Archive:Bermuda Under Sommer Islands Company 1612 - 1684

A. C. Hollis Hallett, Bermuda Under Sommer Islands Company 1612 - 1684 (Bermuda:Juniperhill Press, 2005)

Volume 1

Page 434

1658 Sep 13
Company General Letter
[CR IV:18B-20A.]
Gent:
1. At a general Quarter Court held 30 Jun last past, we did elect and make choi[ce] of several persons to be officers:
Capt. William SAYLE, Deputy Governor and Captain General. [As Lefroy II:119#3(1).]
The Councillors and Justices of the several Tribes:

For Hm, Mr. John MILNER; Pm, Mr. Henrie M[OORE]; Dv, Mr. Richard NORWOOD; Sn, Mr. Thomas RICHARDS; Sm, Mr. Christopher SMITH; Pg, Mr. Nicholas THORNTON; Wk, Mr. John WAINWRIGHT; Sy, Mr. Samuell WHITNEY. And in consideration of the good service of Mr. Stephen PAYNTER, we appoint him to be Councillor during his life.
For Sheriff, Mr. John SOMERSALL.
For Secretary, Mr. Henrie TUCKER.
...

Page 540-545

1662/63 Jan 27
Assembly Report to Company
[CR Frag. G-H: 67-76 Lefroy II:187#2.]
{Ed. Note: This has been completely transcribed by Lefroy.}
Whereas the Right Hon. the Governor and the Hon. Co[mpany out] of their tender regard of the welfare, tranquility, [prosperity,] settlement and comfortable being of the Inhabitants [of this] poor Colony hath strictly commanded and required our [Hon.] Governor speedily to summon an Assembly whereby they [may] have a right understanding of the chief aggrievances of [the] Inhabitants at present that so they may give all due red[ress]. In performance whereof our Hon. Governor having acte[d] accordingly, we, the General Assembly, being legally elec[ted] and convened, after mature debate in assured confid[ence] of the noble and pious inclinations of the Hon. Company to relie[ve] us do humbly crave that these our aggrievances may by their ship now in harbour be transmitted unto them.

... did not transcribe several pages ...

All these afore-expressed Acts, Aggrievances and Remonstrances was done and confirmed within the limited time of the Hon. Company this 28 Jan 1662.
Signatures {in two groups, the Assembly, first, then the Council}:
George BASCOM, Roger BAYLY, Edward BRACKLEY, Edward BRANGMAN, Thomas BRERETON, Thomas BURGES, Christopher BURROES, John DORRELL, Clerk, Edward EVANS, Thomas GRIFFENSnr., Thomas HALL, Richard HANGER, John HARRIOT, John HUBBARD, Richard HUNT, Phillip LEA, Thomas LECRAFT, David MINGE, Anthony PENISTON, William PENISTON, Thomas PLUMER, John RIVERS, ffrancis SALTUS, Boas SHARPE, Thomas SMITH, John SQUIRE, Henery STALVERS, Jonathan STOKES, James STURROP, John WAINRIGHTE Snr., Nathan WATERMAN, Thomas WELLS, Charles WHETENHALL, Speaker, Samuell WHITNEY, Will WILLIAMS, Samuell WISE.
fflorentia SEYMER, [Governor], John DEVITT, William GREENWAY, Richard JENNYNS, John NICHOLLS, Sheriff, William SAYLE, Edward SHERLOCK, ffrancis TUCKER, Henry TUCKER, Secretary, ffrancis WATLINGTON, William WAYLITT.
Examined 18 Mar 1662, Vera Copia Henry TUCKER, Secretary.

Page 641

1667/68 Feb 6?
Enclosure (1663?)
Bermuda Residents Adventuring in the Whale-fishing
[CR IV:124A.]
{Ed. Note: The heading of this list is lost but for the fragment given below but it appears to list those land-holders resident in Bermuda who, through the named agent in London, are prepared to join the whale-fishing adventure and to underwrite to the extent of the number of shares of land shown.}

... shares of land in the Sommer Islands These Shares ... in their behalf London November 16—:

By and for wr— The Number of Shares of land —

Perient TROTT for Capt. Thomas RICHARDS  00 00 06 15 00 — 
Perient TROTT for Samuell WHITNEY is for 00 00 02 05 00 — 

...

