BRITISH COLONIES. of trumpet its disapprobation of this proceeding, and prohibited 1665. every one from abetting a conduct, so inconsistent with their duty to God and their allegiance to the king." Thus early appeared in the fathers the unyielding spirit of liberty, which, when put to the test a century afterwards, was found to be no less invincible in their descendants. The commissioners, determining to lose no more labour upon men, who misconstrued all their Commisendeavours, and opposed the royal authority, soon after departed, sioners dethreatening their opponents "with the punishment which so many concerned in the late rebellion had met with in England."1 66 May. part. 99 instituted at N. York. Nicolls, who, on the conquest of New York, had instantly as- English sumed the government as deputy governor of the duke of York, government soon put the whole government into one frame and policy.' In imitation of what had been previously established by the Dutch, he erected a court of assizes, composed of the governor, the council, the justices of the peace, which was invested with every power in the colony, legislative, executive, and judicial. This court having collected into one code the ancient customs, with such additional improvements as the great change of things required, regarding the laws of England as the supreme rule; these ordinances were transmitted to England, and confirmed by the duke of York, the following year. A dispute having risen between the inhabitants of Jamaica on Long Island, respecting Indian deeds; it was ordained, that no purchase from the Indians, without the governor's license, executed in his presence, should be valid. The English methods of government were gradually introduced into the province. On the 12th of June, the inhabitants of New York were incorporated under the care of a mayor, City incor: five aldermen, and a sheriff. Until this time the city was ruled porated. by a scout, burgomasters, and schepens.2 At the close of the year, Nicolls, governor of New York and Carteret New Jersey, reluctantly resigned the government of New Jersey governor of 1 Chalmers, b. 1. 388, 389. Hubbard, c. 66. Hutchinson, A. D 1665. Brad- 2 Chalmers, b. 1. 575, 577. Smith, N. York, i. 27. Thomas Willet, esquire, رو N. Jersey. 1665. Military state of Massachusetts. to Carteret, its appointed governor, who took possession of Elizabethtown, the capital, now consisting of four families, just settled in the wilderness.1 The militia of Massachusetts consisted at this time of 4000 foot, and 400 horse. The colony maintained a fort at the entrance of Boston harbour, with five or six guns; two batteries in the harbour, and one at Charlestown. The number of its Shipping. ships and vessels was about 80, from 20 to 40 tons; about 40, from 40 to 100 tons, and about 12 ships above 100 tons.2 June 13. charter of Limits of The second charter of Carolina was granted by Charles II. to the same proprietors. It recited and confirmed the former Carolina. charter, with enlargements. Carolina was declared independent of any other province, but subject immediately to the crown of England; and the inhabitants were never to be compelled to answer in other dominions of the crown, excepting within the realm. The limits of the territory, granted by this charter, are thus defined: "All that province, territory or tract of ground, situate within our dominious of America, extending north and eastward as far as the north end of Carahtuke river, or gulet upon a straight westerly line, to Wyanoake creek, which lies within or about the degrees of 36 and 30 minutes northern latitude, and so west, in a direct line as far as the South Seas; and south and westward as far as the degrees of 29 inclusive northern latitude, and so west in a direct line as far as the South Seas, together with all and singular ports, harbours, bays, rivers, and islets, belonging to the Province or Territory aforesaid."3 According to the limits fixed in this charter, St. Augustine, as well as the whole of what was afterwards Georgia, fell within the English dominions; but the Spaniards alleged, that this grant was an invasion of their rights, and never admitted the limits of this charter, at any subsequent treaty. The English therefore had recourse to the claim, founded on prior discovery.4 Governor of County ap pointed. Several gentlemen of Barbadoes, dissatisfied with their conClarendon dition on that island, having proposed to remove to the county of Clarendon, stretching from Cape Fear to the river St. Matheo, recently laid out by the proprietaries of Carolina; John Yeamans, a respectable planter of Barbadoes, was now appointed commander in chief of that county. He was ordered to grant lands 1 Chalmers, b. 1. 