John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 2119

[William Byrd continues to make notes of his conversation with Mr. Chiswell, Sept.27.]

"This would pay the charge of forging abundantly, but he doubted the parliament of England would soon forbid us that improvement, lest after that we should go farther and manufacture our bars into all sorts of ironware, as they already do in New England and Pennsylvania.  Nay, he questioned whether we should be suffered to cast any iron, which they can do themselves at their furnaces.

"Thus ended our conversation, and I thanked my friend for being so free in communicating everything to me.  Then, after tipping a pistole to the clerk, to drink prosperity to the mines with all the workmen, I accepted the kind offer of going part of my journey in the phaeton.

"I took my leave about ten and drove a spacious level road ten miles to a bridge built over the river Po, which is one of the four branches of Mattaponi, about forty yards wide.  Two miles beyond that we passed by a plantation, belonging to the company, of about five hundred acres, where they keep a great number of oxen to relieve those that have dragged their loaded carts thus far.  Three miles farther we came to the Germanna road, which I quitted the chair and continue my journey on horseback.  I rode eight miles together over a stony road, and had on either side continual poisoned fields, with nothing but saplings growing on them.  Then I came into the main county road that leads from Fredericksburg to Germanna, which last place I reached in ten miles more."

At this point, William Byrd's account is given in Germanna Record 7 starting on page 49.  I will not repeat that as every student of Germanna history should have this Germanna Record.  Later, I will give some more of Byrd's comment from " A Progress to the Mines ".

(NOTE:  You can order "Germanna Record 7" from the official Germanna website "Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia" .  Scroll down the page to "Germanna Record No. 7".

(NOTE:  A complete electronic edition of "A Progress to the Mines:  in the Year 1732" can be found at The Early Americas Digital Archives , but you should read John's ongoing Notes because his comments on, and explanations of, Byrd's writings are invaluable.)

Please note above how nervous the owners of the iron works in Virginia were about being shut down by actions in England.  This is the reason that Alexander Spotswood was so slow about entering the iron business.  He had the rug yanked from under him in another enterprise, and he approached iron very cautiously and only with support from well-placed individuals in England.  He did not make his first shipment to England until 1723, several years after the Fort Germanna Germans had left him.

[There will be a few days' break now. John Blankenbaker ]
(25 May 05)