1.2 Supplies for Virginia colonists, 1622
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The Inconveniences that have happened to some persons which have transported themselves from England to Virginia, without provisions necessary to sustaine themselves, hath greatly hindered the Progresse of that Noble Plantation: For prevention of the like disorders hereafter, that no man suffer either through ignorance or misinformation; it is thought requisite to publish this short Declaration: wherein is contayned a particular of such necessaries, as either private Families or single persons shall have cause to furnish themselves with, for their better support at their first landing in Virginia; whereby also greater numbers may receive in part directions how to provide themselves.
Apparell
Apparell for one man and so after the rate for more
| li. | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Monmouth Cap | 00 | 01 | 10 |
| Three falling bands | 01 | 03 | |
| Three shirts | 07 | 06 | |
| One Waste-coate | 02 | 02 | |
| One sute of Canvase | 07 | 06 | |
| One sute of Frize | 10 | 00 | |
| One sute of Cloth | 15 | 00 | |
| Three paire of Irish stockins | 04 | ||
| Foure pair of shooes | 08 | 08 | |
| One paire of garters | 00 | 10 | |
| One doozen of points | 00 | 03 | |
| One paire of Canvase sheets | 08 | 00 | |
| Seven Ells of Canvase, to make a bed and boulster, to be filled in Virginia | 08 | 00 | |
| One Rug for a bed in 8.S. which with the bed serving for two men, halfe is | |||
| Five Ells course Canvase, to make a bed at Sea for two men, to be filled with straw 4.S. | 05 | 00 | |
| One coorse Rug at Sea for two men, will cost 6.S. is for one | |||
| 04 | 00 | 00 |
Victuall
For a whole yeere for one man and so for more after the rate.
| li. | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eight bushels of Meale | 02 | 00 | 00 |
| Two bushels of Pease at 3.S. | 06 | 00 | |
| Two bushels of Oatmeale 4.S. 6.d. | 09 | 00 | |
| One gallon of Aquavitae | 02 | 06 | |
| One gallon of Oyle | 03 | 06 | |
| Two gallons of Vinegar 1.S. | 02 | 00 | |
| 03 | 03 | 00 |
Armes
For one man, but if halfe of your men have Armour it is sufficient, so that all have Peeces and Swords.
| li. | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Armour compleat, light | 17 | 00 | |
| One long Piece, five foot or five and a halfe, neere Musket bore | 01 | 02 | |
| One sword | 05 | ||
| One Belt | 01 | ||
| One Bandaleere | 01 | 06 | |
| Twentie pound of Powder | 18 | 00 | |
| Sixtie pound of shot or lead, Pistoll and Goose shot | 05 | 00 | |
| 03 | 09 | 06 |
Tooles
For a Family of sixe persons, and so after the rate for more.
| li. | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five broad howes at 2.s. a piece | 10 | ||
| Five narrow howes at 16.d. a piece | 06 | 08 | |
| Two broad Axes at 3.s. 8.d. a piece | 07 | 04 | |
| Five felling Axes at 18.d. a piece | 07 | 06 | |
| Two Steele Hand-sawes at 16.d. a piece | 02 | 08 | |
| Two two-hand-sawes at 5.s. a piece | 10 | ||
| One whip-saw, set and filed with boxe, file and wrest | 10 | ||
| Two Hammers 12.d. a piece | 02 | 00 | |
| Three shovels 18.d. a piece | 04 | 06 | |
| Two Spades at 18.d. a piece | 03 | ||
| Two Augers 6.d. a piece | 01 | 00 | |
| Six Chissels 6.d. a piece | 03 | 00 | |
| Two percers stocked 4.d. a piece | 00 | 08 | |
| Three gimblets 2.d. a piece | 00 | 06 | |
| Two hatchets 21.d. a piece | 03 | 06 | |
| Two froves to cleave pale 18.d. | 03 | 00 | |
| Two hand-bills 20. A piece | 03 | 00 | |
| One Grindestone 4.s. | 04 | 00 | |
| Nailes of all sorts to the value of | 02 | 00 | |
| Two pickaxes | 03 | ||
| 06 | 02 | 08 |
Household Implements
For a Family of six persons, and so for more or lesse after the rate.
| li. | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Iron Pot | 00 | 07 | |
| One Kettle | 06 | ||
| One large frying pan | 02 | 06 | |
| One Griddiron | 01 | 06 | |
| Two skillets | 05 | ||
| One Spit | 02 | ||
| Platters, dishes, spoons of wood | 04 | ||
| 01 | 08 | 00 |
| li. | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Sugar, Spice, and fruit at Sea for six men | 00 | 12 | 06 |
| So the full charge of apparell victuall, armes, tooles and household- stuffe, and after this rate for each person, will amoung unto about the sum of | 12 | 10 | |
| The passage of each man is | 06 | 00 | |
| The freight of these provisions for a man, will be about halfe a Tun, which is | 01 | 10 | |
| So the whole charge will amount to about | 20 | 00 | 00 |
Nets, Hookes, Lines, and a Tent must be added if the number of people be greater, as also some Kine.