615. 2 Hutchinson, i. 244. 3 Memoires de l'Amerique, iv. 586-617; where this Charter, in English and French is inserted entire. It is dated 13-24 Juin 1665. 4 Chalmers, b. 1. 521, 522, from Car. Ent. v. 1, where also is the charter, No. 2. 1-38. Ramsay, Hist. S. Car. i. c. 2. Drayton, S. Car. 6. Jefferson, Virg. 276. Univ Hist. xxxix. 129. Lawson, Carolina, 255. Williamson, N. Car. i. 86, 230-254. Dr. Ramsay states "the present situation and limits of South Carolina" to be "between 32 and 35 degrees 8 minutes," n. lat "and 6 degrees 10 minutes west longitude from Washington." to every one, according to the conditions agreed on with the 1665. adventurers, reserving one half penny sterling for every acre, payable in March, 1670. King Charles, in aid of the laudable exertions of his courtiers, gave them 12 pieces of ordnance, which were now sent to Charles river, with a considerable quantity of warlike stores. In the autumn, Yeamans conducted from Settlement Barbadoes a body of emigrants, who landed on the southern bank by emiof Cape Fear. He cultivated the good will of the natives, and Barbadoes. ensured a seven years' peace. The planters, in opening the forest to make room for the operations of tillage, "necessarily prepared timber for the uses of the cooper and builder; which they transmitted to the island whence they had emigrated, as the first object of a feeble commerce, that kindled the spark of industry, which soon gave animation to the whole."2 The English inhabitants of Maryland now amounted to 16,000.3 Maryland. This rapid progress in population is ascribed to the liberal policy of lord Baltimore at the first settlement of Maryland; the liberty given by law to all denominations of Christians to settle in that province; and the mild and impartial administration of governor Calvert. The government of Rhode Island passed an order to outlaw Order of quakers, and to seize their estates, because they would not bear R. Island arms; but the people in general rose up against it, and would quakers. not suffer it to be carried into effect.1 against Misquamicut was purchased of the Indians; and a number of Westerly baptists of the church in Newport removed to this new plantation, settled. which was afterward called Westerly.5 tists. A baptist church was gathered in Boston. The first prosecu- Anabaption of anabaptists, that occurs in the records of Massachusetts, was in this year." There were in Massachusetts six towns of Indians, professing Praying the Christian religion.7 1 Chalmers, b. 1. 520, 521. Yeamans was directed "to make every thing easy to the people of New England, from which the greatest emigrations are expected, as the southern colonies are already drained." 2 Chalmers, b. 1. 523. The next year, an account of the "New Plantation, begun by the English at Cape Feare," was published at London. Bibliotheca Americana, 98. 3 Univ. Hist. xl. 469. Brit. Emp. iii. 4. 4 Brinley's Account of Settlements about Narraganset-Bay, in Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. v. 219. 5 Callender, 39, 65. They afterward "generally embraced the seventh day sabbath." Their plantation was constituted a township by the name of Westerly, in 1669. Ibid. It formerly belonged to Stonington (Trumbull, i. 343.], but it is now in the State of Rhode Island. 6 Hutchinson, i. 227. Antipodobaptism had appeared in the colony about A. D. 1640, and a law had been made against it, with the penalty of banishment. See A. D. 1644. 7 Hutchinson, i. 242. Indians. 1665. Canada. N. France granted to W. I. com The hundred Associates, to whom the colony of Quebec had been cominitted, soon grew weary of the expense of maintaining their colony; and, from the year 1644, abandoned the fur trade to the inhabitants, reserving to themselves, for their right of lordship, an annual homage of 1000 beavers. Reduced, at length, to the number of 45 associates, they, in 1662, made a total resignation of their rights to the French king, who soon after included New France in the grant, which he made of the French colony in America in favour of the West India company. A vigorous effort was now made to settle and defend the Canadian colony. M. de Courcelles, appointed governor of New France, Courcelles transported the regiment of Carignon Salieres to