Francis Nicholson | |
|---|---|
 Alleged portrait of Nicholson (there are no known authentic portraits of him) | |
| Governor of South Carolina | |
| In office 1721–1725 | |
| Monarch | George I |
| Preceded by | James Moore Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Middleton (acting) |
| Governor of Nova Scotia | |
| In office 1712–1715 | |
| Monarchs | Anne George I |
| Preceded by | Samuel Vetch |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Vetch |
| Governor of Virginia | |
| In office 1698–1705 | |
| Monarchs | William III Anne |
| Preceded by | George Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | Edward Nott |
| Governor of Maryland | |
| In office 1694–1698 | |
| Monarch | William III |
| Preceded by | Thomas Lawrence |
| Succeeded by | Nathaniel Blakiston |
| Lieutenant-governor of Virginia | |
| In office 1690–1692 | |
| Monarchs | William III andMary II |
| Preceded by | Nathaniel Bacon (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Sir Edmund Andros |
| Lieutenant-governor of theDominion of New England | |
| In office 1688–1689 | |
| Monarchs | James II William III andMary II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 November 1655 |
| Died | 5/16 March 1727/28 London, England |
| Resting place | St George's Hanover Square Church |
| Profession |
|
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | England Great Britain |
| Branch/service | English Army British Army |
| Years of service | 1680-1727/28 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Battles/wars | |
Lieutenant-GeneralFrancis Nicholson (12 November 1655 – 16 March 1728 [O.S. 5 March 1727][1]) was aBritish Army officer and colonial administrator who served as thegovernor of South Carolina from 1721 to 1725. He also served as thegovernor of Nova Scotia from 1712 to 1715, thegovernor of Virginia from 1698 to 1705, thegovernor of Maryland from 1694 to 1698, thelieutenant-governor of Virginia from 1690 to 1692 and the lieutenant-governor of theDominion of New England from 1688 to 1689.
Nicholson's military service included time in Africa and Europe, after which he was sent to North America as leader of the troops supporting Governor SirEdmund Andros in theDominion of New England. There Nicholson distinguished himself, and was appointed lieutenant governor of the Dominion in 1688. After news of theGlorious Revolution and the overthrow ofKing James II reached the colonies in 1689, Andros was himself overthrown in theBoston Revolt. Nicholson himself was soon caught up in the civil unrest fromLeisler's Rebellion inNew York Town, and afterwards fled toEngland.
Nicholson next served as lieutenant governor or governor of the colonies ofVirginia andMaryland. He supported the founding of theCollege of William and Mary, atWilliamsburg, Virginia, and quarreled with Andros after Andros was selected over him as governor of Virginia. In 1709, Nicholson became involved in colonial military actions duringQueen Anne's War, leading an aborted expedition against theFrench inNew France. He then led the expedition thatsuccessfully capturedPort Royal, Acadia on 2 October 1710. Afterward, Nicholson served as governor ofNova Scotia andPlacentia, and was the first royal governor of theProvince of South Carolina following a rebellion against its proprietors. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General, and died a bachelor inLondon,England, in 1728.
Nicholson supported public education in the colonies, and was a member of both theSociety for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts and theRoyal Society. He also influenced American architecture, being responsible for the planned layout and design of colonial/provincial capitals ofAnnapolis, Maryland andWilliamsburg, Virginia. Nicholson was one of the earliest advocates of colonial union, principally for reasons of defense against common enemies.
