USA > Virginia > Encyclopedia of Virginia biography, Volume I > Part 19
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Wormeley, Christopher, the second of that name to become councillor, was related to the
Wormeleys of "Rosegill," Middlesex county, but the exact relationship is unknown. He is first mentioned in an order of court of Lancas- ter county, then including Middlesex, dated Nov. 9, 1666, which refers to Capt. Christo- pher Wormeley and his wife, who was the widow of Col. Anthony Elliott. In the next year he was a justice of Lancaster, in 1674 a justice of Middlesex, the colonel of the county militia in 1680, and sheriff of the county in 1681. It was in 1682 that he was appointed to the council, a member of which body he remained during the rest of his life. He held also the offices of collector and naval officer of the lower Potomac district, and deputy escheator. Col. Wormeley had taken the part of Gov. Berkeley in Bacon's rebellion, and was accordingly denounced in the proclama- tion of the rebel leader and commended by the commissioners appointed to suppress the same. He died in 1701.
Lear, John, probably came to Virginia about 1656, as in that year he had a grant of 100 acres of land on the "Oquiah River, in West- moreland County." He soon removed to Nansemond county, which he represented in the house of burgesses from 1666 to 1676. During Bacon's rebellion, he was a staunch supporter of Gov. Berkeley, and remained with him until the rebellion was suppressed. He was the first to meet the commissioners, sent to suppress the rebellion, and give them an account of the condition of affairs, and by them was reported to have suffered heavily during the trouble. In 1676 a petition was sent the commissioners from some of the people of Nansemond county, complaining of the number of offices held by Col. John Lear and Mr. David Lear, probably his brother, the first of whom was county clerk, escheat mas- ter, notary public and surveyor, and the other "Sheriff superior." As relating to Col. Lear,
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remonstrance seems to have had no effect, for in 1680 he was presiding justice and colonel of militia. On May 23, 1683, Gov. Culpeper appointed him a member of the council, and the nomination was confirmed by the King. He continued in this office until his death. He was also one of the first trustees of William and Mary College in 1693, and, at the time of his death, was collector of the lower dis- tricts of James river. His death occurred in Nov. or Dec., 1695.
Allerton, Isaac, son of Isaac Allerton, one of the Puritan leaders of the "Mayflower" ex- pedition, and his wife Fear, daughter of Wil- liam Brewster, was born in Plymouth, Mass., in 1630, and graduated at Harvard College in 1650. He is said to have been, for a time, associated with his father in the business of trading between Plymouth, New Haven and New Amsterdam, but it is possible that during most of the time between his graduation and his father's death, in 1659, he was his repre- sentative in Virginia. As early as Feb. 6, 1650, there was recorded a dispute between the Indians and a Mr. Allerton, regarding a plantation which the latter had cleared, which reached the governor and council. It is be- lieved that this refers to the elder Isaac Aller- ton, but it may be that immediately after leav- ing college the son established a plantation in Virginia. He appears to have made his first permanent residence in Virginia about 1660, and soon became a man of prominence. In 1663 he was sworn a justice of Northumber- land. In 1675, with the rank of major, he was second in command to Col. John Washington, of the Virginia troops sent against the Indians. In the campaign which followed they allied themselves with the Maryland forces at the latter's invitation in the siege of an Indian fort, but before the opening of hostilities a
horrible murder was committed by the Mary- landers in the shooting of five Indian chiefs who had come to negotiate peace. This was done against the earnest opposition of Wash- ington and Allerton, but caused such indigna- tion on the part of the Virginia authorities that an investigation of their conduct was ordered, which, however, cleared them of all responsibility for the crime. Allerton was burgess for Westmoreland in 1676-77, and for Northumberland for a number of years be- tween 1668 and 1677. In 1680 and 1688 he was escheator of Westmoreland with the rank of colonel, and prior to Sept. 25, 1683, he was appointed to the council. His occupation of tlie position at this time seems to liave been only temporary, as in 1686-87 Secretary Spen- cer, acting governor, wrote, that he had called Col. Isaac Allerton to the council in Col. Lud- well's place. . A little later King James wrote that Col. Allerton was to be sworn as a mem- ber of the council in Col. Ludwell's place, the royal favor being accounted for on the state- ment that Allerton was either a Catholic or inclined to that faith. He was present at ses- sions of the council regularly until 1691, when he refused, as did Armistead and Lee, to take the oath of allegiance to the new sovereigns, William and Mary. He was probably not formally dropped until 1693, when the gov- ernor wrote that Col. Allerton, of the council. was very old and had retired. His death occurred sometime in 1702.
