The memorandum that I have presented in the last two notes, from the Board of Trade and Plantations to Lord Sunderland, was preceded by a long series of other documents on the general subject. The first proposal was made about 1706, in the French language. I was going to give you the French text, but the filming was not good, and, since I do not read French, the result was apt to be poor. One phrase from an earlier (English) document is repeated here:
"We shall ever carry the mark of Gratitude in our hearts as to discover and propagate what may be most suitable and Beneficial to the Interest of Great Brittain of which we hope and expect Minerals Hemp Flax Wine Salt and other necessary improvements will soon appear to the Crown's satisfaction and all our Interest which further requires of this Negotiations we refer to his Excellency Abraham Stannian, Esq., Envoy from her Majesty of Great Brittain to the Protestant Cantons of Switzerland."
Signed by Luis Michell
One reason that I gave this quote was to show what Michel and Graffenried expected to find, and/or produce, on the frontiers of Virginia. I had not remembered whether they had informed the English that they hope to mine silver there. Without being specific, they put "minerals" at the head of the list of things they hoped to produce.
Barely had they obtained the approval for the colony of Switzers in Virginian, than they decided to send the Switzers to North Carolina. In Virginia, they were going to replace the Switzers by German miners. This also shows the priority that they placed on the different items they could conceivably produce.
One might ask why Graffenried and Michel allowed themselves to be diverted from the Virginia colonization scheme by the North Carolina effort. While several reasons might be put forth, I believe that Graffenried was swayed by the offer of the North Carolina proprietors to grant anyone who bought 5000 acres the title of Baron. In second place of the reasons, I believe Graffenried thought it would be a profitable venture.
The decision to recruit miners from Nassau-Siegen was reached in 1709, which was a year before Alexander Spotswood arrived in Virginia. They were to mine silver, not iron. They were to do it for the company of which Graffenried and Michel were the field managers.
(18 Aug 01)
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