Virginia Council. “Instructions, Orders and Constitucions... To... — Sir Thomas West, Knight, Lord la Warr.”
1609/10(?)
Instructions, orders and constitucions by way of advise sett downe, declared, propounded and delivered to the Right Honourable Sir Thomas West, Knight, Lord La Warr, Lord Governor and Capten Generall of Virginea and of the Colonies there planted and to be planted and of all other the inhabitants thereof, by us, His Majesties Counsell for the Companie of Adventurers and Planters in Virginea resident in England under the hands of some of us for the direccion of the affares of that countrey for his better disposinge and proceedinge in the government thereof, according to the authoritie and power given unto us by His Majesties lettres patents in that behalf, together with a copie of certaine of the cheifest instruccions which have bene formerlie given to Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, for his direccion, which coppie we have given to his Lordship to peruse and looke into but leave it to his discretion to use and put them in execution or to beare to be advised or directed by them further then in his owne discretion he shall thinke meete.
We, the said Councell, havinge considered the great & zealous affeccion which you, Sir Thomas West, Knight, Lord Lawarr, have many wayes manifested unto us and for the furtherance and advaunceinge of the plantacion of Virginea have therefore by our commission under the handes of some of us, constituted you to be Lord Governor and Captaine Generall of Virginea and for your more safe and deliberate proceedinge in your goverment there, have advised, constituted & agreed uppon divers instructions followinge, vizt:
1. First, we require your Lordship to take into your charge our fleete consistinge of three good shippes with the masters, mariners, sailors and one hundred and fiftie landmen goinge in them to be transported under your commaund with what speed conveniently you maye unto Virginea and with the first winde to sett saile for that place and in your passage thither not to lande or touche uppon anye of the Kinge of Spaine his dominions by him quietly possessed without the licence of the governour of such place first obtained, unles by necessitie of winde and weather you shalbe forced thereunto; in which passage you shall holde councell with the masters, pilates and men of best experience what way is safest and fitt for you to take for your arrivinge in Virginea.
2. Your Lordships beinge landed there, we wishe you should (with what convenientcy you may by proclamacion made) call into some publique place all the governors, officers and other His Majesties subjects, aswell already seated there as transported with you, to whom you shall manifest your commission and cause it to be publiquely read to them, to the end His Majesties pleasure may be knowne as alsoe our choise in establishinge your Lordship Governor of Virginea and of the plantacion there; and that the President, Counsell and Colony there may take notice of our revocacion of all former kindes and formes of goverment, constituted or confirmed, and that they accordingely may yeild due obedience unto you, theire Lord Governor and Captaine Generall, at which time we holde it fitt you tender unto every of them the oath of supremacy to be by them taken whereby they shall manifest theire obedience and loyaltie to His Majestie and you thereby the better assured of theire fidelities as alsoe to be the rather encouraged to comitt matter of counsell and charge unto them; att which time alsoe your Lordship shall, in our opinions, doe well to give generall commaundement that all former private or publique quarels, greivancs or grudgs be from thenceforth from amongest them utterly abbandoned and forgotten and they willingly embrace peace and love as becommeth Christians without discention or hindrance to the common good or quiet.
3. Moreover, your Lordship shall demaunde and resume into your hands all former commissions and all instructions and publique instruments given or sent unto them and all bookes and records whatsoever of all the proceedings untill this time and dispose of all theire offices and places in the future accordinge to your discretion; except the office of Leiuetennante Governor, which your Lordship is by your commission to bestowe upon Sir Thomas Gates, if he shalbe there to execute the same, and office of Marshall uppon Sir Thomas Dale, at this cominge thither, and the office of Admirall upon Sir George Sumers, if he shalbe there, and the office of Viceadmirall upon Capten Newport, he beinge there to supplye the said place.
4. Your shippes beinge discharged of theire provision, we wishe that they, the seamen and soe manie others as shalbe needfull for that worke, be, with what convenient speed you may, employed to theire fishinge for sturgeons and other fish; which done we desier your Lordship should make up the residue of theire fraight with divers of the best severall patternes of the land, commodities that you can gett there havinge regarde more to the goodnes and qualitie of them then to the quantity; and to retorne the said shippes for England with as quick dispatch as you may for easinge of the Companie of Adventurers of the charge both of wages of the said shippes, seamen and victualls which they must be att untill they retorne.
5. After your Lordship is settled in your governement, we thinke it very behofefull that you employ soe many of your people as shalbe needfull in sowing, setting and plantinge of corne and such rootes for foode as you for your better provision, sustentacion and maintennance shall thinke meete to be planted.
6. As touchinge your landmen, we thinke fitt your Lordship should reduce them all into severall bandes and companies of fifties or more when you thinke good and to committ the charge of them to severall officers and captaines to be exercised and trained up in martiall manner and warlike discipline.
