Chapter V: Part 5

And that all persons which since the going away of the said Sir Thomas Dale have been transported thither at the Companies charges, or which hereafter shall be so transported, be placed as tenants on the Companies lands for term of seven years, occupy the same to the half part of the profits as is abovesaid. We therefore will and ordain that other three thousand acres of land be set out in the fields and territory of Charles City; and other three thousand acres of land in the fields and territories of Henrico; and other three thousand acres of land in the fields and territory of Kiccowtan, all which to be and be called the Companies Lands and to be occupied by the Companies tenants for half profits as afore said. And that the profits belonging to the Company be disposed by their several moieties in the same manner as before set down touching the Companies lands in the territory of James Town with like allowance to the bailies and reservation of ground for the common store of cattle in those several places, as is there set down. And our will is that such of the Companies tenants as already inhabite in those several cities or burroughs be not removed to any other city or burrough but placed on the Companies Lands belonging to those cities or burroughs where they now inhabite; provided alwaies, that if any private person, without fraud or injurious intent to the public at his own charges, have freed any of the said lands formerly appointed to the Governor, he may continue and inhabite there till a valuable recompence be made him for his said charges. And we do hereby ordain that the Governors house in James town, first built by Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, at the charges and by the servants of the Company, and since enlarged by others by the very same means, be and continue for ever the Governors house, any pretended undue grant made by misinformation and not in a general and quarter court to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. And to the intent that godly, learned and painful ministers may be placed there for the service of Almighty God & for the spiritual benefit and comfort of the people, we further will and ordain that in every of those cities or burroughs the several quantity of one hundred acres of land be set out in quality of glebe land toward the maintenance of the several ministers of the parishes to be there limited; and for a further supply of their maintenance there be raised a yearly standing and certain contribution out of the profits growing or renuing within the several farmes of the said parish; and so as to make the living of every minister, two hundred pounds sterling per annum or more as hereafter there shall be cause. And for a further ease to the inhabitants of all taxes and contributions for the support and entertainment of the particular magistrates and officers and of other charges to the said citys and burroughs, respectively belonging, we likewise will and ordain that within the precincts or territories of the said cities and burroughs shall be set out and alotted the several quantities of fifteen hundred acres of land to be the common land of the said citie or burrough, for the uses aforesaid, and to be known and called by the name of the Cities or Burroughs Land. And whereas, by a special grant and licence from His Majesty, a general contribution over this realm hath been made for the building and planting of a college for the training up of the children of those infidels in true religion, moral virtue and civility, and for other godly uses, we do, therefore, according to a former grant and order, hereby ratifie, confirm and ordain that a convenient place be chosen and set out for the planting of a university at the said Henrico in time to come and that in the mean time preparation be there made for the building of the said college for the children of the infidels, according to such instructions as we shall deliver; and we will and ordain that ten thousand acres, partly of the lands they impaled and partly of other land within the territory of the said Henrico, be alotted and set out for the endowing of the said university and college with convenient possessions. Whereas also we have heretofore, by order of court in consideration of the long, good and faithful service done by you, Captain George Yeardley, in our said Colony and plantation of Virginia, and in reward there of as also in regard of two single shares in money paid into our treasury, granted unto you, the said Captain Yeardley, all that parcel of marsh ground called Weynock and also one other peice and percel of land adjoining to the same marsh called by the Natives _Konwan_, one parcel whereof abutteth upon a creek there called Mapscock towards the east, and the other parcel thereof towards a creek there called Queens Creek on the west and extendeth in breadth to landward from the head of the said creek called Mapscock up to the head of the said creek called Queens Creek (which creek called Queens Creek is opposite to that point there which is now called the Tobacco point and abutteth south upon the River and north to the Landward), all which several lands are or shall be henceforward accounted to be lying within the territory of the said Charles City and exceed not the quantity of two thousand and two hundred acres, we therefore, the said Treasurer and Company, do hereby again grant, ratifie and confirm unto you, the said Captain George Yeardley, the said several grounds and lands; to have and to hold the said grounds and lands to you, the said Captain George Yeardley, your heirs and assigns, for ever. And for the better encouragement of all sorts of necessary and laudable trades to be set up and exercised within the said four cities burroughs, we do hereby ordain that if any artizans or trademen shall be desirous rather to follow his particular art or trade then to be imploied in husbandry or other rural business, it shall be lawful for you, the said Governor and Councel, to alot and set out within any of the precincts aforesaid one dwelling house with four acres of land adjoining and held in fee simple to every said tradsman, his heirs and assigns for ever, upon condition that the said tradesman, his heirs and assigns do continue and exercise his trade in the said house paying only a free rent of four pence by the year to us, the said Treasurer and Company and our successors, at the feast of St Michael the Archangel, for ever. And touching all other particular plantations set out or like to be set out in convenient multitudes, either by divers of the ancient adventurers associating themselves together (as the Society of Smiths Hundred and Martins Hundred) or by some ancient adventurer or planter associating others unto him (as the plantation of Captain Samuel Argall and Captain John Martin and that by the late Lord La Warre advanced) or by some new adventurers joining themselves under one head (as the plantation of Christopher Lawne, Gentleman, and others now in providing), our intent being according to the rules of justice and good government to alot unto every one his due yet so as neither to breed disturbance to the right of others nor to interrupt the good form of government intended for the benefit of the people and strength of the Colony; we do therefore will and ordain that of the said particular plantations none be placed within five miles of the said former cities and boroughs, and that if any man, out of his own presumption or pleasure without special direction from us, hath heretofore done otherwise a convenient time be assigned him and then by your discretions to remove to some farther place by themselves, to be chosen with the allowance and assent of the Governor for the time being and the Council of Estate; and that the inhabitants of the said city or burrough too near unto which he or they were placed make him and them a valuable recompense for their charges and expence of time in freeing of grounds and building within those precincts; in like sort, we ordain that no latter particular plantation shall at any time hereafter be seated within ten miles of a former; we also will and ordain that no particular plantation be or shall be placed straglingly in divers places to the weakening of them, but be united together in one seat and territory that so also they may be incorporated by us into one body corporate and live under equal and like law and orders with the rest of the Colony; we will and ordain also for the preventing of all fraud in abusing of our grants, contrary to the intent and just meaning of them, that all such person or persons as have procured or hereafter shall procure grants from us in general words unto themselves and their associates or to like effect shall within one year after the date hereof deliver up to us in writing, under their hands and seals, as also unto you, the said Governor and Councel, what be or were the names of those their first associates; and if they be of the adventurers of us, the Company which have paid into our treasury money for their shares, that then they express in that their writing for how many shares they join in the said particular plantation, to the end a due proportion of land may be set out unto them and we the said Treasurer and Company be not defrauded of our due; and if they be not of the adventurers of the Company which have paid into our treasury money for their shares, yet are gone to inhabit there and so continue for three years, there be allotted and set out fifty acres of land for every such person paying a free rent of twelve pence the year, in manner aforesaid, and all such persons having been planted there since the coming away of Sir Thomas Dale; and forasmuch as we understand that certain persons, having procured such grants in general words to themselves and their associates or to like effect, have corruptly of late endeavoured for gain and worse respects to draw many of the ancient planters of the said four cities or burroughs to take grants also of them and thereby to become associated unto them with intent also by such means to overstrengthen their party; and thereupon have adventured on divers enormous courses tending to the great hurt and hindrance of the Colony; yea, and have also made grants of like association to masters of ships and mariners never intending there to inhabit, thereby to defraud His Majesty of the customs due unto him; we, to remedy and prevent such unlawful and greedy courses tending also directly to faction and sedition, do hereby ordain that it shall not be lawful for the grantees of such grants to associate to any other unto them then such as were their associates from the first time of the said grants, without express licence of us, the said Treasurer and Company, in a great general and quarter court under our seal obtained; and that all such after or under grants of association made or to be made by the said grantees shall be to all intents and purposes utterly void. And for as much as we understand that divers particular persons (not members of our Company), with their companies, have provided or are in providing to remove into Virginia with intent (as appeareth) by way of association to shroud themselves under the general grants last aforesaid, which may tend to the great disorder of our Colony and hinderance of the good government which we desire to establish, we do therefore hereby ordain that all such persons as of their own voluntary will and authority shall remove into Virginia, without any grant from us in a great general and quarter court in writing under our seal, shall be deemed (as they are) to be occupiers of our land, that is to say, of the common lands of us, the said Treasurer and Company; and shall yearly pay unto us for the said occupying of our land one full fourth part of the profits thereof till such time as the same shall be granted unto them by us in manner aforesaid, and touching all such as being members of our Company and adventurers by their monies paid into our treasury, shall either in their own person or by their agents, tennants or servants set up in Virginia any such particular plantation, tho with the privity of us, the said Treasurer and Company, yet without any grant in writing made in our said general quarter courts as is requisite, we will and ordain that the said adventurers or planters shall, within two year after the arrival of them or their company in Virginia, procure our grant in writing to be made, in our general quarter court and under our seal, of the lands by them possessed or occupied, or from thenceforth shall be deemed only occupiers of the common land, as is aforesaid, till such times as our said grant shall be obtained. We also not more intending the reformation of the errors of the said [24] than for advancing of them into good courses and therein to assist them by all good means, we further hereby ordain that to all such of the said particular [24] as shall truly fully observe the orders afore and hereafter specified there be alotted and set out, over and above our former grants, one hundred acres of glebe land for the Minister of every [24] and fifteen hundred acres of burough land for the public use of the said plantation; not intending yet hereby either to abridge or enlarge such grant of glebe or common land as shall be made in any of our grants in writing to any of the said particular plantations; we also will and ordain that the like proportion of maintenance out of the [24] and profits of the earth be made for the several ministers