MS43.04: Francis Nicholson Papers,
Unknown Person to "His Excellency", [ca. summer-fall 1721]
fall 1721]
Memorand:m For His Excell:ncy
Soon after my arivall in Virg:a
I went to York Town & as every body knew Genrle:
Nicholson was arived in So: Carolina Most people
seemd, to expect that they should have the Pleasure
of seeing him here before they knew he was Intended
to take such a Journey And I am sure a great many
of the best Gentlemn: at the Generll, Court was very
disagreeable deceivd, of their expectation of seeing
him there. By some people that were Prisoners in
the Havana whom his Excellncy: had granted a Pass
to come here they understood that he had put of
his design till ye Spring. I saw those People one
Willson being cheife I remember he was pleased to
give S:o Carolina a very disadvantageious Charactr:
Maj:r Philip Lightfoot told me that ye Genr:ll
had two lotts & a half in York Town & that If any
one was Comisnd, to dispose of them he would give
£40 for the two lotts I beleive that to be the worth
of them they are wth:out any manner of Improvement
on ym: and York as other pts: of Virginia is in no man-
ner of Likelihood of much Increasing either in building
or Trade..
The day before I intended to go to Wmsburgh
to waite one ye Governr: M:r Thoms, Jones being in
Town & Hearing of me he sent for me & told me that ye.
Councill being wth: the Governr: & that they was to
break up the next day It was proper to send ye Genrls:
leters to ye Govern:r that they might be opened in Coun-
cill he being going to Wm:sBurgh I D:d them to him
I having some Copy:s of the people of Carolinas Address,
to their Govern:r at his arivall. he mightily Impor-
tuned me to let him have them to Show ye Governr: &
wch: I condesended to.
This Mr: Jones is a Mercht: in Wms:Burgh &
Burgess for ye College & an especiall Favorite of ye Governre
he lives in those houses bellonging to Genrll: Nicholson
Those houses are but In an Indifferent repair Yet
they are so well Situated, that as I was Inform'd, by
one that was perfectly acquainted wth: the Value
of Lotts & Buildings in WmBurgh being a Liver
there They are worth £200 And in ye good times
(Which is a Term used by ye Virginians when Toba:
sells well at home) They are worth £300.
When I came first to York river I went ashore
to Glocester where I saw Capt: Jno: Martin he being
a Gentleman that Wye had Insinuated himself in to
his good opinion. Seemd, to be very Inquisitive abt:
Wyes. Character & let him know that he beleivd, I
brought some unwellcome news concerning him
that night which allarumd, him that he wrote
to me desireing to see me at Wms:Burgh before I saw the
Governr: which I did; When I saw him he told me that ye
the Bishop of London had allready wrote to the Governr
at large concerning his Forgeory & his cheating the
man out of the Shaes. All which he scrupled not to
own Saying that he was well asurd, that Storm (to use
his own words) Was blown over And that if no thing
elce came against him which he seemd. to be aprehen-
sive of He should still continue in the good opinion
of not only his Parishoners but those gentlemen that
has hitherto Countenanct him which are the Governr:
Coll:o Peter Beverly Coll:o Page Capt: Martin Collo:
Armstead & most of the Gay part of the Gentmn: In Gloces-
ter & abt: Urbanah. especially Esq:r Wormley. I never.
could heare that the Comissary gave him any partick-
ular Incouragemt: Farthar then apointing him a Cure
This is most Certain that a man of Wyes,
Genius and strong head &c will not want admirers In this
depraved, Age of Virginia wherein all manner of Vice
seems to Reign with Impunity which is Sufficiently
Evincet by the Notorious lives of most of ye Clergy as
well as Laity.
I caryed wth: me from Carolina to Virginia
severall copys, of that Peoples adresses to Genrll: Nicholson
at his arivall there. Which severall Gentlemen of Virginia:
saw & admired as not thinking there was people—.
Capable of any such thing in So: Carolina, For all the Idea
they have of this Place is Formd, from the very Indifferent
Notion they have of North Carolina Imagining both
places to be one & the same.. There is one thing that
has Prejudict ye People of Virginia in respect of Carolina
which they have not yet forgot. Which is their being
deceivd, in their expectations when they suffered their—
servants in the Indian warr to come to our releife, they
complain they never receivd, any consideration for their Time.
