Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/89

 COLONIAL PRESIDENTS AND GOVERNORS

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took warning, and Dr. Dlair had the hearty cooperation of Drysdale and Gooch in all measures for the advancement of the college. When Gooch went on the expedition against Carthagena. Blair, as the oldest member and president of the council, succeeded him. The end of a useful life of 89 yeais occurred April 18, 1743. He married Sarah Harrison, daugh- ter of lienjajuin Harrison, in 1687, but they left no issue. His nephew, John Blair, son of his brother Dr. .Vrchibald Tdair, succeeded him as heir to his i)roperty and honors.

Robinson, John, president of the council, became acting governor on the departure of Sir William Gooch for England, June 20, 1749. His grandfather was John Robinson, of Cleasby, Yorkshire, England, who married Elizabeth Potter, daughter of Christopher Potter of Cleasby. His uncle was Dr. John Robinson, Bishop of Bristol and London, who served as British envoy to Sweden, writing while there a history of Sweden, and was also P)ritish plenipotentiary at the treaty of Utrecht. His father was Christopher Robinson, a mem- ber of the \'irginia council in 1691-93, and secretary of state in 1692-93, who married Judith, daughter of Colonel Christopher W'or- meley. John Robinson was born in 1683 in Middlesex county, \'irginia, at ■'Ilcwick," his father's residence on the Rappahannock river. He occupied many important positions in the colony, was member of the house of burgesses in 171 1 and other years, member of the coun- cil in 1720, and when (Governor Gooch left for F£ngland, June 20, 1749. became as president of the council, acting governor. In this capac- ity he served but a few months only, dying September 3, 1749. He married Katherine, daughter of Robert Beverley, author of a his- tory of \'irginia. and their son John was

sj)eaker of the house of burgesses and treas- urer of the colony.

Lee, Thomas, president of the council, and acting governor from the death of John Rob- inson. September 3, 1749, to his own death, November 14, 1750, was born in Westmore- land county, 1693. ^^^ was son of Colonel Richard Lee, who was one of the council of \'irginia, and grandson of Colonel Richard Lee, who came to X'irginia about 1642 and was secretary of state. Thomas Lee received a common education, "yet having strong natural parts, long after he was a man he learned the languages without any assistance but his own genius, and became tolerably adept in the (jreek and Latin." He was long a member of the house of burgesses and the council, and when John Robinson died became by seniority president of the council and as such acting governor. In 1744 he was appointed by Gov- ernor Gooch to serve as commissioner with William Beverley to treat with the Six Nations. At Lancaster, Pennsylvania, they made a treaty by which the Indians released their title to lands west of the Alleghanies. Thus having cleared the way, Lee became the leading factor in 1749 in the organization of the Ohio Company, which had as one of its objects the severing of the l-"rench settlements in Canada and Louisiana. The company obtained from the king a grant of 500,000 acres of land west of the Alleghanies, between the Kanawha and Ohio rivers. It established trad- ing posts, which, being seized by the Erench, were the direct cause of the French and In- dian war. It is .said that the king appointed Lee lieutenant-governor in 1750, but he died before the commission reached him. He was married in 1721 to Hannah, daughter of Col- onel Philip Ludwell, and had by her six sons.