Jamestown, Virginia: The Townsite and Its StoryHatch, Charles E., Jr.
History
Jamestown, Virginia: The Townsite and Its Story
Hatch, Charles E., Jr.
Jamestown (Va.)
It is in the 1619 to 1624 period that the first clear picture of
Jamestown emerges, for this period corresponds with the earliest known
property records that exist. The town had outgrown the original fort in
some years past and now appeared as a fairly flourishing settlement. The
records reveal that many of the property owners were yeomen, merchants,
carpenters, hog-raisers, farmers, joiners, shopkeepers, and ordinary
“fellows,” as well as governors and colonial officials. The “New Towne”
section of James City developed in this period as the old section proved
too small and the residents began to build more substantial houses,
principally frame on brick foundations. The Indian massacre of 1622,
that wrought such heavy devastation in the colony, did not reach
Jamestown which was warned through the efforts of the Indian, Chanco. It
did temporarily cause congestion in the Jamestown area, however, as the
survivors from the more distant settlements fell back for safety and to
regroup. The punitive Indian campaigns that followed were directed from
Jamestown by the governor, who resided there.
The population figures taken in these years give a good idea of the size
of Jamestown in this period. In February 1624, it is recorded that 183
persons were living in Jamestown and 35 others on the island outside of
the town. These are listed by name, as are the 87 who died between April
1623 and the following February. The death toll suggests that the
mortality rate was continuing high and that it was still difficult for
newcomers to adapt themselves to the Virginia environment. In the
“census” of January 1625, a total of 124 residents are listed for “James
Citty” and an additional 51 for the island. In the over-all total of
173, 122 were males and 53, females. At that time, Governor Sir Francis
Wyatt and former Governor Yeardley had two of the largest musters for
the town, which included women, children, indentured servants, and
Negroes. Nine Negroes were listed for Jamestown and the island,
evidently some of those brought there in 1619.
Aside from the population statistics, the musters of January 1625 give
much more information. Jamestown had a church, a court-of-guard
(guardhouse), 3 stores, a merchant’s store, and 33 houses. Ten of the
colony’s 40 boats were here, including a skiff, a “shallop” of 4 tons,
and a “barque” of 40 tons. There were stores of fish (24,880 pounds to
be exact), corn, peas, and meal. There were four pieces of ordnance,
supplies of powder, shot and lead, and, for individual use, “fixt
peeces,” snaphances, pistols, swords (to the number of 70), coats of
mail, quilted coats, and suits of armor (35 of them complete). The bulk
of the colony’s livestock seems to have been localized in the Jamestown
area—about half (183) of the cattle, a little more than half (265) of
the hogs, and well over half (126) of the goats. The one horse listed
for the colony was at Jamestown.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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