2 Jun 1714. Returning to the Minute Book of the Board of Trade , the Commissioners received an Order of the House of Lords asking for the Commissioners' opinion of the state of the tobacco trade. They have a proposed bill for the encouragement of the tobacco trade, and they want an opinion on it also. [The tobacco trade had its advocates and opponents. The advocates took note that selling tobacco to other nations brought in foreign currencies. The opponents just did not like tobacco.] The same day, Mr. R. Perry and Capt. Hyde gave statements on the tobacco trade. The next day, Mr. Perry and other merchants, trading in [or with] Virginia, spoke their opposition to the proposed bill. They objected to the high duties and the requirements for security. The next day after that the Commissioners drafted a reply to the House of Lords, and on the day after that, they signed it. Lord Guildford, one of the Commissioners, was asked to deliver the comments to the House.
3 August 1714. The Commissioners gave orders to all Plantations, instructing them to proclaim King George in their respective governments. Three days later, acting on instructions in an Order in Council , the Commissioners prepared a formal statement proclaiming His Majesty (as King). Later in the week, copies were sent by two vessels that had been standing by to deliver the proclamation to the American colonies. [It appears that activity became very quiet for several months. It was just at this time that Spotswood was writing about Fort Germanna and the Germans.]
17 Feb 1714/15. The Inspector General of H.M.'s customs, presented an account showing the amount of mast timber, pitch, and tar imported into Britain since 1706 from the Baltic countries and from the Plantations.
11 Mar 1714/15. A memorial was received from Col. Jennings, Secretary of Virginia, asking that he should be continued as a Member of the Council of Virginia. The Commissioners requested him to attend a future meeting, bringing with him his license for being absent from Virginia. This same day, the Commissioners agreed upon the order of seniority in which the names of the Members of the Council of Virginia should be placed. [Seniority was a hotly debated topic among the Council members, who were very jealous of their position. If the Lt. Gov. should die, the senior member of the Council became the Lt. Gov. until a new Lt. Gov. was appointed.] The Commissioners decided that Mr. Berkeley's name should be added to the list of Council Members. After talking to Col. Jennings, they decided his license to leave Virginia had not expired and he was to be listed as the senior member of the Council. The Commissioners prepared instructions for the Secretary of State that no member of the Council in any Plantation should be granted a leave of absence from his colony without the Commissioners being first consulted.
[It seems to me that it would have been hard to stay awake at the meetings of the Council. But it appears that most days they had little work to do.]
(22 Aug 00)
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.