Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/122

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\'IRGIXIA BIOGRAPHY

Pott, John, councillor and deputy governor (q. v.j

Percy or Piercy, Abraham, merchant came to \ irginia in the ship "Susan" in 1616 and was tor a number of years certainly between 1619 and 1623, cape-merchant and treasurer ol the colony. At the time of Argall's suspen- sion from the office of admiral of Virginia, he appointed Persey, "the Cape-merchant," his vice-admiral, but this the Virginia Company lield he had no power to do and instructed the governor and council of Virginia to make the appointment. Persey was a member of the house of burgesses in 1622, and on October 24, 1623, was appointed by the king one of the commissioners to examine the affairs in Vir- gmia. The following year he was appointed to the council and held his seat in that body until his death in 1628. Persey was un- floubtedly one of the richest men in the colony and his estate was for some time a bone of contention between his heirs. Its seizure by Governor Harvey was one of the numerous acts of that gentleman which aroused the ire of the colonists and finally led to his deposing. He married Frances, widow of Capt. Nathan- iel West, and she married thirdly Capt. Samuel Mathews. She was probably a daugh- ter of Sir Thomas Hinton.

Lapworth, Michael. Nothing is known of Michael Lapworth further than that the Vir- ginia Company appointed him a member of the council in 1621 and that he appears to have come to Virginia. The company, writing under date of July 25, 162 1 to the colonial authorities, say "and here againe we renew our commendation of Mr. Lapworth and that in a very effective manner."

Madison, Isaac, came to Virginia in 1608, only a year after the founding of Jamestown,

and was employed in exploring the country and probably in making maps, etc. He went to England in 1620 and while there, on July 10, 1621, the Virginia Company, in recognition of his services in the colony, presented him with two shares in the company. He seems to have returned to Virginia shortly, for im- mediately after the massacre of 1622, we find him actively employed against the Indians and becoming one of the best known soldiers of the colony. About the first of July, 1622, the governor sent Capt. Isaac Madison with thirty odd men to the Patomac, where it was thougnt corn could be purchased from the friendly Indians and a possible alliance with them be formed against the hostile tribes. Madison conducted the affair very badly, and, notwith- standing orders to the contrary was soon at odds with the well disposed savages. He was led into this by tales of a conspiracy on the part of the Indians which, though quite un- founded, moved him into an indefensible treachery against them whereby he captured the chief and his son and killed many of their unfortunate tribesmen. The captives were finally ransomed for a quantity of corn. Such perfidy did not pass altogether unnoticed by the better men among the colonists, and a com- plaint was taken to court which bitterly de- nounced Madison and his confederates. Proceedings were about to be instituted against them, but Madison left for England at about this time. But Madison's att was not at unpopular as it deserved to be. After the massacre of 1622, people felt that there was nothing too bad for the Indians and they lacked discrimination to except the tribes who were not responsible for the outrage. It thus happened that Madison became quite a hero with a lafge element of the populace. Madi- son's stay in England was a short one and he