of the said particular plantations as have been before set down for the Ministers of the said former cities and burroughs; we will and ordain that the Governor for the time being and the said Council of Estate do justly perform or cause to be performed all such grants, covenants and articles as have or shall be in writing in our great and general quarter courts to any of the said particular plantations, declaring all other grants of lands in Virginia, not made in one of our great and general quarter courts, by force of His Majesties letters patents to be void. And to the end aforesaid we will and ordain that all our grants in writing under our seal, made in our great and general quarter courts, be entered into your records to be kept there in Virginia; yet directly forbiding that a charter of land granted to Captain Samuel Argal and his associates, bearing date the twentieth of March, 1616, be entered in your records or otherwise at all respected, forasmuch as the same was obtained by slight and cunning; and afterwards upon suffering him to go Governor of Virginia was by his own voluntary act left in our custody to be cancelled upon grant of a new charter which [24] We do also hereby declare that heretofore in one of our said general and quarter courts we have ordained and enacted and in this present court have ratified and confirmed these orders and laws following: that all grants of lands, privileges and liberties in Virginia hereafter to be made, be passed by indenture, a counterpart whereof to be sealed by the grantees and to be kept [25] the Companies [25] evidences; and that the Secretary of the Company have the engrossing of all such indentures; that no patents or indentures of grants of land in Virginia be made and sealed but in a full, general and quarter court, the same having been first thoroughly perused and approved under the hands of a select committee for that purpose [25] that all grants of [25] in Virginia to such adventurers as have heretofore brought in their money here to the treasury for their several shares, being of twelve pounds ten shillings the share, be of one hundred acres the share upon the first division and of as many more upon a second division, when the land of the first division shall be sufficiently peopled; and for every person which they shall transport thither within seven years after Midsummer Day, one thousand six hundred and eighteen, if he continue there three years or dye in the mean time after he is shiped it be of fifty acres the person upon the first division and fifty more upon a second division, the land of the first being sufficiently peopled, without paying any rent to the Company for the one or the other; and that in all such grants the names of the said adventurers and the several number of each of their shares be expressed; provided alwaies, and it is ordained, that if the said adventurers or any of them do not truly and effectually, with one year next after the sealing of the said grant, pay and discharge all such sums of money wherein by subscription (or otherwise upon notice thereof given from the auditors) they stand indebted to the Company, or if the said adventurers, or any of them having not lawful right, either by purchase from the Company or by assignment from some other former adventurers, within one year after the said grant or by special gift of the Company upon merit preceding in a full quarter court, to so many shares as he or they pretend, do not within one year after the said grant, satisfie and pay to the said Treasurer and Company for every share so wanting after the rate of twelve pounds ten shillings the share, that then the said grant for so much as concerneth the [25] part and all the shares of the said person so behind and not satisfying as aforesaid shall be utterly void; provided also, and it is ordained, that the grantees shall from time to time during the said seven years make a true certificate to the said Treasurer, Councel and Company from the chief officer or officers of the places respectively, of the number, names, ages, sex, trades and conditions of every such person so transported or shiped, to be entered by the Secretary into a register book for that purpose to be made; that for all persons not comprised in the order next before which during the next seven years after Midsummer day, 1618, shall go into Virginia with intent there to inhabite, if they continue there three years or dye after they are shiped there shall be a grant made of fifty acres for every person upon a first division and as many more upon a second division (the first being peopled), which grants to be made respectively to such persons and their heirs at whose charges the said persons going to inhabite in Virginia shall be transported with reservation of twelve pence yearly rent for every fifty acres to be answered to the said Treasurer and Company and their successors for ever, after the first seven years of every such grant; in which grants a provisoe to be inserted that the grantees shall from time to time during the said seven years make a true certificate to the said Treasurer, Councel and Company, from the chief officer or officers of places respectively, of the number, names, ages, sex, trades and conditions of every such person so transported or shiped, to be entred by the Secretary into a register book for that purpose to be made; that all grants as well of one sort as the other respectively be made with equal favours, and grants of like liberties and immunities as near as may be to the end that all complaint of partiality [or] differencie may be prevented. All which said orders we hereby will and ordain to be firmly and unvoilably kept and observed and that the inhabitants of Virginia have notice of them for their use and benefit. Lastly, we do hereby require and authorize you, the said Captain George Yeardley and the said Council of Etats, associating with you such other as you shall there find meet, to survey or cause to be survey'd all the lands and territories in Virginia above mentioned and the same to set out by bounds and metes, especially so as that the territories of the said several cities and buroughs and other particular plantations may be conveniently divided and known the one from the other; each survey to be set down distinctly in writing and returned to us under your hands and seals. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our common seal, given in a great and general court of the Council and Company of Adventurers of Virginia held the eighteenth day of November, 1618; and in the years of the reign of our soverain Lord James, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c., Vizt. of England, France and Ireland the sixteenth and of Scotland the two and fiftieth. Novr. 18, 1618.

