At the Board of Trade and Plantations, on 27 May 1715, the Commissioners considered the question of the production of naval stores in the Plantations. [For several years following this time, naval stores are a major concern for England and the Commissioners. Spotswood, noting this, used the idea as an excuse for his large land holdings.] The Commissioners decided that new seals should be provided now that the throne was occupied by George.
The Commissioners invited Mr. Bridger (late surveyor of the Woods on the North American Continent) to testify about naval stores.
24 June 1715. The Commissioners read an Order in Council of 25 Sep 1712 (note the lapse of time), regarding a Private Act passed by the Virginia Assembly for the benefit of Col. Parkes.
1 Jul 1715. The Commissioners read a letter from the Commissioners of the Treasury, which enclosed a memorial from the Commissioners of Customs protesting an Act of the Virginia Assembly, passed 23 Oct 1705 (ten years earlier), prohibiting any person from holding office in Virginia unless he had resided for three years or more in Virginia. [Notice how many people could get involved in the internal workings of the Virginia government.]
8 Jul 1715. To try and resolve a dispute between Virginia and North Carolina, the Commissioners invited the Lords Proprietors of North Carolina to discuss the matter.
14 Jul 1715. Mr. Byrd of Virginia, Mr. Bannister, and Mr. Shirrif were asked to attend the Commissioner's meeting on 15 Jul. The next day, the Commissioners heard Byrd's and Banister's views on Indian hostility to Carolina, and their comparative harmlessness to Virginia. They said the Carolina traders were dishonest and also purchased Indians for resale as slaves in New England. The next day several Carolina traders offered their opinions on what was wrong in Carolina.
[As a side note, the First Germanna Colony has been on the job for a year now. The Indian question, though seemingly favorable in Virginia, could boil over and therefore put Virginia into danger.]
In the days following, more testimony was taken about the miserable conditions in Carolina. [This had been a contributing factor to the downfall of Graffenried's efforts to establish a colony there.]
The Carolina discussions went through the month of July, and Byrd, with Mr. Crawley, who had lately arrived from Virginia, saying the reasons for unrest among the Indians were dishonest trading, ill treatment of the Indians and their womenfolk, and forced labor. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Beresford, lately from Carolina, said the colonists there were seriously considering abandoning the whole colony.
(23 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.