Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/57

 COLONIAL I'RESIDEXTS AND (iO\ERXORS

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lute governor could obviate the dissensions and taction that characterized the history of the colony. A help to order lay. it was believed, in the selection of a man whose rank would inspire respect, and when the second charter was obtained the \'irginia Company turned to Lord Delaware. As he was. however, unable to go at once, they conferred the office of governor temporarily upon Sir Thomas Gates. (Jn February 2S>. 1610, Delaware was commis- sioned governor of the X'irginia colony for life, and was sent with 150 emigrants, chiefly workmen, to the assistance of Jamestown. He arrived at Point Comfort. June 7. 1610. just in time to save the colony from abandonment by Gates. Delaware sent the pinnace /'/r- i/tJiia u]) the river to meet the departing set- tlers, and under the orders of the new gov- ernor they were all taken back again to James- town. Sunday. June 10. Lord Delaware him- self arrived. He had tlie town cleaned and rehabilitated the frail houses. The settlement of four acres was defended by new palisades and everything was made safe and comfort- able for the time being, lie next proceeded to settle matters with the Indians, and after driv- ing Pochins and his tribe from Kecoughtan he erected two forts at the mouth of Ilani])ton river, called Charles and llenr). about three miles from Point Comfort. In the interim he sent out an expedition to search for mines above the falls, but the Indians were very troublesome and no mines were found. It was the fashion of the times to boost the country at the expense of the jioor colonists, who were traduced and villified. Delaware, in a letter to the London Company. ])ursued the example, but retribution followed fast. The great trou- ble was the unhealthiness of the country and the rotten supplies sent over, which introduced sickness and death, and Delaware was literallv

l)o,nibard'ed out of the country b)- a coml)ined attack of ague. tlux. cramp and gout. To save his life he went first to the West Indies, whence he sailed to England, where he arrived rather crestfallen about a year after his depar- ture. He remained in the latter country till 1618. and in his absence the g'n'ernment of X'irginia was administered b\ Deputy Gov- ernors Gates. Hale, ^'ardley and .\rgall. In the latter \ear he was sent again to X'ir- ginia to rescue the government from the hands of Samuel Argall. who had incurred the strong resentment of the X'irginia Company of London, but on the way over he died June 7. 1618. aged forty-one. He married Cecily, daughter of Sir Tlioma> Sherlex'. I lis son and successor was Henry, foiu-th Lord Dela- ware, who married Isabella, daughter of Sir Thomas Edmunds. Governor Delaware had three brothers — bTancis XX'est, John XX'esl anci Xatlianiel XX'est. who all lived in X'irginia. and the first two of whom were deputy governors at different times ; XX'illiam XX^est, a nephew, was killed by Indians at the Falls of James river. X'irginia. in 1611. Through Captain John \X'est. the noMe family of the Delawares is widely represented in X'irginia and the so'i^.i and west.

Yardley, George, deput} go\ ernor of X'ir- ginia. from .Xlav. 1616. to May. 1617 and governor and captain-general of X'irginia fr ;m \pril. 1619 to November 18. 1621. and from May 17, 1626 to November 13. 1627. was son of Ralph X'ardley. citizen and merchant tailor of r)ionshaw Lane. London, who married (i)

.Xgnes Abbot and (2) Rhoda. He was

one of four brothers : Ralph ; George, the sub- ject of the present sketch; John and Thomas: and a sister Anne, who married Edward Irby. He served like many other of the earlv set^ler*^