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The Second Charter of Virginia, May 23, 1609

The Virginia Company of London was a joint-stock company set up by a group of merchants and wealthy gentry for the purpose of financing and establishing a colony in America, with the aim of making a profit. They petitioned England’s King James I to grant them a charter, which he did more than a year later in 1606, and then again in 1609 and 1612. These charters gave the Virginia Company the authority to establish and govern a colony on the coast of America. The Second Charter was given exclusively to the Virginia Company of London.

JAMES, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all, to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting. WHEREAS, at the humble Suit and Request of sundry our loving and well-disposed Subjects, intending to deduce a Colony, and to make Habitation and Plantation of sundry our People in that Part of America, commonly called VIRGINIA, and other Parts and Territories in America, either appertaining unto Us, or which are not actually possessed of any Christian Prince or People, within certain Bounds and Regions, We have formerly, by our Letters-patents, bearing Date the tenth Day of April, in the fourth Year of our Reign of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the nine and thirtieth, GRANTED to Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers, and others, for the more speedy Accomplishment of the said Plantation and Habitation that they should divide themselves into two Colonies (the one consisting of divers Knights, Gentlemen, Merchants, and others, of our City of London, called the FIRST COLONY; And the other consisting of divers Knights, Gentlemen, and others, of our Cities of Bristol, Exeter, and Town of Plimouth, and other Places, called the SECOND COLONY). And have yielded and granted in any and sundry Privileges and Liberties to each Colony, for their quiet settling and good Government therein, as by the said Letters patents more at large appeareth:

Now, forasmuch as divers and sundry of our loving Subjects, as well Adventurers, as Planters, of the said first Colony, which have already engaged themselves in furthering the Business of the said Colony and Plantation, and do further intend, by the Assistance of Almighty God, to prosecute the same to a happy End, have of late been humble Suitors unto Us, that (in Respect of their great Charges and the Adventure of many of their Lives, which they have hazarded in the said Discovery and Plantation of the said Country) We should be pleased to grant them a further Enlargement and Explanation of the said Grant, Privileges, and Liberties, and that such Counsellors, and other Officers, may be appointed amongst them, to manage and direct their Affairs, as are willing and ready to adventure with them, as also whose Dwellings are not so far remote from the City of London, but they may, at convenient Times, be ready at Hand, to give their Advice and Assistance, upon all Occasions requisite.

We greatly affecting the effectual Prosecution and happy success of the said Plantation, and commending their good desires therein, for their further Encouragement in accomplishing so excellent a Work, much pleasing to God, and profitable to our Kingdom, do of our especial Grace, and certain Knowledge, and mere Motion, for Us, our Heirs, and Successors, GIVE, GRANT, and CONFIRM, to our trusty and well beloved Subjects,

Sir George Wharton, Knt.
Sir Horatio Vere, Knt.
Sir Henry Peyton, Knt.
Thomas Grave

… and to such and so many as they do, or shall hereafter admit to be joined with them, in the form hereafter in these presents expressed, whether they go in their Persons to be Planters there in the said Plantation, or whether they do not, but adventure their monies, goods, or Chattles, that they shall be one Body or Commonalty perpetual, and shall have perpetual Succession and one common Seal to serve for the said Body or Commonalty, and that they and their Successors shall be known, called, and incorporated by the Name of The Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Planters of the City of London, for the first Colony in Virginia.

And that they and their Successors shall be from henceforth forever enabled to take, acquire, and purchase by the Name aforesaid (Licence for the same from Us, our Heirs, and Successors, first had and obtained) any Manner of Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, Goods and Chattles, within our Realm of England, and Dominion of Wales.

According to the Jamestown Society, the following are qualifying ancestors for membership:

FIRST SUPPLY SHIP, January 1608

John Powell, tailor
William Spence, laborer
Nicholas Ven, laborer
Vere, laborer

SECOND SUPPLY SHIP, Fall 1608

Master Francis West, Gentlemen
Thomas Graves, Gentlemen
Rawley Chroshaw, Gentlemen

STOCKHOLDERS IN THE VIRGINIA COMPANY

In the past, “stockholders” was taken to mean only those individual stockholders/subscribers named in the Charter of 1609. There are two versions of the list of subscribers. The two lists are not identical but are nearly so. The first list may be found in Hening, William Waller, Virginia Statutes at Large, Vol. I. The second list, often referred to as “the Brown List”, may be found in Brown, Alexander, The Genesis of the United States, Vol. II, Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., Boston and New York, 1908. Click on Adventurers for a nearly complete list of Invividuals who owned shares of the Virginia Adventurer. Obviously, these lists were far short of the actual number of subscribers to the Virginia Adventure. Many of the individuals listed were also members of one or more of the Livery Companies (merchant trade guilds) of London. Members of the Livery Companies were wholesalers. They were the merchant princes of the 17c and the ones called upon to finance the wars and ventures of the sovereign.

When the 1609 “request” from the sovereign to invest in the Virginia Adventure was received by the London Livery Companies, fifty-five responded. These subscribing Livery Companies are to be found in Hening along with the names of the individual investors.

If one’s ancestor were a member of a London Livery Company that purchased stock in the Virginia Company, then that ancestor was a contributor to and a stockholder in the Virginia Company of London. By proving one’s descent from one or more members of any of the investing/subscribing Livery Companies, one is eligible for membership in the Jamestowne Society. Fortunately, most of the Livery Companies have their records, some dating back as far as the 1300’s. Often, the records of members in the 17c show the relationships between member of the same name.

VIRGINIA ADVENTURERS

The names of the persons appearing below are those listed on the Charters of 1606, 1609, 1612 and a list of stockholders in 1620. These names have been checked against names found in Alexander Brown’s “Genesis of the United States”. An attempt has been made to eliminate duplicates. Persons proving descent from any one of these individuals would be eligible to join the Jamestowne Society. Most of the following persons made contributions to the Virginia Company of London and held shares accordingly. Some shares were passed to heirs or sold after purchasing them. This list should be treated as a preliminary effort and not complete, although it is not likely to change significantly.

Virginia Adventurers: George Gerrard; Sir Thomas Gerrard; Thomas Graves; Capt. Owen Gwinn; Sir Henriy Peyton; Sir Horatio Vere; Sir George Wharton; Thomas Warre; … amongst others.

REGISTER OF QUALIFYING SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ANCESTORS:

Awbrey, Henry Burgess, 1682-92 Rappahannock

Branch, John Burgess, 1642-43 Elizabeth City
Broadhurst, Walter Burgess, 1653 Northumberland

Fowke, Gerrard Burgess, 1661-76 Westmoreland
Fowke, Thomas Burgess, 1660-76 Westmoreland

Gwin (Gwinne), Hugh Burgess, 1640, 52 Gloucester, York

Hackett, Thomas Burgess, 1653 Lancaster
Hardidge, William Burgess, 1680-93 Westmoreland

Ligon (Lyggon), Thomas Burgess, 1656 Henrico

Peyton, Valentine Burgess, 1663-64 Westmoreland
Powel, James Burgess, 1680-82 Isle of Wight
Powel, John Burgess, 1632 Water Crk - Marie’s Mount
Powel, John Burgess, 1658-76 Elizabeth City
Powell, Nathaniel, Capt. Governor, 1619, Councillor
Powell, William Burgess, 1619 James City
Read, Edward Burgess, 1680-82 Accomack
Read, Robert Burgess, 1688 York

Wade, Armiger Burgess, 1656 York
Whiting, Henry Burgess, 1680-84 Gloucester