Digges developed a strong interest in reviving the production of silk in Virginia. The cultivation of the silkworm had been attempted previously in the colony, in response to King James's interest in the subject. However, these early efforts had been unsuccessful, perhaps due to lack of enthusiasm among the colonists. Digges, in contrast, became deeply absorbed in his project. He brought over two Armenians to help him experiment with silk production, and even wrote a pamphlet entitled "The Reformed Virginia Silkworm", in which he claimed that "native silkworms could be kept outdoors on native mulberry trees and that Indians could be employed to care for the worms." Digges sent a parcel of his silk to the Royal Society, by way of his cousin Dudley Palmer, one of the original Fellows of the Society. In the letter accompanying the silk sample, Digges comments on his findings, for example: Digges's efforts to create a silk industry in Virginia proved futile. By 1656 the Virginia Assembly had become disillusioned with silkworms, and passed the following terse act to signal its loss of enthusiasm: To this day there are numerous mulberry trees, which were used to raise the silk worms, still standing on the land of the old plantation. In recognition of his efforts, Edward Digges was given a seat in the council in November 1654, "having given a signal testimony of his fidelity to this colony and commonwealth of England."
Legacy
Edward Digges was more successful with tobacco than with silk. He became known for growing "E.D." tobacco, a sweet-scented variety which brought an unusually high price in London. Digges served as Colonial Governor of Virginia from 30 March 1655 to December 1656, for which he received a salary of 25,000 pounds of tobacco, with the duties levied on vessels, and marriage license fees. In December 1656, The House of Burgesses selected Samuel Mathews as governor to replace Edward Digges, and Digges became the colonial agent to England. In this position, Digges was to go to England and meet with English merchants about the price of tobacco and to secure the rights of the colony. Leaving in March 1657, he took a letter from the House of Burgesses to Oliver Cromwell, who had been ruling England since 1653, following the English Civil War, to settle the long pending controversy between the Colony and Lord Baltimore.
Marriage and Family
Edward Digges married Elizabeth Page, daughter of Francis Page of Bedfont, Middlesex, and sister of Col. John Page of Middle Plantation. Digges died in 1675. A large tombstone was placed over his grave near his home at Bellfield, with the following inscription: Digges' will left legacies "to all my children being four boys and four girls", thus establishing that by 1669, when the will was written, only eight of the thirteen children mentioned in the grave inscription were still living. Following Bacon's Rebellion, Mrs Digges was referred to in the Report of the Royal Commissioners as one of those who had suffered as a result of family loyalty to the King: Elizabeth died intestate in 1691. An article published in the William and Mary Quarterly in 1893 recounts the division of her personal estate between her surviving heirs: Mrs Digges' personal property was divided by the Court, in accordance with the law, among her four surviving heirs: three sons and one granddaughter. The plantation which Digges had purchased from Capt. John West remained in the family until 1787, when it was sold. It was known as "Bellfield" by 1811, when it was advertised for sale as "Belfield, 1.000 acres in York Co., the only estate where the famous E.D. tobacco was raised, which never failed to bring in England one shilling when other tobacco would not bring three pence."
Descendants
Six of the thirteen Digges children survived to adulthood:
William ; he married Elizabeth Wharton, step-daughter of Lord Baltimore, and had ten children.
Dudley ; he married Susannah Cole ; she married her first cousin Francis Page, and had a daughter Elizabeth, who in turn married a first cousin and died in 1702, aged 19, leaving two children, both of whom died without issue.
Anne ; she married William Cole and had two sons, both of whom died in childhood.
Edward; he shared in the 1692 division of his mother's estate, but died unmarried and without issue.
Catherine ; she lived in New Kent, Virginia, and married three times. She produced 3 sons.
