Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/131

 COLONIAL COLWCILLORS OF STATE

ordered him to make an attack upon the In- dians. As "Captain Thomas I'urefoy." he was a member of the house of burgesses for "tl^e lower parts of EHzabeth City," at the ses- sion of March, 1629-30. and on Dec. 20, 1621, appears as a councillor, lie was probably appointed by Harvey, whom he always faith- fully supported during the long dispute be- tween the governor and the council and bur- gesses. When this contest reached a climax and an address from the house of burgesses to the English government was being circu- lated for signatures, the people of the lower country went in such numbers to sign it that "Captain Purfry took an affright that caused him to write to the Governor of many inci- dent dangers, insomuch that he durst not keep a court until he heard from him or had a letter from the King." Samuel Mathews says that in this letter Capt. Purefoy accused the people cf being "in a near sense to rebellion, which since he denied, it being very usual with him to affirm and deny often the same things." This, of course, is the opinion of a member of the hostile party. The opinion of another contemporary is very different. "He is a sol- dier and a man of open heart, hating for aught I can see all kinds of dissimulation and base- ness." In spite of his adherence to Harvey, Purefoy continued a member of the council after the governor's deposition, and was one of those whom the King thought fit to allow to retain their seats. He named, according to a land patent, one of his estates, a i.ooo acre track. "Drayton," doubtless after a place of tl-at name mentioned by Burke as a seat of the Purefoys in England. He left a son Thomas who had an only daughter h'rances who had many descendants in X'irginia — Tabbs. fJookers, Lowrys, etc. Capt. Purefoy was alive in 1640.

Peirce, William, came from England in the "Sea X'enture" in 1609 and was, for many years one of the foremost men of the colony. In May, 1623, Gov. Wyatt appointed him cap- tain of the guard and commander of James City. In the same year, the governor ordered "Captain W'm. Peirce, Captain of his guard and lieutenant governor of James City," to lead an expedition against the Chickahominies. This Peirce did, falling upon them on July 23, "with no small slaughter." He had already made a very favorable impression upon George Sandys, the treasurer of \'irginia, who wrote to England in 1623 that William Peirce, the governor of Jamestown, was inferior to none in experience, ability and capacity and recom- mended him for appointment to the council. In 1627. he was again commissioned to attack the Chickahominies with Thomas Harwood as hih second in command. In 1629. he was in England and while there, prepared "A Rela- tion of the Present State of the Colony of Vir- ginia, by Capt. William Perse, an ancient planter of twenty years standing there." He states that there were in X'irginia between four and five thousand English, generally well housed, besides much other valuable informa- tion in regard to those times. In 1631, Peirce was appointed a member of the council and, on December 20, signed the accord between that body and Governor Harvey. He was a strong opponent of Harvey's misgovernment and was one of the councillors who, on .April 28, 1635, arrested and deposed him. himself leading thirty, or according to some accounts, fifty musketeers to beset Harvey's house. Early in the next month, when Claiborne com- plained to the new governor. West, and the council of his treatment in Maryland. Capts. Utie and Peirce were sent to that colony to protest, to the authorities there, against their