LORD DE LA WARR.
Sir Thomas West, third Lord De La Warr (or Delaware, as the name
now obtains in America), the first resident Governor-in-Chief of the
Colony of Virginia, and the descendant of a long line of noble ancestry,
was born about the year 1579. His relatives and family connections,
who were closely allied with royalty, were among the most active and
influential agents of American colonization. The Virginia colony being
in a languishing condition, the London Company obtained, May 23,
1609, a second charter, with enlarged privileges and territory, and, under
it, Lord De La Warr received the appointment of "Governor and
Captain General of Virginia" for life. He is contemporaneously characterized
as "one of approved courage, temper and experience," and as
"religious, wise, and of a valorous mind." The newly organized Company
embraced an imposing representation of rank, wealth and influence,
and to the "example, constancy and resolution" of Lord De
La Warr is ascribed this revival of "that which was almost lifeless."
The new Governor arrived at Jamestown, June 10, 1610, and immediately
instituted vigorous measures for the recuperation of the drooping
settlement. The church at Jamestown was repaired and religious
services regularly held; two forts were built on the Southampton river, and
called after the King's sons, Henry and Charles, respectively. The administration
of Lord De La Warr, though ludicrously ostentatious for so
insignificant a dominion, was yet highly wholesome, and under his judicious
discipline the settlement was restored to order and contentment.
His health failing, Lord De La Warr sailed March 28, 1611, for the
Island of Mevis, for the benefit of the warm baths, leaving his colony in
the charge of Captain George Percy. His health improving somewhat, he
desired to return to his government in Virginia, but was overruled by
medical advice, and sailed for England instead. His generous exertions for
the welfare of the Colony here continued were most assiduous, and were
largely instrumental in the frequent procurement for it of new supplies,
and in securing a third and yet more advantageous charter for the
Company, which was granted by the King, March 12, 1611-12. Lord
De La Warr set sail from England to return to Virginia some time in
March or April, 1618, but unfortunately died in or near Delaware Bay,
on the 7th of June following, sealing his devotion to the Colony
with his life, after having dissipated his fortune in the advancement of
its interests. The portrait of Lord De La Warr given in this work is
from a photograph of the original at Buckhurst Park, in the county of
Sussex, England, the seat of the present Earl De La Warr, and was
furnished by Hon. L. S. Sackville West, a younger brother of the Earl
and the present British minister at Washington, D. C. He prepared a
"
Relation" of the planting of his Colony in Virginia, which was published
at London in 1611. It was reprinted (50 copies) in 1859,
and again by R. W. Griswold (20 copies) in 1868. A letter from Lord
De La Warr, July 7, 1610, from the Harleian manuscript, is printed in
the Hakluyt Society's edition of Strachey, p. xxiii.
