Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/115

 COLONIAL COUNCILLORS OF STATE

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btgun with the intention of exploring the coast Hne, he was driven out of his course by storms and wrecked on the Azores, where ho was seized, tried for piracy and in danger of being hung. He escaped in some unknown manner and return to England, but was chosen in. 1623 to carry to \irginia and there pub- lish throughout the country three royal procla- mations. He was also appointed one of the commis.'^ioners to inquire into the condition of the colony. After his return to London from this second American voyage, he be- came a member of the home council for \'ir- ginia, but never again crossed the water. He lived in London until about 1631, writing news letters. In this year he withdrew from active life to the retirement of his home at Sutton Saint Edmunds, where he lived until his death in 1635-36.

Tucker, Daniel, was a native of Milton, in Kent, and was the son of George Tucker, of that place. As was the case of so many young gentlemen of that age, he came under the in- fluence of the romiantic west and the new dis- coveries, and took to a seafaring life in con- sequence. In 1606 he sailed with Challoner to North \'irginia, and was prominent in the South \'irginia Colony from 1608 to 161 3. He became a member of the Virginia Com- pany und«-r tliC charter of 1600, and the fol- lowing year was appointed by Lord Delaware tc be "clerk in the store" in Virginia. There is an interesting record in the proceedings of the Virginia Company of the request made by Tucker that the company confer upon him twenty shares for his five years service, in con- sideration of the several eminent offices he had held in the colony. He then enumerates these to have been cape merchant, provost master, one of the council, truck master and vice-ad-

miral. It seems to have been conceded that Tucker was a very capable as well as indus- trious and energetic member of the community, but he never attained a higher office in the Jamestown colony than that of councillor. It ii probable that it was well for Virginia that this was so, as the subsequent chapter in his life does not redound so much to his credit. In 1615-16 Tucker was commissioned gov- ernor of Bermuda, the first man to hold the office. It may have been that his was a nature that could not resist the temptations of power, but certain it is that after a three years tenure of office, he was accused of severe oppression of the commonality and was obliged to return to England to defend himself, and leave one Miles Kendall as his deputy. Evidently the charges were w^ell sustained as Tucker was never reinstated in spite of the fact that he was admitted to have exercised "great pains and industry" in his government. He returned to the islands, nevertheless, sometime prior to 1623 and lived there until his death about a year later at Port Royal. He was buried Feb. 10, 1624-25. Governor Tucker has many de- scendants living in Bermuda, the United States. England and India.

Newce, Thomas, came from a family seated at Much Hadham, Hertfordshire. The pedi- gree of this famil}- in the "Visitation" of 1634, begins with Clement Xewce of London, Mer- cer, whose great grandson, William Newce of Much Hadham, married Mary, daughter of Sir John Fanshawe, and had issue: i. Thomas, councillor of \'irginia; 2. William, councillor of \'irginia ; 3. Henry; 4. Clement. At a meeting of the Virginia Company, May 17, 1620, Mr. Treasurer signified to the court the company's former resolve for the entertain- ment of two new officers by them, namely.