Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/65

 COLONIAL PRESIDEXTS AND GOVERNORS

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three times: i. Samuel Stephens; 2. Sir Wil- liam Berkeley ; 3. Colonel Philip Ludwell. Her brother. Alexander Culpeper, was surveyor- general of the colony from 1672 to 1692.

Kemp, Richard, deputy governor from 1644 to 1645. was a sun, it is believed, of Sir Robert Kemp, of Gissing. in Suffolk county, Eng- land. He succeeded William Claiborne as secretary of state in 1634. When in 1639 Harvey was supplanted as governor by Sir Francis Wyatt. Kemp, by the influence of Lord Baltimore and Secretary of State Winde- bank, retained his place as secretary. Incur- ring the enmity of Rev. Anthony Panttju. whom Harvey and himself had treated with great severity, he returned to England in 1640 to defend his conduct, leaving his friend (jeorge Reade as deputy secretary. Richard Kemp staid in England about two years, and returned in 1642 to his old post, with Sir Wil- liam Berkeley. He was deputy governor dur- ing the absence of the latter in England from June. 1644 to June. 1645. He made his will in 1649. and his widow Elizabeth (whose maiden name is not known ) married (sec- ondly) Sir Thomas Lunsford. and after his death (thirdly) Major-General .Robert Smith. He left no children, but there is a numerous X'irginia family of his name descended from his nephew. Edmund Keni]).

Bennett, Richard, governor of X'irginia from April 30. 1652. until March 2. 1655. was of the same family as Henry Bennett Lord Arlington. His uncle EdAvard Ijennett. an eminent London merchant, was a member of the London Company, and wi-th other persons of means planted in 1621 a settlement in W'ar- iscoyack. or Isle of Wight county. Virginia, which was known as Edward Bennett's plan- tation. .\t the time of the Indian uprising in

March, i22. more than fifty persons were killed at this settlement. In 1624 Robert Ben- nett, merchant, and Rev. William Bennett, minister, were living at Edward Bennett's plantation. They were probably his kinsmen. In 1629 Richard Bennett was a burgess from the Wariscoyack district, and in 1632 was one of the county court. In 1639 he was a coun- cillor. He was a Puritan in sympathy, and joined in a petition, which was taken by his brother Philip to Boston, asking for three able ministers to occupy parishes in his neighbor- hood. When Sir William Berkeley in 1649 drove the I'uritans out of Nansemond and Elizabeth City counties, Bennett went with them to -Maryland, but only stayed a short time. In 1651 he was living on P>ennett's creek in Nansemond comity, and that year he was named by parliament as one of the commis- sioners for the reduction of Virginia. WHien \irginia submitted, he was elected by the gen- eral assembly governor of the colony. He held office from April 30, 1652, to March 30, 1655. when he was sent to England as agent. On November 30. 1657. he signed the agreement with Lord Baltimore by which the latter's claim to Maryland was finally recognized. -After the restoration of Charles II.. Bennett lield the offices of councillor and maj(jr-gen- eral of the militia. In 1667 he went as a com- missioner to Maryland to negotiate for a ces- sation in the cultivation of tobacco, the price having fallen very low. He was a member of the council as late as 1675. ^"^1 his ^^'i^' ^^'^s proved April 12. 1675. His daughter -Anne married Theodorick Bland, of Virginia, and his son and grandson of the same name were members of the council of Maryland.

Digges, Edv^^ard, go\ernor of \'irginia from March 30. 1655. to March 13, 1658. son of