Kingsbury, Vol. III, pp. 98-109.

[Footnote 24: Blank space.]

[Footnote 25: Blank space.]

VIRGINIA COMPANY. INSTRUCTIONS TO
THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL OF STATE
IN VIRGINIA

JULY 24, 1621

Instructions to the Governor for the time being and Counsell of State in Virginia:

1. First wee requier you in gennerall take into spetiall regard and estimation the service of Almightie God and observance of his divine lawes and that the people in Virginia bee trained up in true religion, god lives and vertue, that ther example may be a meanes to winn the infidells to God: wherin wee pray you especiallie to have in daly rememberance that the patterne which you shall give in your owne persons & in your families wilbee of singular and chief moment whatt may soever itt shall propend. And since our gennerall endeavours and designes have nott yett effected a due establishment of the honor and rights belonginge to the Church and ministerie, wee must requier your most earnest care to advance all things appertayninge thereunto, seriously endeavoring the establishment of due order in administringe of all services according to the usuall forme and discipline of the Church of England and carefullie avoidinge all factious and needlesse novelties tending onlie to the disturbance of peace and unitie; and that such ministers as have been or shalbe sent from time to time may bee respected and mainteined according to the orders made in that behalfe, also for accomodatinge the churches or places for divine service.

2. Wee praie you likewise take care, that the people now ther or hereafter inhabitinge bee kept in due obedience to His Majestie and that they all take the oaths of supremacie and allegiance; and that you provide that justice bee equallie administered to all His Majesties subjects ther resideing, and as neare as may be after the forme of this realme of England, wherin you are to have a vigilant care to prevent corruption amongst your inferior officers tending to the perverting or delaying of justice; wee praie you also to have espetiall care that no injurie or oppresion bee wrought by the English against any of the natives of that countrie wherby the present peace may be disturbed and ancient quarrells (now buried) might be revived; provided, nevertheles, that the honor of our nation and safety of our people bee still preserved and all maner of insolence committed by the natives be severely and sharpelie punished.

3. Item: that you cause our people to applie themselves to an industrious course of life in followeinge ther buissinesies, each in the several degre and proffession, and that no man bee suffered to live idly, the example wherof might prove pernicious to the rest; in perticular that you bee carefull now in the begining to suppresse too much gaming and above all things that odious vice of drunkenes; and that all kinde of riott both in apparrell & otherwise bee eschewed; and that an edict bee speedily published that no person residing in Virginia (excepting those of the Counsill and heads of hundreds and plantations, ther wives & chilldren) shall weare any gold in ther clothes or any apparrell of silke, untill such time they have itt of the silke ther made by silkewormes & raised by ther owne industry.

4. Item: that you use good prudence that no just cause of offence bee given to any other prince, state or people which are in league or amitie with His Majestie; and that no captaine or other of our Colonie under pretence of trade to the coast of the West Indies bee suffred to saile out with anie vessell ther to robb & spoile wherby to provoke any other nation against us; and that no piratts have cause by ... accesse to retier with ther purchasses to the coast of Virginia, but that they be severlie punnished & ther goods confiscated: for the preventing of which, as alsoe for securing your selves against all forraigne ennimies, wee require your serious considerations for the speedie errecting of fortresses or blockhouses at the mouth of the river as also for all other manner of needfull fortifications in all places, and to the effecting hereof wee requirer you, as well private persons as hundreds and corporations, bee ratablie proportioned to the performance of certaine dayes worke by the yeare.

