The report by Mr. Byrd that Virginia could cast pig iron (but not yet bar iron), produced very little stir in government circles in London. The biggest danger to iron manufacturing in the colonies was the opposition of the merchants and traders in England.
On 9 Jan 1722 (N/S), Mr. Gee sent a letter, originally sent from Virginia to Mr. King, a Bristol merchant, alleging that Col. Spotswood was taking up large tracts of land for himself in Virginia under other names. The Commissioners at the Board of Trade and Plantations refused to consider the matter until positive proof was produced. [Apparently some of the merchants did not favor Spotswood and were trying to put him in hot water in England.]
20 Apr 1722. Major Drysdale presented to the Board his Commission, dated 3 April 1722, to be the new Lt. Governor of Virginia. A copy was taken. [Apparently, Lord Orkney had full control of specifying his deputy. Why Drysdale waited from 3 April to 20 April to present his credentials is unknown. Nor is it known clearly just what the grounds were for the removal of Col. Spotswood. The best speculation is that Mr. Blair, the deputy for the Bishop of London with responsibility for the established church in Virginia (and an enemy of Spotswood), had won his case.]
27 Apr 1722. All H.M.'s Plantations were notified that trade with the East Indies was strictly forbidden. [English merchants did not want their empires disturbed.]
14 Jun 1722. The Board met with Major Drysdale and Mr. Blair, who was also a member of the Council in Virginia, to discuss several outstanding questions pertaining to Virginia. These discussions continued, and on 19 Jun 1722, they talked about the need to secure the passes over the mountains, settlement in the two new counties of Spotsylvania and Brunswick, the Burgesses' claim to certain rights, the proposed lighthouse on Cape Henry, the Indian problem, Spanish pirates, and how salaries were to be paid to the House of Burgesses. The Board was to summarize its views and send them in a letter to Major Drysdale.
26 Jun 1722. Captain Hyde and Mr. Harris, merchants, requested that they might be heard on the Cape Henry lighthouse question. [They were opposed as they feared a raise in taxes.]
30 Aug 1722. Col Spotswood, in a letter dated 23 Jun 1722, recommended John Carter to replace Col. Blakiston who had died. [I feel as if I had lost a friend for it was Col. Blakiston who got the First Germanna Colony on the way to Virginia.] [Note that Spotswood had lost his job two months earlier, but he still does not know it. This was one of the difficulties imposed by the delays in trans-Atlantic travel.]
(18 Sep 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.