Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/39

Rh the privy council upon the charter. During this time he caused to be made the copies of the Virginia records which are now preserved in the Library of Congress and were recently published. Despite all his efforts the company was deprived of its patent in 1624.

Ferrar was a well known man in political circles. In 1624 he was elected to parliament for Lymington, and took part in the impeachment of the lord treasurer, the Jarl of Middlesex, who had been foremost in the dissolution of the Virginia Company. But this was the last act of Ferrar's political life. Disgusted with the world of business and politics, he wound up his business concerns and retired to Little Giddings, in Huntingdonshire, and established there a settlement of a religious nature. He was joined by the families of his brother John, and his brother-in-law, John Collet. The entire household comprised 30 persons. He himself acted as chaplain of the community. There was a definite occupation for every hour of the day, and vigils were kept during the night. Little Giddings was the school, the infirmary and the dispensary of the region round about. Thus engaged and removed from the turmoil of the world, Nicholas Ferrar yielded up his pure soul December 4, 1637. He never married.

Rich, Sir Robert, eldest son of Robert Rich, third Lord Rich, born in May or June, 1587; made a knight of the Rath at the coronation of James I., July 25, 1603, and succeeded his father as second Earl of Warwick in April, 1619. He played an important though not always enviable part in the affairs of Virginia and New England. In 1616, when the Duke of Savoy was at war with Spain, he sent out several ships under the commission of the Duke to prey upon Spanish commerce. One of these ships, the Treasurer, under Captain Daniel Elfrith, roved about in the West Indies, where she took certain negroes from the Spaniards, and in consort with a man-of-war of Flushing brought them to Virginia in 1619. These were the first negroes imported. Rich was added to the council for Virginia in 1619. Having quarrelled with Sir Thomas Smythe, the treasurer of the company, because of bad feeling created by the marriage of his sister Isabel to Smythe's son, Sir John Smythe, he united with the popular party in the Virginia Company and elected Sir Edwin Sandys as treasurer. He soon repented of this act, and was afterwards a bitter opponent of Southampton and Sandys, and contributed to the abrogation of the charter in 1624. After the dissolution he was a member of the council for Virginia appointed by the King. Warwick River county, founded in 1634, was named for him, which in 1643 received its present name, Warwick county.

He was active in the affairs of New England, was member of the New England council in 1620, signed the first Plymouth patent, June 1, 1621, and was president of the New England council, 1630-32. He was also interested in the Bermudas, the Bahamas and in Guiana. He espoused the Puritan side in the civil wars, and parliament in 1643 made him admiral of the islands and coasts of America, but he was deprived of this office in 1645. In May, 1648, he was made lord high admiral by parliament, but his commission was revoked the following year. When Cromwell succeeded to power, Lord Rich made friends with him, and on his death April 18, 1658, left his estate more improved and repaired than any man who figured in the rebellion.

Rich, Sir Nathaniel, eldest son of Richard, illegitimate son of Robert, second Lord Rich; member of parliament at different times;