50
VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
iepre.-^eiUati\es or the welfare of the colony.
The enemies of Nicholson strove to keep them
excluded, but as nothing could be urged against
them, they were successful m their efforts to
be admitted and on June 26, 1707, they were
finally sworn as members. Col. Lewis was a
regular attendant at the sessions of the coun-
cil until his death. On Sept. 2, 1707, he was
appointed commander of King and Queen
county. He ied Nov. 14, 1725. He married
Elizabeth Warner, daughter of Col. Augus-
tme Warner and Alikked Reade, daughter of
Col. George Reade, and left issue.
Churchill, William, of "Bushy Park" and 'Wilton," Middlesex county, was born in Ox- fordshire, England about 1650 and came to X'irginia prior to 1687, when he was a justice of Middlesex. He became a man of large wealth and prominence in the colony and owned two estates in his county, entirely across which his lands were stated to extend. He was a member of the house of burgesses for Middlesex in 1704 and jiirobably other \cars, and on April 20, 1705, was appointed 1)\- the luiglisiT government a member of the council. I Ic continued a regular attendant imtil his death in 17 10. He married Elizabeth Armistead, daughter of Col. John Armistead, and widow of Ralph W^ormeley, secretary of state, and left issue.
Cocke, Dr. William, a native of Suffolk, England, was born in 1671, matriculated in Queen's College, Cambridge, in 1688, and was elected fellow of the college in 1694. The exact date of his immigration to Virginia does not appear, but in the latter part of 171 1 or early in 1712, upon the resignation of Ed- nnuid Jenings. he was appointed secretary of state of Virginia. There seems to have been some arrangement between Jenings and
Cocke in regard to the profits of the office
and there was some little delay before the lat-
ter came into full possession of the place.
Gov. Spotswood wrote on Feb. 11, 1712-13 to
tlie authorities in England that there was a
vancancy in the council and recommended, as
a fit person to fill it "the gentleman who was
last year by her majesty's favor promoted to
the office of Secretary, ^Ir. William Cocke."
On July 23, 1713, the board of trade and plan-
tations made a representation to the Queen
recommending Secretary Cocke for the coun-
cil, and on Aug. 18 the appointment was made.
Dr. Cocke was present at the various sessions
of the council until the spring of 1716, when
he made a visit to England. He was a bearer
on that occasion of a letter from Gov. Spots-
wood, in which he gives the highest praise to
Cocke and recommends him to the Queen's
favor. Dr. Cocke returned to X'irginia prior
to March 11, 1718, on which date he was pres-
ent in council. He died Oct. 20, 1720. He
married Elizabeth, sister of the celebrated
naturalist ]\lark Catesby, and left descend-
ants.
Berkeley, Edmund, of ^liddlesex county, was a son of Edmund and Mary Berkeley and was born sometime prior to 1674. On July 22. 1 71 3, the board of trade and plantations made a representation to the Queen, recom- mending him for appointment to the council, and on Aug. 8 the appointment was made. There seems to have been a vigorous dispute between him and Gov. Spotswood regarding {■recedence in the council. Berkeley claiming that he should take precedence over the coun- cillors appointed by the governor after the date of his letter from the Queen, but sworn before him. The dispute lasted for some time, Berkeley in the meantime refusing to take his seat, but at length a new^ commission