And this is the usuall proportion that the Virginia Company doe bestow upon their Tenants which they send.
Whosoever transports himselfe or any other at his owne charge unto Virginia, shall for each person so transported before Midsummer 1625 have to him and his heires for ever fifty Acres of Land upon a first, and fifty Acres upon a second division.
Comments
- Monmouth Cap
-
Knit woolen cap.
- falling bands
-
Collars.
- One doozen of points
-
One dozen pieces of ribbon or cord used to lace up items of clothing.
- bed
-
In the colonial period, the word “bed” would have referred to what we now call the mattress.
- Rug
-
In this usage, most likely a blanket or bed cover.
- Peeces
-
Guns.
- howes
-
Hoes.
- pale
-
Part of a wooden wall or palisade.
- Spit
-
A metal rod to hold food as it cooks over a fire.
- Kine
-
Cows.
(Unknown author, 1622, from A Declaration of the State of the Colony and Affaires in Virginia. More about the photograph)
As you read
The first twenty years of the Jamestown colony were difficult; only about 20 percent of the earliest settlers survived. It was not only the problems that faced the colonists in the New World that led to this distressing statistic, but also a lack of preparation by those who chose to travel across the sea to begin life in the Virginia wilderness. Recognizing this as a threat to their hopes of a successful business venture — more settlers meant more money — the Virginia Company published this broadside, or poster, to educate settlers about the necessary materials to bring to Virginia.
Questions to Consider
- What were the “inconveniences” that the author of the broadside was referring to?
- What does this list tell you about life in Jamestown?
- What is the largest section of this list? What does that mean?
- If each settler brought all of these provisions, do you think it might have caused problems for the ship captains?
- Examine how much money was needed for these supplies. What would that mean for future settlers heading to Jamestown?
- What reasons might the Virginia Company have had for publishing this broadside? Would the Company have benefited from implying that the deaths at Jamestown in the early years of settlement were the fault of the unprepared settlers, rather than the company or the conditions in Virginia?
Learn more
For teachers
- Lesson plan: Provisions for Carolina: Comparing lists In this lesson, students will compare and contrast two historical documents: A list of recommended provisions for colonists traveling to Virginia in 1622, and a similar list of recommended provisions for colonists traveling to Carolina in 1709. Students will infer what has changed and what has stayed the same between the publication of these two documents.
Related topics
- Search LEARN NC for more resources on Virginia, broadsides, colonial, and migration.
A “digital textbook”
LEARN NC’s digital textbook for North Carolina History uses primary sources and multimedia to tell many stories about the past, not just one.
Part two explores the political, social, and cultural history of the state from the first successful English colonies in the 1600s to the eve of the Revolution in 1763.
Definitions
- docile adj.
- Ready and willing to receive instruction; submissive.
- requisite adj.
- Necessary.
- waistcoat n.
- A men's garment, similar to a vest, worn under a jacket or other outer garment.
- frieze n.
- A heavy woolen cloth that is rough on one side.
- garters n.
- Ties used to hold up stockings.
- ell n.
- An archaic unit of measure equal to 45 inches.
- bolster n.
- A stuffed cushion or large pillow.
- victual v.
- To supply oneself with provisions. As a noun, articles of food or provisions.
- bushel n.
- Unit of measurement for dry goods, equal to four pecks or eight gallons.
- aquavitae n.
- Alcohol, particularly that used as medicine.
- bandolier n.
- A shoulder-belt worn by soldiers. Originally it helped support a musket (a heavy shoulder gun), and had twelve cases attached, each of which contained a charge for the musket. Later, it was used only for carrying ammunition.
- auger n.
- A drill used to make holes in wood.
- piercer n.
- A tool for starting holes in wood or metal.
- gimlet n.
- A small tool for boring holes.
- froe n.
- A cleaving tool with a wedge-shaped blade, used for splitting wood.
- hand-bill n.
- A hook-bladed tool used for clearing brush.
- gridiron n.
- A grill used for cooking food over a fire.
- freight n.
- The charges paid for transporting cargo.
Credits
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North Carolina Digital History: Credits and acknowledgments
