Book IV. The HYSTORY of VIRGINIA. 227
0 n e William Kemp alfo prefented a Complaint to
his 1622.
Majefty, of thc Grievances of certain Inhabitants of Kic-
Sir Francis
Wyat,
quotan in
Virginia ; that William Julian, John Bufh, and
governor.
fome others, ancient Planters, and deferving Inhabitants of
the beft mechanical Trades, had been turned out of their
lawful Possessions, by Sir George Yeardley, with many Cir-
cumftances of Oppreffion and
Cruelty. To which the
Company anfwered : That the Parties, pretended to be
wronged, had never made any Complaint to them: That
Kemp
had been in England above a Year, and had never
aid the Matter before the Council and Company, where
Juftice might have been done: That he did not even pre-
tend to have Authority from the Parties grieved, to exhibit
this Complaint to his Majefty : That they therefore faw no
Caufe, to believe his Allegations to be true ; but fufpected
him, rather to be fet on by the Malice of others, than
moved by his own Zeal for Right and Juftice : That how-
ever,
according to their Cuftom in Caufes of the like Na-
ture, they would, by the firft Opportunity, tranfmit this
Complaint to the Governor and Council in Yirginia; that,
If there appeared any Truth in any Part thereof, they
might proceed, as well to the due Redrefs of the faid Grie-
vances, as to the
condign Punifhment of the Authors and
Delinquents. And this
Complaint appears, from our Re-
cords, to have had this Foundation in Truth and Matter
of
Fact ; that fome Perfons had fet down, at Kicquotan,
upon the publick Land of the Company, and were obliged,
by the Governor and Council, to go off. But they how-
ever had, either by this time or afterwards, (I cannot ex-
actly fay which) Satisfaction made them for their Clearing
and Improvements.
C A P T A
I N Matthew Somers, who had returned to En-
gland with
his Uncle's Body, in the Year 1610, had, long
before this, been a Prifoner in the King's Bench. From
thence he often pelted and tiezed the Company, with an
extravagant Demand for his Uncle's Adventure ; and altho'
fomething
confiderablc in Adventure appeared, by their
Books, to be due to Sir George Somers, yet they refufed to
pafs it over to him, becaufe be had an elder Brother in the
Couritry, who was Heir at Law to Sir George, and he could
not make fufficient Proof, that either his Uncle had be-
queathed it by Will,
or that his Brother had made over all
his Right and Intereft therein to him. In this time there-
fore of prefenting Petitions to the King, Captain Somers alfo
preferred his ; informing his Majefty : That Sir George So-
mers was forced, by Strefs of Weather, to save himfelf
and
Company, on the Iflands of Bermudas, where he lost his
Q 2
Ship,
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