COLONIAL I'RESIDEXTS AND (iO\ERXORS
39
lute governor could obviate the dissensions and
taction that characterized the history of the
colony. A help to order lay. it was believed,
in the selection of a man whose rank would
inspire respect, and when the second charter
was obtained the \'irginia Company turned to
Lord Delaware. As he was. however, unable
to go at once, they conferred the office of
governor temporarily upon Sir Thomas Gates.
(Jn February 2S>. 1610, Delaware was commis-
sioned governor of the X'irginia colony for
life, and was sent with 150 emigrants, chiefly
workmen, to the assistance of Jamestown. He
arrived at Point Comfort. June 7. 1610. just
in time to save the colony from abandonment
by Gates. Delaware sent the pinnace /'/r-
i/tJiia u]) the river to meet the departing set-
tlers, and under the orders of the new gov-
ernor they were all taken back again to James-
town. Sunday. June 10. Lord Delaware him-
self arrived. He had tlie town cleaned and
rehabilitated the frail houses. The settlement
of four acres was defended by new palisades
and everything was made safe and comfort-
able for the time being, lie next proceeded to
settle matters with the Indians, and after driv-
ing Pochins and his tribe from Kecoughtan he
erected two forts at the mouth of Ilani])ton
river, called Charles and llenr). about three
miles from Point Comfort. In the interim he
sent out an expedition to search for mines
above the falls, but the Indians were very
troublesome and no mines were found. It was
the fashion of the times to boost the country
at the expense of the jioor colonists, who were
traduced and villified. Delaware, in a letter
to the London Company. ])ursued the example,
but retribution followed fast. The great trou-
ble was the unhealthiness of the country and
the rotten supplies sent over, which introduced
sickness and death, and Delaware was literallv
l)o,nibard'ed out of the country b)- a coml)ined
attack of ague. tlux. cramp and gout. To save
his life he went first to the West Indies,
whence he sailed to England, where he arrived
rather crestfallen about a year after his depar-
ture. He remained in the latter country till
1618. and in his absence the g'n'ernment of
X'irginia was administered b\ Deputy Gov-
ernors Gates. Hale, ^'ardley and .\rgall. In
the latter \ear he was sent again to X'ir-
ginia to rescue the government from the hands
of Samuel Argall. who had incurred the
strong resentment of the X'irginia Company
of London, but on the way over he died June
7. 1618. aged forty-one. He married Cecily,
daughter of Sir Tlioma> Sherlex'. I lis son
and successor was Henry, foiu-th Lord Dela-
ware, who married Isabella, daughter of Sir
Thomas Edmunds. Governor Delaware had
three brothers — bTancis XX'est, John XX'esl anci
Xatlianiel XX'est. who all lived in X'irginia. and
the first two of whom were deputy governors
at different times ; XX'illiam XX^est, a nephew,
was killed by Indians at the Falls of James
river. X'irginia. in 1611. Through Captain John
\X'est. the noMe family of the Delawares is
widely represented in X'irginia and the so'i^.i
and west.
Yardley, George, deput} go\ ernor of X'ir- ginia. from .Xlav. 1616. to May. 1617 and governor and captain-general of X'irginia fr ;m \pril. 1619 to November 18. 1621. and from May 17, 1626 to November 13. 1627. was son of Ralph X'ardley. citizen and merchant tailor of r)ionshaw Lane. London, who married (i)
.Xgnes Abbot and (2) Rhoda . He was
one of four brothers : Ralph ; George, the sub- ject of the present sketch; John and Thomas: and a sister Anne, who married Edward Irby. He served like many other of the earlv set^ler*^
