The ports of entry were not established by the Virginia legislature but the Customs Department in London. The Naval Officer for the Upper James River district, if I remember correctly, was, for a long time, Lewis Burwell of Kingmill. The office was in Williamsburg but the ships entered and cleared at Burwell's Landing. The Greenhow-Repiton Brick Office on Market Square was likely the Customs House but I can't prove it. I have somewhere in my files a list of all the Naval Officers and Customs Collectors in Virginia. HBG ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Kiracofe" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 4:40 PM Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Was Williamsburg ever "quite a port"? >I don't have the sources at hand (Hening's Statutes at Large) but I > seem to recall that the status of ports-of-entry in the colonial period > was dictated by law. They should not be confused with landings. A > 1680 statute designated four tobacco ports from which tobacco could be > shipped, and I'm guessing a subsequent act either extended that list to > include Williamsburg or Williamsburg replaced a James City as one of the > tobacco ports. > > David Kiracofe > > > > David Kiracofe > History > Tidewater Community College > Chesapeake Campus > 1428 Cedar Road > Chesapeake, Virginia 23322 > 757-822-5136 > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.10/720 - Release Date: 3/12/2007 > 7:19 PM > >