The Planters of Colonial Virginia

by Thomas Jefferson Wertenbaker

• Immigration,
  • volume of in 17th century, [35]-[36];
  • fixes character of eastern Virginia, [36];
  • not restricted to servants, [36].
• Indentures,
  • system of, [32];
  • terms of, [61].
• Indians,
  • desire to convert, [14];
  • revere tobacco, [24];
  • unsuited for laborers, [30].
• Industry, [22];
  • pictured in Virginia, [28];
  • Virginia not suited for, [29].
• Inventories,
  • throw light on distribution of servants and slaves, [59]; [73];
  • typical examples of, [106]-[107].
• Iron,
  • smelting of exhausts forests, [8];
  • could be smelted in Virginia, [15];
  • early manufacture of in Virginia, [17]-[18].
• Isle of Wight county,
  • farms and tithables of, [58]; [79].

• Jackson, William,
  • has 49 slaves, [158].
• James I,
  • forced to use tobacco, [25];
  • considers smoking harmful, [26];
  • regulates tobacco trade, [67].
• James II,
  • tyranny of, [114].
• James City county,
  • plantations and tithables of, [58];
  • landowners listed as headrights in, [76]-[77]; [79];
  • slave plot in, [128].
• James River,
  • iron works on, [17]; [39]; [70]; [148].
• Jamestown, [14];
  • glass furnace at, [18];
  • streets of planted with tobacco, [25]; [86]; [111]; [112].
• Jefferson, Thomas,
  • says slavery made whites lazy, [155].
• Jeffreys, Jeffrey,
  • imports slaves, [131].
• Jennings, Edmund, [109];
  • describes slave plot, [128]-[129];
  • says slaves injure credit of Virginia, [130];
  • says few servants in 1708, [130]-[131];
  • describes slave trade, [130]-[131];
  • describes migration of poor whites, [145]-[146].
• Johnson, John,
  • sells land, [49].
• Johnson, Joseph,
  • transports servants, [78]-[79].
• Jones, Anthony,
  • servant, becomes landowner, [74].
• Jones, Hugh,
  • says tenants small part of population, [45]; [155];
  • says negroes make poor artisans, [156].
• Jordan, Lt. Col.,
  • pays taxes on seven tithables, [56].

• Kemp, Richard,
  • says immigrants mostly servants, [82].
• King William county,
  • farms and tithables of, [58].
• King and Queen county,
  • farms and tithables of, [58].
• Kinsman, Richard,
  • makes perry, [108].
• Knight, Sir John,
  • says Virginia ready to revolt to Holland, [96].

• Labor,
  • lack of in Virginia, [16];
  • foreign at Jamestown, [18];
  • lack of handicaps industry, [19]; [20];
  • in Virginia determined by tobacco, [23];
  • cheap needed in Virginia, [29];
  • serious problem, [29];
  • Indians unsuited for, [30];
  • slave, [30];
  • England supplies, [31];
  • indenture system to supply, [32];
  • influx of, [35].
• Lancaster, [79];
  • poor planters in, [151];
  • small slave holders of, [153].
• Land,
  • cheap in Virginia, [29]; [45];
  • transfers of in Surry county, [46];
  • in York, [46];
  • in Rappahannock, [46];
  • listed in rent roll of 1704-5, [53];
  • monopoly of said to cause migration from Virginia, [141]-[143];
  • large tracts granted, [142]-[144].
• Land grants,
  • average extent of, [47];
  • determined by method of transporting immigrants, [47];
  • vary greatly in size, [47];
  • not index to size of plantations, [49].
• Landowners,
  • few large in 17th century, [43];
  • glad to sell in small parcels, [45];
  • chiefly small proprietors, [46];
  • in census of 1626, [46];
  • in York county, [46];
  • in Essex, [46];
  • often avoid quit rents, [51];
  • listed in rent roll of 1704-5, [53];
  • small proprietors neglected in history, [54];
  • often poor men, [55];
  • many work farms with own hands, [57];
  • Government expects servants to become, [62];
  • profits of from tobacco, [71]-[72].
• Larkin, George,
  • describes large land holdings, [144].
• Lawrence, Richard,
  • landowner, [79].
• Leah and Rachel, [61].
• Lee, Richard,
  • imports 80 slaves, [125].
• Leightenhouse, Thomas, [127].
• Linton, John,
  • estimates colonial tobacco, [115];
  • estimates amount of reëxported tobacco, [118];
  • declares Baltic tobacco trade ruined, [148];
  • describes tobacco raising in Holland, [149].
• London Company,
  • national character of, [13];
  • plans manufactures for Virginia, [15];
  • cannot secure laborers for Virginia, [16];
  • sets up iron works at Falling Creek, [17]-[18];
  • displeased at tobacco culture in Virginia, [25];
  • tobacco only hope of, [26];
  • expects Virginia to duplicate England, [28];
  • high price of tobacco pleases, [64]; [73]; [75].
• Ludwell, Philip, [109]; [113].
• Ludwell, Thomas,
  • places average tobacco crop at 1200 pounds, [64]; [90];
  • says tobacco worth nothing, [90]; [91]; [96].