7. Your Lordship is to take principall order and care for the true worship and service of God as by havinge the Gospell preched, frequent prayers and the sacraments often administred as becommeth Christians. And that such your ministers and preachers as shalbe with you be had in due respect agreable to theire dignitie and callinge and that your Lordship, with the counsell of your said prechers and ministers, doe, as occasion shall be offered, proceede in punishinge of all atheisme, prophanisme, popery and scisme by exemplary punishment to the honor of God and to the peace and safety of his church over which in this tendernes and infancy your Lordship must be especially solicitous and watchfull.
8. It is very expedient that your Lordship with all diligence indeavor the conversion of the natives and savages to the knowledge and worship of the true God and theire redemer Christ Jesus as the most pious and noble end of this plantacion; which the better to effecte you are to procure from them some of theire children to be brought up in our language and manners and, if you finde it convenient, we thinke it necesserie you first remove from them the iniococks or priests by a surprise of them and detaninge them prisoners and in case they shalbe willfull and obstinate then to send over some three or foure of them into England, we may endevor theire conversion here.
9. We holde it requisite that your Lordship in causes of civill justice, proceede rather as a counsellor then as a judge; that is to saie, rather uppon the right and equitie of the thinge in demaunde then uppon the nicenes and letter of the lawe, which perplexeth in this tender body rather then dispatcheth causes. Soe that a summary and arbitrary way of justice, mingled with discreet formes of magistracy as shall in your discretion seeme aptest for your Lordship to exercise in that place, wilbe of most use both for expedicion and example and for criminall causes, you are to deale therein according to your comission and good discretion.
10. That your Lordship doe not permitt any shippe or vessell to trade or traffique within your precincte to carrie from thence any commodities or marchandizes without warrant brought you or sent to your Lordship from the Councell for the Company of Adventurers under the Councell seale.
11. We doe require your Lordship that with what possible speed and conveniency you may, after you are setled, you appointe a convenient number with guides and some discreete commaunder to discover northwest, south and southwest, beyonde the faulls ten or twelve dayes journey, and that assone as may be your Lordship send unto us the narracion of that voyage what rivers, lakes or seas they finde or here of with the circumstanc there unto belonginge.
12. If Sir Thomas Gates be there arived and Sir George Sommers and Capten Newport, or any of them, that your Lordship doe give unto Sir Thomas Gates the place or office of Leiuetennant Governor to your Lordship duringe the time of your Lordship and his abode there together, and in your Lordships absence he beinge there to be your deputy and cheif generall and commaunder of the whole Colonye and Companie, and to rule and governe according to suche instructions as your Lordship shall limitt and appointe him; and that Sir George Sommers may have the office of Cheif Admirall under your Lordship and that Sir Ferdinando Weyneman may have the office of Master of the ordinance, and that Capten Newport may have the office of Viceadmirall unto your Lordship.
13. Your Lordship must take especiall care what relacions come into England and what lettres are written & that all things of that nature may be boxed up and sealed and sent first to the Counsell here, accordinge to a former instruction unto the late Governor in that behalf directed; and that att the arrival and retorne of every shippinge you endeavor to knowe all the particuler passages and informacions given on both sides and to advertise us accordingly.
14. Last of all, for temporall goverment & perticuler proceedinge in your plantacion, in respect of the shortnes of time, we commende unto your Lordship the copie of some of the cheifest of the old instruccions before mencioned to have bene formerly delivered to Sir Thomas Gates, to be used or refused as you shall in your wisdome thinke fitt, neither is or meanes to tie your Lordship to the stricte perfourmance of theis newe instructions but as occasion of time, place or necessetie shall requir your Lordship may doe therein as shall seeme best in your owne discretion. Southampton, Pembroke, Philip Mountgomery, Edward Cecill, Walter Cope, Dudly Diggs, William Rumney, Thomas Smith, Robert Drewrye, Robert Maunsell, Baptist Hicks, Christofer Brooke.
The copie of the old instruccions which were formerly with others delivered to Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, att his goinge to Virginea for his direccion in his goverment there, and noew are by us, His Majesties Councill for the Companie of Adventurers for Virginea, given to the Right Honourable, the Lord La Warr to looke into and advise on and at his discretion to use [or] forbeare to put them in execucion.
Such of the old instructions which were formerly given to Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, and nowe delivered to the Lord La Warre, beginne att the ninth instruccion in the articles in thi booke which by waye of advise were sett down to the said Sir Thomas Gates and soe are written ontill you come to the thirtith instruccion which 30th, 31, 32 & 33 instructions are not given his Lordship but the 34th is given him, but not the 35 nor 36, but the effect of the provisoe followinge is given.
Kingsbury, Vol. III, pp. 24-29.