Plantations General.
Circular Letter to all His Majty's Govrs., directing an Account to be sent of the State of the Forts & Fortifications, Ordnance, Stores of War, & Number of Inhabitants in each Colony & Island, under their respective Governments.
Whitehall
Septr. 19. 1755.
To Otho Hamilton Esqr. Lt. Govr. of Newfoundland.
Sir,
It being of the greatest Importance, that His Majesty should in the present Situation of Affairs be truly and exactly informed of the real State of Defense of all his Colonies in America, as well in relation to the Ordnance and Stores of War, which are in each Colony respectively, as to the Forts and Fortifications, and the Number of their Inhabitants, I am directed by the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations to desire you will with all possible Dispatch prepare and transmit to their Lordships, to be laid before His Majesty, an exact and particular Account thereof with respect to the Island under your Government, in which you are to express the present actual State and Quantity of the Cannon, small Arms, Amunition, and other Ordnance and military Stores belonging to the said Island, either in the publick Magazines, or in the possession of the Militia, or other private Persons; together with the true State of all Places either already fortified, or which you judge further necessary to be fortified, with your opinion at large in what manner His Majesty may further contribute to the Security and Defense of the said Island, and also as exact an Account as you can obtain of the real Number of Inhabitants, Whites and Blacks; how many of the former are able to bear Arms; of what Number the Militia is composed, and how armed, mustered and trained.
I am,
Sir,
Your most obedient
humble Servant,
John Pownall
Secry.
A like Letter was writ to Charles Lawrence Esqr. Lt. Govr. of Nova Scotia, Benning Wentworth Esqr. Govr. of N. Hampshire, Wm. Shirley Esqr. Govr. of the Massts. Bay, Govr. and Co. of Connecticut, Govr. and Co. of Rhode Island, Sr. Charles Hardy, Govr. of New York, Jonathan Belcher Esqr. Govr. of New Jersey, Robt. Hunter Morris Esqr. Lt. Govr. of Pennsylvania, Horo. Sharpe Esqr. Lt. Govr. of Maryland, Robt. Dinwiddie Esqr. Lt. Govr. of Virginia, Arthur Dobbs Esqr. Govr. of No. Carolina, Wm. Henry Lyttelton Esqr. Govr. of So. Carolina, John Reynolds Esqr. Govr. of Georgia, John Tinker Esqr. Govr. of the Bahamas, George Thomas Esqr. Govr. of the Leewd. Islands, James Purcell Esqr. Lt. Govr. of the Virgin Islands, Ralph Weekes Esqr. Commander in Chief of Barbados, Charles Knowles Esqr. Govr. of Jamaica, William Popple Esqr. Govr. of the Bermuda Islands.
Exd.
