William White Living at Chaplin's Choice

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Nathaniel Causey (Cawsey), a gentleman and ancient planter, arrived in Jamestown (1) on the Phoenix in 1608 in the 1st Supply of new settlers. Although very little is known about his early years in the colony, on December 10, 1620, he received a patent for 200 acres of land on the north side of the James River, just east of the plantation known as West and Shirley Hundred (41). Causey and his wife, Thomasine, also an ancient planter, were living on their planta- tion, Causey’s Cleare or Causey’s Care (45), on March 22, 1622, when the Indians attacked. According to Captain John Smith, Nathaniel Causey, “being cruelly wounded, and with the Savages about him, with an axe did cleave one of their heads, whereby the rest fled and he escaped.” Afterward, Causey and his wife took refuge at nearby Jordan’s Journey (46), Samuel Jordan’s plantation, which was made defensible and maintained, and they were living there on February 16, 1624. In March 1624 Nathan- iel Causey served as a burgess for Jordan’s Journey. He was among those who sent a petition to England describing the harsh treatment Virginia planters received while the colony was under martial law. Causey stayed on at Jordan’s Journey, where he, wife Thomasine, and their five servants were living on January 21, 1625, in a house- hold that was relatively well supplied with stored food and defensive weaponry. How- ever, Causey still had legal possession of his own property, Causey’s Care. On Janu- ary 3, 1625, Nathaniel Causey testified about the relationship between the widowed Cisley Jordan and William Farrar, an un- married couple living together at Jordan’s Journey. Later in the month, Causey was ordered to take possession of the goods that belonged to the Society of Truelove’s plan- tation (58). He also was allowed to take custody of three male servants left with him by William White, overseer of the Truelove Company, as long as he replaced them with three other men^[1]

On July 24, 1621, the Virginia Company noted that Rowland Truelove, a London cloth-worker, had obtained two shares of Virginia land from Francis Carter, who had procured them from the widowed Lady Cecily (Ceciley, Cecelia, Cisley) Delaware. Three months later Truelove and his associ- ates obtained some additional shares of her land. On November 21, 1621, when Row- land Truelove and his associates received a patent and authorization to establish a par- ticular (private) plantation, they reported that they were taking 100 people to Virginia. De- spite the March 1622 Indian attack, Truelove and his group—who in June 1622 were iden- tified as patentees—resolved to proceed with their plans. Shortly thereafter the ship True- love of London set out for Virginia with sup- plies and 25 new immigrants. Because of the Indian attack, the people who came on the Truelove were placed on plantations that had been strengthened and were being retained. Some were placed at West and Shirley Hun- dred (41) and some at Chaplin’s Choice (56), where they were still living in early 1625. The settlement that Rowland Truelove and his fellow investors intended to establish probably never became a reality, for in Janu- ary 1625 the General Court ordered Nathan- iel Causey of Jordan’s Journey (46) to take custody of the goods belonging to the True- love plantation. On December 4, 1626, Rowland Truelove and Company indicated that William White was nandling their busi- ness in Virginia and that they wanted their servant, John Brown, to be released, as he already had served five of the seven years on his contract. As late as July 31, 1627, Rowland Truelove was still shipping goods to Virginia, although it appears that he and his associates had abandoned hope of estab- lishing a plantation of their own (VCR 1:523, 553-554, 561-562; 2:93; 3:643; 4:245-246; MCGC 126; CBE 79).^[2]

On February 16, 1624, William White was living at Chaplin’s Choice (56). He died sometime prior to January 17, 1625, at which time he was identified as the overseer of the goods and servants belonging to Truelove’s Company. The General Court ordered Nathaniel Causey to inventory the True- love’s Company’s goods and servants and report back. Since William White had be- queathed Causey three servants, Causey was allowed to keep them as long as he provided replacements to Ensign Isaac Chaplin. On December 4, 1626, Nathaniel Causey testi- fied that William White had written to the Truelove’s Company’s investors and re- quested that servant John Browne be granted his freedom because he had completed his term of indenture. Causey was named Wil- liam White’s replacement as overseer of the Truelove’s Company’s belongings (CBE 37; MCGC 43, 126).^[3]

William White Court Order Trulove Company ^[4]

George Cassen a laborer, was one of the first Jamestown (1) colonists. He was involved in Indian trade and was ambushed by the Natives while in his boat. According to William White, George Cassen was tor- tured by the Indians before they executed him (CJS 1:212; 2:127, 142, 146; HAI 141).^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/virginiaimmigran0000mcca/page/192/mode/2up?q=white
2. ↑ https://archive.org/details/virginiaimmigran0000mcca/page/700/mode/2up?q=white
3. ↑ https://archive.org/details/virginiaimmigran0000mcca/page/742/mode/2up?q=white
4. ↑ https://www.jstor.org/stable/4243285?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
5. ↑ https://archive.org/details/virginiaimmigran0000mcca/page/192/mode/2up?q=white