In the early seventeenth century, the land along the north shore of the James River from Jamestown Island to the mouth of the Chickahominy River was known as Pasbehay or Pasbehay Country. In 1618, the Virginia Company of London ordered that 3000 acres were to be set aside and planted for the benefit of the Company. In 1619, Sir George Yeardley arrived at Jamestown with tenants to settle on both the Governor's Land and the Company Land. In late 1619, Lieutenant Jabez Whittaker and perhaps as many as fifty men were sent by the Virginia Company to the Company's tract. According to Whittaker, he and his men built a 40' by 20' "guesthouse" to season new immigrants. They also erected other dwellings, and fenced in their acreage and livestock. The tenants who worked on the Company Land agreed to serve for seven years in return for 50% of the profits of their labor. Additionally, the Virginia Company provided the tenants with a year's supply of food and cattle along with clothes, weapons, tools, and other equipment.

Two separate communities developed with the Company Land. The Maine was close to Jamestown Island while Pasbehay lay further north along the James River. The 1624 List of the Living and the Dead and the 1625 Muster clearly differentiate the two settlements. The Muster lists 20 men, 7 women, 2 children, and 2 infants living at Pasbehay in 7 distinct households. There also were 12 men at Pasbehay who were described as the Governor's Men. By 1625, in conjunction with the disbanding of the Virginia Company, the Whittaker settlement was probably abandoned and Whittaker, returned to England that year.

In 1630, Bridges Freeman and Francis Fowler patented some of the formerVirginia Company land including where JC298 was located. Freeman contracted Fowler to build him a three bay house with a chimney and a partition. By the 1640s Freeman had become a prominent resident of the area, a gentleman and burgess. Freeman died in 1660, and his holdings passed to his son.

Archaeology:

The Pasbehay site is located at the confluence of the Chickahominy and James rivers. The site was mechanically stripped of plowzone. All features were completely excavated and screened through at least ¼" mesh. A significant part of the site remains unexcavated, perhaps as much as 50%.

Structures

Structure 101 measured 25' by 16' and was composed of 3 unequal bays, 10', 9', and 6'. Possible evidence of hearth in NW corner.

Structure 102 measured 20' by 15' and was composed of 2 equal 10' bays. Scorched clay indicated the location of a hearth at the southwest corner and associated postholes suggested a 4' by 7.5' wood-and-clay fireplace and an equal-sized chimney pent.

Structure 130 measured 20' by 12' and was composed of 2 10' bays. There was no evidence of a hearth.

Burials

Burials were analyzed by Dr. Douglas Owsley. All four burials were with the head to the west.

Burial A grave was 6' by 2' and contained a hexagonal coffin. The poorly preserved remains are likely that of a female between 20-29 years old. A delftware sherd, coarseware pipkin foot, nail fragment, and a flint fragment were in the grave fill.

Burial B was 6'2" by 2' and contained a hexagonal coffin. The poorly preserved remains are likely that of a small female between 25-34 years old. An English pipe bowl, 5 nail fragments, and 1 piece of brick were found in the grave fill.

Burial C grave was 8'4" by 2'3". There was no evidence of a coffin. The moderately well preserved remains likely were that of a male about 5'10" between 25-39 years old with some suggestion that he died in his early thirties. There were no artifacts in the grave fill.

Burial D grave was 5'8" by 2'. There was no evidence of a coffin. The fairly well preserved remains were the best preserved of the four burials. The remains likely that of a female between 9.5-11 years old. Copper salt stains on the skull suggest interment in a shroud. Pits

All the pits were quite shallow, ranging from 9"-1'3" deep below the surface of the subsoil. Pits 105 and 107 contained heavy deposits of ash. Ranking the pits on estimated number of artifacts in each pit from least to greatest is 105-109-107-108-111.

Well

The well or icehouse was dug to a depth of about 8' below the subsoil when excavation was suspended.



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