There are many Parishes in Virginia Vacant
abt: 9 or 10 and I beleive will be so longer unless Tobaco
rises again for their 16000£ Is more or less in Value as
that Staple arises or falls.. It is said the Comissary gives
himself little trouble either in reforming ye lifes of the
Clergy by precept or example Or any other Ecclesiasticall
affairs. Choosing rathar to be practising against the
Governr: against whom he is one of ye heads of a Party.
The Governr: is so takein up at Germana or disatis-
fied wth: the Present Assembly that from time to time they
are Porogued it is most peoples opinion he is design,d to call
another those not being so Plyant as another set may
be There is a Foundation lay,d for that purpose by confer-
ing Offices either of Profitt or honour on the most Popular
men in their respective Countys. And doubtless grati-
tude will oblige those Gentlemen to be Complaisante
If at a new Ellection Votes go in their Favour ... But
its posible this Pollicy will prove abortive for the people;
seem to be very much disatified at the removall of their
old Officers &cr: to make room for many that ha perhaps
has nothing to recommend them more then a Posibility
of repaying those that Preferd them at their expence
The Colledge is left in the Condition it was two
or three years agoe. The front Intirely Finisht but that p:t
or wing of ye building that is design,d for ye Chapell &cr
is not done otherways then ye Brickwork window Frames
& roof & some part Plaistered... There is one Mrs: Stith
that lives in the Colledge She has the managemt: of
the Childrens Necessarys As linnen Bedding &cr: &
orders their Victualls ... There is one master only
his name is Fry & lately come over & one Usher
The present Master in ye Colledge is a very Young man
but a good Schollar he teahes ye boys Gramar & Writting
&cr: there is no more then 22 or twenty three shollars
in all.. And no Indians at all In the whole the Colledge
is in all Respects in a very declineing condition And if
the designe of its Rebuilding had not been beter then the
present aplication it might have Still lay in Ruins &
Virginia never the less Improv,d either in Cultivating of
Releigion or Arts... Mr: Blaire is President there and
to Intitle him to his Sallary has resided in the Colledge has
ab:t two Years he demands £150 P annm: in Sterl: Which the
Governrs: of the Colledge has thought Fit to Dispute he is
gone home (As he Prtends) Abt: it... The People of
Virginia are at Present in a kind of Lethargy in regard
to so noble a Building As well as pious Design as no doubt is
was Originally. And by I know not what Misman-
nagments of those that have it in their hands. They
think it either as Cheap or their Childrens Education
as capeable of Improveing elsewhere as now in ye
Colledge Which argues no great dependance on the
President: .. All the Clergy seem to regard him But
as Comissary and Consequently as one they have no
desire to openly differ wth: But sometimes there are
of them that scruple not to censure him in an affair that
I had rathar Verbally rellate then commit to writing
. . . His cariage has highly disobliged ye Govern:r and as
many of his Councill as are in his Intrests. . . The
Latest of which is Collo: Diggs & a Favorite which is a
Character that even all; those who fall in wth: ym Court
measures are not Favor,d wth: Collo: Page who was
once an Extraordinary Favorite is Sudenly become Coole
Common report is almost Silent what may be ye occas[ion.]
Occasion
As for other Favorites of ye Govern:rs they are such as are
Immediately in his Service & serve as Intelligencers as Mr,
Thom:s Jones of Wm:sBurgh Coll:o Wallker & M:r Tho: Nelson
for York Cap:t Martin for Glocester Coll:o Robinson for
Urbanah & Maj:r Irvin for Hampton. & of this kind
there is no want in every County of Virginia. By
which means he knows not only those who are Attacht
to his Interest & those who are discontented at his Adminstracon
But the most minuet things that may fall within
their knowledge in their respective (If I may call them
so) Districts.
