“ACT XLVI.

ALL trade with the Savages prohibited, as well publique as private.

ACT XLVII.

NOE man shall goe or send abroade without a sufficient party well armed.

ACT XLVIII.

NOE man shall goe to worke in the grounds without theire armes, and a centinell uppon them.”

Full Text: 1631, VA, Acts 46-48

William Waller Hening, ed., The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia, From the First Session of the Legislature, in the Year 1619. Published Pursuant to an Act of the General Assembly of Virginia, Passed on the Fifth Day of February One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eight, vol. 1 (New York, NY: R. & W. & G. BARTOW, 1823), 173. Acts 46-48. Dated by closest dated prior act, viz., Act 37, to March 2, 1631.

Whereas the Director General and Council of New Netherland having long ere this noticed the dangerous practice of selling Guns, Powder and Lead to the Indians, and moreover published at the time an Ordinance prohibiting the same on pain of Death, notwithstanding which some persons have yet undertaken to barter all sorts of ammunition among the Heathen, purchasing the same secretly here and then transporting it up the River and elsewhere, to the serious injury of this Country, the strengthening of the Indians and the destruction of the Christians, as We are now, also, informed with certainty, that our enemies are better provided with Powder than we, which they contrive to obtain through other Barbarians, our friends. . .There, we must expressely forbid, as we hereby do, all persons from this time forth from daring to trade any munitions of War with the Indians, or under any pretense whatsoever, to transport them from here without express permission, on pain of being punished by Death, and having the vessel confiscated in which the same shall be found laden or to have been put on board. Let everyone be warned hereby and save himself from difficulty.

Ordinance of the Director and Council of New Netherland Regulating the Burgher Guard, § 4 (1643). After the watch is duly performed, and daylight is come, and the reveille beaten, whosoever discharges any gun or musket, without orders of his Corporal, shall pay one guilder.

It is enacted and confirmed that masters of every family shall bring with them to church on Sundays one fixed and serviceable gun with sufficient powder and shot upon penalty of ten pound of tobacco for every master of a family so offending to be disposed of by the churchwardens who shall levy it by distress, and servants being commanded and yet omitting shall receive twenty lashes on his or their bare shoulders, by order form the county courts where he or they shall live.

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Whereas the rights and interests of the inhabitants are very much infringed by hunting and shooting of diverse men upon their neighbors lands and dividends contrary to the privileges granted to them by their patents, whereby many injuries do daily happen to the great damage of the owners of the land whereon such hunting or shooting is used, It is therefore enacted and confirmed that if any planter or person shall hunt or shoot upon or within the precincts or limits of his neighbor or other divident without leave first obtained for his so doing, and having been warned by the owner of the land to forbear hunting and shooting as aforesaid, he or they so offending shall forfeit for every such offence four hundred pounds of tobacco . . .

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Be it further enacted and confirmed, for the better observation of the Sabbath and for the restraint of diverse abuses committed in the colony by unlawful shooting on the Sabbath day as aforesaid, unless it shall be for the safety of his or their plantations or corn fields or for defense against the Indians, he or they so offending shall forfeit for his or their first offense being thereof lawfully convicted . . . the quantity of twenty pounds…

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Be it also enacted and confirmed, that what person or persons soever shall sell or barter with any Indian or Indians for piece, powder and shot and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall forfeit his whole estate . . . and if any person shall barter or trade with the Indians for any other commodities such person shall suffer imprisonment at the discretion of the Governor and Counsel. . . What person or persons soever within the colony, shall lend any Indian either piece, powder and shot, it shall be lawful for any person meeting with any such Indian so furnished, to take away either piece, powder or shot, so as such person taking away . . . the party delinquent for his just offence shall forfeit two thousand pounds of tobacco . . .

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. . . No one shall presume to draw a knife much less to would any person, under the penalty of fl.50, to be paid immediately, or, in default, to work three months with the Negroes in chains; this, without any respect of person. Let every one take heed against damage and be warned.

[Act XLI, (1642-43). It is enacted and confirmed that masters of every family shall bring with them to church on Sundays one fixed and serviceable gun with sufficient powder and shot upon penalty of ten pounds of Tobacco for every master of a family so offending to be disposed of by the church wardens who shall levy it by distress, and servants being commanded and yet omitting shall receive twenty lashes on his or her bare shoulders, by order from the county courts where he or they shall live.]

The Hon. Director and Council have considered it advisable to ordain that the Inhabitants residing at and around Fort Amsterdam, of what state, quality or condition soever they be, shall each provide himself with a good gun and keep the same in good repair and at all times ready and in order; and as they live at a distance from one another, every warned person is placed under his corporal in order that in time of danger he may appear at his post with his gun. Should it happen, which God forbid, that any mischief occur either from enemies or traitors at night, the people will be notified by the discharge of three cannon fired in quick succession; and if by day, means will be found to give warning to everyone, who is commanded thereupon to repair instantly to his corporal at the place appointed and then to adopt such measures as the exigency of the case shall require, on pain of being fined Fifty guilders.