• Manufactures,
  • attempts to establish in Virginia, [15]-[19];
  • cause of failure, [19];
  • purchased from Dutch, [68]-[69];
  • colonial system based on expectation of, [86];
  • Berkeley tries to establish, [95];
  • local in Virginia, [103];
  • of tobacco in England, [119], [122];
  • exports of to tobacco colonies, [120];
  • in northern colonies lure Virginia whites, [140]; [141];
  • on plantations, [108]; [156]-[157].
• Market,
  • not free for tobacco, [66];
  • tobacco sent to foreign, [67]-[70];
  • Navigation Acts cut of foreign, [87];
  • tobacco reëxported to continental, [116]-[120];
  • Virginia and Maryland furnish for England, [120].
• Maryland,
  • emigration of whites from, [140];
  • House of Delegates of explains migration, [191].
• Mason, Francis,
  • seven tithables, [57].
• Mason, Winfield,
  • has 40 slaves, [158].
• Massacre,
  • iron works destroyed during, [18].
• Matthews, Samuel,
  • his estate described, [108].
• Merchant marine,
  • threatened in England by lack of shipbuilding materials, [9];
  • part of sea defense, [10];
  • depleted at end of 16th century, [10];
  • tobacco exports aid British, [26], [119], [122].
• Menefie, George,
  • his estate described, [108].
• Middlesex,
  • plantations small, [53];
  • farms and tithables of, [58].
• Milner, Thomas,
  • deals in servants, [48].
• Moseley, Capt. William,
  • buys part of Button's Ridge, [50], [109].
• Muir, Francis,
  • has 47 slaves, [158].
• Muscovy Company,
  • Baltic trade of, [8];
  • not exempt from customs, [9];
  • urged to trade with America, [11].

• Nansemond,
  • plantations of small, [53];
  • plantations and tithables in, [58].
• Navigation Acts, [69];
  • described, [84]-[86];
  • resented in Holland, [88]-[89];
  • Bland's remonstrance against, [88];
  • cause of war with Holland, [89];
  • cause extreme poverty in Virginia, [90]-[92];
  • connected with Bacon's Rebellion, [92]-[93];
  • why Virginia Assembly did not protest against, [94]-[95];
  • Berkeley protests against, [94]-[95]; [98];
  • retard growth of population, [98]-[99];
  • design of, [116].
• New Albion,
  • describes abundance of food in Virginia, [103];
  • advises settlers in Virginia as to clothing, [104].
• New Description of Virginia,
  • presents optimistic picture of Virginia, [63];
  • puts price of tobacco at 3d a pound, [66];
  • describes foreign tobacco trade, [69];
  • describes Virginia houses, [104];
  • cites cases of wealth in Virginia, [107].
• New Kent,
  • farms and tithables of, [58].
• Newport, Capt. Christopher,
  • returns to England in 1607, [15];
  • brings iron ore to England in 1607, [17].
• New Jersey,
  • manufactures of lure Virginia whites, [141].
• Nicholson, Sir Francis, [29]; [50];
  • orders accurate rent roll in 1690, [51];
  • again attempts rent roll in 1699, [52];
  • completes rent roll, [52]; [54];
  • makes rent roll accurate, [55], [97]; [114];
  • gives reason for migration from Virginia and Maryland, [140], [141];
  • sues Col. Lawrence Smith for arrears of quit rents, [143];
  • testifies to large land grants, [144].
• Norfolk,
  • plantations of small, [53];
  • farms and tithables of, [58];
  • slave plot in, [129].
• Northampton,
  • farms and tithables of, [58]; [79].
• North Carolina,
  • servants flee to, [83].
• Northern Neck,
  • omitted in rent roll, [50]; [54]; [55].
• Norton, Capt. Wm.,
  • brings glass workers to Virginia, [19];
  • dies, [19].

