The petition that I quoted from (partially) in the last note can be found in the Public Record Office in Kew as C.O. 5/1344, pages 1 and 2. A microfilm copy of these pages can be found in the Virginia State Library, but this microfilm copy has some passages that are impossible to read. I have on order, from the PRO, an original copy and I hope it will help clarify a few points. The parts that I quoted are legible, at least to the point that I did not have to guess at more than one or two words.
Since writing the previous note I have thought of the name of the boards or planks that were used below decks to secure the cargo so that it would not rock or slide around. These boards are called " deal " boards.
It seems obvious that one or more English supervisors must have been present in " New German Town " to help them get settled and to do the assigned work. The major part of this work was "naval stores" and apparently much trouble was encountered in trying to produce the naval stores. As Spotswood indicated, he had partners, one of whom was Robert Beverley. From the comments of Rev. Jones, it would seem that Beverley encouraged the Germans to grow grapes for wine.
It seems also there was a short-lived experiment, in which the Second Germanna Colony made charcoal. This is at least the implication of Spotswood's comments to William Byrd, who was investigating the iron industry. Spotswood recommended that the charcoal be produced as close as possible to the furnace. Spotswood said he had tried to make charcoal across the river, but that it had not traveled very well. This would fit the location of the Second Colony, and the distance would have been about twenty miles. Even though most of the trip was by water, it was still a long distance to ship charcoal. Except for the delivery of the charcoal, no one in the Second Colony was at the furnace site.
In addition to all of these assigned tasks, the Germans would have been growing their own food. It is doubtful that any of the Germans grew tobacco while they were at, or near, Germanna. It does not seem as though they would have had time enough.
Returning to the use of the word "Germantown", above, the first settlement at Germanna was called Germantown. To verify this, consult John Fontaine who says "Germantown" more often than he says "Germanna". To clarify the locations of the homes of the Second Colony settlers, who were a few miles away from Germanna, their homes were called "New Germantown". The 1800 acre site, to which the First Colony moved, was also called Germantown, but it was the third Germantown in Virginia. In the end, though, it was the only locality to which the name stuck.
(20 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.