It was Pretended that all differences between
the Govern:r & Councill & Asembly was made Intirely
made up But time has showen the Contrary. Wheither
the Govern:rs eagerness to cary on his new designes at
Germana (Which his enemy:s call a Monopoly) Has layd,
him open to them Or that they Envy the Fair View he
has of makeing himself a very great man. I do not
aprehend which of those has the greater Wheight. Or
both Concur. They Imagine they have a large Field to
Practise against him; they Scruple not to say that whilst he
is Representing to ye Lords of Trade how advantageious it
would be to Secure those Passes throw ye Mountins that
he has only his private Intrest in View by his Improveing
that part of Virginia wherein he has so great an Estate
& ym Prospect of a much greater. But of this more hereafter
The Indian Tradeing company is as before Es-
tablished Intirely disolvd, the Horses &cr: Sold. A new one
is Projected but on what Foundation is unknown to
me.
Christianah Fort is the most Southerly: of those
Two Passes so much talkt of as Germanah is ye Northmost
and where the Govern:r cheifly Resides unless he is obliged
to be at Wms:Burgh abt: ye most Important affairs of
ye Country.. He is Building a very Fine house there &
has Incouraged Artificers of all Sorts to People his New
Town which I hear is Regularly layd. out in Streets and
Squares and a prety many houses are allready Built
and dayly workmen are Imploy,d abt: it.. The Gover:nr
whoes partickular Intrest seems to be Inlarged by the
Improveing this part of the Country leaves no means un-
tryed towards gaining his end. And no Pains is Spared
to let ye People know what Advantage it will be to the
Maritime Parts of Virginia to have ye more Inland pt:
secured from either the Indians or French or Spaniards
not only for ye present but future Ages... Likewise the Iron
Mines which are here in Plenty is Said to be Extremely
good and a Petition sent home for liberty to Manufacture
it in the Country, for what has been made hitherto has
gone home in Piggs. . . . . The Governr: has a Vast Tract
of Land hereabouts I heard from a Worthy Member of
the House of Burgesses that ye Govern:r told him that he
allready had purchased as many severall Grants for ye
takeing up of lands as cost him £100 Sterl: & that he
Design,d £100 more for the Same use. . . . This is Certain
that by having a Setlement so considerable & so far back
to the Westw,d they will be able in a manner to Com-
mand the Indian Trade at Pleasure.
The Assembly has not as yet disposed of all ye
mony that was in Bank but a great part is Consumed
in Building those Batteryes or Platformes at Old
Point Comfort which consists of 20 Guns and at Tindalls
point one of 15 Guns & Under ye Bank at York of 11
Guns likewise at Urbanah there is 8 or 10 Guns—
They are from 6 to 18 Pounders those at Point Comfort
are very old & they have been obliged to new drill them
. . . . . At Germanah there has been Guns Sent But
there are no Setled Garisons that I hear of as yet They
talk of Soldiers from England to be maintaind, at the
Kings Charge in the Forts of Christianah & Germanah
There was by the last Assembly men apointed to
View the Governrs: house and to make a report of what
Charge was absolutely Necessary for its repair which ye
Governr: was not Pleased wth: it being the first time
That they had given themselves that Trouble for it was Usuall
before for the Governr: to make what Allterations Additions
or Repairs he thought Convenient & his Accts: were Allowd,
But this time it was done wth: a very small charge I think
the Undertaker had abt: £18 to be lay,d out upon the
house only. The fine Gardens Fish Pond &cr: Are not so
much regarded as Formerly—.
The Capitoll Is but in an Indifferent Repair severall
of ye Doares of the hinges &cr: In the whole Wms:Burgh
Seems to have seen its best Days & it will not be other-
ways whilst so powerfull a Rivall as Germanah is
growing; for the Governr: declares that when ever he is
obliged to Quit the Governmnt: That he will still be an In-
habitant of Virginia which is Demonstrable Enough
by the Cost he is at In makeing Spotsilvania agreeable
to his Humour. I had almost Forgott that the Publick
Buildings of those New Countys As Churches Courthouses
Forts &cr: are to be p:d for out of ye Bank
All those Partickulars I had from divers hands
and wherein I may be mistakein by wrong Information
or otherways I hope I may be Pardoned By those that
give themselves the Trouble of Reading this. And wherein
there Seems any thing Refflecting they are not thoughts
of Mine but the Language of the People of Virginia