Sir Henry Chicheley | |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant Governor ofVirginia Colony | |
Acting Governor, 1678 – 1680; 1680 – 1682 | |
| In office 1674 – February 5, 1683 | |
| Monarch | Charles II |
| Governor | Sir William Berkeley Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper |
| Preceded by | Sir Herbert Jeffreys |
| Succeeded by | Francis Nicholson |
| Member of theHouse of Burgesses forLancaster County,Virginia Colony | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1614 or 1615 Wimpole EstateCambridgeshire,England |
| Died | (1683-02-05)5 February 1683 Rosegill,Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | B.A.,University College, Oxford |
| Military service | |
| Service |  Royalist |
| Years of service | 1642–1644 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Wars | English Civil War |
Sir Henry Chicheley (b. 1614 or 1615 – d. February 5, 1683) was alieutenant governor ofVirginia Colony who also served asActing Governor during multiple periods in the aftermath ofBacon's Rebellion.[1] Having first visited the Virginia colony as a Royalist in exile, where he served in theHouse of Burgesses in violation of his probation, Lt. Gov. Chicheley wielded power during a period of sociopolitical turmoil and change, and later in his career was increasingly troubled byEngland's growing aggression and control over the colony.[2]
Chicheley was born in either 1614 or 1615 to Dorothy, the wife of Sir Thomas Chicheley ofWimpole Estate,Cambridgeshire, England.[3] His name honoursHenry Chichele,Archbishop of Canterbury and founder ofAll Souls College, Oxford, from whom he is a collateral descendent.[4] He received a Bachelor's degree fromUniversity College, University of Oxford in 1635.[5]
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Enlisting as aRoyalist of the Royal English Army during theEnglish Civil Wars, Chicheley attained the rank of lieutenant colonel beforeCharles Iknighted him in 1644 for his loyalty tothe Crown.[6]
Chicheley was detained in theTower of London for alleged complicity in a plotted coup against theParliament of England.[7] In 1650, theCouncil of State paroled Chicheley and granted him permission to sail to Virginia so long as he did “nothing prejudicial to the State and present government thereof.”[8]
Upon arrival to Virginia, Chicheley quickly established himself within society and among fellow supporters of the Crown.[9] In 1652, Chicheley married Agatha Eltonhead Stubbins Wormeley, the wealthy and influential widow ofRalph Wormeley Sr.[10][11]
The marriage gave Chicheley control of the properties and estates owned by the Wormeley family, including theRosegill estate.[12][13] Chicheley is named on aland patent dated June 9, 1654, for 950 acres along theRappahannock River.[14] With his newly obtained land and farms, Chicheley tendedsilkworms and produced silk for export to England, and establishedmulberryorchards.[1]
In 1656, Chicheley served as a member of theVirginia House of Burgesses representingLancaster County. After violating the terms of his parole, he returned toEngland, where he engaged with supporters ofCharles II who were plotting theStuart Restoration of 1660. Chichely returned to Virginia in 1662.[3]
In April 1670,Colonial Governor of VirginiaSir William Berkeley appointed Chicheley to theVirginia Governor's Council. Two years later, he was appointed Lieutenant General of theVirginia Militia in 1672. Chicheley’s used his influence with his brother Sir Thomas Chicheley the younger, the royalMaster-General of the Ordnance, to obtain arms and ammunition during theThird Anglo-Dutch War.[8]
Governor Berkeley arranged with King Charles II to appoint Chicheley as lieutenant governor of Virginia Colony in 1674.[15] As lieutenant governor, Chicheley advocated restrictions ontobacco cultivation to increase its price and to help promote further agricultural diversification in the colony.[16]
In 1675, Chicheley stood by Governor Berkeley duringBacon's Rebellion.[17] The Baconians regarded Chicheley as a traitor to their cause and held him hostage for a brief period.[18] In the aftermath of the rebellion, Berkeley was relieved of the governorship and recalled to England. On December 30, 1678, Chicheley became acting governor of Virginia, a position he held until May 1680.[6][19]
In May 1680, Chicheley returned to his post as lieutenant governor upon the arrival of newly appointed GovernorThomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper, who only remained in the territory for a few months.[20] He served as acting governor during Colepeper's absence from August 1680 to December 1682 during his travels and time away from Virginia.[1]
In the Spring of 1682, in response to falling tobacco prices, disgruntled farmers deliberately cut down tobacco seedlings on over 200 plantations in protest.[21] Chicheley played a central role in quelling the plant-cutter riots of Virginia and preventing further intervention from the Crown.[1]
After Colepeper returned to Britain, Chicheley remained in Virginia, continuing as lieutenant governor from December 1682 until his death in February 1683 at his Rosegill estate.[22] He is interred in thechancel ofChrist Church,Middlesex County, and named on a plaque on the cemetery wall commemorating the founders of Virginia, installed by the Virginia Society Order of Founders and Patriots of America.[23][24]
