Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/125

 COLONIAL COUNCILLORS OF STATE

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admitted to the \'irginia council. This motion was "conceived to be very reasonable," and it was "therefore ordered that it be moved in quarter court, and besides some place should be thought upon"' for the new councillor, "suitable to his merit and worth." On May 2, upon Mr. Smith's recommendation of his "worth and sufficiency," and as "having been a justice of the peace here in England for so many years, and of the (juorum," he was for- mally "chose and confirmed of the council of state in \'irginia," by the \'irginia Company. On July 16, 1 62 1, the company had received information of his death.

Leech, Mr., was appointed by a court of the Virginia Company a provisional member of the council of Virginia until he should receive confirmation by the next quarter court. This was on July 16, 1621. About August of that year, he went to \'irginia in the ship "Marma- duke," but nothing more is known of him, except that the governor and council of Vir- ginia, in a letter dated January, 1621, stated that they had administered the oaths to sev- eral new councillors, but not to Mr. Leech, "Who came not to us."

Wickham, William, a minister, though vvitb.out Episcopal ordination, had charge of the church at Henrico. Rolfe, writing in 1610, speaks of "Mr. Wickham the minister there, who in his life and doctrines gives good in- struction to the people." On June 19, 1617, Gov. Argall requested Sir Dudley Digges to procure from the Archbishop of Canterbury, permission for Mr. Wickham to administer the sacrament, as there was no other person to do it, and in the following March he de- sired "ordination for Mr. Wickham and Mr. Macock, a Cambridge scholar, and a person to read to (for?) Mr. Wickham, his eyes

being weak." In 1621 the Rev. William Wick- ham was appointed a member of the council. Nothing further is known of him.

Davison, Christopher, son of William Davi- son, who was secretary of state to Queen Eliza- beth, was elected secretary of Virginia by the Virginia Company on June 11, 1621, to suc- ceed John Pory. He came to the colony and was a member of the council in Jan., 162 1, and Jan.. 1623. He died soon after the last named date.

Whitaker, Jabez, styled in the old records "Captain Whitaker," was probably a brother ot the Rev. Alexander Whitaker, the early minister, as the father of that good divine had by his second wife, a posthumous son named Jabez. Capt. Whitaker was a member of the liouse of burgesses in Mar., 1623-24, and of the council in 1626. In the last named year he was living in Elizabeth City county. He married before 1619, a daughter of Sir John Bourchier, a member of the X'irginia Com- pany and uncle of the regicide of that name. Our councillor's name appears several times in the proceedings of the \lrginia Company. On Jan. 23, 1620, "Mr. Treasurer signified (that J having received notice of the good car- riage of some persons in \'irginia (he) was especially to recommend unto them one Mr. Jabez Whitakers, Lieutenant of the Company's men, who had given good account of the trust reposed in him," and in July, 1621, it was reported that "Mr. Whitaker had obeyed the Company's orders in building a guest house (at Kicotan) and had also begun to plant vines, corn, etc. ; it was therefore ordered as a reward, that two boys should be sent him, and that the reward of tobacco allowed by the Governor of Virginia should be confirmed."