Virginia: Colonial Governors: 1610-1680 |
| Governor of the Colony of Virginia [1] |
| 10/20 Jun 1610 - 1618 |
Sir Thomas West, Baron De La Warr [2][3] |
| 1618 - Mar/Apr 1619 |
Samuel Argall [4] |
| 19/29 Apr 1619 - 18/28 Nov 1621 |
Sir George Yeardley |
| 18/28 Nov 1621 - bf. 28 Jul/7 Aug 1626 |
Sir Francis Wyatt [5] |
| bf. 28 Jul/7 Aug 1626 - bf. 13/23 Nov 1627 |
Sir George Yeardley |
| 14/24 Nov 1627 - 5/15 Mar 1629 |
Francis West |
| 5/15 Mar 1629 - 24 Mar/3 Apr 1630 |
John Pott |
| 24 Mar/3 Apr 1630 - 28 Apr/8 May 1635 |
Sir John Harvey [6] |
| May 1635 - 18/28 Jan 1637 |
John West |
| 18/28 Jan 1637 - Oct/Nov 1639 |
Sir John Harvey |
| Oct/Nov 1639 - 8/18 Mar 1642 |
Sir Francis Wyatt |
| 8/18 Mar 1642 - 12/22 Mar 1652 |
Sir William Berkeley [7] |
| 30 Apr/10 May 1652 - 31 Mar/10 Apr 1655 |
Richard Bennett |
| 31 Mar/10 Apr 1655 - Mar 1657 |
Edward Digges |
| Mar 1657 - Jan 1660 |
Samuel Mathews, Jr. [8] |
| Feb 1660 - 9/19 Jul 1677 |
Sir William Berkeley [9] |
| 9/19 Jul 1677 - 17/27 Dec 1678 |
Herbert Jeffreys [10] |
| 30 Dec 1678/9 Jan 1679 - 10/20 May 1680 |
Sir Henry Chicheley |
| |
| [1] |
Also in official use: Governor of Virginia, Governor of the Colony and Plantation of Virginia, Governor and Captain General of the Colony of Virginia. |
| [2] |
Appointed "principall Governor, Commander and Captain Generall both by Land and Sea over the said Collonie and all other Collonies planted or to be planted in Virginia" "during the term of his natural life" by His Majesty's Council for the Company of Adventurers and Planters of the First Colony in Virginia on 28 Feb/10 Mar 1610. He arrived to Virginia where his commission was read and proclaimed on 10/20 Jun 1610. |
| [3] |
According to Smith's History of Virginia, De La Warre departed for England on 28 Mar/7 Apr 1611 and his functions devolved on deputy governors (George Percy 1611, Sir Thomas Dale 1611 and 1614-1616, Sir Thomas Gates 1611-1614, George Yeardley 1616-1617, Samuel Argall 1617-1618). He died during his return trip in 1618 (conflicting accounts cite various dates and places). The date of his death established by inquisition post mortem is 7/17 Jun 1618 (cited in Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, 4:160-161). |
| [4] |
Argall was appointed deputy governor and arrived to the shores of Virginia on 15/25 May 1617, acting for the absent De La Warre until the latter died in 1618. Argall continued in office to Mar/Apr 1619 when he departed for England, leaving Nathaniel Powell "for his Deputy" (Smith's History of Virginia). |
| [5] |
Wyatt departed for England shortly after 17/27 May 1626 as evident from his letter to the Privy Council. Yeardley, who had been appointed governor on 14/24 Mar 1626, arrived to Virginia in the summer of 1626 (the first General Court at which he presided was held on 28 Jul/7 Aug 1626. |
| [6] |
Harvey was confronted by the members of the Council on 28 Apr/8 May 1635, and later was forced to deposit his commission with the Council and was effectively taken into custody. John West was elected governor either by the Council or by the General Assembly on 7/17 May 1635 or about that date. Harvey departed for England where he was again appointed governor on 2/12 Apr 1636, returned to Virginia and had his commission read on 18/28 Jan 1637. |
| [7] |
Surrendered the government to the commissioners of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England on 12/22 Mar 1652. |
| [8] |
Elected governor by the Grand Assembly in Dec 1656 and assumed the functions of office after the departure of Edward Digges in Mar 1657. |
| [9] |
Berkeley resumed the functions of governor probably in Feb 1660, summoning the Grand Assembly which elected him to the office on or after 13/23 Mar 1660. |
| [10] |
Jeffreys was appointed Lieutenant Governor on 11/21 Nov 1676 to serve during the absence of Berkeley. He proclaimed the assumption of functions of governor on 27 Apr/7 May Apr 1677, acting for Berkeley who departed for England on 5/15 May 1677 and died in London on 9/19 Jul 1677. |
