USA > Georgia > Colonial Records of the State of Georgia, Volume 23 > Part 16
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As the Rights and Titles of the several Prop- rietors of Lands, Lots, and Houses, solely de- pend upon the Book of Register, the greatest Order, Exactness, & Perspecuity ought to be observ'd: But with Submission to that Gentle- man, who ever he was that laid down the Scheme of the old one, I must beg leave to express my Dislike of his Method of proceeding, which if persued, the Consequence must be nothing but Disorder and Confusion.
Old method of pro. ceedure disliked.
Nominated Register of the town and town. ship of Savannah.
0
255
CORRESPONDENCE
Letter from Mr. Thos. Bosomworth.
'Tis methinks surprizing how any Man of common Sense could suppose that a Register could be carried on, in such a blundering con- fused Manner, but I shall not dwell upon the Faults of the old Register; I shall, I fancy, do a more acceptable Piece of Service, if I lay down such a Method, as is likely to answer the Ends, proposed, & endeavour to confirm it, by undeni- able Reasons.
I spent a great Deal of Thought & Reflection upon the old Register but not finding the least Satisfaction, I set to work all the Engines of my poor Policy in quest of some other Method, & in some Particulars I have given my self Satisfac- tion, & in others I cannot, so I here humbly offer to your Consideration, my Thoughts upon the Matter after the most mature Deliberation, partly to undeceive the Honble. Gentlemen least they should think there is a Register kept when there is none, & partly to vindicate my own Character.
I find Sir, it will be a difficult Matter to ex- press myself so as to be understood, & I have not time to give you oclurar Demonstration, by delineating the whole Scheme, by Reason of the Packett, being ready to send for England by the first Conveyance to Charles Town, but I shall endeavour to give you as clear Ideas of my Meaning as I can, by Words.
For keeping a regular Register of the Grants of Lots, & Houses belonging to the Inhabitants of the Town of Savannah, this Method may answer.
Method for keeping a regular register of the town of Savannah.
256
COLONIAL RECORDS
Letter from Mr. Thos. Bosomworth.
A Plan of the Town must be laid down, divid- ed into Wards, Tythings, Houses, &c, & each House in every particular Tything, distin- guish'd by their respective Figures, or Charac- ters, as 1, 2, 3 &c. To which, must be annex'd a Reference to this Plan, likewise divided into Wards & Tythings, & the Names of the Persons, who are Possessors of each House & Lot in Town, mark'd with the same Figure or Charac- ter. But here it is to be observ'd, that in this Reference there should be two Columns, with 2 distinct Characters opposite to the Name of every Person, one refering to each Mans House & Lot in the Plan of the Town; the other refer- ing to the Book of Register, in which there should be a Column, and opposite to each Man's Grant, should be the same Character, that is opposite to his Name in the Reference, so that any Mans Grant in the Register may be easily found by Inspection, where as in the old Regis- ter, instead of 2 Columns in the Reference, there is only one, & of the least Significancy, only the Persons Names with Figures refering to the Plan of the Town, by the Help of which it is easy to find any Mans House in Town. & that is the Extent of your Knowledge after the strict- est Enquiry: And if there be Occasion to find any Mans particular Grant in the Book of Regis- ter, for want of a Reference to the Book of Register, & a Column there with correspondent Characters, the Register will be oblig'd to run over all the Grants in a Tything, before it can be found, & when it is found in the Book of
257
CORRESPONDENCE
Letter from Mr. Thos. Bosomworth.
Register which must be with a great Deal of Pains & Trouble, No Man can tell whether the Land lays in this or any other Country from the Book of Register for want of a general Chart; which in my humble Opinion is absolutely neces- sary to compleat a regular Register, & the only Way by which the greatest Confusion can pos- sibly be avoided. The Reason to me is very obvious. Tho my own Ideas of the Matter are very clear, yet mere Words are not sufficient to raise the same in you, but this I dare venture to assert that no Register can be regularly kept, by any man in the World, till an acurate Survey be made, of such Part of the Province as their Honours shall think most proper, & a general Plot of it laid down by a large Scale for the use of the Register.
Would Time permit I have the Vanity to think, I could give you ocular Demonstration of the Truth of this Assertion, but since it will not I shall endeavour to corroborate what I have asserted with verbal Arguments, tho insufficient.
