Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/158

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

ernor of Virginia, for the post of "Governor of the fort at Point Comfort," Thomas BeaTe, of whose, "abiHty and prudence the King had had long experience." During Bacon's rebel- Hon, Col. Beale was one of the signers of the pioclamation. dated Aug. ii, 1676, calling the election of burgesses for an assembly to meet Sept. 4. York county records show a deed from "Lieut. Col. Thomas Beale" and "Alice his wife." He left a son Capt. Thomas Beale, from whom Gen. R. L T. Beale, of the con- federate army, was descended. This Capt. Beale married Anne Gooch, daughter of Councillor Major William Gooch.

Corbin, Henry, was a member of an an- cient family in the counties of Stafiford and Warwick in England, and the son of Thomas Corbin of Hall End, \\'arwickshire, and his wife Winifred, daughter of Gawin Grosvenor of Sutton Colfield in the same county. Henry Corbin was born, according to a deposition, about 1629, and came to Virginia in 1654. There is an old family tradition which his resi- dence in England makes probable, that he as- sisted' Charles II. in his escape after AVor- cester. Upon his arrival in X^irginia, Corbin seems to have at once settled in that part of Lancaster county that is now Middlesex, and to have made his home there through life. Upon June 5, 1657, the governor and council directed that Henry Corbin should be of the quorum in the court of Lancaster. He re- mained a justice of Lancaster until the forma- tion of Middlesex, and then became a member of the court of the new county. He was a burgess from Lancaster in 1659 and 1660, and at the same time was collector of customs for his district. He was a councillor in 1663. in which year he was appointed one of the com- missioners on the part of Virginia to treat

with Maryland with regard to the cessation of tobacco culture. He was frequently present at the meetings of the council until his death, Jan. 8, 1676. Col. Henry Corbin acquired a great landed estate, his chief residence being "Buckingham House" in ^Middlesex county. He married Alice, daughter of Richard Elton- head, of Eltonhead, Lancashire, and widow of Rowland Burnham of Middlesex, Virginia. The date of this marriage has been given as July 5, 1645. but 1655 is evidently intended. He has many descendants in Virginia and the south.

Smith, Robert. If one may judge by the high military rank attained by Robert Smith in the colony, it seems probable that he had been an officer in the English army before ccniing to America. The first appearance of his name in the extant records, is as a member of the council in 1663. but it is quite possible that he may have been appointed to that body a-, the restoration. He soon became a man of prominence and was appointed one of the three major generals in the militia. As "Ma- jor General Robert Smith," he was present in council in March, 1666, and on July 10, of the same year, when an attack from a Dutch fleet was expected. The governor and council ordered IMaj. Gen. Robert Smith to demand and seize all ammunition in the hands of any one in the colony. On Juh 12, he was ap- pointed one of the commissioners on the part of Virginia to treat with Maryland concern- ing the culture of tobacco. He is recorded as being present at meetings of the council as late as 1671, and not long after this, must have been sent to England as the colony's agent, as on July 2, 1673. he is referred to as the agent of Virginia and authorized by the assembly to purchase as many shares as possible in the