Cananda. appointed great number of families, many mechanics, and hired servants, with horses, the first ever seen in Canada, cattle, and sheep, were transported at the same time. This was a more considerable colony than that which it came to supply. To prevent the irruptions of the Five Nations by the way of Lake Champlain, Forts built. Courcelles built three forts between that lake and the mouth of the river Richelieu.2 pany. governor. Settlers arrive. St. Augustine sacked and plundered. Death of John Davis, a bucanier, with a fleet of 7 or 8 vessels, made a descent on the coast of Florida, and sacked and plundered the town of St. Augustine. The Spaniards, with a garrison of 200 men in the fort, which was an octagon fortified and defended by round towers, made no resistance.3 John Endicot, governor of Massachusetts, died in the 77th J. Endicot. year of his age.1 1 Charlevoix, Nouv. France, i. 379, 380. Josselyn, Voy. 274; N. Eng. Rarities, 113. Josselyn says, the regiment consisted of "1000 foot." See A. D. 1627. 2 Charlevoix, Nouv. France, i. 381. Smith, N. York, i. 44. Jeffreys, Hist. Canada. The first fort was placed on the spot where that of Richelieu had formerly stood; and has since been called, as also the river, by the name of Sorel, from a captain of the regiment of Carignon, who had the charge of building it. The second fort, built at the foot of a water fall on the river, was called Fort St. Lewis; but M. de Chambly having afterward bought the land on which it was situated, the whole canton, together with the stone fort, since built on the ruins of the old fort, bears the name of Chambly. The third, built three leagues higher than the second, was called St. Theresa. 3 Roberts, Florida, p. 88. 4 Morton, 1665. Bentley, Hist. Salem, in Mass. Hist. Soc. vi. 261; and Danforth Papers, ib. 2d series, viii. 52. Mr. Endicot was from Dorchester in England. In 1628 he came, at the head of a little colony, to Naumkeak. See A. D. 1628-9. He commanded the expedition against Block Island and the Pequots in 1636; and in 1645 was appointed major general. He was deputy governor 4 years, and governor 16 years—a longer period than any governor of the colony was in office under the old patent, and exceeded one year only, under the new charter, by Shirley alone. He was governor the year of his death. See Johnson's character of Endicot under A. D. 1628. See also Eliot and Allen, Biog. Dict. Davis, Note on Morton, and Savage, on Winthrop. Bentley says, " he was a sincere Puritan." He was rigid in his principles, and severe in the execution of the laws against sectaries. So great was his aversion to every thing savouring of popery, that, through the influence of Roger Williams, he cut the sign of the cross out of the 1666. WAR was declared by France against Great Britain on the War be26th of January, and by Great Britain against France on the 9th of February.1 tween France and G. Britain. The king issued an order, requiring the general court of MasApril 10. sachusetts to send persons to be heard respecting complaints King's or against the colony, and the report of the commissioners, and to der to Mass. general receive his majesty's pleasure thereon. The court, however, court. declined compliance; and resumed the jurisdiction of the province of Maine, which the commissioners had put under the government of the king, until his pleasure should be known.2 At the May session of the general assembly of Connecticut, Connectithe colony was divided into the counties of Hartford, New Ha- cut. ven, New London, and Fairfield, and a county court was established in each county. It was to consist of three or more Counties & county members, of whom one at least was to be an assistant, and the courts. others commissioners, afterwards called justices of the peace. To these courts, which superseded the particular court, were transferred the probate of wills, the granting of administration, and the prerogative powers generally, which appertained to the latter court.3 The assembly of Virginia passed an act for setting up looms Virginia. in each county.* king's colours. He insisted, at Salem, that women should wear veils at church; Memoires de l'Amerique, iii. 127. Avrigny's Mem. a l'Hist. Univ. de l'Europe, ii. 39, 40. 2 Minot, Mass. i. 47. The king, by his letter to the inhabitants of Maine, 11 June 1664, had ordered that province to be restored to Sir Ferdinando Gorges, as the proprietor. 3 Day, Hist. Judiciary of Connecticut. 4 Laws of Virginia. This act was repealed in 1684> |