It is time to give center stage to the late Lt. Gov. of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood. The time is early May in 1726. The stage is the King's Most Excellent Majesty In Council. Spotswood has the floor to present his petition.
Act I of Spotswood before His Majesty
He humbly sheweth,[Note: The copy is extremely hard to read, since far too much ink was used, and it bleed through the fibers of the paper.]"That your Petitioner, during his Administration of the said Government, being led by a publick Spirit & a dutiful Regard to your Majy's Pleasure, did upon receiving Directions, from ye Lord Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, for making Hemp & Tar; & also upon seeing your Maty's Speech to ye Parliament, for raising Naval Stores in the Plantations, judge it incumbent on him to promote the same with his Province."That design he incouraged the forming of Companies & Partnerships, for carrying on such undertakings, & deeply embarked himself with some Adventurers [i.e., partners taking a risk]; who entered so far into the Project as to be at Several Thousand pounds Charge in the Clearing and Seating large tracts of ye Crown's Desarts-Lands [i.e., undeveloped lands], & in importing materials and proper Workmen, for raising all manner of Naval Stores.
"That this grand undertaking proving to be attended with greater Difficulties, than his partners had Courage or Ability longer to struggle with, your Petitioner, while he was Governor ventured to take ye whole concern upon himself rather than such a laudable attempt should be given over [i.e., given up], to ye certain discouragement of other Adventurers; & so having reimbursed his Partners ye utmost penny of their Expenses, & after an excessive deal of Pains, Risque, & Charge, brought ye Undertakings such a length, as to ship home the first Pig-Iron, & ye first Hemp of Virginia growth, that were known to be imported into Great Britain: Besides proving by Experience that in these american Parts, neither ye Tar can be made according to ye directions of ye act of Parliament, without ye peculiar Skill of Finland Tar-Burners, or the Hemp ever be raised to any perfection from the English, or East Country Seed.
"That not only such Discoveries, made at your Petitioner's Sole-Cost, may be deemed a Public Benefit but also ye . . . . of his labor are found to be valuable to ye Nation; and his . . . iron has . . . . Iron-Masters in England who have hitherto make trial thereof, and now Hemp is proved to be considerably Superior to the best Russian, . . . . with the best Riga Hemp as my appear by the Report from ye officers at Woolwich yard . . . of your Maty Navy."
[to be continued]
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