Armistead, John, a son of William Arm- istead, of Elizabeth City county, and grand- son of Anthony Armistead, of Kirk Deighton, in Yorkshire, England, settled in Gloucester county, of which he was sheriff in 1676, and a justice and lieutenant-colonel of horse in 1680. In 1685 he was a member of the house of burgesses, and on Feb. 14, 1687-88, Gov.
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Effingham wrote to the English government that a vacancy had occurred in the council and that he had nominated Col. John Armistead as in every way qualified for the place. This nomination was confirmed on April 30, 1688, and Col. Armistead was sworn as member on Oct. 18 of the same year. He remained a councillor until 1691, when, feeling that he could not consistently with the allegiance he had sworn to James II., take the same oath to William and Mary, he declined and was accordingly removed from the council. It is probable that he later realized the hopelessness of the Stuart cause, and relented in his deter- mination, for in 1693 Gov. Andros wrote that Col. John Armistead had retired from the council. He died soon after. He left two sons and two daughters and through them was the ancestor of many distinguished Virginians.
Hill, Edward, Jr., was the son of Edward Hill Sr., an account of whom appears above. He was probably born at "Shirley," Charles City county, on the banks of the James, in 1637, and upon the death of his father, about 1663, fell heir to that historic estate. Edward Hill Jr. held many offices in his time. He was commander-in-chief of Charles City and Surry counties, commissioned by Gov. Chicheley, Sept. 27, 1679; speaker of the house of burgesses, 1691; treasurer, elected 1691 ; col- lector of upper district of James river, 1692, and naval officer of Virginia duties. In 1697 Gov. Andros appointed him judge of the Ad- miralty for Virginia and North Carolina. It seems that upon the first day of Bacon's up- rising there was an attempt made to pursuade Hill to join them, but he met the proposition with a scornful rebuff. He was an intimate friend of Gov. Berkeley and took an active part in quelling the rebellion. It naturally fol- lows that he was cordially hated by the people
in his county where the rebellion began. He was disfranchised by Bacon's house of burgesses in 1676, and after Bacon's death, when the counties capitulated to the King's commissioners, he was made a principal sub- ject of their excuse for rebellion, and accused ot oppression, misappropriation of public funds and other wrong doing. Col. Hill answered liis accusers very effectively in a long and elaborate paper, but in the list of councillors made by the commissioners late in 1677 they recommended that he be left out, and on Feb. 10, 1678-79, the committee of trades and plantations recommended that Col. Hill, of · evil fame and behavior," be put out of all employment and declared unfit to serve his majesty, which recommendation the King saw fit to follow "until his Majesty's pleasure be further known." With the appointment of Lord Culpeper as governor there was, how- ever, a turn in the tide of Virginia affairs, and C'ol. Hill's star was again in the ascendant. He was fully restored to both royal and popu- lar favor and many of the offices which he held were bestowed upon him after this date. He died Nov. 30, 1700, at "Shirley," which is still owned by his descendants.
Whiting, Henry, of Gloucester county, was probably a son of the James Whiting, who patented 250 acres of land on York river and Timberneck creek, Gloucester, on Aug. 10, 1643. Henry Whiting was a physician and in 168I was a justice of Gloucester. He seems to have been a sufferer at the hands of Bacon's rebels, but a few years later was treated as a rebel himself and accused before Gov. Cul- peper and the council of having said in the assembly that if something were not done to bring about a cessation of tobacco planting the Virginians would have to "all go a plunder- ing." Whiting was suspended from all offices,
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civil or military, until the King's pleasure were known, and obliged to give bond for his future good behavior. His political sympathies are borne witness to by the fact that in 1682 he was one of Robert Beverley's bondsmen. Dr. Whiting did not remain long in disfavor, how- ever. for sometime prior to Oct. 9, 1690, he was appointed to the council, and was present at meetings in 1692 and 1693. On July 5 of the same year he was appointed treasurer of Virginia, but did not hold the office more than a few months. His descendants are numerous.
Nicholson, Sir Francis, governor of Vir- gınia (q. v.).