Nicholson was born in the village ofDownholme,Yorkshire,England, on 12 November 1655.[2] Little is known of his ancestry or early life, although he apparently received some education.[3] He served as apage in the household ofCharles Paulet (later the Marquess of Winchester and the Duke of Bolton), under whose patronage his career would be advanced. He waited on Paulet's daughter Jane, who marriedJohn Egerton, Earl of Bridgewater, another patron who promoted his career.[2]
His military career began in January 1678 when Paulet purchased for him an ensign's commission in theHolland Regiment, in which he saw service against the French inFlanders.[4][5] The regiment saw no combat, and was disbanded at the end of the year.[5] In July 1680 he purchased a staff lieutenant's commission in the newly formed2nd Tangier Regiment, which was sent toEnglish Tangier to reinforce the garrison holding the city.[2][5] Tangier's council was then headed by theDuke of York (laterKing James II),[4] and its governor was ColonelPercy Kirke. Nicholson distinguished himself in the service, carrying dispatches between the enemy Moroccan camp, Tangier, andLondon. In addition to favorable notice from Kirke, this brought Nicholson to the attention of the powerful colonial secretary,William Blathwayt.[6] Tangier was abandoned in 1684, and his regiment returned to England. During the service in Tangier he met a number of people who would figure prominently North American colonial history, includingThomas Dongan andAlexander Spotswood.[7]
Nicholson was probably with the regiment when it put downMonmouth's Rebellion in 1685, but his role in some of the more unsavory behaviour on the part of Kirke's troops is unknown.[6] Kirke, who had been selected byCharles II as the governor of the prospectiveDominion of New England, was strongly criticized for his role in the quashing of the rebellion, and James withdrew his nomination. The dominion's governorship instead went to SirEdmund Andros, and Nicholson, now a captain, accompanied Andros as commander of a company of infantry toBoston in October 1686.[8] Andros sent Nicholson on what was essentially a reconnaissance mission to FrenchAcadia. Under the cover of delivering a letter protesting a variety of issues to the Acadian governor, Nicholson made careful observations of Port Royal's defenses.[9] Nicholson impressed Andros in this service, and was soon appointed to the dominion's council.[10]
In 1688 theLords of Trade extended the dominion to includeNew York andEast andWest Jersey. Nicholson was commissioned the dominion's lieutenant governor, and traveled with Andros to New York to take control of those colonies.[8] Nicholson's rule, in which he was assisted by a local council but no legislative assembly, was seen by many New Yorkers as the next in a line of royal governors who "had in a most arbitrary way subverted our ancient privileges".[11] Nicholson justified his rule by stating that the colonists were "a conquered people, and therefore ... could not could not so much [as] claim rights and priviledges as Englishmen".[11]
Nicholson was at first seen as an improvement over the Catholic Thomas Dongan, the outgoing governor. However, the province's old guard was unhappy that Andros removed all of the provincial records to Boston, and then Nicholson alarmed the sometimes hardline Protestant population by preserving the trappings of the chapel inFort James that Dongan and the handful of New York's Catholics had used for worship.[12] In response to a rumored Dutch invasion of England (a rumor that turned out to be true), Nicholson in January 1689 ordered the provincial militias to be on alert to protect the province for the king. Unknown to Nicholson, events in England had already changed things.[13]
After James was deposed byWilliam III andMary II in theGlorious Revolution in late 1688, Massachusettsrose up in rebellion against Andros, arresting him and other dominion leaders in Boston.[14] The revolt rapidly spread through the dominion, and the New England colonies quickly restored their pre-dominion governments. When news of the Boston revolt reached New York a week later,[15] Nicholson took no steps to announce news of it, or of the revolution in England, for fear of raising prospects of rebellion in New York.[16] When word of the Boston revolt reachedLong Island, politicians and militia leaders became more assertive, and by mid-May dominion officials had been ousted from a number of communities.[17] At the same time, Nicholson learned that France haddeclared war on England, bringing the threat of French and Indian attacks on New York's northern frontier.[15] In an attempt to mollify panicked citizenry over rumored Indian raids, Nicholson invited the militia to join the army garrison at Fort James.[18]
Because New York's defenses were in poor condition, Nicholson's council voted to impose import duties to improve them. This move was met with immediate resistance, with a number of merchants refusing to pay the duty. One in particular wasJacob Leisler, a well-born GermanCalvinist immigrant merchant and militia captain. Leisler was a vocal opponent of the dominion regime, which he saw as an attempt to impose "popery" on the province, and may have played a role in subverting Nicholson's regulars.[19] On 22 May Nicholson's council was petitioned by the militia, who, in addition to seeking more rapid improvement to the city's defenses, also wanted access to the powder magazine in the fort. This latter request was denied, heightening concerns that the city had inadequate powder supplies. This concern was further exacerbated when city leaders began hunting through the city for additional supplies.[20]
A minor incident on 30 May 1689 in which Nicholson made an intemperate remark to a militia officer then flared into open rebellion. Nicholson, who was well known for his temper, told the officer "I rather would see the Towne on fire than to be commanded by you".[21] Rumors flew around the town that Nicholson was in fact prepared to burn it down. The next day Nicholson summoned the officer, and demanded he surrender his commission.Abraham de Peyster, the officer's commander and one of the wealthiest men in the city, then engaged in a heated argument with Nicholson, after which de Peyster and his brother Johannis, also a militia captain, stormed out of the council chamber.[21]
The militia was called out, and descended en masse to Fort James, which they occupied.[19][22] An officer was sent to the council to demand the keys to thepowder magazine, which Nicholson eventually surrendered, to "hinder and prevent bloodshed and further mischiefe".[23] The following day, a council of militia officers called on Jacob Leisler to take command of the city militia. He did so, and the rebels issued a declaration that they would hold the fort on behalf of the new monarchs until they sent a properly accredited governor.[24]
At this point the militia controlled the fort, which gave them control over the harbor. When ships arrived in the harbor, they brought passengers and captains directly to the fort, cutting off outside communications to Nicholson and his council. On 6 June, Nicholson decided to leave for England, and began gathering depositions for use in proceedings there. He left the city on 10 June for the Jersey shore, where he hoped to join Thomas Dongan, who was expected to sail for England soon thereafter.[25] However, it was not until 24 June that he actually managed to sail; he was denied passage on a number of ships, and eventually purchased a share of Dongan'sbrigantine in order to get away.[26] In the meantime, Leisler proclaimed the rule of William and Mary on 22 June, and on the 28th a provincial committee of safety, acting in the absence of legitimate authority, chose Leisler to be the province's commander-in-chief.[27]
Upon Nicholson's arrival in London in August, he outlined the situation in New York to the king and the Lords of Trade, urging the appointment of a new governor of New York, preferably himself.[28] Despite the efforts of Charles Paulet (nowDuke of Bolton) and other patrons, William in November instead chose ColonelHenry Sloughter to be the next governor of New York. The king did, however, acknowledge Nicholson's efforts with the lieutenant governorship ofVirginia.[29]
Nicholson was lieutenant governor of Virginia until 1692,[14] serving under the absentee GovernorLord Howard of Effingham.[29] During this tenure, he was instrumental in the creation of theCollege of William and Mary and named as one of its original trustees. He worked to improve the provincial militia, and approved the establishment of additional ports of trade in the province. The latter was not without some opposition from some of the larger merchants in the province, who saw the additional ports as a competitive threat.[30] During this time Nicholson was one of the only high-level representatives of Crown Rule in the colonies: most Crown Rule had been eliminated in the northern colonies, and the other southern colonies were governed by proprietary governors. Nicholson recommended to the King that, in order to better establish a common social order and a coordinated defense, Crown Rule should be established over all of the colonies as quickly as possible, including the conversion of the proprietary colonies to crown colonies.[31]
Lord Effingham resigned the Virginia governorship in February 1692, beginning a contest between Nicholson and Andros for the Virginia governorship. Andros, who was in London and was a more senior figure, was awarded the post, much to Nicholson's annoyance.[32] The episode deepened a growing dislike between the two men. One contemporary chronicler wrote that Nicholson "especially [resented] Sir Edmund Andros, against whom he has a particular pique on account of some earlier dealings", and Nicholson, placated with the lieutenant governorship of Maryland, worked from then on to unseat Andros.[33] When Andros arrived in September 1692, Nicholson graciously received him before sailing for London.[34]
Nicholson was still in England in 1693 when Maryland Governor,Sir Lionel Copley died. Under provisions of his commission, and at the request of the Maryland governor's council, Andros went to Maryland in September 1693 to organize affairs, and again in May 1694 to preside over the provincial court. For these services he was paid £500.[35] When Nicholson, now appointed governor of Maryland, arrived in July, he found the provincial treasury empty, and testily demanded that Andros return the payment.[36] Andros refused, and Nicholson appealed to the Lords of Trade. They ruled in October 1696 that Andros had to return £300.[37] By this time, Nicholson was living in the house ofEdward Dorsey.[38]
