‘Like to perish from want of succor or reliefe’: the provisioning of 17th-century Virginia during times of change

Abstract

During the early years of the settlement of Virginia the colonists relied heavily on provisions shipped from England; any breakdown in these supplies could result in hardship. Events which influenced Virginia history, such as the colonial transition from proprietary to royal control (1624), the tobacco depression of the 1630s, the English Civil War (1642–52), the introduction of the Commonwealth system and the passing of the Navigation Acts (1651), undoubtedly caused disconnections, forcing the colonists to rely either on trade with other European countries or on local products.

This paper explores the possibility of a correlation between these events and changes in the composition of 17th-century artefact assemblages in Virginia. Comparisons of the relative proportions of European and local ceramics and clay pipes on sites dating between the first and the third quarters of the 17th century illustrate how the settlers adapted to meet their need for household goods.