Robinson, Christopher, son of Jolin Robin- son, of Cleasby, Yorkshire, England, and brother of John Robinson, bishop of London, was born in 1645. He came to Virginia about 1666 and settled on an estate in Middlesex county, near Urbanna, which was afterwards called "Hewick," and where he built a house which is still standing. Robinson was clerk of Middlesex county from 1675 to 1688, when he resigned. In 1691'he was a burgess, and on June 10 of that year Gov. Nicholson wrote that there were vacancies in the council and recommended "Christopher Robinson, a mem- ber of the House of Burgesses," to fill one of them. On Oct. 15 the privy council ordered that he be confirmed as a member of the Vir- ginia council, and on Oct. 26 a letter to the same effect from the King was written. On July 5, 1692, he was furthered by the appoint- ment of secretary of state for Virginia, and on the next day wrote to the lords of trades and plantations informing them that on the peti- tion of Col. William Cole to be discharged from the position of secretary the lieutenant- governor, with the unanimous consent of the council, had given him, Robinson, the place
until their majesties' pleasure might be known, and he begged their lordships' favorable con- sideration. On Oct. 25 the King in council granted him the wishedfor secretaryship. Rob- inson was appointed one of the first trus- tees of William and Mary College in 1692. On March 3. 1692-93, Gov. Andros wrote that Secretary Robinson had died on the 13th of April preceding.
Scarborough, Charles, eldest son of Col. Edmund Scarborough, of Accomac county, is first mentioned in Nov., 1642, when he stated in a deposition that he was twenty-four years old. Col. Charles Scarborough seems to have been a man of bold temperament, which sev- eral times in his life got him into trouble. He took part in Bacon's rebellion, but was par- doned on the payment of a fine and, notwith- standing the offence, was, in 1680, presiding justice of Accomac and major of the militia. In 1687 he was prosecuted and removed from the court for saying that "King James would wear out the Church of England," for he was "constantly putting in those of another pur- suasion." In the next year, that of the revolu- tion, such opinions became meritorious, and Maj. Scarborough was reappointed a justice and elected a member of the house of bur- gesses. On June 10, 1691, Gov. Nicholson wrote that there were vacancies in the council, and recommended as a fit person to fill one of them "Col. Charles Scarborough," a member of the house of burgesses, and Sir Charles Scarborough's nephew. On Oct. 15 of the same year the English privy council confirmed his appointment. He was at that time coun- cillor, commander-in-chief of Accomac and president of the county court, and collector and naval officer of the eastern shore. For some reason, not now known, he was for a time left out of the council, but in 1697, was
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again sworn as a member. He died in or not long before 1703. The Scarborough family was for many generations one of the leading families in Virginia.
Pitt, Robert, son of William Pitt, merchant, (and Pary Pitt, his wife,) of Bristol, England, who made his will May 13, 1622, which was proved Feb. 4. 1624, in Bristol. Robert Pitt and his two brothers, Henry and Thomas, came to Virginia about 1640. Robert was a prominent merchant, burgess for Isle of Wight ia 1649, 1652, 1654 (in which year he is men- tioned as lieutenant-colonel) and 1659, 1660 (in which year he is mentioned as colonel ). He was a member of the council in 1673. He married Martha Lear, sister of Col. John Lear, of the Virginia council. His will, dated June 6, 1672, was proved in Isle of Wight county, June 9. 1674.
Wormeley, Ralph, the second Ralph to be councillor, was a son of Ralph Wormeley, Esq .. burgess and councillor, and of Agatha Elton- head, who married (first ) Luke Stubbins, of Northampton county, (second) Ralph Worme- ley, and (third) Sir Henry Chicheley. He was born in 1650; matriculated, July 4, 1665, at Oriel College, Oxford ; was a member of the house of burgesses in 1674: appointed mem- ber of the council in 1677; secretary of state in 1693, and became in the same year president of the council. He lived in such state at his residence, "Rosegill," on the Rappahannock river, and had such influence in affairs, that he was called the greatest man in "Virginia." He married (first) Catherine, widow of Colonel Peter Jenings and daughter of Sir Thomas Lunsford, by whom he had two daughters- Elizabeth, who married John Lomax, and Catherine, who married Gawin Corbin. He married (second) Elizabeth Armistead, daugh-
ter of Colonel John Armistead, of Gloucester county, and had several sons and daughters, one of whom was John Wormeley, who was grandfather of Ralph Wormeley, the third councillor of the name (q. v.). "Rosegill," his beautiful home on the Rappahannock, was the residence at different times of two of the gov- ernors of Virginia-Sir Henry Chicheley, who married his mother, and Lord Howard, of Effingham, who preferred living here to resid- ing at Jamestown. Colonel Wormeley died December 5, 1703.
