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1667. Shafteabury Papers. |
377. "New Plantation at Cape Florida, Carolina." |
Notice is hereby given to all ingenious and industrious persons that
there is a new plantation begun 2 years since on the main land between
Virginia and the Cape of Florida, at a place called Cape Fear, in the
Province of Carolina, in the latitude of about 34 degrees. It is a climate
most desirable for its temperature and fertility, as those that are there have
written, and those lately come from thence do testify; they have two crops
of Indian wheat in one year, and all grain, plants, and seeds that they
commit to the earth do prosper exceedingly. They have naturally growing
abundance of most stately timber of most sorts in England, but very many
other sorts not known to us, as cedar, pines, sassafras, and other sweet
woods; vines, also mulberry and olive trees, from whence come the three
rich commodities of wine, silk, and oil. They have abundance of turkeys
and other fowl in the woods, and great store of sturgeon, salmon, and many
sorts of other good eating fish, both flat and round. They have since
planted and produced very excellent tobacco, indigo, cotton, and potatoes,
and other roots and fruits proper to Barbadoes, Virginia, and Bermudas,
the nearness to which last places makes the planting thereof more easy.
The privileges wherewith it is endowed makes it yet more desirable, the
principal whereof follow:— |
1st. There is full and free liberty of conscience granted, that those that
are truly conscientious may have liberty to worship God according to
their own way, provided they behave themselves orderly towards the
Civil Government. |
2nd. They shall choose from among themselves 13 persons or some
other odd number, one whereof the Lords will appoint for Governor,
and half of the other for his Council, which Governor is to rule for
three years, and then learn to obey. |
3rd. They shall choose from among themselves an Assembly (in the nature
of a Parliament), who shall have the sole power of making all laws and
laying taxes when need requires for the use of the Colony, and the
Governor and Council to see the laws put in excecution. |
4th. They are to have freedom from custom in England for all wine,
fruit, currants, almonds, oil, olives, and silk they can produce for
seven years, to commence when four tons of those commodities are at
once imported in one ship. |
5th. Every man and woman that transport themselves before the
24 June next, being 1667, shall have for himself, his wife, and each
of his children, and every man servant he shall bring armed with a
firelock or matchlock, musket statute bore, with 10 lbs. powder,
20 lbs. of bullet, 100 acres of land for each of them, to him and his
heirs for ever, paying for every 1,000 acres 10s. per annum to the
Lords for an acknowledgment, and for every woman servant and slave
50 acres. |
6th. Every servant at the expiration of their service (which is four
years) are (sic) to have the same quantity of land for him or herself
that their master had for their bringing over and on the same conditions. Also the master is bound to give them two suits of apparel
and a set of tools to work with when he is out of his time. |
If any desire to transport themselves thither, or servants desire to be
entertained, they may take the opportunity of the Virginia fleet, and from
thence find easy passage thither, it being but three or four days' sail,
and if they require further advice or information, let them repair to
the (blank in orig.). |
Endorsed as above. [Shaftesbury Papres, Section IX., Bundle 48,
No. 83.] |
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378. Proposals by John Whitty for the inhabiting of Carolina
and for building of cities and towns for the said Colony. That the
King lend one of his great Flemish prizes to transport people free,
the Lords Proprietors to victual and man said ship and to set down
all people that will go free into said Colony. The freight which
said ship will make from Barbadoes or Virginia will re-imburse
their Lordship's charges and 800l. advantage which Whitty will
engage. For building cities and towns, that the Lords Proprietors
send six house carpenters, six bricklayers, three brickmakers, two
joiners, and 30 other servants, some to plant corn and vines, and to
look after cattle and hogs, said people to be servants for four years.
When said houses are built, to let the tenants have their dwellings
rent free for three years, after which time the rents to be paid to
the Lords Proprietors. This will cost 1,200l. besides their clothing,
and at the end of four years their Lordships will have cattle there
worth 400l. Conjectures this to be the cheapest way of building
cities and towns, where artificers, shipwrights, and other tradesmen
will dwell and cause traffic and trading to all parts of the world
and make the Colony famous. That fifty acres of land be allowed
to every person young and old that shall be exported to that Colony.
That the King grant the first lading of every ship built in the
said country custom free, which New England had for many years.
That said inhabitants may trade with goods of their own growth in
ships built there into any port in Christendom, which he conceives
will be the only means to put that Colony into a flourishing condition and to invite artificers and men of estates to inhabit there.
1½ pp. [Shaftesbury Papers, Section IX., Bundle 48, No. 68.] |
1667 ? |
379. The reasons to be annexed to the answer of the Burgesses
which they have already presented to the Governor and Council of
State of Virginia. In reference to the quantity of tobacco to be
planted yearly in the Colony; the prejudice to the Colony to propound a stock of money to be yearly provided to take off their
tobacco at a certain price; the inconvenience and prejudice of
building warehouses to bring their tobacco to; the impossibility of
giving a general account of the present engagements of every
particular man; and their full confidence in Lord Maltravers or any
other whom the King shall appoint for supplying them with a coin.
[Col. Papers, Vol. 33, No. 103.] There are several papers in 1667,
in a previous volume of this Calendar, about a cessation of planting
tobacco which was reported upon by the Lords Committee of Trade
and Plantations on 30 Oct. 1667. Lord Maltravers had license to
stamp farthing tokens in 1639 for 21 years, and "utter the same"
in all his Majesty's plantations except Maryland, see Col. Cal.,
1574–1660, p. 290.] |
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380. Styles and titles of Charles, Earl of Carliale, Governor of
Jamaica; Thomas, Lord Culpeper, Governor of Virginia; Sir Jonathan
Atkins, Governor of Barbadoes, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Dominica,
and the rest of the Caribbee islands lying to windward of Guadaloupe;
Col. Stapleton, Governor of St. Christopher's, Nevis, Montserrat,
Autigua, Barbuda, and Anguilla lying to leeward from Guadaloupe
to St John de Porto Rico; and Edward Cranfield, Governor of New
Hampshire. 1 p. [Col. Entry Bk., Vol. 110, p. 1.] |