• Page, Matthew, [109].
• Page, Mann,
  • has 157 slaves, [157].
• Pagett, Anthony,
  • Burgess in 1629, [73].
• Parke, Daniel, [109].
• Patent Rolls,
  • in Virginia Land Office, [34];
  • average grants in, [47];
  • show large dealers in servants, [48]; [73];
  • reveal names of freedmen, [74]-[75].
• Pattison, Thomas,
  • landowner, [79].
• Pearson, Christopher,
  • inventory of, [107].
• Pelton, George, [102].
• Pennsylvania,
  • manufactures of lure Virginia whites, [191];
  • migration to, [139]-[146].
• Perfect Description,
  • numbers cattle in Virginia, [101].
• Perry Micajah,
  • reports on tobacco trade, [119].
• Plantations,
  • Virginia made up of, [29];
  • cheap in Virginia, [29];
  • labor for, [29]-[37];
  • unhealthful sites for, [39];
  • few large, [43];
  • small hold own with large, [44];
  • small outnumber large, [45]; [46];
  • transfers of in Surry county, [46];
  • patents not index to size of, [49];
  • tendency to break up large into small, [49];
  • listed in rent roll of 1704-5, [53];
  • largest in various counties, [53];
  • average size of, [53];
  • accurately listed in rent roll, [55];
  • comparison of number of with workers, [55];
  • number in each county, [58];
  • settlers buy on frontier, [76];
  • part only of each cultivated, [105].
• Popleton, William,
  • Burgess in 1629, [73].
• Population, [28]; [29];
  • growth of from 1649 to 1675, [98];
  • growth of slow, [99], [142].
• Potash,
  • England's need for, [8];
  • found in Virginia, [15];
  • first efforts to produce in Virginia, [17].
• Pott, Dr. John,
  • incites people against Sir John Harvey, [110].
• Poultry,
  • plentiful in Virginia, [102].
• Poverty,
  • in England, [31];
  • Navigation Acts cause in Virginia, [91];
  • one cause of Bacon's Rebellion, [92]-[93].
• Present State of Tobacco Plantations,
  • describes tobacco trade to France and Spain, [119];
  • puts tobacco duties at £400,000, [121];
  • describes ill effects of wars on tobacco trade, [148].
• Prince George county,
  • plantations and tithables of, [58].
• Princess Anne county,
  • plantations of small, [53]; [54];
  • farms and tithables of, [58];
  • slave plot in, [129];
  • small slave holders in, [154].
• Public Record Office,
  • has copy of rent roll of 1704, [52].

• Quary, Colonel,
  • says wars ruin tobacco trade, [148]; [157].
• Quit rents,
  • collected by Crown on land, [50];
  • revenue from considerable, [50]; [51];
  • often in arrears, [51];
  • roll of in 1704, [51]-[55].

