History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of VirginiaCampbell, Charles
History
History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia
Campbell, Charles
Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Virginia -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783
The plantation of the Southern colony was intrusted to Sir Thomas Gates
and Sir George Somers, knights; Richard Hackluyt, clerk, prebendary of
Westminster; Edward Maria Wingfield, and others, mostly resident in
London. This company was authorized to plant a colony wherever they
might choose between 34° and 41° of north latitude; and the king vested
in them a right of property in the land extending along the sea-coast
fifty statute miles on each side of the place of their first plantation,
and reaching into the interior one hundred miles from the sea-coast,
together with all islands within one hundred miles of their shores. The
Second, or Northern colony of Virginia, was in like manner intrusted to
Thomas Hanham, and others, mostly residents of Bristol, Exeter, and
Plymouth. These were authorized to plant a colony wherever they might
choose between 38° and 45° of north latitude, and he gave to them a
territory of similar limits and extent to that given to the first
colony. He provided, however, that the plantation of whichever of the
said two colonies should be last effected, should not be within one
hundred miles of the other that might be first established. The company
of the Southern colony came to be distinguished as the London company,
and the other as the Plymouth company. But eventually these names were
dropped; and the name of Virginia, which had been at first common to the
two colonies, was appropriated to the Southern colony only; while the
Northern colony was now called New England.[36:A]
In the charter granted to Sir Thomas Gates and his associates, it was
provided that the colony should have a council of its own, subject to a
superior council in England. The subordinate council was authorized to
search for and dig mines, coin money, carry over adventurers, and repel
intruders. The president and council were authorized to levy duties on
foreign commodities; the colonists were invested with all the rights and
privileges of English subjects, and the lands granted to settlers in
free and common soccage.[36:B]
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