Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/93

 COLONIAL PRESIDENTS AND GOVERNORS

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were appointed by the Crown. When Nor- borne Berkeley. Baron de Botetourt, died, October 15. 1770, the government devolved for a third time upon President Blair, but he immediately resigned on account of old age and infirmities and was succeeded by William Nelson. He died in Williamsburg. November 5, 1771, leaving by his wife Mary Monro, daughter of Rev. John Monro, a son John, member of the Federal convention of 1787 and one of the first judges of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Campbell, John, fourth Earl of Loudoun. and titular governor of Virginia (i 756-1 763), the only son of Hugh, third Earl of Loudoun, and Lady Margaret Dalrymple, only daughter of the first Earl of Stair, was born on 5 May, 1705. He succeeded his father as earl in 1731, and from 1734 till his death was a represen- tative peer of Scotland. He entered the army in 1727. was appointed governor of Stirling Castle in April, 1741. and became aide-de- camp to the King in July, 1743. He performed an important part in suppressing the rebellion of 1745. and had nearly the whole of his regi- ment killed at the battle of Preston. On Feb- ruary 17, 1756. Loudoun was appointed cap- tain-general and governor-in-chief of the prov- ince of Virginia, and on March 30, com- manderMn-chief of the British forces in Amer- ica in the PVench and Indian war. He arrived at New York on July 23. 1756. Owing to his own tardiness and the incompetency of those at the head of the government he accomplished nothing, and was therefore recalled to Eng- land. General Amherst being named his suc- cessor. On the declaration of war with Spain in 1762 he was appointed second in command, under Lord Tyrawley, of the troops sent to Portugal. He died at Loudoun Castle, April

2"/, 1762. He was unmarried, and on his death his title passed to his cousin, James Mure Campbell. He did much to improve the grounds around Loudoun Castle, in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Fauquier, Francis, colonial governor of X'irginia (1758-1768), was eldest son of Dr. John Francis Fauquier (one of the directors of the Bank of England, who died Septem- ber 22, 1726), and Elizabeth Chamberlayne, his wife. He was born in 1704, and though little appears to be known of his early life, he was distinguished for his learning, especially in the natural sciences, and in 1753 was made a fellow of the Royal Society. Previous to this, in 175 1, he was a director of the South Sea Company. In January, 1758, he was appointed lieutenant-governor of Virginia, and soon after his arrival on June 4, 1758, the clouds wdiich had hitherto hung over the Brit- ish fortunes in the French and Indian war passed away, and a tide of uninterrupted Brit- ish success set in. The treaty of peace in 1763 left the British power supreme in America and in the world. There are in the British museum nine letters written by Fauquier between 1759 and 1764. chiefly respecting the military forces of Virginia during his administration. The local agitations which led to the American Revolution began in Fauquier's administra- tion. In these he was, as far as his situation permitted, entirely on the popular side, the natural result of his devotion to scientific mat- ters, which made him hostile to dogmas of all kinds. In the matter of the Two Penny Act he gave the parsons to understand, that, law or no law, he was unequivocally against them. In 1760 he expressed great apprehensions to William Pitt that the colonies would not sub- mit to any stamp act. Fauquier was still gov-