Bacon's Rebellion

      The last Account of Mr. Laurence was from an uppermost
plantation, whence he and Four others Desperado’s with
horses pistolls ete. March’d away in a Snow Ancle Deep, who
were thought to have Cast themselves into a Branch of some
River, rather than to be treated like Drummond.

     Bacons Body was so made away, as his Bones were never
found to be Exposed on a Gibbet as was purpos’d, Stones being
laid in his Coffin, Supposed to be done by Laurence.

     Near this time Arrived a small Fleet with a Regiment from
England Sr. John Berry Admirall, Col: Herbert Jefferies Com-
mander of the Land forces and Collo. Morrison¹ who had
One Year been a former Governour there, all Three Joined in
Commission with or to Sr. William Barclay,² Soon after when
a Generall Court and also an Assembly were held, where some
of our former Assembly (with so many others) were put to
Death, diverse whereof were Persons of honest reputations
and handsome Estates, as that the Assembly Petitioned the
Governour to Spill no more bloud, and Mr. Presley at his
Coming home told me, he believed the Governour would have hang’d half the Countrey, if they had let him alone. The
first was Mr. Bland whose Friends in England had procured
his pardon to be sent over with the Fleet, which he pleaded at
his Tryall, was in the Governours Pocket, (tho’ Whether ’twas
so, or how it Came there, I know not, yet did not hear ’twas
openly Contradicted,) But he was Answered by Collo. Mor-
rison that he Pleaded his pardon at Swords point, which was
look’d upon an odd Sort of Reply, and he was Executed (as was
talked) by private Instructions from England, The Duke of
York having Sworn “By God Bacon and Bland shoud Dye.”

       The Governour went in the Fleet to London, (whether by

and for reinstatement in his property, a small plantation. She also demanded
compensation for certain goods, including pipes of wine and casks of brandy that
had been seized for the king’s use by Sir John Berry, one of the English commis-
sioners. She also brought suit against Lady Berkeley for property confiscated
by the governor, her son-in-law, Swann, appearing in her behalf. The Lords of
Trade declared her case to be “very deplorable and. a fit object of his Majesty’s
compassion,” and, as her cause was upheld by the commissioners, she obtained
restitution of nearly all that she sought for.   

  ¹For Berry, Jeffreys, and Moryson, the royal commissioners, see below,
pp, 101, 102.

     ²Berkeley, then commonly pronounced Barkley.