the manifest lyeing aside those that any wayes have sought heretofore, to oppose these aviricious & unjust designes. ties To the 10th Article, I answeare that I believe that there can noe man soe fortyfye himself in Virga that he is above law and Justice but may be called to give acc' of his crimes and misdemean" & in truth it never reach my thoughts, neither was ever my prevailancy soe great wth the Rt. hounble S Will Berkley,' although I always thought, it was as much as I deserved, but let me begg yo' houn" pardon, to tell you that I never rece'd any extraordinary favours of either houn' or profit from our moste good Govern', for first it was noe such strange thing that since my father had the houn' to be one of the first Collo in Virgin and comanded two countys, one that had comanded in his ma" servis ag' the parliament forces that came to reduce this countrey, the best regiment of men, weh himself raised & brought, one that had comanded the greatest army raised in Virga ag' the Indians and wth success & Victory; was made a Capt. from whence by providence he hath gradually ris to be a Leut. Coll", nor that the sonne of one that hath wh houn' borne the greatest offices of Virg, and hath p'haps (if I may with modesty say soe) been thought a man of as great and as good partes as moste in Virgin" whoes memory is not yet forgot, one whome his moste sacred mate was pleased to nominate one of the Council of Virga and one that always witnessed his loyalty: I say that his sonne should be made a Justice is noe such extraordinary favour, and why these men should grieve that I am soe, I know not, unless because I would not be a rebell, but the reasons are layed downe in the article the validity of weh I humbly leave to yo' houn' Judgm". I will never willingly criminate those have bore comand over me,.I may say I never gave, nor tooke, any of Bacon's oaths, I never was (either active or passive) a rebell, I never soe much as suffered my drume to beat, or colours to display for the rebells, but indeed, I have lost my estate, when others have kept theires by them, and why the Rt. houn Will Berkley, left out Coll° Epes of the military, and Mr. Anthony Wyate of the civil power above me, I am not to give a reason for, and why he gave me the chief authority, I am to give no other answeare but that it was his pleasure; But may it please you Rt. hounbie Govern' I doe now moste freely & sin ble Sr cerely, without either the vanity of pride, or spirit of trouble, or discontent, moste humbly lay downe at yo' houn" feet all the power I have of military and civill, and shall be moste heartily willing, that yo' houn' will please to bestowe them on some more capable, and worthy p'son, and whereas I have moste faithfully served my King, and Country, to the best of my understanding in bearing publique offices, I shall wth all content pray at home in private for my dread souveraigne's health, long live and prosperity, and my countrey's good, and shall take it to be houn enough to me, that S Will" Berkley that hath had the experience of me, thought me worthy of his comands, whoes certificate heere underwriten I pray I may have the houn' off and thus wth submission I end the 10th Article, wth the Certificate: BY THE GOVERN'R AND CAPT. GEN'LL of Virg'a. There being no better way to encourage others, and to gratify the merit of such Gentlemen, as have moste eminently appeared ag' these late rebells of Virga then to inform the world of theire just discoverings. These may certify all men that Leiut-Coll° Edw. Hill, hath in a moste high & remarkable degree testyfyed his integrity and loyalty to his moste sacred matic and to me his ma' ties Govern of Virgin", by attending at all times wth the hazard of his person in ye service, his wife, children, & estate being at the mercy of the rebells whilst he faithfully persued to his power the subdueing of the rebellion. Dated at Green Spring the 24th of March, 1676-7. WILL'M BERKLEY, who is a witness of this knowne & evident truth, and whall I know Coll Hill for his fidelity is yet threatened and persecuted by the rebellious party. A true copy from the records Charles City County. This was written as you see wth the Gov's owne hand. * Peter Feild, or Field, appears to have removed from Charles City soon after this date, for he was living in Henrico in 1678. In the levy for that year he is assessed with seven tithables. On November 15, Article 11th. That by reason of the violation & little regard was had afore either of his maties or S' Will Berkley's proclamation of pardon to the persons, & estates of dyvers of those of us as afore that had actually layd hold of them, and the great danger and trouble such p'sons (notwtstanding such layeing hold) underwent & suffered, we the peeple of this county being generally as guilty as others, were under such terrors and feares of the like paines & troubles, that we darest not complaine to the late assembly of any of our grievances, nor of the legall choyce or returne that was made of Burgesses to serve for us in the s" assembly, neither darest the p'sons that were intrusted with the delivery and prosecution of oure petition to the assembly drawne up to that purpose deliver the same, or make knowne any of our grievances to the assembly for the reasons afored. Wee the subscribers haveing been desired, & requested thereunto by the Inhabitants of this county convened at Westover in the s county