Nicholson, a committedAnglican as a member of theChurch of England, sought to reduce Roman Catholic influence in the Maryland government, and moved the old colonial capital from the Catholic stronghold ofSt. Mary's City in southern Maryland'sSt. Mary's County along thePotomac River to what was then called "Anne Arundel's Town" (also known briefly as "Providence"), which was later renamed"Annapolis" in honour of the future monarch,Princess Anne. He chose its site and laid out the plan for the town, placing theAnglican (laterEpiscopal church and the state house in well-designed public spaces (known later as "State Circle" and "Church Circle") and the use of diagonal avenues to connect various parts of the town (foreseeing details ofPierre L'Enfant's, (1754–1825), plan for the National Capital or "Federal City" inWashington and theDistrict of Columbia, a century later. Architectural historian Mark Childs describes Annapolis, along withWilliamsburg, Virginia, which Nicholson also laid out during his later tenure there, as some of the best-designed towns in theBritish Empire.[39]
Nicholson was a supporter of public education, promoting laws to support it, and funded the construction of "King William's School"[40] (which was later incorporated intoSt. John's College). He became embroiled in a dispute withWilliam Penn from the Middle Atlantic colony to the north, over how to deal with the issue ofpiracy. In Maryland, Nicholson vigorously cracked down on the practices of some colonists to tolerate pirates, who brought goods and hard currency into the provinces. Aware that Penn's governorWilliam Markham was similarly tolerant (he was said to be taking bribes to allow pirates such asThomas Day to trade inPennsylvania), Nicholson ordered that ships destined for Pennsylvania be stopped and searched in Maryland waters, and collected duties if they were carrying European finished goods. Penn protested to theBoard of Trade, and the dispute subsided when Nicholson moderated his tactics.[41] During Nicholson's rule in Maryland, he specifically denied that the colonists had theRights of Englishmen, writing that "if I had not hampered them [colonial interests] in Maryland, and kept them under, I should never have been able to govern them."[42] His feud with pirates took a personal turn when in 1700 he accompanied the captain of HMSShoreham in a fierce all-day battle against French pirateLouis Guittar.[43] The defeated pirates asked Nicholson for quarter and pardon; he granted them quarter but referred them to KingWilliam III of England for mercy, in whose courts Guittar and his crew were all sentenced to hang.
Nicholson's feud with Andros persisted, and Nicholson acquired a powerful ally inJames Blair, the founder of the College of William and Mary.[33] The two were able to gain the support of the Anglican establishment in England against Andros, and filed a long list of complaints with the Lords of Trade. These efforts were successful in convincing Andros to request permission to resign, and in December 1698, Nicholson was given thegovernorship of Virginia. Andros angrily refused to give Nicholson his records.[44] During his term, which lasted until 1705, Nicholson was largely at the mercy of his council, which was dominated by a small group of powerful Virginia families. The Andros rule had been so unpopular in Virginia that Nicholson's instructions gave him little leeway in acting without their consent.[45] At one point Nicholson characterized the Virginia council as "mere brutes who understand not manners".[46] Nicholson made a number of unsuccessful attempts to alter the balance of power, including moving the provincial capital fromJamestown toMiddle Plantation, which was renamedWilliamsburg.[45] Although he was opposed by the upper house, the colonial legislature was generally supportive of him, and he continued to be favored by the London government.[47]
Nicholson was exposed to French activities on theMississippi River while governor of Maryland. He warned the Board of Trade in 1695 that the French were working to complete the designs of explorerRobert La Salle to gain control of the river and dominate the Indian relations in the interior, which "may be of fatal consequence" to the English colonies.[48] He reiterated the warning in a 1698 report, and suggested that the Board of Trade issue instructions to all of the governors encouraging the development of trade with Indians across theAppalachian Mountains. "I am afraid", he wrote, "that now please God, there is a peace, the French will be able to doe more dammage to these Countrys, than they were able to doe in the [King William's] War ."[49] These observations were among the earliest anyone made concerning the threat French expansion posed to the English, and some of his suggestions were ultimately adopted as policy.[49] He actively promoted the idea of expansionist trade on the frontier with other colonial governors, includingBellomont of New York, andBlake of South Carolina.[50]
Following a political crisis in England and the accession ofQueen Anne to the throne in 1702, a Tory ministry emerged that sidelined most of Nicholson's Whig patrons. Despite his best efforts to retain his post, he was recalled and replaced in 1705 byEdward Nott.[51] He returned to London, where he was active in theSociety for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and was awarded membership in theRoyal Society for his scientific observations of North America. He also acted as a consultant to the Board of Trade, and thus maintained an awareness of colonial issues.[52]
