Documenting the American South Logo
Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from the Board of Trade of England to Francis Nicholson
England. Board of Trade
July 22, 1701
Volume 01, Pages 539-540

[B. P. R. O. B. T. Virginia. Vol. 38. P. 86.]
LORDS OF TRADE TO GOV. NICHOLSON 22 JULY 1701.

To the Honble Francis Nicholson Esqr His Maj. Lieutenant and Governor General of his Maj. Colony and Dominion of Virginia in America or for the Commander in chief of the said Colony for the time being.

Sir,

The irregularities & misdemeanors that have long been practiced in his Maj. Plantations under Proprietary and Charter Governments to the prejudice of Trade and of other Governors appointed by his Maj. immediate Commission as likewise to the prejudice of his Maj. Revenue arising from the customs And the small effect we have found of our Application to the respective Governors of those Proprietary Plantations for the redressing such matters having obliged us the last winter to represent the same to His Majesty and it having been thereupon thought fit that the remedy of those evils is not any other ways so well attainable as by the Legislative powers of this Kingdom a Bill was accordingly brought into the House of Lords for reuniting the government of those Plantations to the Crown and putting them into the same State and dependency as his Maj. other Plantations aforementioned without prejudice to any mans particular property or freehold.

-------------------- page 540 --------------------

But that Bill by reason of the shortness of time and multiplicity of other business not having passed into an Act And it being very probable that the same matter may again come under consideration the next Session of Parliament We have thought fit to desire and do accordingly hereby desire and direct you to get the best information you can relating to the conduct of Proprietary Governours and Governments upon the several Heads of Observations that have been made of their undue proceedings whereof we send you a copy here inclosed And upon such other heads as you judge proper to give a true light into the state of those Plantations (more especially in relation to Carolina and the Bahama Islands) and to transmit unto us the most authentic and most particular proofs that you can procure of the truth of those matters with all possible diligence So we bid you Heartily Farewell

Your very loving Friends
STAMFORD
PH. MEADOWS
ABR. HILL
MAT. PRIOR.

Whitehall
July ye 22d 1701.