Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/144

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

tnnate King. When Sir William had com- pleted two books of his heroic poem "Gondi- bert," upon which most of his reputation as a poet rests, the Queen ordered him to go to Virginia to convey to the colony some men skilled in various mechanical arts whom she thought would be useful there. Accompanied by the emigrants, and armed with a c(jmmis- sion as councillor, the poet set sail for James- town, but he was destined never to fulfill his charge, for before he was out of sight of the French coast, he was captured by a parliament ship and. carried a prisoner to Cowes Castle, where he was kept confined for two years. Here his life was spared partly through the influence of Milton, for whom, in true poetic justice, he was enabled to do a like service later in life. Sir William Davenant never made a second attemi)t to come to X'irginia. After his release from prison he devoted him- self to his literary work until his death. Se])t. 7, 1658.

Stegg or Stagg, Thomas, merchant of Lon- don, came to the colony in or before 1636, when Gov. Harvey called him one of the "ablest merchants in Virginia." On Jan. 6. 1^39- ^1^ received a grant of i.ooo acres be- tween "Oldman's and Queen's Creeks," in Charles City county, which became his place of residence. In 1640 he aided Secretary Kemp to escape from the colony without the consent of the governor and council, and for this ofifence was fined fifty pounds and sen- tenced to be imprisoned during the governor's pleasure. It is probable that the imprison- ment was not of long duration, as he was a burgess from Charles City county in March, 1642-43. At this session he was speaker of the house, and two years later was justice of the same county. He was included in the

commission of 1650 to the councillors, issued by Charles II. at Breda, but was at that time in England a partisan of parliament. He was aj/i;ointed one of the parliamentary commis- sioners to subdue Virginia, but the frigate "John," commanded by Capt. Dennis, himself ci commissioner, was lost on its way to \'ir- ginia in iC)^-' ^'""^l -^tegg and Dennis perished.

Chiles, Walter, merchant, came to X'irginia about 1638 and was granted 400 acres in Charles City county. As Lieut. -Col. Walter Chiles, he represented that county in 1642-43 in the house of burgesses. He subsequently removed to Jamestown Island and was bur- gess fcr James City county in 1645, 1645- 46 and 1649. He is recorded to have sailed from Rotterdam in his own ship, the "Fame of X'irginia," but, reaching \'irginia waters, was captured by the "Hopeful Adventur^^," Cajit. Rich.ard Husband, upon pretext that he l:ad no license. The Northampton court ordered Husband to release the vessel, but that bold captain, disregarding the order, calmly sailed away with it to the great anger of the worthy men of Northampton. It happened that when the dispute arising from this inci- dent came up before the assembly for settle- ment. Walter Chiles himself was a candidate for the speakership of that body. Gov. Bennet thereupon sent a note to the burgesses in v.-hich, after stating that he did not wish to "intrench upon the right of Asseinblies in the free choice of a speaker," pointed out that it would be highly inappropriate to appoint Chiles to any office in a body before which his own case must be tried. The assembly, however, with a sublime disregard of pro- priety and the interference of governors, jjromptly elected him to the post. Chiles him- self, however, very much to his honor, de-