Virginia Petitions

CCXI. Francis West, William Claybourne Et Al.

PETITION TO THE KING

State Papers, C.O.I, Volume II, No. 15

Document in Public Record Office, London.

Signed List of Records No. 294

To the King most excellent. The humble petiteon of yor most humble and loyall Subjects Captayne Francis West, Captaine William Claybourne, John Brewer, Robert Sweet and William Capps gent, auncient Planters and Adventurers in yor Ma't Colonye of Virginia on the behalf of themselues and the rest of your poore distressed Subjects of the Plantation-Most humbly shewing unto yor most excellent Ma'tie that by their long experience hazard and charage both of their persons and estates, for many yeares now past, they haue found that Country may be made useful for many comodities to supply the wants of this Kingdome with those things, which are not fett from forreyn kingdomes, but by mainteyning warre with the Indians, and the former benefitt, which hath bene made by Tobacco they haue bene hindered and mispent their time therein soe long as that now the freight and yor Ma'te customes and duties being first dischardged Tobacco is of noe value, whereby they are like to perish, and soe hopefully a plantation will presently sinck and become of noe use at all, unlesse yor Ma'tie out of yor gratious and roiall care of all yor Subjects and all the pte of yor Dominions wilbee gratiously pleased to take them into your immediate care and pteccon, to make the Tobacco yor owne comoditie, to take a convenient pportion yearely from the Colonie, at a reasonable price, whereof yor Ma'tie may make an assured gaine, and the Planters have meanes to subsist for the present, & to apply themselues for the future to plant some reall comodity there, to weh that Country is apt and fitt.

They therefore in all humblenes beseech yor Ma'tie to take this their suit into yor roiall consideracon: and to appoint some such psons as yor Ma'tie shall make choise of to treat with them concerning the same. And they conceaue that yor Ma'tie humble Subiect all the Planters & Adventurers of that Colony both here and there will most readily conforme themselues to such conditions and orders as may be for yor Ma'tie profitt & the establishment of that Plantation: And they shall ever as most bounden pray for yor Ma'tie long life and happy raigne over us.

Fran: West, W: Claybourne, John Brewer, Robert Sweet, William Capp

CCXII. Council in Virginia

Letter to Virginia Company of London, January, 1621/22

Wee Receaued your Letter bearinge date at London the 11th of September 1622 by the Warwich arived heere at James Cyttie the 19th day of December, wherin you haue manifested so greate Care of us, and the shoe Colony as we cannott but wth all Thankfullness acknowledg our selves much bound unto you for the same, before the receipt of wch Letter wee had (according to the instructions geven us) taken order in the first Sessione of the generall Assemblie, held in ...etc. etc.

Transcription source - Long Line of Brewers, by Ben Brewer, pages 16-17