Colonial Records of Virginia | Page 5

year (1620), there was held another Generall Assembly,
which has, through mistake, and the indolence and negligence of our
historians in searching such ancient records as are still extant in the
country, been commonly reported the first General Assembly," Ib. p.
182. We do not see that Stith "errs" even "a little in the data." Rolfe
says, "The 25 of June came in the Triall with Corne and Cattell in all
safety, which took from us cleerely all feare of famine, then our
gouernor and councell caused Burgesses to be chosen in all places, and
met at a general Assembly," Smith, p. 128. Stith says, "And about the
latter end of June he called," &c., Stith, p. 160. Neither intimate when
the Assembly met, only that the governor called them to the latter part
of June.--ED.
[5] The first published notice of the existence of this paper occurred in
the proceedings of the annual meeting of the Virginia Historical society,
held December 15, 1853. In the report of the Executive Committee the
chairman, Conway Robinson, Esq., states that he had seen the original
report in the State Paper Office in London, on a recent visit to that
city.--See Virginia Historical Reporter, Vol. I., 1854. Whatever
question there may be in regard to priority of discovery, it is to be
regretted that it was left to the Historical Society of another State to
publish a document of so much value to the one to which it solely
relates.--ED.
[6] The Secretary of the Colony and Speaker of the first Assembly was
John Pory. If he had been one of the Burgesses his name would have
appeared with the others. Through the influence of the Earl at Warwick
he was made Secretary to the Virginia Company. Campbell says, "He
was educated at Cambridge, where he took the Master of Arts in April,
1610. It is supposed he was a member of the House of Commons. He
was much of a traveller, and was at Venice in 1613, at Amsterdam in
1617, and shortly after at Paris." "Sir George Yeardley appointed him
one of his Council."--Campbell, p. 139. The record shows that he acted
as the presiding officer of the first Assembly, whether ex officio or by
selection is not stated. It will be seen that a typographical error in

Bancroft's pamphlet makes his name Povy. In Smith's General Historie
there is a paper styled "The observations of Master John Pory,
Secretarie of Virginia, in his travels;" it gives an account of his voyage
to the eastern shore.--Smith, p. 141. Neill says of him, "John Pory was
a graduate of Cambridge, a great traveller and good writer, but gained
the reputation of being a chronic tipler and literary vagabond and
sponger." When young he excited the interest of Hakluyt, who, in a
dedication to the third volume of his, remarks: "Now, because long
since I did foresee that my profession of Divinitie, the care of my
family; and other occasions, might call or divert me from these kind of
endeavour, I, therefore have, for these three years last past, encouraged
and gathered in these studies of Cosmographia and former histories my
honest, industrious and learned friend, Mr. John Porey, one of speciall
skill and extraordinary hope, to perform great matters in the same, and
beneficial to the Commonwealth." "Pory, in 1600, prepared a
Geographical History of Africa, but he soon disappointed the
expectations of his friends."
A letter from London, dated July 26, 1623, says: "Our old acquaintance,
Mr. Porey, is in poore case, and in prison at the Terceras, whither he
was driven by contrary winds, from the north coast of Virginia, where
he had been upon some discovery, and upon his arrival he was
arraigned and in danger of being hanged for a pirate." "He died about
1635." For further particulars from contemporary authorities, see
Neill's History of the Virginia Company of London. Albany, Munsell,
1869.--ED.

COLONIAL RECORDS OF VIRGINIA.

STATE PAPERS.
COLONIAL. VOL. I.--NO. 45.
[July 30, 1619.][J]

A Reporte of the manner of proceeding[K] in the General assembly
convented at James citty in Virginia, July 30, 1619, consisting of the
Governo^r, the Counsell of Estate[L] and two Burgesses elected out of
eache Incorporation and Plantation, and being dissolved the 4^{th} of
August next ensuing.
First. Sir George Yeardley, Knight Governo^r & Captaine general of
Virginia, having sente his sumons all over the Country, as well to invite
those of the Counsell of Estate that were absente as also for the election
of Burgesses, there were chosen and appeared
For James citty Captaine William Powell, Ensigne William Spense.
For Charles citty Samuel Sharpe, Samuel Jordan.
For the citty of Henricus Thomas Dowse, John Polentine.
[J] The caption is after the De Jarnette copy. Bancroft has "S.P.O."
(State Paper Office.) "Am'a