Governor John West

John West served as the third Colonial Governor of Virginia (1635-1637). According to my finds, he was our ten-times maternal great-grandfather. His name already appeared in one of the posts when I wrote about our/his direct ancestors Catherine Carey and Mary Boleyn.

John was born on 14 Dec. 1590 in Hampshire, England to Thomas Leighton West, 2nd and 11th Baron De La Warr, and his wife Mary Knollys.

Hampshire, England - marked red

Around 1613, John married Miss Anne Percy (born about 1594 in England), the daughter of George Percy and Ann Floyd. The couple had one son - John.

John passed circa 1660 in West Point Plantation, King William County, Virginia.

Virginia marked green

John West
⇒ his son Col. John West II (b. 6 June 1632,Chicksack Bellfield Plantation York River, New Kent, Virginia/d. about 1689, New Kent now, King William, Virginia)
⇒ his son Capt. Thomas West (b. 1670, West Point, Virginia/d. 1720, West Point, Virginia)
⇒ his son Col. Francis West (b. 1704, King William, King William, Virginia/d. 28 June 1796, King William, King William, Virginia)
⇒ his son William West (b. 1704, King William, King William, Virginia/d. 28 June 1796, King William, Virginia)
⇒ his daughter Martha Hagood nee West (b. circa 1755, Virginia/d. 16 Nov. 1829, Pickens, South Carolina)
⇒ her son James J Hagood (b. 1780, South Carolina/ d. about 1874, Forsyth County, Georgia)
⇒ his son Lemuel Davis Hagood (b. 20 July 1820, South Carolina/ d. 15 August 1909, Fulton, Georgia)
⇒ his daughter Hannah E Ledbetter nee Hagood (b. 1839, Georgia)
⇒ her daughter Jurita Elizabeth McIntosh (Ledbetter) - our great-grandmother


John was not only Virginia Governor in the West family. Also, his older brothers Thomas, 3rd and 12th Lord De La Warr and Francis West served at the position as well.

Thomas was born on 9 July 1577 in Hampshire, England. He governed Virginia from 1609 to 1618. Thomas perished at sea, off the coast of Nova Scotia, on 7 June 1818 when he was returning from England to Virginia on the ship Neptune. His body was brought to Jamestown where he was buried.

Francis was born on 28 Oct. 1586 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.

Salisbury Cathedral, England

Captain Francis West was the Commandant of Jamestown from 1612 to 1617 and the Deputy Governor of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia from 1627 to 1629. He died around Feb. 1634.

There are many Governors of Virginia in our extended family tree but only John West and his two brothers are our direct relations.

Pictures:

Map of England: By Nilfanion - Ordnance Survey OpenData:County boundaries and GB coastlineNational Geospatial-Intelligence AgencyIrish, French and Isle of Man coastlines, Lough Neagh and Irish border, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12131879

Salisbury Cathedral: CC BY-SA 1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=220400

Information sources:

• my MyHeritage research,
• geni.com,
• Wikipedia