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James City Shire

1634 establishments in the Colony of VirginiaPopulated places established in 1634Virginia shires
1634 Virginia Counties Henrico Focus
1634 Virginia Counties Henrico Focus

James City Shire was formed in the British colony of Virginia in 1634. During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of Jamestown in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. On, November 18, 1618, the Virginia Company of London, proprietor of the colony, gave instructions on the formation of a laudable government for the Colony to Sir George Yeardley when he departed from London to become full governor of Virginia. As directed, in 1619, Governor Yeardly established four large corporations, termed citties (sic), which were designated to encompass the developed portion of the colony. These were Kecoughtan (later renamed Elizabeth Cittie), James Cittie, Charles Cittie, and Henrico Cittie. In 1634, by order of Charles I, King of England, eight shires or counties with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants were established in the colony of Virginia. The area included what is now Surry County (across the James River), part of Charles City County and some of New Kent County. James City Shire, as well as the James River and Jamestown took their name from King James I, the late father of the king. About 1642-43, the name of the James City Shire was changed to James City County. It is considered one of the 5 original shires of the Virginia colony to be extant essentially in the same political form (county) in 2005. Williamsburg became an independent city from James City County in 1884. However they share a school system, courts, and some constitutional officers.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article James City Shire (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 37.2 ° E -76.783333333333 °
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Address

Jamestown


23081
Virginia, United States
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Website
historicjamestowne.org

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1634 Virginia Counties Henrico Focus
1634 Virginia Counties Henrico Focus
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Nearby Places

Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown, Virginia

The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River, about 2.5 mi (4 km) southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 4, 1607 O.S. (May 14, 1607 N.S.), and was considered permanent after a brief abandonment in 1610. It followed several failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke, established in 1585 on Roanoke Island, later part of North Carolina. Jamestown served as the colonial capital from 1616 until 1699. Despite the dispatch of more settlers and supplies, more than 80 percent of the colonists died in 1609–1610, mostly from starvation and disease. In mid-1610, the survivors abandoned Jamestown, though they returned after meeting a resupply convoy in the James River. In August 1619, the first recorded slaves from Africa to British North America arrived in what is now Old Point Comfort near the Jamestown colony, on a British privateer ship flying a Dutch flag. The approximately 20 Africans from present-day Angola had been removed by the British crew from the Portuguese slave ship São João Bautista. They most likely worked in the tobacco fields as slaves under a system of race-based indentured servitude. One of their number included Angela, who was purchased by William Peirce. The modern conception of slavery in the British colonies was formalized in 1640 (the John Punch hearing) and was fully entrenched in the Colony of Virginia by 1660.The London Company's second settlement in Bermuda claims to be the site of the oldest town in the English New World, as St. George's, Bermuda, was officially established in 1612 as New London, whereas James Fort in Virginia was not converted into James Towne until 1619, and further did not survive to the present day.In 1676, Jamestown was deliberately burned during Bacon's Rebellion, though it was quickly rebuilt. In 1699, the colonial capital was moved to what is today Williamsburg, Virginia; Jamestown ceased to exist as a settlement, and remains today only as an archaeological site, Jamestown Rediscovery. It is known for its historical significance as the site of the first permanent English settlement in America. The town is home to several museums and historical sites, including the Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, which showcase the rich history of the area. Today, Jamestown is one of three locations composing the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia, along with Williamsburg and Yorktown, with two primary heritage sites. Historic Jamestowne is the archaeological site on Jamestown Island and is a cooperative effort by Jamestown National Historic Site (part of Colonial National Historical Park) and Preservation Virginia. Jamestown Settlement, a living history interpretive site, is operated by the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation, a state agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia.