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From: John Blankenbaker <>
Subject: [GERMANNA] (920)Germanna Colonies, History of
Date: Sat, 08 Jul 2000 05:37:04 -0400


The nine hundred and twenty-second note in a series on the Germanna Colonies

Willis Kemper quoted from the "autobiography" of Christopher von
Graffenried [page 11 in K.],
"On my arrival at London I was extremely surprised to learn that the master
miner [this would have been Albrecht] had arrived with 40 other miners.
This caused me much trouble, care, concern, and expense, since these people
came so inconsiderately, without orders, in the opinion of finding
everything necessary for their maintenance as well as work in the mines,
but there was nothing for them to do, and my purse was so empty that it was
with difficulty that I could supply my most urgent necessities, having used
all my money in America, and being as yet without a bill of exchange from
Berne. Thus it was impossible to assist so large a number, and the reader
can easily conjecture what care and embarrassment all this caused me, since
these people were persuaded that according to the agreement, I was
compelled to assist them. This would have been so, had they come at my
order. I theretofore wrote them several letters from America, in German, of
which they received some, in which I had advised that the master miner
should not come until new orders were received and saying that there was
nothing for them to do as yet by reason of the unexpected Indian War in
Carolina, and that M. (Michael or Michel) had not yet indicated the place,
but that if the master miner nevertheless wished to come alone or in
company with one or two he could do so but merely to see the place. But
without paying attention to what I had just written him he made
preparations and came to London with his company and all their baggage."

In the last note, Kemper was quoted as saying that Spotswood had requested
Graffenried to obtain miners out of Germany. The comments above by
Graffenried do not sound like the comments of a recruiter or man who is
hiring for another person. Even if you believe only half of what
Graffenried has written, it makes Kemper's claim sound ridiculous. One
mystery to me is how Kemper could read the statement above and make the
claims that he did.

Graffenried goes to write, "But what was there to do? I could not give them
better advice than to return home." This is the voice of a recruiter?

I do wish that we understood how the situation in the first quotation here
did come about. Was Graffenried just not telling the truth when he wrote?
Did the Germans, in particular Albrecht, not get some of the key letters?
Or did they not correctly understand what was written? Someone had to say
something very positive to induce forty people to leave their homes. What
was said and by whom? It does not seem to me that Spotswood was responsible.

Albrecht had been in London for a period of time. Did he meet Col Nathaniel
Blakiston, the agent for Virginia, who was working with Spotswood and
trying to get the question of patents for silver and gold mines resolved?
Blakiston knew that Spotswood was very excited by the prospect of silver
mines. Did Blakiston meet Albrecht and say something that made Albrecht
think that Spotswood had a silver mine? Did Blakiston know that Graffenried
was a one-sixteenth owner in the purported silver mine? That hardly seems
possibly as not enough time had gone by. Did Albrecht try to anticipate
that there would be a need for miners shortly?

[I won't be writing another note until Sunday night. I would like to hear
your suggestions as to how the situation in the first quotation could come
about.]

John Blankenbaker ()
P.O. Box 120, Chadds Ford, PA 19317-0120 USA
http://www.germanna.com
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~george/johnsgermnotes/germhis1.html
http://www.inficad.com/~genelea/gerhist/gerindex.html

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