Volume 2

No Whitney entries

Volume 3

Page 19 & 20

1651 Oct 3
Conveyance DI
[CR VA:126A.]
I, Nicholas TROTT, gentleman, in consideration of the sum of £60 of the lawful money of England to me in hand paid (the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged) by Samuel WHITNEY of the Sommer Islands, planter, do hereby give, grant, bargain and sell etc. unto the said Samuell WHITNEY all these parcels of land following: namely one parcel of land purchased from Samuell DIKE (by deed) containing by estimation 30 acres be they more or less, lying in St. Davis Island in Hamblington Tribe in the Summer Islands als Bermudas, likewise one share of land containing by estimation 25 acres more or less, lying in Pembroke Tribe in the Sommer Islands together with all and singular the houses, profits, rights, privileges, etc. from the second day of—last past unto the world’s end, to the said Samuel WHITNEY, his heirs etc. for ever. Nicholas TROTT guarantees clear title. Dated 3 October 1651, signed Nicholas TROTT in the presence of Henry STEEVENS, Richard JENNYNS, Perient TROTT, John JENKINS.

Page 431

1639 Nov 5
Acquittance
[CR II: 103B.]
I, George SMYTH, do—and discharge Samuel WHITNEY of all money and reckonings from the beginning of the world unto this day and this my hand shall [be] his discharge. 5 Nov 1639. Signed George SMYTH. Vera Copia Anthony JENOUR, Secretary.

Page 682-684

682
1669 Jun 30
Power of Attorney for whale-fishing
[CR VIII:77B-78B.]
Whereas by an Indenture made 30 Jun 1669 (21 Charles II) between the Governors and Company of the City of London for the Plantation of the Sommer islands, of the one part, and William Earl of DEVONSHIRE, the Rt. Hon. Edward, Earl of MANCHESTER, Lord Chamberlain of His Majesty’s household, Sir ffrancis GERARD Kt., Sir Gilbert GERARD, Kt., Sir Gilbert GERARD Kt. and Baronet, Sir John HEYDON, Kt., Sir Samuel PYM, Kt, and Baronet, Sir Richard VIGOT, Kt.,Sir George WATERMAN. Kt. and Alderman, Benjamin ALLAINE, haberdasher, John BROWNING, draper, Humphry BEANEand Richard CHANDLER of London, Esqs., Robert CLAYTON, gent., {blank} CUFFE, executrix of John CUFFE, deceased, George DAY, merchant tailor, Thomas ffELGATE, William GRAVES, girdler, Edmond HARVEY, James JANCY, grocer, Capt. John JENKINS, Arthur JONES, cooper, Nathaniel LETTEN, Thomas MARTIN, gent, William SAYLE, heir of Thomas SAYLE, deceased, Nathaniell SMITH, merchant tailor, Samuell SMITH, Clerke, John SPEERIN, gent, Mr. Perient TROTT, William WEBB Esq., Mathew WEEKS Esq., John WISEMAN, haberdasher, John WRIGHT, grocer, John WYSE of London, merchant, and also Capt. John DARRELL, Robert DICKESON, George HUBBARD, Capt. Richard JENNERS [JENNINGS], Henry MOORE, Thomas MURRELL, William PEASLIE, Capt. Thomas RICHARDS, Capt. William SAYLE, Capt. fflorentius SEYMOUR, John STOWE, Severin VIKERS, John WAINEWRIGHT, Hugh WENTWORTH, and Samuell WHITNEY, of the said Sommer Islands, Gent., of the other part:

