Colonial Records of Virginia | Page 5

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 & W. Ind. Virg.: Indorsed, Mr. Povy out of Virginia. The Proceedings of the First Assembly of Virginia: July 1619." Sainsbury's Calendar of State papers: Colonial, 1574-1660, has, "Endorsed by Mr. Carleton. Mr. Pory out of Virginia."--p. 22.
[K] Proceedings. Bancroft.
[L] State. McDonald.
For Kiccowtan Captaine William Tucker, William Capp.
For Martin Brandon--Capt. John Martin's Pla'tation M^r Thomas Davis, M^r Robert Stacy.
For Smythe's hundred Captain Thomas Graves, M^r Walter Shelley.
For Martin's hundred M^r John Boys,[7] John Jackson.
For Argall's guiffe[8] M^r Pawlett, M^r Gourgaing.[9]
For Flowerdieu hundred Ensigne[10] Rossingham, M^r Jefferson.
For Captain Lawne's plantation Captain Christopher Lawne,