Date of Award

1939

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

History

Abstract

Sir John Harvey first became connected with the colony of Virginia in 1623, when he was appointed to a commission to investigate the administration of the colony. James I, having had numerous disagreements with the London Company, owing to the subscription to a different political philosophy by its leaders, had determined to have the colony of Virginia for the crown. He used the fiction of colonial expansion to gain popular approval and bad administration on the part of those in control for his reason. The purpose of this board was to gain sane sort of evidence to give justification for the seizure of the territory.

This commission was composed of John Porey, Abraham Piersey (Pierce), Samuel Mathews, and John Jefferson, and, of course, John harvey. Harvey and Porey were sent over from England, while Mathews was Piersey were already present in Virginia. Very little is known of Jefferson. No one can say accurately whether he was in Virginia at the time, or not. However, this much is certain, that he was not influential in the proceedings of the commission. It is very possible that this John Jefferson and the Mr. Jefferson who was a member of the first Assembly in 1619 as a representative of Flower de Hundred are one and the same person.

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