The Governor and Company by virtue of the Letters Patent granted under the great Seal of England bearing date 29 Jun (13 James I) to the intent that the trade of whale-fishing and the making of whale oil might be encouraged and advanced in the seas and coasts of the said Sommer Islands as well by a special order of a Great and General Court, commonly called the Quarter Court of the said Company, and also for divers other causes them moving, did for them and their successors grant unto the persons aforenamed, their executors, administrators, and assigns, full and free and sole fishing for whales around the Islands together with the authority to kill and take all such whales, to manage the fishing and dispose of the fishing as shall be seen fit by the major part of the grantees resident in England being lawfully summoned together, to put into execution with all power and authority any orders passed by the said Governor and Company touching whale-fishing, to make oil or convert and dispose of the whales to the sole use and benefit of the grantees, their executors, administrators and assigns, and to have and to hold these powers for a term of 99 years from the date hereof, paying yearly to the Governors and Company one-twentieth part of the spermaceti that shall be had, taken or made. We, the undersigned, being the major part of the grantees resident here in England, having been lawfully summoned, do ordain, constitute, depute and appoint John STRINGER, gent, at present in England but now bound on a voyage to the said Islands, and William KEELE, cooper, now resident in the said Islands, jointly or either of them severally, to be our true and lawful attorney, agents, and assigns, having full power and lawful authority, for us and in our name, to ask, demand and receive of the Governor or other officer or persons whatsoever in the Islands, all tackles, utensils, cisterns and other stores or things whatsoever belonging or anywise appertaining to the said Grantees, and to dispose of them according to our instructions. As soon as the ship, the Constant Love, shall arrive in the Island, you shall cause to be published in the Islands that if any person or persons whatsoever will take a lease of the whale-fishing from 1 Jan next ensuing for the term of 5 years, under the yearly rent of £500 of lawful money of England, to be paid one-half at Midsummer and the other half at Christmas in equal proportions, giving good security for the payment thereof.

‘You are empowered to grant such leases for the major part of the grantees of the whale-fishing of the Somer Islands, but if no person or persons shall appear to take and accept such lease that shall tender and give good security for the rent within twenty days after your arrival, but upon the Islanders refusing to accept and take such a lease of the whale-fishing at the rent of £500 per annum, then you are to make contracts and agreements with such companies and gangs of the Islanders as will undertake to fish for whales in or near the said Islands’ seas and waters or any of them during the term and space of 5 years to commence from 1 Jan next. And to that effect our said agents or either of them are hereby empowered to grant licence and free liberty for the said whale-fishing to such of the said Islanders as shall contract with upon payment to the said Governor in Bermuda for the time being for the Company’s use, the one twentieth part of all the spermaceti that shall be had taken, found, or made in the said trade of whale-fishing, according to the reservation in the grant afore recited, the said undertakers paying for such their licence unto us, the said grantees our agents or assigns, the one-third part of all the oil they shall make, and the one half of all the spermaceti that shall be made, found, or taken. And we the said grantees do by these presents authorize and empower our said agents, or either of them, to demand and receive from time to time from all and every the said undertakers or other person or persons, whom it may concern all such oil and spermaceti as shall be due and payable by means of the aforesaid undertaker, according to the tenor of their several and respective licences. And upon receipt thereof to give sufficient acquittance and discharge to or with any person or persons relating to the premises. And to conclude, agree and determine all or any differences. And if need be to sue, implead, arrest, prosecute, and from time to time to seize and take into your custody all whales, oil and spermaceti that any person or persons shall presume to catch, make or take, or shall find. As also all such boats, tackles, and utensils whatsoever with which they shall fish in opposition to the Company’s lease to the present grantees, and without being first empowered and licensed by you, our agents and assigns. And in consideration that the Governor and Sheriff for the time being be aiding and assisting you therein, we give and grant one-fourth part of all whales, oil and spermaceti, boats, tackles, and utensils whatsoever so seized and taken, to be delivered to the Governor and Sheriff in Bermuda for their own proper use and behoof, hereby obliging ourselves to indemnify and bear you harmless for all such damages you shall sustain by all lawful means used therein. And generally to do, act, manage and perform any other matter or thing whatsoever which in or about the premises shall be needful and convenient, as fully and amply to all intents and purposes as we, the said grantees, might or could do by virtue of the Indenture afore recited or otherwise howsoever. And we, the said grantees, do hereby empower the saied John STRINGER to take any other fit person or persons to his assistance in case the said William KEELE shall refuse or neglect to act in the premises. And we, the said grantees do hereby promise to hold for firme [?] and valid all and whatsoever shall be lawfully done and transacted in and about the premises by virtue of these presents.’ In witness whereof &c. 17 Oct 1682 (34 Charles II) Signed John BROWNING, Robert CLAYTON, John LETTEN, Humphrey MEVERELL, Saml. NASH, Samuel SMITH, Rob. STEVENS, John TROTT, Nicholas TROTT, John WYSE, in the presence of William WAKE, Edwin SANDYS.

1682/83 Feb 27 then appeared before Capt. Henry DURHAM, Governor, Mr. William WAKE and Mr. Edwin SANDYS and did aver upon their oaths that they saw the within written instrument contained in three sheets of paper signed, sealed and delivered by the persons subscribing. John TUCKER, Secretary.