One of the men who, at least implicitly, had an interaction with the Germanna citizens was Robert Beverley II. More generally, he is distinguished from his father, another Robert, by the appellation of "Historian". The father came to Virginia about 1663 and, having some capital, purchased land and took an active role in government. By the time he had died, twenty-four years later, he held more than fifty thousand acres of land, chiefly in the frontier counties. His life was to be the model for his son, Robert.
The father, or Major Beverley, held public office. He incurred the enmity of his own class, while having loyal supporters among the smaller planters. He helped to suppress the Bacon rebels, led a riotous group himself, and was once committed to prison. It might be said that he was a Whig among Tories.
His life was very active. He left a family of nine children, by two wives, with Robert (Jr.) being the second son by the first wife. He was clerk of the House of Burgesses in 1670, and a justice of the peace in Middlesex County. For a while, he was a member of the Council, and a strong supporter of Governor Berkeley. He led a troop into the field to suppress Bacon's Rebellion. The Royal Commission which investigated afterwards commented that he had been too vigorous in his pursuit of the rebels. But Major Beverley failed to support the governors after Berkeley, and became a leader of the "people's party", as opposed to the "party of the crown". He led the House of Burgesses to protest the action of Governor Jeffreys in a resolution of remonstrance, which aroused King Charles himself. The Privy Council in England ordered Beverley's removal from the Council, because of his "evil fame". Later, Governor Culpeper, sensing the trend of public opinion, persuaded the English government to reinstate Beverley.
When tobacco prices fell in the spring of 1682, a movement grew to curtail production, by not growing tobacco for one year. Major Beverley led the small planters in support of this. When the government failed to sanction this action, a group of planters set out to cut down all tobacco that they found growing. For his part in this, Major Beverley was arrested and imprisoned on a ship as a prime actor in the plant cutting. When transferred to the Sheriff of York, Beverley escaped and returned to his home. Once more he was taken into custody. The result of all of his actions was that he was forced to plead on a bended knee for the forgiveness of the Council.
Written documents remain of his beliefs in which he wrote,
"My heart hath been filled from my youth with loyalty to my king and duty to his ministers."
He states that he stood accused of unspecified misdemeanors, and pleads his innocence of the vague charges that he was "disloyal, tumultuous, or disobedient". Apparently logic was on his side, for the Governor and Council refused to hear him. The truth is that Beverley was hostile to the governing clique. When he drank too much, he often uttered things which would have best left unspoken.
Robert Beverley II saw his father in action for fourteen years, and it seems as though it made a deep impression on the son.
(16 Oct 00)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the [email protected] 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.