Parke, Daniel, Jr., was the only son of Councillor Daniel Parke I., and was born in 1669. He was probably educated in England, but was back in Virginia soon after reaching inanhood, and in 1692 was appointed a mem- ber of the council. He was a favorite of Gov. Andros, who gave him, besides the office of councillor, those of collector and naval officer of lower James river, escheator for the dis- trict between York and James and colonel of militia. Much of the record which has come to us of Col. Parke certainly presents him in a most unfavorable light, but it must be re- membered that it is the product of pens bit- terly opposed to him in the politics of the period. Commissary Blair has left us a pic- ture of him anything but attractive, in which. he is presented as a boaster and swaggerer who does not hesitate to take advantage over those who are defenceless, but who will not meet a formidable adversary face to face. Such was his behavior toward Gov. Nicholson, by Blair's account, and against his, the com- missary's wife, the former of whom he in- sulted but contrived to avoid the duel, and the latter he bullied in church. Notwithstanding al' this there can be no doubt that Parke was a man of courage and ability. He left Vir- ginia in 1697, and in 1701 served a campaign
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in Flanders with Lord Arran, the Duke of Ormond's brother, and was in every action. For his efficiency he was made a colonel and "promised the first old regiment that shall fall." The Duke of Marlborough made him one of his aides and he behaved with such dis- tinction at the battle of Blenheim that the Duke selected him to bear the news of the great victory to Queen Anne. It was at that time the custom in England to give the bearers of the first news of a victory a gratuity of £500, but Col. Parke begged that instead he might have the Queen's picture. His gallantry, fine appearance and handsome bearing pleased Queen Anne, and being patronized by the Duke he was in April 25, 1704, appointed gov- ernor of the Leeward Island. Here the gov- ernment had been very lax and the settlers were many of them lawless and desperate characters, for the West Indies had been the stronghold of the pirates. Parke attempted to introduce some reforms and incurred the re- sentment of the people. He would not yield and placed his dependence upon a small mili- tary force at his command. A violent insur- rection broke out at Antigua in 1710 and Parke made a gallant resistance, killing with his own hand Capt. John Piggott, one of the leaders of the insurrection. He was finally overpowered by numbers and the mob roused to fury dragged him through the streets till he was left expiring in the scorching sun. . They broke open his storehouse and plundered his residence and other property to the amount of £5,000 sterling. Col. Daniel Parke mar- ried Jane, daughter of Col. Philip Ludwell, and left two daughters-Frances, who married Col. John Custis, of Arlington, Northamp- ton county, and Lucy, who married Col. Wil- liam Byrd, of Westover. He was certainly lacking in morality, but this was too often the
cliaracteristic of the men of fashion of his day. His portrait, showing Queen Anne's miniature hanging by a ribbon from his neck, is to be seen at Brandon, on James river.
Hartwell, Henry, was clerk of the council in 1677 and other years. On June 10, 1691, Gov. Nicholson wrote to England that there were vacancies in the council and recom- mended for one place Henry Hartwell, a men- ber of the house of burgesses. The governor seems to have given him a pro tempore ap- pointment at once, for he was present in coun- ci! July 5, 1692. On March 2, 1693-94 the committee for trade and plantations agreed to move the King in council that Col. Henry Hartwell be added to the council in Virginia at the recommendation of the bishop of London, and on July 18, 1694, Gov. Andros wrote that Col. Hartwell had been accordingly sworn. He left Virginia for England in June, 1695, and never returned, but for some time his name was retained on the roll of the council. I11 1699 he, with the Rev. James Blair and Edward Chilton, prepared an account of the colony which was published under the title of "The Present State of Virginia." Hartwell became a resident of London and died there in 1699. His brother, William Hartwell, was captain of Sir William Berkeley's body guard during Bacon's rebellion, and through him in female lines the family is still represented in Virginia.