for that purpose, doe present this theire humble 1678, he was commissioned a justice of Henrico, and as Captain and Major Feild, he remained a member of the court for a number of years, certainly until August, 1705. On August 1, 1692, he made a deposition in which he stated his age to be about forty-five years. In 1682 he was high sheriff, and in 1693 a Burgess. Shortly before his death he removed to New Kent, and there is on record a deed in August, 1707, speaking of him as deceased. He married Judith, widow of Henry Randolph, of Henrico, and daughter of Henry Soane, once Speaker of the House of Burgesses. In April, 1681, there is a suit by Mr. Peter Feild, guardian of Henry Randolph, son of Henry Randolph, deceased. In April, 1693, a deed from Peter Feild and Judith, his wife (formerly widow of Henry Randolph), conveying land to Henry Walthall. In letters dated June, 1694, and recorded in Henrico, between William Soane and Peter Feild, they call each other "brother." The will of John Soane, dated December 1, 1695, mentions his mother, Judith Soane [widow of Henry Soane], "brother," Peter Field, &c. A deed, August, 1690, from Major Peter Feild to his daughters, Mary and Martha, neither then of age. Deed, July, 1709, from Thomas Jefferson and his wife, Mary, daughter of Major Peter Feild, late of New Kent, deceased. Deed, August, 1711, from John Archer and Martha, his wife, conveying 961 acres left her by the will of Peter Feild, gentleman, deceased. remonstrance, and address to his maties hounble comiss" for Virginia affaires, this 10th day of may, 1677. BERN SYKES, JAMES MINGS, JAMES BISS, NICH: WYAT, WM. DUKE,* ties THOM. BLAYTON, The 11th and laste article I must say, I never was guilty of any violation of, or that I had little regard either to his moste sacred males or the Rt. hounblo his maties Govern" proclamation but that I always had that reverence & esteem of them as ought to be, neither am I knoweing of one p'son whin either of those pardons that have suffered one farthing damage, either in theire p'sons or estates, but thus confessing themselves guilty (as truely they are) would make theire feare an excuse for theire bringing in those grievances, ag' the Rt. honble St Will Berkley, since his departure, when they were comanded before severall times and while the assembly was sitting to bring them in; but then although the county was convened by authority there was noe grievances, but since his houn' is gon & not heere to answeare, Mr. Blayton, Mr. Mings, and the good tribe, can (wthout any authority, and the peeple never by any proclamation, or comand, that ever I could heare of convened since) goe from house to house, inquiring whether this, or that was not a grievance, and so formed what they thought was good for grievances, for three Parrishes of our county vzd: (appamatuck, waynoke and the north side of Westover, hath informed me they had no grievances ag' me) the whole county consisting but of five Parrishes; but they having been used (in the late rebellion) to abuse the peeple have still retained the same habit, the legallity of chusing theire burgesses I think it out of dispute-at * Probably Henry Duke, who was a justice of James City county 1680, Burgess 1692 and 1699, appointed to the Council in 1702, and died about January, 1713-4. leaste I am not to answeare for it, and I humbly hope I have given yo' houn" an Inoffensive, full & satisfactory answeare, to all the crimes, misdemeanors, and miscarriages, of this twenty yeares, I am not soe childish as to think I have in all these comitted noe errors, that I may begg pardon for, wch I acknowledge and moste heartily doe, yet I am not convinced I have comitted any great, or hainous crimes, but must confess I am noe competent Judge, and doe moste humbly laye myself at yo' houn feet and confess my faults, and pray you will give such a representation of them (if they must goe to his moste sacred matie) as in yo' hounble wisdomes you shall think fit, soe moste heartily prayeing for the preservation of oure moste great, good & gracious King, his royal highness, his maties Govern' of this countrey, his ma ties comiss", and this poore distracted, and unsettled countrey of mine, I humbly end my answeares & Rest. Rt. hounble yo' hounble moste humble servant, I must say that the subscription (to the grievances) is a notorious falsehood, for the peeple of the county was not convened by any authority, or proclamation, but those that came they either came there by the desire of Mings, and Blayton, or out of curiosity to see the Rt. hounble comiss's & w' was done, and it is noe marvel that those Mings & Blayton sent should owne (w they had writt) for theire [oune] may it please yo' houn". rs Since I writt my answeares wth intentions to have waited on yo' houn, and given it in before the tenth of June, according to yo' houn Comands, Mr. Mings & Mr. Blayton, brings up a dedimus to be Executed the twelfth, soe that I was necessitated to stay untill those evidences were taken, hopeing I might know what was sworne ag1 me, and by whome, that I mought have made answeare to them in my owne vindication, but I must informe yo' houn", that not onely two that have subscribed the grievances, and (are as they say intrusted by the peeple) to prosecute the charge ag1 me (Capt. Nicho: Wyat, & Mr. James Biss*) were comissioners appointed to execute the dedimus, and * Was a justice of Charles City 1680. |