152
VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
one of the "gentlemen of estate and standing"
suitable for appointment to the council. He
was, however, never given the office. Robert
I'orteus was appointed sheriff of Gloucester
in 1709, but declined the office. On Alarch i,
1 713, he was sworn as member of the council
and remained a member until 1719, when he
went to England, dying at Ripon, Yorkshire,
August 8, 1758. He was the father of Beilby
Porteus, Bishop of London.
Harrison, Nathaniel, of "Wakefield," Sur- rv- county, was a son of Councillor Benjamin llarrison and was born in Surry county, Aug. 8. 1677. He was, for a number of years a very prominent and iniluential figure in the colony. Beginning his ])ublic life as a justice of Surry in 1698, he was later a member of the house of burgesses for that county from 1700 to 1706 inclusive. In 1702, he was naval officer for the upper district of James river; ii' 1704, he was apjDointed by the commission- ers of the p'-ize office in England, the agent for prizes in \'irginia ; in 1710, appointed by Spotswood, naval officer and receiver of \'ir- ginia duties : and on April 10 of the same year was made one of the commissioners on the I)art of X'irginia to settle, with Xorth Carolina, the (juestion of their boundary. On Jan. 9, 1 713-14, he became a councillor on Spots- wood's appointment, this being confirmed by the English authorities the following year. On Dec. 8, 171 5, he was ai)pointe(l county lieuten- ant of Surry and I'rince George, and appears at this time to have been receiver general of Virginia, the deputy in Virginia for the audi- tor and receiver general of all the colonies, who lived in England. He was a regular at- tendant at sessions of the council until his death, Xov. 30, 1727. He married Mary Gary, daughter of John Gary, merchant of London,
by his wife Jane, daughter of Col. John Flood,
of Surry county, Virginia, and had issue.
Page, Mann, of "Rosewell," Gloucester county, was a son of Matthew Page of the same place and was born in 1691. His grand- son. Gov. Page, stated that he was educated at Eaton, and Foster's "'Oxford Matricula- tions" shows that he was entered at St. John's College at that university in July, 1709. Early in 1714, a vacancy occurring in the council. Gov. Spotswood appointed him a member of that body, and on Alarch 1 1, 1714-15, the Eng- lish government confirmed his appointment. Page was a regular attendant at the sessions of the council until his death. Alann P'age was the builder of the present house at "Rose- well," wdiich was begmi in 1725 and barely completed at the time of his death, Jan. 24, 1730. He married Judith, daughter of Sec- retary Ralph Wormeley, and had issue.
Digges, Cole, of "Bellfield," York county, was a son of Councillor Dudley Digges of the same place and was born in 1692. He was a n.iembcr of the house of burgesses for York in 1 718 and probably other years, and was first mentioned in 1718 as a candidate for the council, being recommended for that body by Gov. Spotswood in his letter of Sept. 17 of that year. There was some delay in the mat- ter of his appointment due to politics but, in Se])t., 1720, he finally received his commission and was sworn to office. He remained a mem- ber, and was a frequent attendant for many years, the last record of his appearance being on Sept. 4, 1744, in which year his death occurred. Lie married Elizabeth Power, daughter of Dr. Llenry Power, son of John Power, "a Spanish merchant," and left issue.
Beverley, Peter, of Gloucester county, eld- est son of Maj. Robert Beverley of Middle-