DuringKing William's War in the 1690s Nicholson asked the House of Burgesses to appropriate money for New York's defense, since it was threatened fromNew France and acted as a buffer to protect Virginia. The Burgesses refused, even after Nicholson appealed to London.[53] WhenQueen Anne's War broke out in 1702, Nicholson lent New York £900 of his own money, with the expectation that it would be repaid from Virginia'squit rents (it was not).[54] The publicity of this scheme increased dislike of him in Virginia, and may have played a role in his recall.[55] Virginia was not militarily affected by the war.[56] These efforts by Nicholson to gain broader colonial support for the war were followed by larger proposals to London, suggesting, for example, that all of the colonies be joined under a singleviceroy, who would have power of taxation and control of a standing army. According to historianJohn Fiske, Nicholson was one of the first people to propose uniting all of the North American colonies in this way.[57]
In the course of the ten-year conflict in North America now known as Queen Anne's War,[58]Samuel Vetch, a Scottish businessman with interests in New York and New England, came to London during the winter of 1708–9 and proposed to the Queen and the Board of Trade a major assault on New France.[59] He recruited Nicholson to join the effort, which was to include a sea-based attack onQuebec withRoyal Navy support, and a land-based expedition to ascend theHudson River, descendLake Champlain, and attackMontreal.[60] Nicholson was given command of the land-based effort while Vetch was to command the provincial militia of New England that were to accompany the fleet.[59] Arriving in Boston in April 1709 Nicholson and Vetch immediately began raising the forces and supplies needed for these operations. Nicholson was able to draw on his earlier connections to New York's aristocracy to recruit the needed forces from there, with additional units coming from New Jersey and Connecticut.[61] He raised a force of about 1,500 regulars and provincial militia and 600Iroquois, and in June began the construction of three major encampments betweenStillwater, just north of Albany, and the southern end of Lake Champlain, while awaiting word of the fleet's arrival in Boston.[59] The expedition turned out to be a disaster. Many men became sick and died from the poor conditions in the camps as the summer dragged on without any news of the fleet. Supplies ran short the men became mutinous and began deserting. Finally, in October Nicholson learned that, due to circumstances in Europe, the fleet's participation had been canceled in July. By this time the men were deserting by whole units and destroyed all of the fortifications and stores.[62]
In the aftermath of the debacle Nicholson returned to London, taking four Indian chiefs with him, and petitioned Queen Anne for permission to lead a more limited expedition against Port Royal, the capital of FrenchAcadia.[63] The Queen granted the petition, and Nicholson was in charge of the forces thatcaptured Port Royal on 2 October 1710. This battle marked the conquest of Acadia, and began permanent British control over the territory they calledNova Scotia.[64] Nicholson published an account of the expedition in his 1711Journal of an Expedition for the Reduction of Port Royal.[65] The victorious Nicholson returned to England to petition Queen Anne for another expedition to capture the center of New France,Quebec. Theresulting naval expedition was led by AdmiralHovenden Walker, and Nicholson led an associated land expedition that retraced the route he had taken in 1709 towardLake Champlain. Many ships of Walker's fleet foundered on rocks near the mouth of theSaint Lawrence River, and the whole expedition was cancelled, much to Nicholson's anger;[2] he was reported to tear off his wig and throw it to the ground when he heard the news.[66]
Nicholson returned to London after the failed expedition, and began working to acquire for himself the governorship of Nova Scotia. After the 1710 victory, Samuel Vetch had become its governor, but his rule over the colony (where he only really controlled Port Royal itself) was somewhat ineffective.[67] Vetch and the Tory ministry then in power disagreed on how to handle affairs, especially with respect to the resident French Catholic population,[68] and Nicholson capitalized on these complaints. In a dispute marked by bitterness and sometimes extreme accusations (Vetch, for example, accused Nicholson ofJacobite sympathies),[69] Nicholson was awarded the post in October 1712. His commission also included the governorship ofPlacentia, and authority as auditor of all colonial accounts. He only spent a few weeks in Port Royal in 1714, leaving most of the governance to lieutenant governorThomas Caulfeild.[2] These few weeks were marked by discord with the Acadians, who sought to capitalize on the change of governor to gain concessions Nicholson was not prepared to give. Nicholson also issued order restricting the interaction between the troops and the town, resulting in the further reduction of already-poor morale in the Port Royal garrison.[70] He also cracked down on open trade between British colonial merchants and the French, requiring the licensing of any British merchant wanting to trade at French ports.[71]
