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that this privilege should be granted them, and the request received an affirmative response. Being set at liberty, it is stated that they reaped an abundant harvest.[1] It is a point of some interest to know what was the exact relation which they bore to the soil they cultivated in the summer of 1616. Some lands were held in the Colony at this time in fee simple.[2] The probability is that the emancipated laborers of Charles Hundred became tenants, who occupied the same footing as the farmers during the administration of Dale; this seems to be confirmed by the fact that a granary was erected in this Hundred, which, upon the arrival of Argoll in the following year, was found to be full of grain contributed by the tenants.[3]
- ↑ “Briefe Declaration of the Plantation of Virginia during the First Twelve Years,” British State Papers, Colonial, vol. III, No. 21, I; Colonial Records of Virginia, State Senate Doct., Extra, 1874, pp. 77, 78.
- ↑ This is to be inferred from the following minute of the proceedings of the Assembly of 1619, under the head of “Satturday July 31”: “It was agreed these petitions ensuing should be framed to be presented to the Treasurer, Counsel and Company in England that albeit they have been pleased to allotte unto the Governor, to themselves, together with the Counsell of Estate here and to the officers of Incorporations, certain portion of lande to be layde out within the limites of the same, yet that they would vouchsafe also that groundes as heretofore had bene granted by patent to the antient planters by former Governours that had from the Company received Commission so to doe, might not nowe after so muche labour and coste and so many yeares habitation be taken from them.” If patents were granted to the laborers of Charles Hundred, who are referred to in the text, they were the first to enjoy a fee simple tenure in Virginia. It will be seen hereafter that under the original agreement, the lands were to be allotted in fee simple holdings in 1616, the year in which these laborers were emancipated, the distribution to be made among the shareholders, in proportion to their shares, and the “antient planters,” as they were called, that is, the laborers who had come out previous to the departure of Dale. The proceedings of the Assembly of 1619 will be found in Colonial Records of Virginia, State Senate Doct., Extra, 1874, p. 9; for particular reference see p. 15.
- ↑ British State Papers, Colonial, vol. III, No. 21, I; Colonial Records of Virginia, State Senate Doct., Extra, 1874, p. 78.
