Rainsford hath been very little time in this country only about two or three months about the time I recieved your first letters, but hath continued all along in Verginia; so that he deserves nothing of the society. That wished for success may attend all your noble and glorious undertakings shall be earnestly desired by

Sir

[FROM N. C. LETTER BOOK of S. P. G.]

Mr URMSTONE TO THE SECRETARY.

NORTH CAROLINA, Aug. 7th 1714

During the last half year the State of Religion is much the same changes for the better are not easily brought about the people are daily more unkind-I've baptized 59 whereof two were adults-We have not had the Lords supper administered in public during that time I have some hopes of better things in many respects thro' the endeavours of an honest Gentleman our nowe Governor he seems resolved to promote the Church discipline being a strict observer thereof himself. He must expect to meet with many difficulties some insuperable-I wish a letter were sent to him, it would be of . . . . use-he purposes to redress many of my grievances which will render life more comfortable I am sorry we are not like to see Co" Nicholson here—if a Bill for £14 payable to Tho Jones of Virginia be unpaid I pray it may never be paid thro' the perfidous dealing of my agent at London I worse than I thought for, in want of many things but must not draw if my Salary had been duly paid and invested in goods I had been one of the richest, in this famous Colony whereas I am nowe the poorest-£30 in goods would have done me more good than thrice that has, being forced to give 4 or 5 hundred cent for all what I give Bills for I have not received the CatchTMs sent by Mr Rainsford-He never disposed of gift Books valued £5-He made more by his voyage & years Salary than I've done these 5 years and never did anything for it—a handful of Indians who would not come into the treaty with the rest have spilt more innocent blood than all the rest & we cannot cause our men to go against them nor willingly pay those that will, they rove from place to place cut of 2 or 3 Families today & within 2 or 3 days do the like a hundred miles off from the former they are like deer-there is no finding them. We have men out after them to sue for peace-I am Sir &c

JOHN URMSTONE

[COUNCIL JOURNAL.]

NORTH CAROLINA-SS

Att a Council holden at ye house of Maj' Jno Hecklefield in Little River on 10th day of Augt 1714

Present the Honble Charles Eden Esq' Gov' Cap Gen" & Adm" &c

ffrancis ffoster Esq' presented to this Board a Deplacon from yo Honble Jno Danson Esq' one of ye true and absolute Lds proptrs of this province thereby appointing him to be his Deputy which was read approved of and ordered to be reccorded.

And then y Said ffra ffoster tooke and subscribed the severall Oathes appointed to be taken for his quallification and then tooke his place at ye board accordingly

Then this board adjourned untill to morrow morne 9 of the Clock.—

Aug 11th this board met againe p'sent ut Supra

name.

Upon motion to this 'Board by Mr Henry Clayton setting forth that Mr Jacob Peterson late of this Governm was possessed of a tract of Land at y Sandy banks which at his Decease he bequeathed to Mary his then wife who since intermarryed wth one James Coles-late of this province Dec'd who in his life tyme Survey'd ye same Land in his own And pray's that she ye sd Mary Coles since intermarryed wth ye Said Henry Clayton) may have a Pattent for ye Same Land in her owne name. And Thos Harvey who is a Legatee of Halfe y Lands of ye said James Coles appeared and say's that one halfe of yo said Lands belong's to him as part of ye Said James Coles Lands and yo mater being debated & heard on both sides It is ye oppinion of this board that ye right of ye s Land was in ye Said James Coles and that it ought to be disposed off pursuant to his will

Upon the Petition of Cap Nich° Crisp Setting forth yt about Six or Seven years agon he tooke up and Survey'd Six hundred & Twenty acres of Land on Morratock river a Place Called Skanwankee and hath duely pd ye Quit rents for ye Same as well as ye purchase money to y Lords prop receiver Gen" as by ye same Survey & rec may appeare. And far

ther that upon his making applycation for a pattent for ye same Land he is advertised that an ord' is pass'd in yo Councill (long since his taken up ye sd Land) that ye same is reserved for hunting Quarters for some of ye Tuskurora Indyans which ord' he Conceives is not well grounded in as much as he who has right to ye Said Land was not Called to make his Title thereto. And he is further advised that ye said Order is passed Since ye Tusks Articled with ye Governmt to be Confined and bounded between y two rivers of Pamplicough and Nuse. And that if ye Indyans should be permitted to have hunting Quarters on ye Said River of Morattock it will very much prejudice y° setleing that river wch is Capable of Seating Some hundreds of familyes. And he farther Showeth that notwithstanding his right is so apparant to sa Land he has always been ready to make some reasonable Complyance to such Indyan or Indyans as should lay any pretenses to ye sd Land and which he is still ready to doe therefore prays that he may have a pattent passed for ye sd Land according to his purchase &e And y° matter being Considered & it appearing to this board that ye said Crisp has actually pye purchase money for ye Same Land.

It is ordered that soe soone as y said Crisp shall have, agreed wth ye said Indyans or that y° said Land shall by any other means be freed from ye Indyans title the s Crisp shall have a pattent for ye same And that in ye mean tyme his Title be and shall be preferable to any other title of any Englishman

Upon Petition of Mary Relfe widd Setting forth that her deed husband did in his life time by order of this board Survey and lay out for ye Yawpun Indyans Ten thousand two hundred & forty acres of Land and pray's that yo Said Indyans may be ordered to pay her for yo Same amounting to Eleven pounds Eighteen Shills. And ye Said Indyans appeareing Confessed that they were to pay one halfe of ye Charge and

noe more.