• Ramshaw, William,
  • landowning freedman, [75].
• Randall, Robert,
  • seven tithables, [57].
• Randolph, Edward,
  • remarks on slow growth of Virginia population, [99];
  • says holdings of large tracts of land causes migration from Virginia, [141]-[143];
  • says quit rents avoided, [142];
  • suggests limiting size of grants, [143].
• Randolph, William,
  • imports slaves, [130].
• Rappahannock county,
  • land transfers in, [46];
  • landowners of listed as headrights, [76]; [79].
• Rent Roll,
  • Nickolson orders, [51];
  • attempted in 1699, [52];
  • completed in 1704-5, [52];
  • shows small plantations, [53];
  • accuracy of, [54]-[55];
  • 5,500 farms listed in, [55];
  • compared with tithables of 1702, [57]-[58];
  • compared with headrights, [97]-[99];
  • contains names of few freedmen, [122]-[123].
• Restoration Period,
  • brings suffering to Virginia, [84]; [97]; [104]; [115]; [116].
• Rich, Nathaniel,
  • buys tobacco at 2s a pound, [64].
• Roberts, Robert,
  • buys land, [49].
• Robertson, William,
  • makes copy of rent roll of 1704, [52].
• Robins, Sampson, [79];
  • patents land, [80].
• Robinson, John,
  • landowning freedman, [75].
• Rolfe, Capt. John,
  • first to cure Virginia tobacco, [24]; [25].
• Rooking, William,
  • servants and slaves of, [59].
• Rowlston, Lionell,
  • servant, Burgess in 1629, [73];
  • Burgess in 1632, [74];
  • landowner, [74].
• Russell, John,
  • landowning freedman, [75].
• Russia,
  • tobacco trade to, [118]-[119]; [148].

