John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 1982

William Byrd II sent another letter to John Bartram on 23 March 1739(NS), which is a continuation of the events in the previous note:

“I sent an answer to your kind letter by the post several months ago, and congratulated your safe return to your family.  This kisses you hand by my friend Dr. Tscheffely, a Swiss gentleman, who is bound to Philadelphia to try if he can prevail with any of his country men to come and settle upon my land at Roanoke.  And if you will be so kind as to lend a helping hand towards it, I shall ever acknowledge the obligation.  The land is exceedingly good, with a fine river runing through the whole length of it more than a quarter of a mile wide, full of wild fowl in winter, and alive with fish all the year.  Very many rivulets and creeks run into it on both sides, which help to fertilize the soil, and will afford all manner of convenience for mills of every kind.  The situation is high and the air very wholsome, free from those aguish vapours, which infect the lower parts of the country.  And as the land lyes 40 miles on this side the mountains, the Indians have no manner of claim or pretence to it, by the last peace we made with them.  The price I sell this land for, you know is very easy, being no more than 3 pounds of our currency for every hundred acres.  The quitrent is but 2 shillings a year, and since I saw you I have prevaild with our Assembly, to make all forreign Protestants free from taxes for ten years, that shall come and inhabit that part of the country.  These I think are such temptations and encouragements as are not to be met with elswhere.  Or will the distance exceed seaventy miles to a ship landing, and the road will be very good and very level all the way, when we have cleard the ridge that we intend.  So that there will be little difficulty in bringing the fruits of their industry to market.  We have had the misfortune lately to lose a ship, either by the villany or stupidity of the master, which had 250 Switzers and Germans on bord with effects to a considerable value.  There were to seat on part of my land under the conduct of several gentlemen of fortune, who came along with them.  But these gentlemen perisht, and most of the people, and very little of their effects are saved.  Some few of these unhappy wretches are gone upon my land to make a begining, and will soon be followed by more. . .”

The ship that Byrd refers to is the Oliver which sank off the coast of Virginia.  From the effects of the very long voyage, plus the sinking of the ship Oliver , about two of every three people who had started on the ship died.  Of those who embarked on the Oliver at Rotterdam, there were fifty people from Freudenberg.  Whether these Germans had signed on with the Oliver because it was the only ship going to Virginia, or whether these Germans had been enticed by Byrd's agents in believing that a good opportunity existed on Byrd's land is unknown.  Though I am inclined to believe the former was the case, it is true that the German survivors left very few records in the following five to ten years.  Perhaps some of them did settle on Byrd's land.
(18 Sep 04)