Just recently, I have been using material from Klaus Wust, " Palatines and Switzers for Virginia, 1705-1738: Costly Lessons for Promoters and Emigrants ." The primary documents for this are in the Public Record Office in London, and in the Swiss libraries. One can get the PRO records directly from your armchair. For the Swiss libraries, it necessitates a trip. Or, the easier way to get Graffenried's writings is to buy the book, " Christoph von Graffenried's Account of the Founding of New Bern " (available from Heritage Books).
Graffenried, a partner in George Ritter and Company, found that he could get the North Carolina proprietors to take his Swiss colony to North Carolina if he would also lead a contingent of several hundred Germans. The proprietors also offered him the title of Baron if he would buy 5,000 acres of land. Graffenried saw this a chance for both profit and status. He believed that he could get the North Carolina colony established easily, and then he could devote his attention to the Virginia colony, which was to mine silver. Albrecht was going to Siegen to recruit the miners and it would take him a little time to find the people. So Graffenried said yes to the North Carolina proprietors. Later, he was to admit in his writings that the diversion to North Carolina was not the wisest move.
For an account of what happened in North Carolina and in Virginia, we have information from Graffenried and Spotswood. Spotswood became involved because of the Indian Wars in North Carolina, which were a threat to the Virginians. So he wrote letters to the Board of Trade, telling it what the situation was, and what he was going to do about. In fact, because Graffenried hardly ever enters any dates in his story, the writings of Spotswood become very important to help sort out the events.
When Graffenried did write his memoirs, after his American experience had ended, they had a special purpose. In them, he was trying to say what went wrong, and whose fault it was. Never was it his fault. These memoirs are the principal documents in the Swiss libraries that form the basis for the book above (originally published in 1920).
Let us return to the events in London in 1709, when Michel and Graffenried were there, and also more than ten thousand Germans hoping to go on to America. Graffenried did select five or six hundred of the Germans to go to North Carolina. Ships were made ready and the ships did sail with the Germans, but Graffenried remained in London waiting for the Swiss contingent. The Swiss had not been able to leave Bern because the plans for them were not ready. Now that the plans were generally ready, the Swiss started down the Rhine River for London. (Some reports say that a son of Graffenried was leading this contingent.)
(15 Aug 01)
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