When the Plan of the Town is laid down, & a proper Reference with 2 Columns, & proper Characters, refering to the Plan & Book of Register, it will be an easy Matter to find any Mans House in Town & Grant in the Book of Register, & there you find that so many Acres of Land are granted to such a Man, thus far there is regularity enough; but where lies such a Man's Land, what Limits, Bearing, Distance &c from the Center of the Town, or any other cer- tain Place. These are Questions that can never
A general chart.
Ocular demonstra. tion of truth of assertion.
258
-
COLONIAL RECORDS
Letter from Mr. Thos. Bosomworth.
A plot of the town.
be resolved without a general Plot : I have found an Original Plot, in the Hands of our Surveyor here, (the Person I mean who supplies the Place of one; tho' he scarce deserves the Name of Sur- veyor) of all the Town Garden Lots, & Farms, &e, which may serve for the present, provided they be accurately laid down, but (in my humble Opinion) there is a great Deal wanting to make it compleat, and to be ingenious [sic] with you, I shall not care to take all the Grants upon the Credit of a Surveyor who scarce knows a Point of the Compass; this I presume will neither be for the Interest of the Colony nor the Register's Credit.
It is impossible to make you understand the Method I propose in carrying on the Register. nor is it material to spend any more time upon it; All that I insist upon, or would endeavour to prove is the Necessity of a general Plot. That is, that a proper Person duly qualified, for the office of a Surveyor should be appointed, to run out as much Land as the Honble: the Trustees shall think proper; An accurate Plan of which should be laid down by a large Scale, & kept at the Register Office. The great Advantage of this (to me) is very obvious .- But to illustrate the Matter.
Suppose a Person petitiones to the President & Assistants for a Grant of such a Tract of Land, in such a Place, they may see by Inspec- tion upon the general Plan, whether giving such a Grant in such a Place, will be any Prejudice to any other Grants, & where Grants can be made
An illustra. tion of the matter.
259
CORRESPONDENCE
Letter from Mr. Thos. Bosomworth.
to the best Advantage. Then as to the Manner of registring such Grants, if a general Plot, be kept at the Register Office, when any Grants are made, it is the Surveyor Business to run out such a Grantees Land, & give him a particular Plan of it, & another to the Register, whose Business is to measure off each particular Grantees Land upon the general Chart, & with such Exactness, that each particular Plan quadrate with the general One. And provided there be a general Plot first accurately made, it will be no great Difficulty with the Scale & Com- pass to measure off, each particular Grantees Land upon the general Chart, & to give its Bear- ing, Distance &c by proper References from the Center of the Town, & with such Exactness, as may correspond with the particular Plans.
By this means may be seen by Inspection upon the general Chart all the Grants, that ever have been made, where they lay, who are the Proprie- tors, what is granted, what not; which will be ameans to avoid no small Disorder & Confusion, both in giving of Grants, & in registering of them, which I think is a Matter of the last Con- sequence in a new settled Colony.
What I here advance is not so much with a View to the present Posture of Affairs as to future Advantages, & Consequences. As I ob- served there is a small general Plot, which was sufficient to provide against Mistakes, thus far, because all the Grants come within every Bodies personal Observation, but what must be the Con- sequence of this, when the Colony, becomes more
A general chart for future use.
260
COLONIAL RECORDS
Letter from Mr. Thos. Bosomworth.
Contro-
, versies over grants given in Carolina caused by want of a general plan.
populace [sic], and Grants more numerous ! To corroborate what I have asserted, & as a flag- rant Instance of the bad Consequences, that at- tend the Want of a general Plan, we need only cast an Eye upon their Proceedings in our Neighbouring Colony (Carolina) where for Want of a general Plot, the Persons impower'd to give Grants, have frequently made Grants of Tracts of Land, which were not to be found in the Province, upon which frequent Law Sults & Controversies have happen'd, to remedy which they are now going to have a general Survey (as I am informed) by which means they will know, what Part of the Province is granted & which not, & where each particular Grantees Land lies &c, which they never could before.
What I have here advanced, I think Sir, has the Suffrage of common Sense, & farther the concurrent Testimony of those who are allow'd to be better Judges in the Affair, than I am: All that I shall farther observe is this; I am so far convine'd of the Necessity of a general Chart, that to be ingenious [sic] with you, I shall not undertake the Office of Register with- out it, because it is as evident to me as 2+2=1, that it is impossible for me to discharge it, either to the Interest, or Satisfaction of the Honble : Gentlemen, or my own Credit.
Will not undertake the office of register without a general chart.
Grants registered promis- cuously.