5. Item: that the best meanes bee used to draw the better disposed of the natives to converse with our people and labor amongst them with convenient reward that therby they may growe to a likeing and love of civility and finallie bee brought to the knowledge and love of God and true religion, which may prove also of great strength to our people against the savages or other invadors, whatsoever; and they may bee fitt instruments to assist afterwards in the more gennerall conversion of the heathen people which wee somuch desier.

6. Item: that for the laying of the surer foundation for the said conversion, that each towne, cittie, burrough and other particular plantation bee procured to obtaine to themselves by just meanes a certaine number of the chilldren of the natives to be educated by them in true religion and a civill course of life; of which chilldren the most towardlie boyes in will and graces of nature to bee brought up by them in the first elements of literature so to bee fitted for the colledge, in the fabricke whereof we purpose to proceed assoone as any proffit returned from the tenantes shall enhable us; and doe therfore verie ernestlie requier your uttermost helps aswell for the improveinge of ther labors, as for the true account and returne of the proffitts already due, that so that busines of the colledge may goe forward with which wee doubt not a particular blessing of God will goe a long uppon the Collony ther as wee are assured the love of all good men here to the plantation will therby be encreased.

7. Item: that imediatlie after the gatheringe in of the present yeares cropp by Sir George Yeardlie, wee requier that the land belonging to the place of Governor bee resigned to Sir Francis Wyate and that ther bee delivered to him by Sir George Yeardly the hundred tenants well furnished which wee sent him for the place; and if ther bee any of them wanting, Sir George Yeardly is out of his private to make good the full nomber of a hundred, which wee hope hee will gladlie doe, remembringe our courtesie in the addition of thirtie able persons sent him the former springe to supplie those that wee understood through mortallitie had failed; as also our refusing to accept of his offer to depart [part?] with all the proffitt by the Governors land or tenants, onlie exspecting his care to cultivate well that land and to uphold that nomber of a hundred tenants for the place.

8. Item: imediatelie upon the expiracion of Sir George Yeardlys goverment on the eighteenth of November next, you shall admitt Sir Francis Wiats commission to bee read, whom accordinglie you shall receave and publish Governor and Captaine Generall, yealding unto his person and place all our respect, honor and observance.

9. Item: the comission for establishing of the Counsell you shall publish uppon the deliverie therof and as speedylie as convenientlie you may to administer the oath of Counsellors unto the severall persons therin named.

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, butt 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 principall 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 multitudes 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 quantitie 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 assidious care.

16. Item: silke grasse, 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 shipping 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, butt 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 assistance 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 shipps.

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 shipping 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 glasse 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 passadgs, 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 passe 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 passes, warrants, copies of orders, seales, &c., or proportionably to the merits of servants paines and attendance.

32. Item: the Governor & Counsell assembled within a short time after the arivall of this shipp 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 shiping ther comeing or goeing.

33. That the Governor for the time being in or about the foresaid time doe summon by an officer appointed for that purpose the Counsell of State to appeare at a day and to bee together for the space of one whole month or more if need shall requier to advise & consult upon matter of Counsell of State and of the generall affaires of the Colonie, and as ther shalbee cause to order and determine the greater causes of consequence or such matter as shall growe or arise within the Colonie, either by reference or judgment; and that free accesse bee permitted to all suiters to make knowne ther perticuler grevances, bee itt against what person soever. And if the plaint appeare to bee important, to record the same ther & to returne a coppy ther of together with the report of your proceeding therin.

34. As also to keepe a perfect register of all the acts of each quarter sessions duely and orderlie and therof to returne a perfect transcript unto us by the first oppertunitie of shipping from time to time. And that at everie sessions you cause all instructions and charters that are already or shall hereafter bee sent from hence to bee read and so from sessions to sessions untill our directory shall bee fullie executed.

35. Item: in case of the Governor death or removall or suspencion by order from hence untill other direction from us can come, wee requier that the Counsell or major part of them then residing in Virginia doe imedialie assemble themselves and within fourteene dayes or sooner from out of ther body to elect one to supplie the place for the time; and to preserve the state of bussinesse still in the same current that it was.

