George Sandys
Portrait of George Sandys, Poet and Resident Treasurer of the Virginia Colony.

15. GEORGE SANDYS

IN 1621 the Virginia Company found it necessary to set up a new office—a resident treasurer—in the colony to look after financial matters and to direct and to supervise the development of staple commodities. George Sandys, brother of Sir Edwin Sandys, was named to this post.

And forasmuch as ther hath ben in theise late yeares great fault or defect in nott putting in execucon our orders of court and counsell for the setting upp & upholding those staple Comodities which are necessarie for the subsisting and Encrease of the Plantation which hath happned in part by the our [order] Chargeing the Governor with toe much buissnes, wee have uppon espetiall approvement of the industry and sufficiency of George Sandis esquire as also for his faithfullnes and plenaire intelligence of our intendments and counsells here (wherunto hee hath from time to tyme bein privie, not only elected and athorised him to bee Treasurer in Virginia, butt also committed to his spetiall and extreordinarie care the execution of all our orders Charters and instructions tending to the setting upp, Encrease and maytaininge of the said Staple Comodities:

VIRGINIA COMPANY—INSTRUCTIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL IN VIRGINIA. JULY 24, 1621.

George Sandys, a man of much energy, tried his hand at many enterprises while in Virginia, not the least among them being the translation of Ovid's METAMORPHOSES into English poetry. Much of this work he did at Jamestown, where his duties as treasurer and councilor confined him most of the time.

The program, which he directed, for the introduction and development of "Staple Comodities" (iron, ship building, silk, glass, etc.) was not rewarded with a high degree of success. Virginia was, as yet, not able to maintain these enterprises, as the report of the glass project indicates.

The ill successe of the glasse workes is allmost equall unto this [that of the shipwrights]: first the covering of the house, ere fully finished, was blowne downe, by a tempest noe sooner repaired but the Indians came uppon us, which for a while deferd the proceedinges. Then they built up the furnace, which after one forthnight that the fire was put in, few in peeces; yet the wife of one of the Italians (whom I have now sent home, haveinge receaved many wounds from her husband at severall times, & murder not otherwise to bee prevented, for a more damned crew hell never vomited) reveald in her passion that Vincentio crackt it with a crow of iron: yet dare wee not punish theise desperat fellowes, least the whole dessigne through theire stubbornesse should perish. The summer cominge on, Capt: Notron dyed with all saveinge one of his servants, & hee nothinge worth: The Italians fell extremely sicke: yet recoveringe in the beginninge of the winter, I hyred some men for that service, assisted them with mine owne, rebuilt the furnace, ingaged my selfe for provisions for them, & was in a manner a servant unto them. The fier hath now beene six weekes in the furnace, and yett nothinge effected, They complaine that the sand will not run. (though themselves made choise thereof, and likt it then well enought) & now I am sendinge up the river to provide them with better, if it bee to bee had, but I conceave that they would gladly make the worke to appeare unfeasable, that they might by that meanes be dismissed for England.

A LETTER FROM GEORGE SANDYS TO MR. FARRER, MARCH, 1622/3.

Last Modified: Thurs, Sep 11 2003 10:00:00 pm PST source/5/sb5p.htm