ds of the
Virginia Company of London_ in Volume III, pages 95-96. From a good
start it seemingly became, for a time, the leading plantation on the
James. When Yeardley arrived as Governor he became interested in this
project in which he obviously had a financial stake at least to the
extent of bringing "out of England at my chardge 25 men this year [1619]
to furnish Smyth hundred...." Yeardley wrote on April 29, 1619, that the
plantation was "alltogether destitute of cowes." He asked that more be
sent and that authority be sought to purchase as they were available. He
hoped to get in the Colony "as many as will sett up 3 ploughs at Smythes
Hundred, for we have there great store of good cleered grounds." He was
disappointed in not having a good tobacco crop but drought and other
things had prevented it. "I cannot expect much tobako our cheifest care
must be for corne."

When representatives were chosen for the Assembly in 1619, Capt. Thomas
Graves and Walter Shelley went up to Jamestown from Smith's Hundred.
Already a church had been founded here. It was St. Marys Church to which
Mary Robinson was a benefactor having made possible a communion cup, a
plate, a carpet, an altar cloth, "one surplisse" and other ornaments and
hangings to the value of twenty pounds. The Society of Smith's Hundred
became interested, too, in the rearing of Indian children in the
Christian way when another benefactor assured financial support. It was
agreed that arrangements would be found for all not accommodated at
Berkeley and Martin's hundreds and elsewhere. This particular plantation
was among those to be encouraged by Company and Colony. Products they
reaped could be returned to their own adventurers.

Yeardley continued for some time as commander of the hundred. He held
court, made land grants, and conducted other Colony business here,
perhaps, in "the now mansion house of mee the said George Yeardley in
Southampton Hundred." In January, 1620, he advised "not onely the
Adventurers for Smythes hundred, but the generall Company also, to send
hither husbandmen truly bred (whereof here is a great scarcity, or none
at all) both to manage the plough and breake our oxen and horses to that
busines." In the same period John Rolfe wrote that the Smith's Hundred
people had seen much sickness even though they were seated "at Dauncing
Point, the most convenyent place within their lymittes." For this reason
"no matter of gaine or greate industry can be