Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/108

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

ai;d again returned to X'irginia the year fol- lowing. This trij) was the cause of further friction between Martin and the colonists, as the Virginia Company in London had granted him a patent for ten shares of land in X'irginia with unusual rights to its enjoyment, which the others did not approve. Despite the repre- sentations of the X'irginia Company that Mar- tm had been a "long and faithful servant to the Colony of X'irginia,'" the colonial council remained firm and his privileges were curtailed. The breach between Martin and the council was finally healed, and he located his jjatent at Brandon on James river.

The date of Martin's death is unknown, though it must have taken place subsequently to March 8, 1626, as there is a letter of this date from him to his brother-in-law, Sir Julius Caesar. He is supposed to have died and been buried at Brandon. His daughter Dorcas married Capt. George Bargrave, son of Rob- ert Bargrave, of Bridge in Kent. George Bargrave came to Virginia, and was largely interested with his brother, John Bargrave, ill the trade of the colony. His son, Robert Ilargrave, sold Brandon to Richard Quiney and John Sadler, from whom it came by de- scent to Robert Richardson, who sold it in 1720 to Nathaniel Harrison, in whose family Brandon still remains. The original patent for Brandon, granted to Capt. John Martin from the Virginia Company of London, is still preserved at the place. It bears date 161 7, and is by long odds the most ancient official record relating to the American soil to be found in the United States.

Archer, Gabriel, was a man of talent and courage. He is described as of Mountnessing, Essex county. England. He entered Gray's Inn as a student of law Mar. 15, 1593. In

1602 he went with Bartholomew Gosnold to Xew England and wrote an interesting ac- count of the discovery and naming of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. On his return he was active in arousing interest in an at- tempt to locate a colony in Virginia, and came with the first settlers. He was among the first to put foot to land at Cape Henry, Apr. 26, iC)o6, and was one of the two first settlers to X'irginia to be wounded by the savages. He was appointed recorder of the colony, and on Alay 21, he went with Newport from Jamestown on a voyage of discovery up James river, and afterwards "wrote a Relatyon of the X'oyage." The charter permitted a major- ity of the council to elect the president or turn him out, to turn out any member of the coun- cil and elect a substitute. It was, therefore, a veritable hothouse of faction. Archer seems to have furnished his full share to the quar- rels of Jamestown, though probably no more than his share. He joined with Smith, Mar- tin and Ratclifife in displacing XVingfield as president, and afterward® when RatclifTe ad- mitted him to the council in Dec, 1607, caused Smith to be indicted "upon a chapter in Leviti- cus" for the death of two of his men on his trip up Chickahominy, and Ratcliffe, the presi- dent, approved the sentence of execution. And Smith would have been hanged the next day. had not Capt. Newport arrived the even- ing before (Jan. 2, 1608) and interferred to save his life.

XXlien Newport set out April 10, 1608, to return to England, he carried with him both XX'ingfield and Archer, whose complaints on their arrival were directed with such good effect against the charter that a petition for a new one creating a more suitable form of government was soon presented to the King, and granted. Under this second charter