The Lord Commissioners for Trade and Plantations prepared a report for King George (I), showing the trade with the colonies in the three years from Christmas 1714 to Christmas 1717. I am selecting the parts which can clearly be identified with naval stores.
From all of the colonies, for these three years, there was turpentine (£12,082), pitch and tar (£34,990), and train oil (£7,680). (I don’t believe the last item is really a naval store, but I couldn’t omit the chance to throw in it to see if you were paying attention. If you are curious, it is whale oil. In addition, masts, poles, and the boards used below decks to lock the cargo into place were also considered naval stores. And hemp was a naval store. Linen for sails might also be considered a naval store but it usually was not counted.)
It was about this time that a push commenced for more of England’s naval stores to be produced in the colonies. I have mentioned that Spotswood was taking advantage of this desire to justify his large land holdings.
He returned to England late in 1724 to clarify the titles to his lands which were in doubt. His appeal was made to King George in 1727. The opening paragraph of his petition reads:
"That your Petitioner, during his Administration of the said Government [referring to Virginia], being led by publick Spirit & a dutiful Regard to your Majesty’s Pleasure, did upon receiving Directions, from the Lord Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, for making Hemp & Tar; & also upon seeing your Majesty’s Speech to the Parliament, for raising Naval Stores in the Plantations, judge it incumbent on him to promote the same within his Province.
"That design he encouraged by the forming of Partnerships, for carrying on such undertakings, & deeply embarked himself with some Adventurers, who entered so far into the Project as to be at several Thousand pounds Charge in the Clearing and Seating large tracts of the Crown’s Desart-Lands, & in importing materials and proper Workmen, for raising all manner of Naval Stores.
"That this grand undertaking proving to be attended with great Difficulties, than his partners had Courage or Ability longer to struggle with, your Petitioner, while he was Governor ventured to take the whole concern upon himself rather than such a laudable attempt should be given over, to the certain discouragement of other Adventurers; & so having reimbursed his Partners the utmost penny of their Expenses, & after an excessive deal of Pains, Risque, & Charge, brought the Undertaking such a length, as to ship home the first Pig-Iron [in 1723], & the first Hemp of Virginia growth, that were ever known to be imported into Great Britain. Besides proving by experience that in these american Parts, neither the Tar can be made according to the directions of the act of Parliament, without the peculiar Skill of Finland Tar-burners, nor the Hemp ever be raised to any perfection from the English, or the East Country Seed."
Spotswood made the core of his petition the idea that he was only doing what the King asked to be done. Furthermore, the directions that came from London were no good. To remedy this, he had to hire talent from abroad, at his own expense [this last point is brought out more clearly in other writings, I believe]. The Finnish tar-burners are not otherwise identified.
(19 Apr 01)
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.