Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/145

 COLONIAL COUNXILLORS OF STATE

115

cKned the honor. He is recorded as being j:) resent at a session of tlie council in 1 651. Mis death occurred about 1652. Through his son W'aher, who was a member of the house of burgesses, he is numerously represented in \'irginia.

Epes or Eppes, Francis, first styled cap- tain and afterwards lieutenant-colonel, settled before 1625, in what soon became Charles City county. In the same year he was a mem- ber of the house of burgesses, and in Feb., 1631-32. represented in that house "Both Shir- ley Hundreds, the Farrar's and Chaplayne's." He was appointed a commissioner (justice) for Charles City and Henrico counties in 1631, and in 1639 and 1645, was a burgess from Charles City. It was on April 30, 1652, that Epes was elected a member of the council, and he probably died before 1655. On Aug. 26, 1635, he patented 1700 acres of land in Charles City county, on the south side of James river, bounded on the east by Bayly's cieek. and on the west by Cosons (Cawson's) creek and the Appomattox river. Some of thiis land is believed to be owned by his de- scendants. Col. Francis Epes probably mar- ried in England, and the arms borne by his descendants in \'irginia are the same as those ascribed in English heraldic works to "Epes. or Ei)i)s. of Canterbury. Kent."

Cheesman or Chisman, John, was born in 1595 and came to \'irginia in the ship "Flying Hart" in 1621. At a later date, he lived in ^ ork county, where he was a justice in 1633. a captain in 1637 and a member of the house of burgesses in March, 1642-43. On April 30, 1652, as "Lieutenant-Colonel John Chees- man," he w^as elected councillor by the bur- gesses. Cheesman must have returned to Eng- land about 1 66 1, as in that vear he was men-

tioned in a power of attorney to Lawrence Smith as of the "parish of St. Alary Magda- lene in Bermondsea, in the County of Surry, merchant." Lender this power. Smith, in 1662, leased for twenty-one years, to Edmund Cheesman, or Chisman, of l*oquoson parish, York county, X'irginia, brother of said John Cheesman. the councillor, all of that gentle- man's property in York county. Col. John Ch.CLsman died before 1678, as in that year his wi'.ow Margaret gave a power of attorney to her "cozen," Thomas Cheesman, in \'ir- ginia. Councillor Cheesman's brother, Ed- mund Cheesman, was the father of the Ed- nuuul Cheesman. who took an active i)arr in Bacon's rebellion and was sentenced to death by Gov. Berkeley, but died in prison. The family is numerously represented in Virginia.

Lunsford, Sir Thomas, son of Thomas Lunsford. of Wilegh, Sussex, England, was born about 16 10. Though but little is known of his life in \"irginia, and his only memorial there is a stone, his name was once a familiar one in every hamlet in England, and was the object of the most intense hatred and fear to a large part of the English people. He was, according to Clarendon, of a very old family, but of small fortune and without much edu- cation. His youth was wild and he was im- prisoned and fined i9,cxx>, for outrages of a violent kind. He made his escape into France, however, and a sentence of outlawry was pro- nounced against him in England. L'pon his return to England, he was pardoned by the King and a large part of his fine remitted. In the following year, 1640, he was given a com- mand against the Scots and distinguished him- self at Newburn in spite of the English de- feat. The King,, who seems to have regarded him with favor from the start, now rewarded