(Continuing with the charter for George Ritter and Company)
- The other above named gentlemen, associates, who have not paid in their capital, will pay it in before next September.
- At the end of twenty years, by a vote of three-quarters of the associates, the Society can be abolished.
- A yearly report will be made on the state of things, a financial account will be given, and after four years, associates may draw ten percent of their invested capital according to the judgment of the whole Society. Whatever is gained in the mines will be divided yearly.
- This contract may be amended by a majority of the votes.
- The associates promise each other love, faith, and true friendship. To the best of their ability, they will serve and promote the good of the Society.
Done in London, the 18th of May 1710.Witnesses,
William Edwards
Edward Woods
(Signed)
Fr. Ludwig Michel
Chr. Von Graffenried
Georg Ritter
Petter Isoth
Very shortly after this date, Graffenried and Michel sailed for America with their Swiss colonists. They landed first in Virginia where Graffenried called on the Lt. Governor, Alexander Spotswood (and showed him his letter from the Queen stating he was to have land in Virginia for a Swiss colony). Here was learned the fate of the ships that had sailed earlier with the Palatines. These first ships had suffered a great loss of life while crossing the ocean and had been stopped within sight of the Virginia coast (and of a British man-of-war) by pirates who plundered the ships. Graffenried went on to North Carolina by way of land and smaller ships and he was not pleased by the situation there either.
The North Carolina adventure was a failure from the standpoint of the Society. At another time, this story may be told here. Due to a lack of support by George Ritter and Company and by the proprietors of North Carolina and due to misadventures with the Indians, Graffenried was in Virginia by 1712. He was looking for the silver mines along the Potomac and toward this end he explored above the falls of the Potomac. His attempts to get some of the Palatines and Swiss to relocate from North Carolina to Virginia were not successful. By then, Graffenried was broke and in debt. He decided that the best recourse was to return to Europe.
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.