iron works, wee desier hee & his company may bee cherished by you and supported by the helpe of the whole Colonie if need shall requier, therby to enhable him to perfect that worke wherupon the Company have already expended great somes of money & itt is a com[modity] so necessarie as few other are to bee valewed in comparrison therof. Upon the successe therof also, mens eyes are generally fixed & therfore if itt should now (as by former misaccident or negligence) fall to the ground, ther were little hope that ever they would bee revived againe; and whereas wee have bin so circomspect as to contraict with many masters severally for the erecting of the said works, wherby wee hoped though some miscarried or failled others should have proceeded; if by want of workes or necessarie materialls the said masters cannot for present bee seatted or enjoy the conditions of ther contraicts, wee thinke fitt you should accomodate them according to ther several habillities in some secondarie or subordinarie places of a.s.sistance to Mr. Berkly, or when another worke may be advanced to worke them over that, according (as neere as may bee) to ther contraictes made here with the Company, wherby this worke of so great consequence & generall expectacion, infinitt com[modity] & unspeakeable benifitt to the plantacion may bee dilligentlie prosecuted & upheld.

23. Item: salt, pich and tarr, soape ashes, &c., often recommended and sett up, and for which fittinge men & matterialles have been sent to the great charge of the Company and yett daylie complaints come to us of the want of them, wee desier you will now prosecute and further with all dilligence & care.

24. Item: your makeing of oile of wallnuts, your employing your apothecaries in distilling of hott waters out of your lees of beere and searching after minierall dyes, gummes, druggs, and the like things, wee desier you not to forgett and good quanteties of all sorts to send us by all s.h.i.+pps.

25. Item: since wee have conceaved itt most fitting to ordaine that a small quantety of tobacco shall bee plainted or cherished in Virginia, wee hold itt verie necessarie to use all possible care that the proporcion limmitted may bee improved in goodnes as much as may bee; and therefore that some good order bee taken to see itt well cured and duely ordred that bringing itt into request may cause any certaine benifitt to the planters.

26. Item: that due proceeding bee used in the erection of those howses appointed for lodgeing of new men upon ther landing, according to former directions; and that from time to time a course bee taken for ther repaire, cleane & neat; keeping likewise, for comon store, howses in convenient places as well for other needs necessary provitions, as upper roomes for conservation of a proportion of gounpouder ready for use.

27. Item: whereas wee have many times found losse & interuption in our buissines through want of frequent relacion from Virginia, wee therefore requier you att least to make a quarterly dispatch unto us, the duplicate wherof to bee duely sentt by the next oppertunitie of s.h.i.+pping after.

28. Item: whereas Capt. William Norton and certaine Itallians, now by the general Company and other worthy minded adventures att a verie great charge, sent for the erecting of a gla.s.se furnace in Virginia, wee hartilie desire you to afford them all favor possible. And in particular that the guesthowses built by Leftenant Whitakers bee allowed them for ther habitacion till they may convenientlie provide themselves of ther owne; and that all orders given them from hence bee exactlie putt in execucion.

29. Item: a gentleman's great dilligence in our affaires, accompaned with extreordinarie capacity and judgement, haveing proceeded the treatise of the buissnes belonging to the plantacion, approved by us to bee full of exellent observances for those that are emmenly employd in Virginia, as well for us here, wee sent a coppy to ly amongst the records of your Counsell from whence, from the often veiw of former pa.s.sadgs, wee wish every Counsellor may make permanent instructions, and no doubt much helps and furtherance may bee produced in most occasiones for the advancement of the plantacion.

30. Item: that ther be espetiall care taken both of generall and particular survaies wherby not onlie a true mapp and face of the whole country, costs, creeks, rivers, highe ground & lowe ground, &c., may bee exactlie discoverid, but also the boundaries of the severall hundreds and plantacions, with the perticuler directions in them bee perfectlie sett forth from time to time, mainetained to prevent therby future differences that arise upon questions of possestion, wherin also itt may be fitting and moste usefull to posteritie to cast an imaginarie eye and view, wher and which way the grand highewayes may bee like to strike and pa.s.se through the dominions; in which course the hard mountaines, the fords, the places for bridges, &c., may nott unfittlie bee considered; for performance of all which the premises (and for the better sattisfaction) of the planters, whoe have so often required ther lands may bee devided and bounded, wee have now sent and furnished out Mr.

William Cleyburne, gentleman, recomended unto us as very [fitt] in the art of surveying.

31. Item: the oppressing and imoderate fees heretofore exacted in Virginia by divers officers in valuacion of ther paines & travell for the Colonies service have partlie occationed the settling a competent revenue to arrise therby tenants to everie cheif officer; wee now forbidd that officer so provided for, or otherwise by allotted parts out of the common profitt recompenced, doe take any other fees for execution of ther severall places either directly or indirectly; neverthelesse, that clarks & such like may have a reward for ther dilligence, wee require you by order to sett downe some small proportion for pa.s.ses, warrants, copies of orders, seales, &c., or proportionably to the merits of servants paines and attendance.

32. Item: the Governor & Counsell a.s.sembled within a short time after the arivall of this s.h.i.+pp are to sett downe the fittest months after ther quarterlie meeting of the Counsell of State according to the seasons and to fitting meanes for ther entertayment, together with regaurd of the best ease and benifitt of the people, that shall have occasion to addresse themselves unto the Counsell, either for justice or direction; considering also the times of making ther dispathes to England, according to the oppertunities of s.h.i.+ping ther comeing or goeing.