Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-15

Genealogical Notes
Queries and Answers
AddresE all Communications to
genealogical Editor. The Times
Dispatch.
Nicholson and NicoIson


We should be very clad 70 Mac.
Anxious Inquirer" as a descendant az
! one of the most interesting of yir-
! Slnias Colonial Governors. but II is
absolutely impossible Francis Nichol-
son, Governor Of the Colony Of Virginia.
was an early DR.. Jekyl and Mr.. Hyde
anu this diversity OF characteristics
makes his personality very fascinating.
he evidently wished to marry. but fail
i ing 70 obtain the girl he desired he
would have no other. And possibly for
| lack or a faithful and wise wife he no
.a!ne Cd ptious and intolerant person,
contrary 10 the kindly disposition of his
, earlier years W MS
Inere was a sincerity in the attitude
OF me seventeenth and early eighteenth
centuries which has yielded to the
subtle policy of our own age. 4 Cover
~ toitunateiy or unfortunately, could
oe as autocratfc and s intolerant as he
| chose to be, and instead of calling him
oulous we now call him picturesque
francis Nicholson. from whom So
many wish to be descended and can't,
i i,t.s across the young countrys stage in
SIS SIS ano shadows now benign Gov
! ernor' then a fractions and unreason-
anie man. No wonder Nicholsons ara
.r'coisons pine to call him great manv
ZINES at-grandfather; and nor 70 All
nose that bear the name with envy. bur
" give our readers pleasure we are
son. one time Governor of Wright.
Sir Francis Nicholson. Lieutar.,+
Governor or Virginia and MARYLAND
nrst mentioned In the charter. was horn
IN england in 1860. and at the aga ~
si.eeh years was commissioned an
ensign In the Kings army Six Years
! later he was made lieutenant IN
! 1880 he was sent to New York as Lien
'eHant-GoVernor TO represent Sir Ed
| "tuHu Andros. who was then Governor
OF al! the colonies north of the Chesa
! ince. P'o
His administration as Governor ne
! New York was a failure. and upon III a
using OF the people against him. under
| .he lead of an illiterate but resolute
brewer OF German origin, Jacob Leisler,
he fed the country Leisler and The
leaders in the insurrection we're
! executed
Inc following year. after. his arrival
nome. he was commissioned Lieutenant
Governor Of Virginia. and he reached
jamestown May l6. with six servants
! ana two tons OF household goods. As
! Lieutenant Governor OF virginia his
whole nature seemed changed. and from
! being irresolute and tyrannical he
seemed DESTROYS to do everything TO
please the inha bitants and to promote
| the prosperity of the colony. and he
| soon became very popular with the
people.
he entered earnestly into DR.. Blair's
plan OF establishing a college; advocat-
cd II In the first Assembly, and headed
subscription with a gift Of 1900 for
us peneht, and was instrumental in
having DR.. Blair sent TO England to OBJ
| tain a charter
Nicholson seems TO have been not
only steadfast friend OF higher edu-
cation. but was in advance OF the pub
lie sentiment of that day in his desire
to see the masses educated. He found
ed a free school at Yorktown, one of
the hrst established in the colony. He
was also a friend OF the church and
or the clergy. Informing the Bishop Of
and solicited suitable supply; and
| urged vestries OF vacant parishes to
provide themselves with minister's
! Neither was his friendship for the
people restricted to their education and
! religion. but he evinced a desire for
| their recreation and amusement. He in
stituted athletic games awarding prizes
| from his own purse TO those who came
out ahead in riding. running. shooting,
| wrestling and fencing matches. He was
soltcitous for the comfort of his peo-
| pie. and besought the English govern
| ment to provide the Virginians with
| plenty of clothing and other things to
| make them comfortable, lest they
| should be obliged to quit making the
| precious tobacco and fall to manufac-
turing necessary commodities for them
| selves, thus competing with the mother
country.
Nor was he neglectful as to their de-
| Tense against the enemy; for ne point ed
| out the wisdom of bringing the COM