It would be an easy Matter for me to register the Grants, promiscuously as my Predecessor has done, but would that answer the End! I humbly conceive not, & I must inevitably par- take of the same Taste, lose my self in the Cloud
,
261
CORRESPONDENCE
Letter from Mr. Thos. Bosomworth.
of Dust which I had raised & be forced to throw it up, as he has done.
If the Honourable Gentlemen, think that this Undertaking deserves Encouragement, I shall undertake the Task with Pleasure, & shall en- deavour by an indefatigable Diligence, to set the Book of Register in as clear a Light as I can from the 1st Settlement, & I hope to their Hon- ours Satisfaction.
This I do assure you, Sir, will be no very gratefull Task, tho much more gratefull to me (& I think serviceable to the Interest of the Colony) than going on blindfold ad Infinitum: And I do not doubt, but the Honourable Gentle- men, will consider the Pains & Trouble it will cost me in bringing up this long Arrear with their wonted Generosity, & annex such a Salary to the Office of Register, as will be a sufficient Maintainance here, which in general as Dear a place to live in, as the City of London.
I shall wait their Honour's Approbation, or Dislike of this Proposal, or if you'll propose any other Method more likely to answer the End, I shall readily put it in Execution.
In the Interim I shall employ my self in modeling the Scheme & in preparing the Grants for the Book of Register upon lose Paper, & I do assure you, Sir, that all my poor Aims & En- deavours shall unite and conspire the Welfare of this Colony, which (I humbly presume) will in some Degree entitle me to their Honours Favour and good Countenance.
As dear a place to live in as London.
262
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
As to what farther concerns my self, I humbly submit to their Honours Consideration, the par- ticulars of which I need not mention here. I am ST. Your most obliged and most humble Servant Thomas Bosomworth.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 22.) LETTER FROM MR. WM. STEPHENS TO MR. VERELST, 20 MAR : 1741% RECD 21 JUNE 1742
Savannah March 20th. 1741%.
Sir
The Attor- ney Gen. eral's opinion on two cases.
Relating to Nichs. Hanner.
My last was of the 4th Febry. on the 10th of the Same I recd your Packett that came Cap": MeHugh as you'll find in my Journal of that Day noted, with the Contents of it: but the Ori- ginals of those Letters of the 6th & 9th Nov": which I recd Coppies of were not then come to Hand. The Attorney General's Opinion on those 2 Cases therewith sent, ought to have great Regard paid to em; which I shall be glad to find. On the 12th of this Month your other Packett so much wish'd for came to Hand, wherein I found your Letter of 22nd. Oct : relat- ing to Nichs: Hanner; & the Circumstances at- tending it, I have been so particularly in, on my Journal of that Day : that begging leave to refer to it I apprehend 'tis needless to add more.
CORRESPONDENCE
263
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
What you write in yours of the 6th : Novr: re- lating to Mrs Camuse's Intentions of going for England, needs no farther Care at present; she being of late after much Courtship come to a better Temper; which is also taken Notice of in my Journal; & I am willing to believe she'll use her Skill in making what Silk she can this Year, from the Balls that are unquestionably the Pro- duct of this Colony : but how farr she'll be pre- vail'd on to shew her Art to others, I can't promise : for she yet appears very reserv'd on that Head: which I humbly conceive is Matter of Caution sufficient, to guard against any future Eruptions of her Menaces, in case she resumes her late Airs : & those Directions which you refer to now, that were found in the Coppy of the Letter from the Trust of the 16th Sep": to James Lewis Camuse, have been duly con- sider'd : but during the Time of such exorbitant Demands being made by her, nothing could be done in it that the President & Assistants judged reasonable : wherefore, as 'twas likewise order'd by the Trustees that the Family should send their own Proposals it was so done in my Packett of 31st. Dec': & I make no Doubt but their Honours will signify their Pleasure to me thereon, when they think proper. In the mean while, there is Care taken not to give the least Occasion of Discontent, as you'll see by the Payments made her on Demand, in the Monthly Acco': sent, which she receives on Acco'; 'till we are farther informed ; but her way of Reck- oning is very different from ours.
Mrs. Ca. muse de- cided not to go to England.
Directions in regard to James Lewis Camuse.
264
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
Silk worm seed.
,
Burge- meister's knowledge of silk.
Hans Stutz encouraged as a vine dresser.
Conrade Rienlen died before arrival in the Colony.
The mul. berry in. dustry.
