First, I will make some commentary upon the preceding Notes. In the last Note, notice the emphasis on gold and silver. There is no mention now of iron. Iron has not been mentioned since 1710. Some people have said that the mention of silver was a cover up for iron but anyone who has read Graffenried's story will know that he was interested, primarily, in silver, though he was not averse to gold. When Spotswood said that Graffenried could procure workmen out of Germany, he left the wrong impression. The word "could" implies the future; however, Johann Justus Albrecht, who worked for the same enterprise as Graffenried, had been recruiting in Nassau-Siegen since 1710. Whether Albrecht had any commitments by the summer of 1712 is not clear. It is known that Rev. Haeger wanted to go. Graffenried writings show also he was thinking of silver (and gold) and not of iron.
In a slightly earlier note, I said that the iron which was discussed in 1710 was on lands belonging to the Byrd family near the James River near present day Richmond. There is a good piece of evidence that this was the case by a comment that William Byrd writes in his "Secret Diary". For September 24, 1710, he wrote,
“The company [guests] went away in the evening and the Governor and I took a walk on the river side. The Governor was very willing to favor the iron works.”
In October, Spotswood was writing to England of his plan to have the Assembly approve an iron works based on the ore in the Byrd land on the James River.
In 1710, the metal for mining as discussed by Spotswood was iron. This was not a discovery of Spotswood's, but was a known resource on the Byrd lands. After 1710, for about six years, iron was not considered seriously by Spotswood. Starting in 1712, due to the information from Graffenried, Spotswood became very interested in silver. Additional notes here will make this point clearer.
On 11 June 1713, Spotswood wrote to Col. Blakiston in London:
“I writ to you about 2 Months ago about the discovery of another mine in which I am concerned, and have little now to add, except that all the Gentlemen concerned with me, depend very much on your prudent management of this affair, wherein you will please take the advise of my Lord Orkney to whom I have writt about it. As to what expences you shall be at, you may be assured they will be reimbursed, and whatever you will find it necessary to engage for, in order to the obtaining of a Grant in our Favour, faithfully performed, though if (as you write,) it be so difficult to get it many otherwise than in general as a favour to the Country, The Charge will be but small, and must be defrayed at the public Expense . . . we cannot proceed till we know what we have to Trust to.”
When Spotswood said silver, he meant silver. He did NOT try to cover up an assumed interest in iron by using the word silver.
(03 Sep 04)
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