• Samuel, Anthony,
  • buys 300 acres, [50].
• Sandys, George,
  • selects site for iron works, [17];
  • describes failure of glass works in Virginia, [19];
  • writes for servants, [30];
  • gives wages of laborers, [44].
• Sandys, Sir Edwin,
  • expects Virginia to duplicate England, [28].
• Savadge, Thomas,
  • landowning freedman, [74].
• Scotchmon, Robert,
  • servant, Burgess in 1632, [74].
• Scott, Thomas,
  • has 57 slaves, [158].
• Scruely, Richard,
  • patents land, [79].
• Servants,
  • London Company sends to Virginia, [16];
  • Indian children as, [30];
  • system of indentures for, [32];
  • not criminals, [32];
  • political prisoners among, [33];
  • Irish among, [33];
  • Oliverian soldiers among, [33];
  • they plot against Government, [33];
  • Scotchmen among, [33];
  • Sedgemour prisoners among, [33];
  • chiefly Englishmen, [34], [36];
  • list of preserved, [34];
  • headrights from, [35];
  • influx of, [35];
  • four or five years of service for, [38];
  • become part of Virginia social fabric, [39];
  • hardship and perils encountered by, [39];
  • 80 per cent. become freedmen, [40];
  • prior to 1660 remained in Virginia, [40];
  • length of service for, [40];
  • usually young when freed, [41], [42];
  • estimated at 6,000 in 1671, [41];
  • "seasoned," [42];
  • become small part of population, [43];
  • merchants bring to complete cargoes, [47];
  • individual orders for, [48];
  • in immigrant ships, [48];
  • dealers in, [48];
  • numbers in 1704, [56];
  • listed as tithables, [56];
  • distribution of, [58]-[59];
  • not slaves, [60];
  • like English apprentices, [60];
  • outfit of on expiration of term, [61];
  • not entitled to land, [61];
  • hope to become landowners, [61]-[62];
  • Virginia land of opportunity for, [71];
  • freedmen often purchase, [72];
  • of early period become prosperous, [73]-[80];
  • list of, [78];
  • proportion of among immigrants, [81]-[82];
  • little hope for advancement of after 1660, [96]-[100];
  • importation of in Restoration period, [98]-[99];
  • inventories which show none, [106]-[107];
  • many freed to fight in Bacon's Rebellion, [113];
  • few become landowners at end of 17th century, [112]-[113];
  • usefulness of as compared with slaves, [126];
  • price of, [127];
  • not always docile, [128];
  • slave labor curtails importation of, [134];
  • England opposes migration of, [135];
  • vast numbers imported, [142].
• Seymour, Attorney-General,
  • tells Virginians to make tobacco, [136].
• Sheep,
  • scarce in Virginia, [102].
• Sheriff,
  • collects quit rents, [51];
  • draws up rent roll, [52];
  • unearths false returns, [54]-[55].
• Sherwood, William,
  • calls Bacon's men rabble, [93].
• Shipbuilding,
  • materials for needed in England, [8];
  • lack of injures merchant marine, [9];
  • materials for found in Virginia, [15];
  • Capt. Smith explains why Virginia cannot produce materials for, [17].
• Shurley, Daniel,
  • landowning freedman, [74].
• Sickness, The Virginia,
  • Capt. Blewit dies of, [18];
  • glass workers die of, [19];
  • servants die of, [33];
  • described, [39];
  • terrible mortality from, [39], [80];
  • abates before end of 17th century, [40];
  • not fatal to slaves, [128].
• Silk,
  • from South Europe, [12];
  • in Virginia, [15].
• Slaughter, John, [80].
• Slave trade,
  • in hands of Dutch, [31];
  • restrictions on, [45].
• Slaves,
  • adequate for tobacco raising, [29];
  • first cargo of in Virginia, [30];
  • few in Virginia prior to 1680, [31];
  • influx of, [40];
  • numbers in 1704, [56];
  • listed as tithables, [56];
  • distribution of, [58]-[59];
  • inventories show that many planters had none, [106]-[107];
  • used by wealthy men in 17th century, [108];
  • first cargo of, [124];
  • few prior to 1680, [124];
  • importations of, [124]-[125];
  • Dutch control trade in, [125]-[126];
  • fitness of for tobacco culture, [126];
  • price of, [127];
  • labor of crude, [127]-[128];
  • health of good, [128];
  • docile, [128];
  • plots among, [128]-[129];
  • no wrong seen in, [129];
  • duty on importation of, [129];
  • large importations of, 1680-1708, [130]-[131];
  • 6,000 by 1700, [130];
  • 12,000 in 1708, [130];
  • 30,000 in 1730, [131];
  • use of cheapens tobacco, [132];
  • use of curtails importation of servants, [134];
  • England favors use of in Virginia, [135]-[136];
  • pernicious effect of in ancient Rome, [137]-[139];
  • effect of on Virginia yeomanry, [139]-[155];
  • causes migration of whites, [139]-[146];
  • at first produce only lower grades of tobacco, [147];
  • become more efficient, [147];
  • contempt of for poor whites, [152];
  • small holders of, [152]-[159];
  • cast stigma on labor, [155];
  • large holders of increase in numbers, [155]-[159].
• Smelting,
  • wood needed for, [8];
  • in Virginia, [15];
  • machinery for sent to Virginia, [17];
  • begun at Falling Creek.
• Smith, Capt. John,
  • describes Baltic trade, [8];
  • explains difficulty of building up manufacturers in Virginia, [17].
• Smither, William,
  • buys 200 acres, [50].
• Smyth,
  • describes poor whites of Virginia, [152], [155].
• Spain,
  • commerce with, [12];
  • growing domains of, [14];
  • tobacco of used in England, [25], [26];
  • tobacco of excluded from England, [67], [68], [86], [87];
  • tobacco trade to, [119];
  • trade to injured by war, [131].
• Spanish Succession, War of, [103]; [115]; [119];
  • cuts off tobacco trade to France and Spain, [131]; [148].
• Sparshott, Edward,
  • landowning freedman, [74].
• Smith, Lawrence,
  • sued for arrears of quit rents, [143].
• Sparkes, John,
  • landowning freedman, [74].
• Spencer, Capt. Robt.,
  • servants and slaves of, [59].
• Spencer, Secretary,
  • writes of reviving tobacco trade, [115];
  • says slaves cheaper labor than whites, [132].
• Splitimber, John,
  • his cattle, [101];
  • inventory of, [106]-[107].
• Spotsylvania,
  • large grants in, [145];
  • poor whites in, [151];
  • small slave holders of, [153]-[154];
  • land transfers in, [154];
  • large slave holders in, [157]; [159].
• Spotswood, Alexander,
  • says slaves cause over production of tobacco, [129]; [151];
  • has 60 slaves, [158].
• Storey, John,
  • imports negroes, [130].
• Stuarts, second despotism of,
  • affects Virginia, [114].
• Stublefield, George,
  • has 42 slaves, [158].
• Surry,
  • land transfers in, [46];
  • tithables in, [56], [58];
  • inventories and wills in, [59];
  • negroes plot in, [128].
• Sweden,
  • tobacco trade to, [118]-[119].
• Symonds, Roger,
  • granted 100 acres, [81].