John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 2023

To ye Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, 7 February 1715 (by our calendar 1716), My Lords:

- - - - As to the other Settlement, named Germanna, there are about forty Germans, Men, Women and Children, who, having quitted their native Country upon the invitation of the Herr Graffenriedt [note at this time that he is no longer a Baron in the view of Spotswood], and being grievously disappointed by his failure to perform his Engagements to them, and they arriving also here just at a time when the Tuscauro 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 Misdeameanour, endeavour to put them in an honest way of paying their Just Debts. - - - - - - - - Though the Querist is not very fortunate in expressing his meaning, yet I take this Article of his Charge to consist of Three parts-viz.: A denying his Majesty's Subjects ye Liberty of taking up land; The taking up 12,000 Acres to my own use in a borrowed Name, and the Leasing the Lands taken up to ye Germans, instead of giving them the Property thereof to themselves.  To the 1st of these I answer, that except the Lands in between this Government and North Carolina, (on which no person is allowed Seat untill the determination of that Controversy,) I know of no restraint on any of his Majesty's Subjects from taking up Land in any part of the Government. - - - - To the 2nd: After the Querist has made so large use of his Invention in most of the foregoing Articles, he may more easily be excused in adding only one Cypher to increase the weight of this.  Instead of 12,000 Acres, which the Querist here says were taken up in the name of Wm. Robertson, ye whole quantity Surveyed at the time of composing his queryes amount to no more than 1,287, and though since, by the Patent for that Tract whereon the Germans are seated, it will appears to contain 3,429 acres, yet what is added to the first survey is part of a tract taken up by one Mr. Beverley and voluntarily yielded by him for conveniency of that Settlement. - - - - To the 3rd, 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 for 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 for each Household, which is not so much as the Rent of their Houses without any Land would have cost in other parts of the Country.

[The points here are expanded at more length in Spotswood's writings.]
(06 Dec 04)