omic effort. The program was prompted
by a desire to make the Virginia enterprise a financial success, to
increase the population, and to make the Colony attractive as well as to
give the colonists more of a sense of participation.

Sir George Yeardley, recently knighted, returned to Virginia as
Governor, in April 1619, and was the first spokesman in the Colony for
the new policy toward Virginia. In England it had been ably advanced on
behalf of the Colony by Sir Edwin Sandys, the Earl of Southampton, and
John and Nicholas Ferrar.

Land was one of the great sources of wealth in Virginia and soon after
early commercial enterprise failed, was recognized as such. Its
acquisition became a prime objective. Initially the Company had
determined that no land would be assigned to planters, or adventurers,
until the expiration of a seven year period. And this period was in
actual practice delayed. The first real, or general, "division" was
provided for in 1618 and this became effective in Virginia in 1619.

It was recognized that there were several groups meriting land. First
came the Company and its investors. The second was the particular
hundreds and plantations sponsored and belonging to private adventurers
joined in investing groups in England. The third was composed of
individual planters who lived and resided in Virginia. Yeardley came
armed with instructions to effect the division. The boundaries of the
four Incorporations (James City, Charles City, Henrico and Kecoughtan)
were to be fixed and public lands for the support of their officers and
churches were to be set aside as well as tracts for Company officials in
Virginia and others for Company use and profit. The consolidation of all
settlements into the four listed "Cities or Burroughs" was soon
consummated.

Two classifications of planters were noted--those who came to Virginia
before Dale departed in 1616 and those who came later. The first group,
called "ancient planters," may have been Virginia's first "aristocracy."
Each such person with three years of residence was entitled to 100 acres
as a "first division." Those having come to Virginia after Dale's
departure were in a different position. If they had come, or were to
come, at their own charge they were to obtain only fifty acres at the
"first division." If transported by the Company they were first to serve
as "tenants" on the Company's land for a term of seven years.

All grants it was specified would "b