Nicholson spent most of his time as Nova Scotia governor in Boston, where he devoted a significant amount of time investigating Vetch's finances.[2] Vetch interpreted Nicholson's hostile and intrusive examination of his affairs as a largely partisan attempt to smear him. He called Nicholson a "malicious madman" who would do anything that "fury, malice, and madness could inspire."[72] Nicholson attempted to prevent Vetch from sailing for England where he might better defend himself, forcing Vetch to flee beyond Nicholson's reach toNew London, Connecticut, in order to get a ship for England.[73] With the accession ofGeorge I to the throne and the change to a Whig ministry, Vetch succeeded in clearing his name and recovered his post from Nicholson, who was accused by Vetch and others of neglecting the province.[2][74]
Nicholson next served as the first royal governor of South Carolina from 1721 to 1725. The colonists had rebelled against the rule of the proprietors, and Nicholson was appointed in response to their request for crown governance.[75] The rebellion had been prompted by inadequate response by the proprietors to Indian threats, so Nicholson brought with him some British troops.[76] He established a council composed primarily of supporters of the rebellion, and gave it significant latitude to control colonial affairs.[77] As he had in some of his other posts, he used enforcement of the Navigation Acts as a means to crack down on political opposition. He established local governments modeled on those he set up in Maryland and Virginia, including the 1722 incorporation ofCharleston.[76][78] He expended both public money and his own to further both education and the Church of England,[79] and introduced ground-breaking judicial administration into the colony.[78] He negotiated agreements and territorial boundaries with theCherokee,[80] and promoted trade, pursuing policies similar to those he had advocated while in Maryland and Virginia.[81] He introduced a commissioner of Indian affairs into the colonial government, a post that survived until the crown assumed the duties of managing Indian affairs in the 1750s.[82]
Like other colonies, South Carolina suffered from chronic shortages of currency, and issuedbills of credit to compensate. During Nicholson's administration this was done several times, but the inflationary consequences did not reach crisis proportions until after he left the colony.[83] It did, however, anger merchant interests enough to raise complaints against him with the Board of Trade. Combined with long-running but false accusations byWilliam Rhett and other supporters of the proprietors that Nicholson was improperly engaged in smuggling, he felt the need to return to England to defend himself against these charges. He returned to London in 1725,[84] carrying with him Cherokee baskets that became part of the earliest collections in theBritish Museum.[85]
Nicholson courted the teenageLucy Burwell of theBurwell family of Virginia at the turn of the 18th century. Burwell, known for her beauty and charm, did not reciprocate his feelings. Nicholson continued to press Burwell andher parents for the match he desired. Instead, Burwell looked for love and affection of a man of good manners with whom she was compatible.[86] Nicholson's behavior, along with his unpopular policies, drove four Burwell relatives and two others to petitionAnne, Queen of Great Britain for Nicholson's removal as governor.[87] Titled "Memorial Concerning the Maladministration of Governor Nicholson", it was signed by six councilorsJohn Blair,Benjamin Harrison,Robert Carter, Matthew Page,Philip Ludwell, and John Lightfoot.[88] She married Edmund Berkeley, a successful planter.[86]
In England, Nicholson was promoted to lieutenant-general. He never married, and died in London on 5/16 March 1728/9. He was buried in the parish ofSt George Hanover Square.[2] A claim cited in some 19th-century biographies that he was knighted turned out to be false when his will was discovered early in the 20th century.[89]
Nicholson was notorious for his temper. He was, according to historian George Waller, "subject to fits of passion". In one story, an Indian said of Nicholson, "The general is drunk." When informed that Nicholson did not partake of strong drink, the Indian replied, "I do not mean that he is drunk with rum, he was born drunk."[72] Waller also points out that his "hasty and overmastering temper led him into great excesses".[90]
Nicholson Hall of theCollege of William and Mary is named in honour of Francis Nicholson.[91] Additionally the two main streets of Colonial Williamsburg, one block north and south of the central street (Duke of Gloucester St.) are named Francis and Nicholson, in his honour.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)drake border wars.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Government offices | ||
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| New office | Lieutenant Governor of theDominion of New England 1688–1689 | Office abolished |
| Preceded by Nathaniel Bacon Acting | Lieutenant Governor of Virginia 1690–1692 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Maryland 1694–1698 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Virginia 1698–1705 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Nova Scotia 1712–1715 withThomas Caulfeild (1712–1715) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of South Carolina 1721–1725 | Succeeded by |
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