The Three Charters of the Virginia Company of London. With Seven Related Documents; 1606-1621. Virginia 350th Anniversary Celebration Corporation
and plantation shall and may during the said terme of five years elect and choose out of themselves one or more Companies, each Company consisting of three persons att the least who shall be resident att or neer London, or such other place and places as the Councel of the Colony for the time being, or the most part of them, during the said five years shall think fitt, who shall there from time to time take charge of the trade and accompt of all such goods, wares, merchandizes and other things which shall be sent from thence to the Company of the same Colony or plantation in Virginia, and likewise of all such wares, goods and merchandizes as shall be brought from the said Colony or plantation unto that place within our realme of England, and of all things concerning the mannaging of the affaires and profits concerning the adventurors of that Company which shall soe passe out of or come into that place or port; and likewise our will and pleasure is that the adventurors in the said Second Colony and plantation shall and may, during the said terme of five years, elect out of themselves one or more Companies, each Company consisting of three persons att the least who shall be resident att or near Plymouth in our county of Devon within our realme of England, and att such one, two or three other places or ports as the Councel of that Colony or the most part of them shall think fitt, who shall there from time to time take care and charge of the trade & accompt of all such goods, wares, merchandizes and other things which shall be sent from thence to the same Colony and plantation in Virginia, and likewise of all such goods, wares and merchandizes as shall be brought from the said Colony and plantation in Virginia into our realme of England, and of all things concerning the mannaging of the affaires and profits of the adventurors of that Company; alsoe our will and pleasure is that noe person or persons shall be admitted into any of the said Colonies and plantations, there to abide and remaine, but such as shall take not only the usual oath of obedience to us, our heires and successors; but alsoe the oath which is limitted in the last session of Parliament, holden at Westminster in the fourth year of our raigne, for their due obedience unto us, our heires and successors, that the trade to and from any the Colonies aforesaid may be mannaged to and from such ports & places within our realme of England as is before in these articles intended, any thing set down heretofore to the contrary notwithstanding; and that the said President and Councel of each of the said Colonies, and the more part of them respectively, shall and may lawfully from time to time constitute, make and ordaine such constitutions, ordinances and officers for the better order, government and peace of the people of their several Collonies, soe alwaies as the same ordinances and constitutions doe not touch any party in life or member, which constitutions & ordinances shall stand and continue in full force untill the same shall be otherwise altered or made void by us, our heires or successors, or our or their Councel of Virginia, soe alwaies as the same alterations be such as may stand with and be in substance consonant unto the lawes of England or the equity thereof; furthermore, our will and pleasure is and wee doe hereby determine and ordaine that every person and persons being our subjects of every the said Collonies and plantations shall from time to time well entreate those salvages in those parts and use all good meanes to draw the salvages and heathen people of the same several places and of the territories and countries adjoining to the true service and knowledge of God, and that all just, kind and charitable courses shall be holden with such of them as shall conforme themselves to any good and sociable traffique and dealing with the subjects of us, our heires and successors which shall be planted there, whereby they may be the sooner drawne to the true knowledge of God and the obedience of us, our heires and successors under such severe paines and punishments as shal be inflicted by the same several Presidents and Councells of the said several Colonies, or the most part of them, within their several limits and precincts, on such as shall offend therein or doe the contrary; and that as the said territories and countries of Virginia and America within the degrees aforesaid shall from time to time increase in plantation by our subjects, wee, our heires and successors will, ordaine and give such order and further instructions, lawes, constitutions and ordinances for the better rule, order and government of such as soe shall make plantations there as to us, our heires and successors shall from time to time be thought fitt & convenient, which alwaies shall be such as may stand with or be in substance consonant unto the lawes of England or the equity thereof; and lastly wee doe ordaine and establish for us, our heires and successors that such oath shall be taken by each of our Councellors here for Virginia, concerning their place and office of Councell, as by the Privy Councell of us, our heires and successors of this our realme of England shall be in that behalf limited & appointed; and that each Councellor of the said Colonies shall take such oath for the execution of their place and office of Councel as by the Councel of us, our heires and successors here in England, for Virginia, shall in that behalfe be limited and appointed; and aswell those several articles and instructions herein mentioned and contained as alsoe all such as by virtue hereof shall hereafter be made and ordained, shall as need shall require, by the advice of our Councel here for Virginia be transcripted over unto the said several Councells of the said several Colonies under the seale to be ordained for our said Councell here for Virginia; In witnesses &c.
Virginia State Library, "Patents, No. 2, 1643-1651"; Hening, Vol. I, pp. 67-75.
ORDINANCE AND CONSTITUTION
An ordinance and constitution enlarging the number of our Councel for the two several Colonies and plantations in Virginia and America between 34 and 45 degrees of northerly latitude, and augmenting their authority for the better directing and ordering of such things as shall concerne the said Colonies.
James, by the grace of God, &c. Whereas wee, by our letters patents under our Great Seale of England bearing date the tenth day of April last past, have given licence to sundry our loving subjects named in the said letters patents and to their associates to deduce and conduct two several Colonies or plantations of sundry our loving people willing to abide and inhabit in certaine parts of Virginia and America with divers preheminences, priviledges, authorities and other things, as in and by the said letters patents more particularly it appeareth; and whereas wee, according to the effect and true meaning of the said letters patents, have by a former instrument, signed with our hand and signe manuel and sealed with our Privy Seal of our realme of England, established and ordained that our trusty and welbeloved Sir William Wade, Knight, our Lieutanant of our Tower of London; Sir Thomas Smith, Knight; Sir Walter Cope, Knight; Sir George Moor, Knight; Sir Francis Popeham, Knight; Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Knight; Sir John Trevor, Knight; Sir Henry Montague, Knight, Recorder of our citty of London; Sir William Rumney, Knight; John Dodderidge, Esqr., our Solicitor General; Thomas Warr, Esq.; John Eldred, of our city of London, merchant; Thomas James, of our citty of Bristol, merchant; and James Bagge, of Plymouth in our county of Devon, merchant; should be our Councel for all matters which should happen in Virginia or any the territories of America aforesaid, or any actions, businesse or causes for and concerning the same, which Councel is from time to time to be encreased, altered or changed att the nomination of us, our heires and successors, and att our and their will and pleasure; & whereas our said Councel have found by experience their number being but fourteen in all and most of them dispersed by reason of their several habitations far and remote the one from the other, and many of them in like manner far remote from our citty of London where, if need require, they may receive directions from us and our Privy Councel and from whence instructions and directions may be by them left and more readily given for the said Colonies; that when very needful occasion requireth there cannot be any competent number of them by any meanes be drawne together for consultation; for remedy whereof our said loving subjects of the several Colonies aforesaid have been humble suitors unto us and have to that purpose offered to our Royal consideration the names of certaine sage and discreet persons, & having with like humility entreated us that the said persons, or soe many of them as to us should seem good, might be added unto them and might (during our pleasure) be of our Councel for the foresaid Colonies of Virginia; wee therefore for the better establishing, disposing, orderring and directing of the said several Colonies within the degrees aforesaid, and of all such affaires, matters and things as shall touch and concerne the same, doe, by these presents signed with our hand and signe manuel and sealed with our Privy Seale of our realme of England, establish and ordaine that our trusty and welbeloved Sir Thomas Challonor, Knight; Sir Henry Nevil, Knight; Sir Fulks Grevil, Knight; Sir John Scot, Knight; Sir Robert Mansfield, Knight; Sir Oliver Cromwel, Knight; Sir Morrice Berkeley, Knight; Sir Edward Michelbourne, Knight; Sir Thomas Holcroft, Knight; Sir Thomas