of
the holdings of certain planters at this early date, but that their
prosperity had the same foundation as that of the more numerous class of
wealthy men of the Eighteenth century. In both cases slavery and
plantation manufacture would seem to have been the open sesame to
success. It is notable that of the very limited number of men in
Virginia prior to 1700 who stand out above their fellows in the
readiness with which they acquired property, almost all gathered around
them a goodly number of negroes.

Among the prominent planters of the first half of the Seventeenth
century was George Menefie, famous for his orchard which abounded in
apple, pear and cherry trees, and for his garden which yielded all kinds
of fruits, vegetables, and flowers; Richard Bennett, a man of large
property who had in one year "out of his Orchard as many Apples as he
made 20 Butts of Excellent Cider"; Richard Kinsman, who for three or
four years in succession secured "forty or fifty Butts of Perry made out
of his Orchard, pure and good."[6-30]

In the second half of the century the class of the well-to-do, although
somewhat more numerous, was still restricted to a small group of
prominent families, many of them connected by marriage. Among the best
known men are Nathaniel Bacon, Sr., Thomas Ballard, Robert Severely,
Giles Brent, Joseph Bridger, William Byrd I, John Carter, John Custis I,
Dudley Digges, William Fitzhugh, Lewis Burwell, Philip Ludwell I,
William Moseley, Daniel Parke, Ralph Wormeley, Benjamin Harrison, Edward
Hill, Edmund Jennings and Matthew Page. But so few were their numbers
that the Governors more than once complained that they could not find
men for the Council of State qualified for that post by their wealth and
influence.

The depository of power for the Virginia yeomanry was the House of
Burgesses. This important body was elected by the votes of the
freeholders, and faithfully represented their interests. Here they would
bring their grievances, here express their wishes, here defend
themselves against injustice, here demand the enactment of legislation
favorable to their class. The hope of the people lay always in the
Burgesses, Bacon the rebel tells us, "as their Trusts, and Sanctuary to
fly to."[6-31] And though the commons usually elected to this body the
leading men of each county, men of education and wealth if such were to
be found, they held them to a strict accountability for their every
action.[6-32] Many o