Whereupon it is Ordered that ye Said Indyans doe pay unto y* Said Mary Relfe y Sum of five pound nineteen shills being the one halfe of ye Charges as afsd

Upon Petition of Jno Hoyter on behalfe of himselfe and the rest of y Chowan Indyans therein setting forth that ye Said Indyans had granted to them in the Administration of Gov Archdale for their settlem a tract of Land on ye Eastern side of Bennets Creek including Meherins Neck of Twelve Miles Square which not being laid out according to ye directions of ye Order of Councill they aply'd themselves to ye Honble President Glover & y Councill then being to have ye same laid out upon weh it was

ordered that a tract of six miles square within those bound should be laid out for their setlemt weh yet hath not been done and further that most of ye said Indyans have been upon Eight Expiditions agt the Indyan Enemy of this province and during the time they were in y° Countys Service they Suffered Considerable loss in their plantations & Stocks loosing Seaventy five head of hoggs a Mare & Colt their Corne destroy'd by horses & Cattle their fences burnt & fruit trees destroyed by all wh & ye wearing out of their clothes they are reduced to very great poverty and pray's that their Land may be laid out according to ye intent of ye Grant and that they may have some allowance made for their services & Losses, &c and this board haveing Considered the whole matter

It is ordered that Coll Wm Maule doe Examine in the former Survey Made by Co" Moseley and Doe see whether y° same be made pursuant to former order of y Council & Whether it Conteyns y Quantity & Make report thereof to this Board.

Upon Petition of Mr Jno Lillington that about four years Since by virtue of a commission from Edwd Moseley Esq' the then Survey" Gen" he made divers surveys in yo County of Bath but had not made returnes thereof into y Sectys Office by reason he intended to make returne of those with some others agt ye next Octo" Gen" Court. And it hapning afterwards that ye Indyans burnt his house where his papers were by which he is incapable of returning those survey's therefore prays that he may have Leave to resurvey & returne those Survey's he had then made &c And ye matter being duely Considered by this Board.

It is hereby ordered that y° Said John Lillington have power and authority to resurvey Such Lands as he has already survey'd & make returne of y Same to ye Sects Office and that he be then Impowered to demand & receive his usuall ffees for ye Same—

It is ordered by this Board that Capt W Vaughan be sent down to Sandy banks wth nine White men more und' his Comand to wait y Comeing Pagett and ye rest of ye Indyans in order to Consert Measures for agen" peace pursuant to their former promises and that Twenty bush's Indyan Corne be sent down wth him for their support as also for y° support of y people already there and that Capt Vaughan doe take down with him ffisher ye Indyan from ye Poteskey Toune

Complaint being made to this Board by Wm Bell Treasurer of the Precinct of Corratuck that Samuell Ballanne Wm Ballanne Robert Smyth Andrew Mcfurson Dan" Mcfurson all of ye afs precinct of Corratuck have and still doth utterly refuse to pay unto ye Said Treasuror their publick Levy's and other publick dues or to pay any obediance to this Governm

Wherefore it is hereby ordered that ye provost Marsh" of ye County of Albemarle or his Deputy doe take them ye Said Sam" Ballaine W" Ballaine Rob Smyth Andrew M°furson & Dan" M furson into his Custody and them hold till they give good Security to appeare at yo next Gen" Court to Answer ye sd Contempt

It appeareing to this Board that Co" Edw" Moseley hath in his Custody divers depositions by him taken on behalfe and by order of this Governmnt and other papers relateing to ye boundarys between us and Verg being formerly one of y Comissioners on behalfe of y° Lords propt for Setleing and Assertaineing the Said Boundary's and also that he ye Said Moseley never yett delivered to this Governm' any Coppy's of his Journalls & proceedings in Discharge of that Commission

Wherefore it is ordered by this board that yo Said Co11 Edwa Moseley doe forthwth deliver to ye Honble Charles Eden Esq' Gov' &c all such papers and depositions as he hath relateing to ye Said boundarys as afs and also true copy of his Said Journs & proceedings in yo Executions of ye afs Comission that a true state of ye mater may be knowne & this board be enabled to lay a true acct thereof before yo Lds proptrs

[B. P. R. O. PROPRIETIES. B. T. VOL. 30. P. 418.]

REPORT TO THE Lds OF THE COMMITTEE OF APPEALS FROM THE PLANTATIONS, IN RELATION TO TEMPORARY LAWS PASSED THERE. SEPt 2nd 1714

To the Right Honble the Lords of the Committee for Hearing Appeals from the Plantations.

May it please your Lordships

In obedience to your Lordships Order of Reference, of the 5th of June last, directing Us to examine & inform Ourselves, by the best means We can, how and by what Grants or Authoritys the Plantations in America do claim the Liberty and Power of making temporary Laws for so short a time that the Prerogative of the Crown for approving or disapproving such Laws is evaded; and to propose to your Lordships what Methods We may think proper for setting aside those Practises; We have considered the same, and also had the Opinion of his Majestys Attorney Gen' therein, Whereupon We humbly take leave to represent to your Lordships,