The Popham Colony : $b a discussion of its historical claims, with a bibliography of the subject — John Shaqi
The Popham Colony : $b a discussion of its historical claims, with a bibliography of the subjectPoole, William Frederick
History
The Popham Colony : $b a discussion of its historical claims, with a bibliography of the subject
Poole, William Frederick
Maine -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Here your correspondent and one of his chief witnesses entirely
disagree. The former says, they "were not over-anxious to revisit
their native land," fearing the halter. The witness says, that "they
returned back with the first occasion"--hasting, and hopeful of a
better condition than the one they had left. The one says, that, as
liberated jail-birds, they led a roving life here, fearing death at
home. The other, in effect, says they had a happy voyage to England,
with bright anticipations of a more prosperous life!
We may now look at the kind of men who were to go as settlers to the
early colonies on our coast. The Charter of James, April 10, 1606,
under which this colony was formed, gives the information. It proves
that the specially enumerated patentees, "they and every one of them,
shall and may, at all and every time and times hereafter, have, take,
and lead in the said voyage, and for and towards the said Plantations,
and Colonies, and to travel thitherward, and to abide and inhabit
there, in every the said Colonies and Plantations, such and so many of
our subjects as shall willingly accompany them or any of them, in the
said voyages and Plantations."
The reader will note the sole condition annexed, as to the persons
selected to go: "such and so many of our subjects, as shall WILLINGLY
accompany" any or all of the patentees. Can any language be plainer?
Force by the sentence of the civil law is not here thought of. The
"willingness" of the "honest," hard pressed yeomanry, seeking to
better their livelihood, is here provided for. The "willing" ones are
allowed to go, except such as, by the royal power might "be specially
restrained." So that the real rogues, however "willing" to go, might
thus be forbidden, lest they should contaminate the honest men,
described by Gorges, who, "not liking to be hired out as servants to
foreign states, thought it better became them to put in practice the
reviving resolution of those free spirits, that rather chose to spend
themselves in seeking a new world, than servilely to be hired out but
as slaughterers in the quarrels of strangers." The same provision
existed in the patents to Gilbert and Raleigh. Yet no one has supposed
that these leaders took convicts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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