The half Pound of Silk worm Seed, now recd will demand a Regard due to its Value & Care to be taken into whose Hands any of it is com- mitted. I observe what you write on the 9th Nov" : relating to one Burgemeister's Understanding the Silk; but from what I learn, I doubt tis not in such Branches of it as Camuse is employ'd : however I shall endeavour to inform myself farther about it, as the Worms will now soon come abroad, and try if any good Use can be made of that Family in the manner you propose : they are at present very busy on their new gran- ted Land, hoping to raise some Bread Kind to- wards their future Support. Hans Stutz shall be sure of Encouragement as a Vine Dresser, & be supply'd with what I can do for him in that Way: He is another of those Germans surviv- ing, who are closely employ'd at present to get something planted for Food: but Conrade Rien- len among the Saltzburghers (whom you men- tion) I hear died before the Ship arrived- Would to God we could boast of as much Pro- gress & Encrease of other valuable Products towards our Support, as some have exemplify'd in planting both Vines & Mulberries for 2 or 3 Years past; & which had they sooner been pre- vail'd with to go about heartily; 'tis evident they might 'ere now have had Store of Wine sufficient not only to gratify their own Palates, but afford a good Share to their Friends in Eng- land; which I do not despair vet of seeing (Old as I am) before I die. It has been a Misfortune that some of our best enclin'd Planters of Mul-
265
CORRESPONDENCE
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
berries, for Want of Experience have lost too much Time, in planting Suckers & Slips, after being one Year rooted; which have been found very rarely thriving Trees; but a Plant of one Years Growth from the Seed, of about 18 Inches high placed in tolerable good Ground will pro- bably the next Season out-shoot one of the other Sort of 3 or 4 Years standing : & this indeed has been one Cause of not making such Haste for- ward, as were to be wish'd; but since People of late, have generally follow'd the other Course of raising 'em from the Seed; & very large Num- bers (more than I have before known in Several Years) have been planted in 1 or 2 of the last Seasons there is plain Reason to expect in due Time a proportionable Encrease of Silk: for there's no fear of Worm Seed being wanted; but to have wherewith to feed such Numbers, as are requisite for carrying on this valuable Manufacture, in such a Degree as we want to see : that one Thing seems to me, to call for every Body's Assistance, who has any Land to plant on; in promoting the Encrease of Mulberry Leaves; which I have now great hopes of in Time coming.
The Office of a Register, which I humbly ap- prehend to be of the greatest Importance con- tinues yet vacant; neither has it been fill'd effec- tually ever since I had the Honour of serving the Trust; during some time, the Book wherein divers such Entrys had been made, lay in M. Brownfields Hands ; too long neglected, by Rea- son (as he told me) that there were not due Re-
Office of a Register continues vacant.
266
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
turns made to him, of any Lots granted & taken Possession of; which he expected from the Sur- veyor; & he was not enclin'd to do it imperfect- ly: possibly another Reason also might remain. with him, finding no Certainty what he was to have for his Pains : Some time after, the honble. Trustees were pleas'd to acquaint me that they had made him that Appointment with a Salary of £20 @ An: whereupon he appear'd well pleasd, & seem'd determined to undertake it; which I was very glad of knowing that no Per- son here was better qualified to carry it on : but about that Time the Contention beginning among our Politicians, concerning divers Alter- ations they wanted to make in the Constitution of this Colony; & the Tenure of Lands being (among other Things) one of the Grievances they imagin'd they had cause to complain of: W. Brownfield (supposed to be also one in that Way of thinking) came and deliver'd up that Register Book; wherein I found nothing added since his Acceptance of it with a Salary; which (to give him his due) he never ask'd for : in this Manner it has lain ever since, & I have been sorry to see it. I find it a Matter of more Diffi- culty than (perhaps) expected, to name a Man well qualify'd for it, whom the Honble. Trustees are pleas'd to tell me; upon my Recommenda- tion, they'll confirm; & likewise one to be Sec- retary to the Indian Affairs. These 2 Officers joyn'd. I conceive might be a pretty Employ- ment for one Person; with such a Salary an- nex'd as to their Honours should seem meet; &
Contention among politicians In regard to consti. tution of Colony.
Difficult to name man quali. fied as Register and Secre- tary to Indian Affairs.
