Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/54

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MRGIXIA BIOGRAPHY

fowl, etc. He reached Point Comfort or Algernourne Fort on May 22, 161 1, and succeeded Captain George Percy in commanl of the colony. He found forts Charles and Henry, at the mouth of Hampton river, deserted, and his first labor was to restore them. Constituting James Davis as captain of all three forts, he sailed up the river and arrived at Jamestown May 29. 161 1, where he landed and heard a sermon from Rev. Mr. Poole, .\fter consulting his council, Dale set about many extensive improvements at James- town and determined to build a new town at Henrico, near the Indian town of Arrohateo. F''ears of the intervention of the Spaniards had long disturbed the colonists and there was 2. great excitement in the colony when some Spaniards from ships sent to find out about the Knglish settlement, landing at Point Comfor*:, were captured and sent to Jamestown, where they were detained in captivity for a long time. He began the work of building the settlement at Henrico under the severest code of martial law. introduced by Gates, and which he ruthlessly enforced. Gates, who arrived August I and became Dale's superior officer, endorsed his policy. After Gates' departure for England in 1614. Dale was again chief magistrate in Virginia. While he has received praise for his administration of affairs it appears to have been in large measure unde- served. The men were given food not fit for hogs, and mutinies repeatedly occurred, which were suppressed by the most atrocious cruel- ties. When Dale left Virginia in 1616, there were only 300 settlers living in the colony, and the frail habitations at Henrico, which he had built in bloofl. were decayed and ready to fall. He took with him to England Pocahontas and several other Indians, who attracted much attention and k-nt a glamour to his return.

The states general of the Low Countries paid him fi.ooo for the period when he was in X'irginia. though during that time he rendered no service. A vo}'age was intended for the East Indies, and Dale was selected to head it. His fleet arrived near Java on December 23, 1618, and in conjunction with Captain Martin Pring he made an attack on the Dutch fleet. It was ■'a cruel bloody fight" and both sides claimed the victory. He arrived with his fleet at Masulipitan July 19 and he died there August 9. 1619, after twenty days of languishing sick- ness. Sir Thomas Dale married, in January, 161 1. EHzabeth. daughter of Sir Thomas Throckmorton and his wife Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Sir Richard Berkeley.

West, Thomas, Lord Delaware, second governor of Virginia, was the son of Sir Thomas West, second Lord Delaware, and Annie his wife, daughter of Sir Francis Knollys and Katherine Gary, his wife. He was one of thirteen children, and was born July 9. 1577; educated at Oxford, and was a Master of Arts at that university. He early saw military service and was a great friend of the Earl of Essex, who knighted him at Dub- lin. July 12, 1599. He was implicated in the Essex rebellion and was imprisoned. Essex, however, asked pardon of his father, the second Lord Delaware, for bringing his son into danger. After the father's death, March 24, 1602, he succeeded as third Lord Dela- ware, and was a member of the privy council of Queen EHzabeth, and on her death became a privy councillor to King James. He took a most active interest in the American enterprise, and in 1609 was a member of the superior council of Virginia in England. The experi- ence with the first charter left the impression with the public, that only a supreme and abso-