36. The relation of which act of Counsell wee will you send us with as much speede as may bee, and if ther should bee an unexpected division in the voices of the counsell that a just halfe should bee willing to elect one and the other halfe desirous of another, then wee will that election bee made of the Leftennant Governor; and in his absence or necessarie cause of declining the Marshall, and in case of his default or such refusall then the Treasurer, then one of the two deputies or the other till the place of Governor be settled in on [one] of our said cheif officers.

37. Item: whereas ther hath bin severall directions given to the former Governor for fixing the tenants uppon the lands as well belonging to the Governor place as other the officers seated by the Governor, which uppon pretences hath bin allowed and neglected and the men lett out to the heir; wee requier you that hereafter no officer bee permitted to lett out his tenants, butt settle them uppon the lands sett out for his place, enjoining them to enclose gardens, build howses, deviding them into families or societies, to place them upon the land appropriated to his office, excepting onlie the Counsell shall have power to make a convenient order at one of the quarter sessions to dispence with this article for the space of six months & that in case onlie of extreeme necessitie.

38. Item: the Governor, onlie for the time being, shall summon Counsells and sine warrants & execute or give athoritie for execution of the Counsells orders, except in cases which seeme to appertaine to the imediate execucions of Liftenant Generall, Marshall, Tresuror, or deputies, wherin according to ther severall comissions or by a conceaved order from a quarter counsell the officers are severallie directed and authorised.

39. The Governor for the time being shall have absolute power and authoritie according to the implicacion of his particular commission to direct, determine and punish at his good discretion any emergent buissnes, neglect or contempt of authority in any kind or what soever negligence or contempt may bee found in any person ther residing or being, except only those of the Counsell for ther on persons whoe are in such cases to bee summoned to appeare at the next quarter session of the Counsell holdne ther abide ther censure; in the meane time if the Governor shall thinke itt may concerne either the quiett of that state to proceed more speedily with such an offendor, itt shall bee lawful to summon a Counsell extreordinarie, wherat six of the Counsell at lest are to bee present with the said Governor and by the main parte of ther voices committ any Counsellor to saife custody or upon baile to appere and abide the order of the nextt quarter counsell.

40. Everie order and decree of the Counsell of State shalbe concluded by the major parte of voices at that Assembly, wherin the Governor for the time being is to have a casting voice if the nomber of Counsellors should bee even or should bee equally devided in oppinnion; neverthelesse reserving to the said Governor a negative voice att any Generall Assembly according to a former comission granted.[26]

[Footnote 26: One of the few references to the _Commission_,
not the "Instructions", to Yeardley, authorizing a General
Assembly.]

41. Item: wee pray you likewise to take into your care the protexcion of the people, that they suffer no wrong by the engrossing commodity & forestalling the marketts, butt preserve them open for all men freely or indifferently to buy or sell.

42. Item: wee requier you expecially to see the publicke labors to bee from time to time equally charged & burdned for the people that one mans tenants bee nott favored above others or officers tenants favored more then those of the puplique; and to the end those services may fall as easy to all ports as may bee, wee thinke in the punishment of all enormus misdemeanors, &c., ill deservers bee condemned to a nomber of days works for puplique use & building, or to finnishing of a fence or dike, or to cariage or roweing according to the meritt of the offence.

43. Item: where as the Right Honourable the Earle of Pembroke with divers his associates have undertaken to plaint thirty thousand acres of land in Virginia, we therfore intreat you to make choice of the best seate on that river that is not yett inhabited; and herin to take the advise of Mr. Leech, whoe now goes over to veiw the cuntrie and to bee enployd in that plantacion which being sett out wee desier to be informed therof.

44. Item: as wee hold itt most necessarie that you provide for the generall safety and securing of your selves and estats together, so doe wee conceave it a matter of exceeding great advantage & incouragment to discover everie day farther by the sea coast and within land about which wee requier you to conceave a fitting course from time espetiallie to find good fishing betweene James river and Cape Cod or any wher within our limmittes wherin wee suppose the new trade of commodities found wilbe like to recompence the troble and charge bestowed therin, for wee are certainely informed that the Dutchmen within 20 or 30 leagues of your plantacion steile a trade for furrs, &c., to ther verie great gaine & content.

45. Item: for as much as planting of staple commodities is useuallie much advanced by example taken one from another, wee expect that the cheif officers by ther owne particular employment of ther people & land, & setting forth the benifitts & hopes of such endeavors, shall exceedinglie advance the state of commodity and trade.