The arms of Sir Thomas West, the grandfather of Sir Reginald
West
He disliked the ecclesiastical changes introduced by the king, and he was one of the peers who tried Anne Boleyn; later he showed some eagerness to stand well with Thomas Cromwell, but this did not prevent his arrest in 1538. He is said to have denounced "the plucking down of abbeys," and he certainly consorted with many suspected persons. But he was soon released and pardoned, although he was obliged to hand over Halnaker to Henry VIII., receiving instead the estate of Wherwell in Hampshire. He died without children in September 1554, when his baronies of De La Warr and West fell into abeyance. His monument may still be seen in the church at Broadwater, Sussex.
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He had settled his estates on his nephew William West, who then tried to bring about his uncle's death by poison; for this reason he was disabled by act of parliament (1549) from succeeding to his honours. However, in 1563 he was restored, and in 1570 was created by patent Baron De La Warr. This was obviously a new creation, but in 1596 his son Thomas (c. 1556-1602) claimed precedency in the baronage as the holder of the ancient barony of De La Warr. His claim was admitted, and accordingly his son and successor, next mentioned, is called the 3rd or the 12th baron.
Thomas West, 3rd or 12th Baron De La Warr (1577-1618), British soldier and colonial governor in America, was born on the 9th of July 1577, probably at Wherwell, Hampshire, where he was baptized. He was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, where he did not complete his course, but subsequently (1605) received the degree of M.A. In 1597 he was elected member of parliament for Lymington, and subsequently fought in Holland and in Ireland under the earl of Essex, being knighted for bravery in battle in 1599. He was imprisoned for complicity in Essex's revolt (1600-1601), but was soon released and exonerated. In 1602 he succeeded to his father's title and estates and became a privy councillor. Becoming interested in schemes for the colonization of America, he was chosen a member of the council of the Virginia Company in 1609, and in the same year was appointed governor and captain-general of Virginia for life.
Sailing in March 1610 with three ships, 150 settlers and supplies, he himself bearing the greater part of the expense of the expedition, he arrived at Jamestown on the month of June, in time to intercept the colonists who had embarked for England and were abandoning the enterprise. Lord De La Warr's rule was strict but just; he constructed two forts near the mouth of the James river, rebuilt Jamestown, and in general brought order out of chaos. In March 1611 he returned to London, where he published at the request of the company's council, his Relation of the condition of affairs in Virginia. He remained in England until 1618, when the news of the tyrannical rule of the deputy, Samuel Argall, led him to start again for Virginia. He embarked in April, but died en route on the 7th of June 1618, and was buried at sea. The Delaware river and the state of Delaware were named in his honour.
A younger brother, Francis, was prominent in the affairs of Virginia, and in 1627-1629 was president of the council, and acting-governor of the colony.
John West was born on 14 December 1590 in Hampshire, England, the fifth son of Sir Thomas West, second Baron De La Warr and Lady Anne Knollys, a cousin of Elizabeth I. A graduate of Magdalene College Oxford, he was one of four brothers who came to Virginia. These included Thomas West, Lord De la Warr, who was Virginia's first governor, and Francis West who was a later governor. John West arrived on the Bony Bess in 1618. After the massacre in March 1622 he commanded a company in attacks against the Indians.
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He was elected to the House of Burgesses in the years 1628 to 1630, and then when lands became available upon the York River in 1630 he patented 600 acres at Chiskiack, east of Felgate's Creek, which land was later known as Bellfield, selling it after he left in 1650 to Edward Digges. He then moved to the area of the current city of West Point, Virginia, where in 1652 he patented 850 acres, subsequently in 1654 enlarging the patent to 3000 acres. Other patents included 1550 acres in 1651 along the south fork of the York River and 1000 acres on the northeast side of the Mattaponi River
Very much a leader in the colony, he was a member of the council from 1631 to 1659, and a justice of York County in 1634. After the famous incident in which Governor Harvey was "thrust out" and sent back to England, John West being the senior member of the council was selected by the others and served as acting governor from May 1635 to January 1637. In 1637 together with four others he was ordered back to London to answer to the King for these activities but was cleared and in 1642 with Governor Berkeley's arrival was appointed at the king's direction to be Virginia's Muster (Master).
He married Ann Percy and they had one child, a son named John bom in 1632. In 1659 John West died at West Point, and the following year the House of Burgesses passed a resolution in honor of John West and the noble West family, ordering that the heir, young John West, be exempt from paying all levies during his lifetime.
The son of Captain John West and Anne Percy, John was born at York River in Virginia, in 1632.
He was taken prisoner in Bacon's Rebellion. As to what Bacon's men did to him, it is not recorded, but he later sat on the court-martial that tried the rebels and he more than evened the score with them. He was active on the side of Governor William Berkeley. However, he later sat on Berkely's Court Martial at Green Spring Plantation which condemned, as Charles II of England said, "more men in that naked country that I did for the murder of my father".
In 1654, Colonel John West married Unity Croshaw, daughter of Major Joseph Croshaw of York, member
of the House of Burgesses. The children of Colonel John and Unity Croshaw were:
1. Captain Nathaniel West (b. 1655-1724), he was mentioned in records as a Captain in 1662, a Major
in 1667, Lt. Colonel in 1673. He commanded the militia of the county. Nathaniel married his second
cousin Martha Woodard (the widow of Gideon Macon). Their son-in-law, William Danridge, was Martha Washington's uncle.
Washington's uncle.
2. Unity (Susannah) West (b. 1657), married George Martin.
3. Anne West (b.1660-1708), married Henry Fox.
4. John West III (b. 1666), married Judith Armistead.
In 1685 he represented New Kent in the House of Burgesses. His will, which was dated November 15, 1689 and probated about 1691 was destroyed in the later destruction of the County records. John West was listed in later records as living with Cockacoeske the Queen of the Pamunkey Tribe. Cockacoeske was the cousin of Pocahontas and it was written that she "kept company" with John West, who was son of governor John West and nephew of Thomas West, baron De La Ware. They had several sons, one of the named was John West after his father. While John West was either 'keeping company' or was 'married' to Cockacoeske, his first wife, Unity Croshaw West, an independent minded woman, left him for his adultery.
