[Continuing with Keith's comments on the Second Colony]
"In 1725 the entire colony, now released, moved to the Robinson River near the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in present day Madison County."
Most of the colony moved to the Robinson River Valley, but not all did. A few families moved to the area southeast of Mt. Pony. The largest land owner of the Germanna people in this area was Christopher Zimmerman on the branches of Potato Run. Some of his land appears to have abutted the land where the Rev. Thompson built "Salubria".
"They had chosen for their home a place that stood on the very border of civilization. Surrounded thus by the dangers and difficulties of the frontier life they made their homes and reached a certain degree of prosperity."
Apparently this was true.
"During the early years they were without regular religious ministrations. In 1719, they joined with the members of the 1714 colony in a petition to the Bishop of London, praying for support in the maintenance of a minister, and to have the Liturgy of the Church of England translated into High Dutch. In 1724 or 1725 they sent two of their number, Michael Cook and Ziriakus Fleshman, to Germany 'to bring a minister for us High Germans who are here.'"
Probably the date of 1724 or 1725 is a little bit too early, for they were still along the Rapidan River, and expecting to move to the Robinson River. They would probably have made sure they were moved before they went to Europe. We do not know for sure that it was Cook and Fleshman who went, though we are fairly sure that two men did go.
"The relation to the colony of 1714 was purely accidental."
I disagree with Keith here, at least in part. Spotswood had liked the work that the colony of 1714 had done on the frontier, and he wanted more Germans badly, so he could advance his land acquisition plans. He let the captains of ships know that he wanted a shipload of Germans. One of them obliged him and highjacked the colony of 1717 from their intended destination of Pennsylvania. It was the presence of the colony of 1714 that led Spotswood to seek out more Germans.
(22 Sep 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.