John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 6

On Easter Sunday in 1713, Graffenried left Virginia riding horseback to New York where he caught a ship to London.  This round-about route was necessary because he could not leave from North Carolina or Virginia where he was known.  It was probably late summer, perhaps early fall, when he arrived in London.

Upon his arrival there, he found Albrecht and forty-odd Germans from the Siegen area who had paid their own way to London.  In London they were expecting to go on at the expense of Graffenried.  Graffenried claimed that he was completely surprised at this turn of events (remember that he said this in his memoirs where he was trying to make himself look good).  He admitted that he had written a letter from America in which he said that if one or two wanted to come over and have a look around they could come.  Perhaps he had been filled with the hope that they could pay their own way to America.  He could only advise them now to go home but they could hardly do this.

They pooled their money and offered to indenture themselves for four years to pay the balance.  This spirit of determination on the part of the Germans roused Graffenried to action.  He found them temporary work.  Next he visited people who had been referred to him and found a receptive ear in Col. Blakiston, the agent for Virginia who was familiar with Spotswood's plans and hopes.  An arrangement was worked out.  Merchants in London would advance the one hundred and fifty pounds of passage money that remained above the resources of the Germans.  When the ship arrived in Virginia, Spotswood would pay the captain the one hundred and fifty pounds and he would reimburse the merchants.  The only possible hitch in this plan was that Spotswood was being committed to paying the money and he knew nothing about the plan.  The Germans were being sent on to Virginia without the approval of Spotswood who might balk at the outlay.