John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 1964

To the Lord Commissioners of Trade, 27 January 1715 (NS):

“The Act for exempting certain German Protestants from the payment of Levys, and is made in favour of several Familys of that Nation, who, upon the encouragement of the Baron de Graffinreed, came over hither in hopes to find out Mines, but the Baron’s misfortunes obliged him to leave the Country before their arrival.  They have been settled on the Frontiers of Rappahannock and subsisted since chiefly at my charge and the Contributions of some Gentlemen that have a prospect of being reimbursed by their Labour whenever his Majesty shall be pleased, by ascertaining his Share to give encouragement for working those Mines, and I hope the kind reception they have found here will invite more of the same Nation to transport themselves to this Colony, which wants only industrious people to make it a flourishing Country . . .”

To the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, 7 February 1716 (NS):

“As to the other Settlement, named Germanna [besides Christanna], there are about forty Germans, Men, Women, and Children, who, having quitted their native Country upon the invitation of the Herr Graffenreidt, and being greivously disappointed by his failure to preform his Engagements to them, and they arriving also here just at a time when the Tuscaruro Indians departed from the Treaty they had made with this Government to settle upon its Northern Frontiers, I did, both in Compassion to those poor Strangers, and in regard to the safety of the Country, place them together upon a piece of Land, several Miles without the Inhabitants, where I built them Habitations and subsisted them until they were able, by their own Labour, to provide for themselves, and I presume I may, without a Crime or Misdemeanour, endeavour to put them in an honest way of paying their Just Debts.”

[Later in the same letter there is also the following.]

"I have frequently mentioned how the Germans came to be settled on this Land, and ‘tis well known that when they arrived in this Country they were so far from being able to undergo the charge of taking up Land for themselves, that they had not wherewithal to subsist.  So that, besides the expence of one hundred and fifty pounds or their Transportation, they are still indebted for near two years’ Charge of subsisting them.  I cannot, therefore, imagine myself guilty of any oppression by placing them as Tenants upon my own Land, when I had pursued the common methods of the Country and taken the advantage of the Law here ­ instead of being Tenants, they might have been my Servants for five years.  Nor are the Germans insensible of the favour I have done them . . .  The terms upon which the Germans are settled will not appear very like oppression, seeing they have lived for two years upon this Land without paying any Rent at all, and that all which is demanded of them for the future is no more than twelve days’ work a year of each Household, which is not so much as the Rent of their Houses without any Land would have cost in any other part of the Country.”