Not to shoot or hunt on other men’s land that is seated and bounds marked under penalty of 40s. but may pursue deer and shoot on their own land.

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Whereas the Director General and Council of New Netherland have observed that many persons, both Servants of the Company and Inhabitants, have contrary to the orders and commands of their High Mightiness the Lords States General and the Incorporated West India Company, presumed to sell to the Indians in these parts, Guns, Powder and Lead, which hath already caused much mischief, and if no means be adopted by Us here to prevent the same would hereafter entail nothing else than greater evil; Therefore every inhabitant of New Netherland, be his state, quality or condition what it may, is most expressely forbidden to sell any Guns, Powder or Lead to the Indians on pain of being punished by Death, and if any one shall inform against any person who shall violate this law, he shall receive a reward of Fifty guilders. . .

An act in 1637, which makes it a felony to barter with the Indians repealed, and enacted that for trading with them for arms and ammunition shall be felony, and for other commodities imprisonment at discretion of the Governor and Council.

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All persons except negroes to be provided with arms and ammunition or be fined at pleasure of the Governor and Council.

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That if any person or persons shall presume to sport game or play at any manner of game or games or shooting out any gun or shall set tipling & drinking in any tavern alhouse ordinary or vitling house on the first day of the week more than neccesity requireth and upon examination of the fact it shall be judged by any Justice of the Peace and the Person or Persons so offending as aforesaid. Upon conviction before one Justice of Peace Shall by the said Justice of the Peace be sentenced for every the aforesaid offences to set in the stocks three hours or pay five shillings in money for the use of the poor of the town or place where the offence was committed.

Laws of the Colony of Massachusetts 1633, 37. § 2. And it is ordered, that no person whatsoever, shall henceforth buy land of any Indian without license first had and obtained of the general court, and if any offend herein, such land so bought shall be forfeited to the country. Nor shall any person sell, give or barter, directly or indirectly, any gun or guns, powder, bullets, shot, lead, to any Indian whatsoever, or to any person inhabiting out of this jurisdiction: Nor shall any amend or repair any gun belonging to any Indian, nor shall sell any armor or weapons, upon penalty of ten pounds for every gun, armor or weapons so sold, given or bartered, five pounds for every pound of powder, forty shillings for every pound of shot or lead, and proportionately for any greater or lesser quantity.

It is ordered and appointed, That if any person or persons shall sell or barter any guns, powder, shot, or any arms or ammunition unto any Indian or Indians within this territory, the said person or persons shall forfeit to public uses all the goods and chattels that he or they then have to their own use, and shall also suffer imprisonment during life, the one half of which forfeiture shall be to him or them that shall inform and the other half to public uses.

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All men that are fitting to bear arms, shall bring their pieces to the church upon pain for every offence, if the default be in the master, to pay 2lb of tobacco, to be disposed by the church-wardens, who shall levy it by distress, and the servants shall be punished [ ] commander. (The Statutes at large: being a collection of all the laws of Virginia, from the first session of the legislature in the year 1619).

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No commander of any plantation, shall either himself or suffer others to spend powder unnecessarily, that is to say in drinking or entertainment. (edited for clarity).

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Act XLVII: No man shall go or send abroade without a sufficient party well armed. Act XLVIII: No man shall go to work in the grounds without their arms, and a sentinel upon them. Act LI: All men that are fitting to bear arms, shall bring their pieces to the church upon pain of every offence, of the mayster allow not thereof to pay 2 lb. of tobacco, to be disposed by the church-wardens, who shall levy it by distress, and the servants be punished. (The Statutes at large: being a collection of all the laws of Virginia, from the first session of the legislature in the year 1619).

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No commander of any plantation, shall either himself or suffer others to spend powder unnecessarily, that is to say, in drinking or entertainments. (edited for clarity).

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It is ordered and appointed, that the commanders of all the several plantations, do upon holy days exercise the men under his command, and that the commanders yearly do likewise upon the first day of December, take a muster of their men, together with the women and children, and their ages, countries, and towns, where they were born, with the ships they came in, and year of the Lord, as also of arms and munition . . .

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For the better furtherance and advancement of staple commodities, and more especially that of potashes and saltpeeter, it is thought fit that every master of a family within the several plantations of this colony shall use their best endeavors to preserve and keep in dry and tight houses or casks all those ashes that shall proceed and be made by the wool that is burned in clearing their grounds . . . And that every master of a family shall have a special care, after a notice thereof given, to preserve and keep all their urine which shall be made in their several plantations. . .

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