The Virginia Company of Plymouth

England’s Northern Colonial Experiment
Vital Information

Name: Virginia Company of Plymouth
Established: 1606
Dissolved / Dormant: By 1620
Region: Northern Atlantic coast of North America (New England)
Charter Authority: King James I of England

Introduction

The Virginia Company of Plymouth was one of two English joint-stock companies chartered in 1606 to establish colonies in North America. While its southern counterpart succeeded at Jamestown, the Plymouth Company’s efforts were less enduring and are often overshadowed or misunderstood.

Understanding this company is essential to understanding why New England was explored early but settled late, and why Plymouth Colony did not emerge in a vacuum.

The 1606 Charter

In 1606, King James I granted a charter dividing English colonization efforts between two companies:

the Virginia Company of London (southern territory)
the Virginia Company of Plymouth (northern territory)

The Plymouth Company’s authorized territory stretched roughly from present-day New Jersey to Maine, overlapping much of what would later become New England.

This structure reflected England’s experimental approach to colonization.

Goals and Strategy

The Virginia Company of Plymouth aimed to:

establish northern colonies
exploit fisheries and timber
expand English territorial claims
counter French influence

Unlike later religious settlements, the company’s objectives were commercial and strategic, not ideological.

The Popham Colony Connection

The Plymouth Company’s most significant colonial effort was the Popham Colony (1607–1608).

This settlement:

was founded the same year as Jamestown
represented England’s first serious New England colonization attempt
demonstrated long-term intent through fort construction and shipbuilding

Its failure discouraged immediate further settlement in the region.

Why the Company Struggled

Several factors limited the Plymouth Company’s success:

harsh northern climate
lack of immediate profitable exports
leadership instability
investor hesitation after early failure

Unlike Jamestown, which eventually found economic justification through tobacco, the Plymouth Company lacked a sustaining commodity.

Dormancy Rather Than Collapse

The Virginia Company of Plymouth did not dramatically fail; it simply lost momentum.

After Popham’s abandonment:

no permanent colony replaced it
exploration continued intermittently
investment attention shifted south

By the time the Pilgrims sought authorization to settle in 1620, the company no longer functioned as an active colonial driver.

Transition to the Plymouth Council for New England

In 1620, King James I issued a new charter to the Plymouth Council for New England, effectively replacing the earlier Plymouth Company framework.

This new entity:

restructured northern colonial administration
granted land patents
provided legal grounding for Plymouth Colony

The Pilgrims operated under this evolving legal environment.

Why the Virginia Company of Plymouth Matters

This company matters because it explains:

why New England was explored before it was settled
why Plymouth Colony was not England’s first northern attempt
how English colonial policy evolved through failure
why colonization followed economic logic, not inevitability

It restores continuity to a story often told in fragments.

What We Know and What We Do Not

What We Know

the company was chartered in 1606
it sponsored northern exploration and settlement
it founded the Popham Colony
it lost influence after early failure

What We Do Not Know

full internal investor deliberations
undocumented Indigenous interactions
informal trading arrangements

The record is administrative rather than narrative.

Conclusion

The Virginia Company of Plymouth represents England’s early attempt to colonize New England through commercial enterprise. Its limited success delayed permanent settlement but provided experience, mapping, and caution that later settlers would rely upon.

Plymouth Colony did not begin New England history — it followed a failed corporate experiment.

Research & Source Transparency Notice

This article is intended as a secondary reference framework based on surviving English charters, colonial records, and scholarship. Documentation regarding the Virginia Company of Plymouth is limited and administrative in nature. Readers are encouraged to consult primary documents and additional scholarship for deeper study.