267
CORRESPONDENCE
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
a small Addition to what they were pleas'd to appoint for a Register (which was £20) together with the usual Fees for granting & renewing Licences to trade, would deserve its being done with Care and Diligence: wherein I must ob- serve that the Fees allowed by the Act are 10 Shillings each; the Amount whereof annually for some Years past have mostly been from 6, 7, or 8 to not exceeding 9 £. For the Execution of these 2 Employments, I apprehend M. Bosomworth might be capable, with proper Ap- plication to that Business; tho' there is a long heavy Arrear to be brought up by the Register; & his Genius does not seem to lead him to such dry Work, wherefore I left it to him to consider well of whether or not he would undertake it: in the mean while, I must have been much at a Stand, how to carry on my ordinary Course of Business; had I not by good Fortune found a Person well adapted to it; who sits close to his Pen and Ink, without being soon tired, & whose Behaviour I hope will farther recommend him hereafter. I mention this out of no ill to M'. Bosomworth whom I treat with such a courteous Regard as I dare believe he will not complain of; but his sprighly [sic] Temper, added to a little Share of classical Learning, makes him soar above the low Employment that was here prepared for him, which he appear'd disap- pointed at : as I have also touch'd upon it in my Journal of the 11th & 14th Instant, where he pretty plainly discovers his Ambition of being an Author: and (to confirm his Aversion to all
Mr. Bosom- worth sug. gested as Register.
Mr. Bosom- worth's sprightly temper and classical learning.
Discovers ambition of being.
268
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
Extra hours issued to coppy essay on religion to send to England.
copying) I know he makes use, privately, at extra Hours, of the Writer I employ, to coppy out such Essays of his, on Religion, as he had been preparing to send to England. What Con- clusion to draw from this, indeed I do not know, better than to recommend Mr. Bosomworth to their Honours Approbation as Register and Secretary to the Indian Affairs, which he prom- ises to give due Attention to; & the Employment of being Clerk immediately under me, will readily be supply'd by one, who I verily think who [sic] endear [sic] to deserve it, with the Salary of £25, which has been allow'd to his Predecessours, & constantly paid: for at such Times as I fail'd of getting one to attend that Service wholly, it generally has cost me more in hiring a Jobber : & since the Time of Mr. Bosom- worths Appointment in Sep': last who has . claim'd a Right (& justly too as I conceive) for his receiving that Money ; tho' the Business was almost wholly done by another; it must be at my own Cost, unless allow'd as extra Service in my Imprest Acco: but from Lady Day, now near; all those Matters I hope might run smooth- ly, in the Manner above proposed; if it is thought well of, by those who are the best Judges; in Case Mr. Bosomworth gives good Heed to perform what he has promised, and he has wrote his Thoughts thereon to the Trustees (as he tells me) what he apprehends requisite in Order to his Proceeding to good Effect.
Concerning a treasurer.
From what you were pleas'd to write me con- cerning a Treasurer appointed to receive the
CORRESPONDENCE
269
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
Sums annually paid by the Indian Traders, for renewing their Licences, & who was to account for the Same: I am apprehensive there has some Mistake formerly been made in represent- ing that Affair to the Trust. During the Time of my Residence here, I never knew, or heard of any Sum of Money paid by any such Trader, more than the ordinary 10 Shillings Fee to the Clerk; nor did I know of any Treasurer, ex- cepting Augustin Weddel, who was sent up to Augusta, to act in a civil Capacity as a Constable there, & who also, as I have lately learnt, had the Title of Treasurer; but he died there near 5 Years Since; & I never understood that he had receiv'd any Money to account for, nor have I known any one appointed since in that Char- acter.
Mr. Avery's Work in making such a Map of the County of Savannah as the Trust directed in your Letter of the 27th April (almost a year since), & which I recd, not till the 4th Sep" : last, was undertaken on the 1st of October with all the Expedition I could make, in Pursuance of an Agreement with him, to be perfected & de- liver'd to me on or before the 21st of Dec : then next ensuing; as the Coppy of that Agreement herewith sent will shew : & he went on with Dili- gence, not coming home oftner than once a Week or 10 Days for Provisions, but he soon found the whole Country on the Coast was so water'd with great Variety of Creeks, which form'd many Islands; that 'twas not possible for him to bring it to Perfection within the Time
Augustin Weddel only treas. urer known of.
Mr. Avery's work on a map of Savannah.
270
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Wm. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
limited by our Agreement: wherefore upon ad- vising what was best to be done, 'twas tacitly allow'd him to proceed, & 'twas past the Middle of this Month before he deliver'd it into my Hands compleat, to all our Liking, as well as his own: insomuch that one Design of it by the Honourable Trustees, I fear is in a great Measure defeated, by not publishing it before the Rising of the Parliament; which I never think of without much Regret, for my whole Study is (as far as possible) to get all Orders punctually observ'd that are sent me.
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