Tobacco in Colonial Virginia: "The Sovereign Remedy" — John Shaqi
Tobacco in Colonial Virginia: "The Sovereign Remedy"Herndon, G. Melvin
History
Tobacco in Colonial Virginia: "The Sovereign Remedy"
Herndon, G. Melvin
Tobacco -- Virginia -- History; Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Storehouses were already established on many of the land sites
proposed. In 1680, to accelerate the growth of towns, the General
Assembly had passed an act providing that fifty acres of land be laid
out for towns at convenient landings and that storehouses be built in
each, at which all goods imported had to be landed and all exports
stored while awaiting transportation. The towns and storehouses were
located in the following places in twenty counties: Accomac, Calvert's
Neck; Charles City, Flower de Hundred; Elizabeth City, Hampton;
Gloucester, Tindall's Point; Henrico, Varina; Isle of Wight, Pates
Field on Pagan Creek; James City, James City; Lancaster, Corotomond
River; Middlesex, Urbanna Creek; Nansemond, Dues Point; New Kent, Brick
House; Norfolk, on the Elizabeth River at the mouth of the Eastern
River; Northampton, Kings Creek; Northumberland, Chickacony; Essex,
Hobb's Hole; Stafford, Pease Point, at the mouth of Deep Creek;
Westmoreland, Nominie; and York, Ship Honors Store. Though none of the
proposals were passed by the General Assembly in 1705, they were
incorporated into later legislation and provided the basis for an
effective inspection system.
In 1712 the General Assembly once again decided it would be
advantageous to have designated places in each county where tobacco and
other products could be kept safe while waiting for transportation to
England, and an act was passed providing that all houses already built
and being used as public "rolling-houses", that is warehouses, within
one mile of a public landing, be maintained by their respective owners.
If there were no such warehouses at designated locations, the county
courts were given the authority to order new ones built. If the owner
of the site refused to build, the county could, after a fair appraisal,
buy the land and build a warehouse at public expense. When and if the
warehouse was discontinued, the land reverted to the original owner or
his heirs. It is interesting to know that the warehouse built at
Urbanna, in Middlesex County, in 1680, is still standing, and it is
"America's only colonial built warehouse for tobacco still in
existence".
The owners were compelled to receive all goods offered, and were to
receive storage rates for these services. For goods stored in casks of
sixty gallons in size, or bales or parcels of greater bulk, the owners
of the storehouses received twelve pence for the first day or the first
three months and six pence for every three months thereafter. The owner
of the warehouse was made liable for merchandise lost or damaged while
under his custody.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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