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Creation Date
1662
Description
Moryson, Francis. The Lawes of Virginia Now in Force: Collected Out of the Assembly Records, and Digested into One Volume. Revised and Confirmed by the Grand Assembly held at James-City by Prorogation the 23d of March 1661 in the 13th year of the Reign of Our Soveraign Lord King Charles the II. London: Printed by E. Cotes for A. Seile, 1662. Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.
The Lawes of Virginia Now in Force was the first printed text of acts of the Virginia General Assembly. It was set from a manuscript copy of the 1661/62 revision of the statutes in force. As instructed by Gov. Sir William Berkeley (1605–1677), his deputy Francis Moryson (bef. 1628–1680/81) and Clerk of the House of Burgess Henry Randolph drafted the revisal, which the General Assembly enacted. Randolph sent the manuscript to Berkeley who was in London. Berkeley engaged bookseller Anna Seile who hired Ellen Coates to print the book. Randolph sold the print run in the colony. Surviving copies are extraordinarily rare.
This image is from the copy in the Tracy W. McGregor Library, American History Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.
Rights
Item from the Tracy W. McGregor Library, American History Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, used with permission.