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The Virginia Long Assembly (also historically referred to ) met in 17 sessions between 1661 and 1676.[1]

Background

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Virginia's governor, William Berkeley had first taken office before the English Civil War in 1642, during which he returned briefly to fight unsuccessfully, for the royalists in 1644. After the paramount leader of the Powhatan tribe, Opechancanough, coordinated many attacks on settlers on Holy Thursday 1644, in which about 500 died, Berkeley had convened the Virginia General Assembly, which sent him back to England where he sought arms and ammunition. Berkeley soon realized that Virginia could expect no help from king nor Parliament during the conflict. Although Berkeley had appointed Richard Kemp acting governor and William Claiborne commander of the militia before sailing to England in June 1644, the conflict had gone badly for the colonists in his absence. Upon returning to Virginia, Berkeley resumed control of the militia, took the field personally and captured many of the native leaders, ultimately securing a peace treaty that the General Assembly ratified in October 1646. This improved his popularity and Berkeley also proved politically adept during what proved to he his first term as governor. However, he had used his royalist contacts to urge Cavaliers with military training to sail to Virginia and use it as a base to fight Oliver Cromwell.[2]

By late 1650, Cromwell's Parliamentary forces had defeated the royalists and executed Charles I. Upon learning of Berkeley's correspondence, the Parliamentary Council of State in England on 14 August 1650 interdicted trade with the colony. Berkeley responded by calling the General Assembly into session and it passed a joint resolution condemning "the pretended Act of Parliament."[2][3]

He was replaced by various governors more acceptable to the Cromwellian government, but with the death of Samuel Mathews, Virginia's burgesses asked Berkeley to return as governor, with certain provisions acceding to the legislature's powers.

After the return of the English monarchy, England engaged in several conflicts with the Dutch Republic, which was a major shipping partner for many merchants in the Virginia colony. Between the First Anglo-Dutch War and the Second Anglo Dutch War (in which a Dutch fleet sailed to Jamestown, the colony's capital, but was repulsed), Britain passed the Navigation Acts, which not only crippled that commerce, but in requiring all the tobacco trade to be conducted through English merchants caused a massive tobacco oversupply in Britain and price drop in the tobacco producing colonies.[4]



Background and composition

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Berkeley refused to call for new elections to the House of Burgesses for nearly 15 years, during which discontent increased because the tobacco boom of the 1650s had turned to bust. Many small planters received very little for their tobacco crop, and could not afford needed farming supplies nor imported foodstuffs. Furthermore, tobacco demands much attention during the growing season, and was well known for depleting the nutrients in the soil. Farming practices such as planting on hillocks also increased runoff, and crop rotation practices began a century latter. Some farmers merely moved to other land when their land became infertile. Others mortgaged their land to large planters or merchants, and lost their farms through foreclosure.

Furthermore, during this period, Britain imposed new taxes, the given rationale being the need to fund the colony's defense. However, farmers on the frontier believed they received little help from Berkeley's policies in this era, and some coveted land cleared by indigenous peoples. While probably the most controversial taxes imposed by this Long Assembly were to support the construction of houses for legislators in Jamestown, the largest tax levy may have been to lobby against the Northern Neck proprietary.

Furthermore, leof the precarious economic situation of many small planters, as well as new taxes imposed either from Britain, or by the legislature in which they were not allowed to vote after 1670, or by local government or ecclesiastical entities in which they likewise had no voting rights. One of the results was Bacon's Rebellion.



Meeting and debate

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Henry Soane was speaker in the Mar 1661 session but died before the Assembly reconvened. Robert Wynne was speaker from March 1662 until October 1674, and died the following year. Augustine Warner was Speaker during the March 1676 session, and his plantations were occupied by the rebels later in the year.

Henry Randolph was the clerk of the House until he died in 1673. Burgesses chose James Minge as his successor in the 1674 session. Minge also served as clerk in the second session of 1676, after the Long Assembly adjourned, and after the suffrage restrictions were temporary lifted. Minge became a burgess in his own right in 1680, representing Charles City County.

List of burgesses, with terms and counties

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County/City Name Years
Accomac Devereaux Browne 1663-June 1666
Accomac Southey Littleton 1676
Accomac Edmund Scarborough Oct 1666-1670
Accomac John West 1676
Accomac Hugh Yeo 1663-1670
Charles City Stephen Hamelyn or Hamlin 1661-1664
Charles City Edward Hill, Jr. 1676
Charles City Thomas Southcot 1665-1671
Charles City Nicholas Wyatt 1672-1676
Charles City Robert Wynne 1661-1674
Charles City Francis Gray 1663
Elizabeth City John Powell Jr.
Elizabeth City William Worlich 1661-March 1662
Elizabeth City Leonard Leo Dec. 1662-1670
Gloucester David Cant 1661- Mar1662
Gloucester Peter Jenings 1663-1670
Gloucester Peter Knight 1661-Mar 1662
Gloucester Thomas Walker Dec. 1662-1676
Gloucester Augustine Warner Jr. 1672-1676
Gloucester Francis Willis 1661-Mar 1662
Henrico Theodorick Bland 1661-Mar.1662
Henrico Francis Eppes 1670-1676
Henrico William Ferrar
Isle of Wight John Bond 1661-Mar.1662
Isle of Wight Joseph Bridger Dec. 1662-1670
Isle of Wight Nicholas Hill 1669-1674
Isle of Wight Richard Hill 1661-1668
Isle of Wight Robert Pitt 1661-Mar.1662
Isle of Wight Nicholas Smith 1661-Mar.1662
Isle of Wight Robert Williamson Dec.1662-1676
James City Walter Chiles 1661-June 1666
James City Theophilis Hone Oct. 1666-1676
James City County Thomas Ballard Oct. 1666
James City County Robert Ellyson 1661-1665
James City County Robert Holt June 1666-1676
James City County Edward Ramsey Dec. 1662-1676
James City County Henry Soane 1661
Lancaster William Ball Sr. 1670-1676
Lancaster Edward Dale 1676
Lancaster Thomas Haynes 1671-1674
Lancaster Raleigh Travers 1661-1676
Middlesex John Burnham 1676
Middlesex William Whitaker 1669-1676
Middlesex Ralph Wormeley 1669-1674
Nansemond John Blake June 1666-1676
Nansemond George Catchmaie or Catchmaid 1661-Mar. 1662
Nansemond William Denson 1661-Mar. 1662
Nansemond George Gwillen Dec. 1662-1665
Nansemond John Lear June 1666-1676
Nansemond George Wallings Dec. 1662-1665
Nansemond Giles Webb 1661-Mar 1662
New Kent Robert Abrahall a/k/a Richard Abrell 1661-Mar. 1662
New Kent William Blackey or Black June 1666-1676
New Kent William Claiborne
Lower Norfolk Robert Bray 1676
Lower Norfolk William Carver 1665-1669
Lower Norfolk John Knowles 1661-Mar. 1662, 1663-1664
Lower Norfolk Richard Lawrence 1671-1674
Lower Norfolk Lemuel Mason 1662, 1671-1673
Lower Norfolk William Moseley 1670
Lower Norfolk John Porter Dec. 1662-1663, 1674
Lower Norfolk Adam Thoroughgood 1664-1670
Lower Norfolk Malachi Thruston 1676
Lower Norfolk John Warren 1661
Northampton William Andrews 1663-1664
Northampton William Kendall 1663-1676
Northampton John Savage 1663-1664
Northampton Edmund Scarborough 1661-Mar 1662
Northampton John Stringer 1661-Mar 1662
Northampton William Waters 1661-Mar 1662
Northampton Isaac Allerton Jr. 1668-1674
Northumberland Peter Presly or Presley 1676
Northumberland William Presly or Presley 1661-1678, 1670-1676
Rappahannock Moore Fauntleroy 1661-Mar 1662
Rappahannock Thomas Lucas 1663-1674
Rappahannock William Moseley 1672-1674
Rappahannock John Weir 1661-1671
Stafford Henry Meese 1665-1669
Surry Lawrence Baker June 1666-1676
Surry William Browne 1661-Mar.1662, 1671-73
Surry William Cawfield 1661-Mar.1662
Surry William Cockerham Dec.1662-1665
Surry George Jordan 1674-1676
Surry Thomas Warren Dec.1662-1669
Warwick Miles Cary 1661-Mar. 1662
Warwick Henry Filmer June 1666-1676
Warwick Edward Griffith Dec. 1662-1676
Westmoreland Isaac Allerton Jr. 1667
Westmoreland John Appleton 1674
Westmoreland Thomas Foulke 1661-Mar.1662
Westmoreland Gerrard Fowke 1663-1665
Westmoreland John Lee 1673
Westmoreland Richard Lee II 1670-1672
Westmoreland Valentine Peyton 1663-1674
Westmoreland Nicholas Spencer June 1666-Oct. 1666, 1668-1669
Westmoreland John Washington 1665-1676
York Robert Baldry 1669-1674
York William Barber Dec. 1662-1667
York William Digges 1676
York John Page 1672-1676
York Daniel Parke June 1666-1667
York Daniel Wild 1669-1671

References

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  1. ^ Leonard, Cynthia Miller (1978). The General Assembly of Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia State Library. pp. 37–40. ISBN 0-88490-008-8.
  2. ^ a b Billings pp. 29-30
  3. ^ Billings 30-31
  4. ^ Billings, Warren. A Little Parliament. pp. 74–78, 91–102. ISBN 0-88490-202-1.


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William Berkeley Bacon's Rebellion