Lightfoot, John, was a son of John Light- foot, barrister-at-law, of Northampton county. England, and with his brother Philip, came to Virginia and settled in Gloucester county. On June 10, 1670, Lightfoot received the King's grant as auditor-general of Virginia, in place of Thomas Stegge, then lately deceased. On Dec. 17, 1671, his majesty, having learned that
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Gov. Berkeley had appointed Digges to the place prior to his own letters patent to Light- foot, and that Digges was "a person every way fit for said office," directed Berkeley to suspend Lightfoot and substitute Digges. Moryson in a letter to Lord Arlington said that Berkeley's commission to Digges "bore date long before Captain Lightfoot did so much as sue for his," and objects to Lightfoot or. the grounds that at the time when he re- ceived his commission he was not a member of the council or a resident of Virginia, "so that if he hath the place he must be forced to execute it by deputy, which is contrary to law," and that he was reported to have "many great debts upon him, one no less than a statute of £700." In 1681 reference is made to Lightfoot as having married Anne, daugh- ter of Thomas Goodrich, lieutenant-general in Bacon's rebellion, and in 1692 we are told that John Lightfoot, "lately come into the coun- try," was a councillor. It is probable that he had lately returned from a visit to England. On Sept. 5, 1695, the lords justices, on recom- mendation of the committee of trades and plantations, directed that John Lightfoot be added to the Virginia council. In 1699 he was collector for the country between James and York rivers, and in 1701 voted with other councillors for the recall of Nicholson. He is also mentioned as having been commander-in- chief of King and Queen county. He died May 28, 1707, leaving issue.
Ludwell, Philip, was the son of Thomas Ludwell, of Bruton, in Somersetshire, Eng- land, who was church warden of the parish in 1636, and steward of Sexey Hospital in Bru- ton. Thomas Ludwell died at Discoe, in the parish of Bruton, and was buried July 7, 1637. Philip Ludwell's mother was Jane Cottington, a relative of Sir William Berkeley, and only
daughter of James Cottington, of Discoe, a brother of Philip, Lord Cottington. Philip Ludwell, who belonged to a royalist. family, was born about 1638, and probably came to Virginia about 1660 to join his brother Thomas, who was then secretary of state. He was captain of the James City county militia in 1667, and on March 5, 1675, took the oath as a councillor of state. During the absence of his brother Thomas in London, at this time, he was acting secretary of state for two years (1675-1677). During Bacon's rebellion (1676) he was one of the most efficient supporters of Gov. Berkeley. He showed distinguished courage and discretion in capturing an expedi- tion under Giles Bland sent to Northampton county to siege the governor. After Berke- ley's death, in 1677, Ludwell married his widow and became the head of the "Green Spring Faction," as it was called, comprised of friends of the late governor. From being the supporters of government Ludwell and Bev- erley became the champions of the rights of the general assembly and the people. Gov. Jeffreys had Ludwell excluded from the coun- cil. Jeffreys died and Lord Thomas Culpeper came over to Virginia in 1681. He was a cousin of Ludwell's wife, Lady Berkeley, whose maiden name was Frances Culpeper, and at the request of the whole council he re- stored Ludwell to his seat in that body. When Lord Howard, of Effingham, came as gov- ernor to Virginia in 1686 he tried to increase the power of the executive and instituted a fee for the use of the state seal to land grants. He was opposed by Ludwell and the fee was ordered to be discontinued, but he again lost his place in council. The dismissal only served to increase Ludwell's popularity, and the assembly sent him to England as their agent to petition for relief. While he was in attend-
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ance at the privy council King William came to the throne and Ludwell was successful in obtaining a favorable decision on most of the questions involved. He was again restored to the council and on May 7, 1691, the house of burgesses voted him the public thanks and presented him with f250. Before this, on Dec. 5. 1689, the lords proprietors of Caro- lina appointed him governor of North Caro- lina, and in 1693 of both North and South Carolina. He held office till 1694, when, tired of the quarrels of that turbulent country, he resigned. He continued in the council in Vir- ginia and in 1690-92 was agent for the Cul- pepers in the Northern Neck. In 1693 he was one of the first board of visitors of William and Mary College. He heired from his brother Thomas, "Rich Neck," near Williams- burg, but his chief residence was at "Green Spring," which he obtained by his marriage with Lady Berkeley. About 1700, leaving his estates in the hands of his son Philip, he went to England, where he was living as late as 1711. Col. Philip Ludwell married, in or be- fore 1667 (first) Lucy, widow of Col. William Bernard, and before that of Maj. Lewis Bur- well, and daughter of Capt. Robert Higginson ; (second) Lady Frances (Culpeper) Berkeley. His son Philip (by his first marriage ) and his grandson Philip were both members of the council.
Johnson, Richard, lived in New Kent county in 1679, when he was styled "Captain Richard Johnson," and the following year was a justice and captain of horse there. On June 10, 1691, Gov. Nicholson wrote to England that there were vacancies in the council and recommended for one of the places Lieut .- Col. Richard Johnson, a member of the house of burgesses. He was not appointed, however, until 1696, when Andros gave him a seat in
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