Virginia Company

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The 1606 grants by James I to the London and Plymouth companies. The overlapping area (yellow) was granted to both companies on the stipulation that neither establish a settlement within 100 miles of each and other. These territories were reapportioned in 1609; see London Company.

The Virginia Company refers collectively to a pair of English joint stock companies chartered by James I in 1606 with the purposes of establishing settlements on the coast of North America. The two companies, called the Virginia Company of London (or the London Company) and the Virginia Company of Plymouth (or Plymouth Company) operated with identical charters but with differing territories. An area of overlapping territory was created. Within the area of overlap, the two companies were not permitted to establish colonies within one hundred miles of each other.

The charters of the companies called for a local council for each, but with ultimate authority residing with the King through the Council of Virginia in England.

1 The Plymouth Company
2 The London Company
3 Further reading
4 External links

[edit] The Plymouth Company

The Plymouth Company was permitted to establish settlement(s) between the 38th parallel and the 45th parallel (roughly between the upper reaches of the Chesapeake Bay and the current U.S.-Canada border).

"The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles", by Capt. John Smith

On August 13, 1607, the Plymouth Company established the Popham Colony along the Kennebec River in present day Maine. However, it was abandoned after about 1 year, and the Plymouth Colony became inactive.

With the religious pilgrims who arrived aboard the Mayflower, a successor company to the Plymouth Company eventually established a permanent settlement in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 in what is now New England.

See also: Popham Colony

[edit] The London Company

By the terms of the charter, the London Company was permitted to establish a colony of 100 miles square between the 34th parallel and the 41st parallel (approximately between Cape Fear and Long Island Sound), and also owned a large portion of Atlantic Ocean and Inland Canada.

On May 14, 1607, the London Company established the Jamestown Settlement about 40 miles inland along the James River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in present-day Virginia. The future of the settlement at Jamestown was precarious for its first 5 years. Leadership of the third Jamestown Council president, Captain John Smith, provided both strong leadership and a semi-friendly relationship with the Native Americans.

In 1609, a new charter was granted to the London Company to add the territory of the Plymouth Company. Also in 1609, a much larger Third Supply mission was organized. Rushed into service without the customary sea trials, the new purpose-built ship, the Sea Venture, became flagship of the fleet of 9 ships, with most of the leaders, food, and supplies aboard. Among notable persons aboard the Sea Venture included the Admiral of the fleet, George Somers, Vice-Admiral Christopher Newport, the new governor for the Virginia Colony, Sir Thomas Gates, and future author William Strachey. Probably drawing little notice was an English businessman, John Rolfe and his pregnant wide.

The Third Supply convoy encountered a massive storm believed to have been a hurricane which lasted three days and separated them. The Sea Venture was leaking sea water through its new caulking, and Admiral George Somers had it driven aground on a reef to avoid sinking, saving 150 men and women, and several dogs, but destroyed their ship.

The uninhabited archipelago became known as Bermuda. From salvaged parts of the Sea Venture, the survivors built two smaller vessels, Deliverance and Patience, and 10 months later, most continued on to Jamestown. They left several men behind on Bermuda to establish possession of it. Arriving at Jamestown on May 23, 1610, they found that over 80% of the 600 colonists had perished during what became known as the "starving time". The Bermuda survivors had anticipated finding a thriving colony at Jamestown, Virgina and had brought little food or supplies with them from Bermuda. The colonists at Jamestown were saved only the timely arrival of yet another supply mission headed by Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, better know as "Lord Delaware", less than 3 weeks later.

In 1612, The London Company's Royal Charter was officially extended to include Bermuda as part of the Virginia Colony in 1612. However, in 1615, Bermuda (alias The Somers Isles) passed to a separate company, the Somers Isles Company, which had been formed by the same shareholders as the London Company.

To the disappointment of it's investors, the Virginia Company of London failed to discover gold or silver in Virginia, but helped establish trade of various types. The major breakthrough came when colonist and businessman John Rolfe introduced several a new sweeter strains of tobacco (rather than the harsh-tasting kind native to Virginia). Rolfe's form of tobacco led to a strong export cash crop for the London Company and other early English colonies, and helped balance a trade deficit with Spain.

See also: Jamestown, Virginia

In the Disney film Pocahontas, there is actually a song about the Virginia Company.