Documenting the American South Logo
Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Minutes of the Virginia Governor's Council
Virginia. Council
March 01, 1689
Volume 01, Pages 356-358

[B. P. R. O. Virginia B. T. Vol. 53. No. 27.]
TWO ORDERS OF COUNCIL OF VIRGINIA 1688 & 1691 AND PROCEEDINGS IN COUNCIL IN 1699 ABOUT BOUNDARIES BETWEEN VIRGINIA & NORTH CAROLINA WITH A COPY OF THE CHARTER OF CAROLINA.

[Referr'd to in Col. Nicholson's letter of 1st July 1699 Received 4 Sept. 1699]


At a Council held at James City Mar 1st 1688

-------------------- page 357 --------------------
Present
His Excellency
Nath Bacon Esq.
Nich. Spencer Esq Secry
Collo Wm Cole
Collo Rich. Lee
Collo John Custis
Collo John Page
Collo Wm Byrd
Collo John Lear
Collo Xtr Wormeley
Collo Isaac Allerton.

Upon ye consideration of ye complaints of some of the inhabitants of Carratuck setting forth that the governmt of North Carolina had distrained upon part of their household goods under pretence that ye land they inhabited was within ye governmt of North Carolina & that therefore they ought to pay proportionable for ye discharge of ye governmt wth other the inhabitants thereof tho' indeed they were alwaies esteemed to be people of the inhabitants of the governmt of Virginia and held their lands by patents granted by the Governr of Virginia All which this Board taking under their serious consideration are of oppinion that the whole matter be humbly represented unto his Majesty for his royall consideration and that a letter be forthwith writt for his Excellency's signeing directed to the Govr & governmt of North Carolina signifying that this governmt have humbly presented unto his Majty the pretension that that governmt makes unto the lands lying on Carratuck & Blackwater and that it is desired that no disturbance or violence be offered to the inhabitants thereof untill his Majtie shall signifie his pleasure therein.

His Majesties Governr & Councill of this Colony knowing themselves in duty bound faithfully to represent unto his Majesty all occurances of moment relating to the same doe therefore humbly beg leave to lay before his Majesties royall consideration a matter whereby not only his subjects at presents are disturbed and disquieted in their possessions neare adjoyning unto ye governmt of North Carolina but also ye publick peace of the Country threatened by the violent actings of some officers of that governt under pretence extending the bounds thereof far within the anciently reputed and known Southern bounds of this yor Majtes Colony of Virginia for ye Southern bounds of this yr Maj. Colony of Virginia have allwaies been reputed to be extended to the latitude of 36 unto that latitude land hath been granted unto adventurers & purchasers for more than forty yeares past by former Governrs and Councills of this yr Maj. Colony of Virginia and ye lands so granted have been by patent from yr Maj. Secry's office of this Colony and the inhabitants thereon seated have been taken to be ye inhabitants of Virginia and accordingly formerly

-------------------- page 358 --------------------
have paid all scott & lott of publick & county dues of this Colony and quietly & peaceably enjoyed their land held from this Govert untill ye yeare 1680 that some pretence was made to some small part of land lying upon Carratuck & Blackwater upon which pretensions the inhabitants thereof applyed themselves unto ye right Honoble Thomas Lord Culpeper the then Govr of Virginia and alsoe the Councill thereof who by letter to the Govr and governmt soe satisfied them in the justness of the claime of the bounds of this Country to thirty six that the inhabitants thereof were not in the least vexed or disturbed in yr possessions by any pretence of ye governt of North Carolina until this present year 1688 who now without makeing any further claime have leveyed upon ye inhabitants of Carratuck and Blackwater who hold their lands by patent from this yr Maj. governmt and for ye said levyes have distrained and forceably carryed away divers goods out of the houses of ye said inhabitants which force upon them from ye governt of Carolina if not timely prevented will prove ruinous to ye pore people if not usher in greater mischiefes therefore his Maj. Govr and Councill doe humbly supplicate his Maj. to take under his royall consideration the pressures those pore inhabitants lie under from the pretence that those lands are part of the bounds of North Carolina and that his Majty will be pleased not to narrow the bounds of his long seated Colony of Virginia and his Maj. Governr & Council do humbly futher begg leave to offer to his Maj. consideration how prejudiciall it may bee to his Maj. Revenue ariseing upon tobacco if those lands now in question should be taken to be under the governt of Carolina lying so neare unto ye opening of Carratuck that small vessells may pass in and out undiscovered and cary of what tobacco they find fit without paying any dues for ye same for the inhabitants of North Carolina being but few in number and far remote from that part of Carratuck cannot make discovery of any such cheats if intended which whilst its under the governmt of Virginia is provided against by the prudent care of Mr Meyn his Majts Surveyor Generall of Virginia by a person an inhabitant of Virginia being apointed a Collector to inspect according to law all matters of trade in that part and for the quieting yor Maj. subjects in a peaceable possession of their lands and stoping the force of distress put upon them yor Majtys Governor and councill doe humbly begg leave to supplicate yr Majty that you would be pleased to give direction for the ascertaining of the bounds between yor Majtys Government of Virginia and North Carolina as in your princely wisedom shall find fitt.