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The Virginia Company refers collectively to a pair of English Joint Stock Companies chartered by James I in 1606 with the purposes of establishing settlements on the coast of North America . The two companies, called the Virginia Company Of London (or the London Company ) and the Virginia Company Of Plymouth (or Plymouth Company ) operated with identical charters but with differing territories. By the terms of the charter, the London Company was permitted to establish a colony of 100 miles square between the 34th parallel and the 41st parallel (approximately between Cape Fear and Long Island Sound ), and also owned a large portion of Atlantic and Inland Canada . The Plymouth Company was permitted to establish a similar settlement between the 38th parallel and the 45th parallel (roughly between Chesapeake Bay and the current U.S. - Canada border). In the area of overlap, the two companies were not permitted to establish colonies within one hundred miles of each other. The charters of the companies called for a local council, but ultimate authority residing with the king through the Council Of Virginia in England. In 1607 , the London Company established the Jamestown Settlement along the James River in present-day Virginia . The Plymouth Company established the Popham Colony along the Kennebec River in present day Maine . By 1609 , the Plymouth Colony had become inactive and a new charter was granted to the London Company for its territory. SEE ALSO FURTHER READING
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