A Collection Transcribed
and Digitized
by Edmund Berkeley, Jr.
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Summary
Letter from Robert Carter to the Duke Of Newcastle, July 25, 1726
Robert Carter writes to the Duke Of Newcastle, July 25, 1726, to report the death of the colony's lieutenant governor, Hugh Drysdale, and that the governing of the colony has devolved on him because Drysdale had, before his death, suspended the incapacitated president of the Council, Edmund Jenings.
Letter from Robert Carter to the Duke Of Newcastle,
July 25, 1726
-1
-
Virginia
July the 25th 1726
My Lord
The much lamented death of Colonel Drysdale
his
Majestys Lieutenant Governor of this Colony, which happened
on the 22d instant, gives occasion to my troubling Yor Grace with
the notification of this Event, whereby His Majesty has lost a
faithful and Zealous Servant, and this Country a good and Just
Ruler.
He had some time before his death, [been]
upon the View of returning to
England for the recovery of his health, [He]
Suspended Mr. Jenings
the
first
-2
-
first of the Council, because of his incapacity to act as President
or to administer the Government during his absence: a full account of
which Suspension Yor Grace has had transmitted by Colonel Drysdale
himself in the Council Journal of the 24th and 25th of last month
to wch I beg leave to refer. By this means the Office of --
President and Commander in Chief of this Dominion in course devolves
on me, until His Majesty shall be pleased to dispose of the Government
into other hands.
But as all the public Acts of Government have been
so lately sent to Yor Grace, I shall add no more to Your present troubles
than the assurance of my constant endevour to promote his Majesty's
Service, and the profession of that duty & respect with wch I am
My Lord
Yor Grace's
Most dutiful
Most obliged
most obed humble Servant
ROBERT CARTER
NOTES
Source copy consulted:
CO5/1337, ff 90, Public Record Office, London, found in the microfilms of the Virginia Colonial Records Project, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. This is the recipient's copy, signed by Carter with his usual large and prominent signature.
[1] Thomas Pelham-Holles, the 1st Duke of Newcastle, was Secretary of State in the Walpole government; Richard L. Morton wrote that the duke carried on a policy of "`saluatory neglect' of the colonies which lasted until the Seven Years' War." (Morton. Colonial Virginia.
p. 506.
)
This text, originally posted in 2003, was revised September 22, 2011, to strengthen the modern language version text.