Marjory’s 13th great grandfather was a man named William West who lived from c. 1520 to December 1595. He was the 1st Baron De La Warr of the second creation.
While an impressive title, Barons are the lowest rank in the English Peerage – Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and then Baron. All of these Peers were required to sit in the House of Lords of the English Parliament.
The term “second creation” (above) means there was a previous line of Barons De La Warr. The first Barony was created in 1299 and ended in 1554 with the death of William’s uncle Thomas West. Uncle Thomas was childless and had adopted his nephew William as his heir and the next Baron. However, William was accused of being impatient and poisoning his uncle, and was sent to the Tower of London in 1548. An Act of Parliament in 1550 prevented him from inheriting the title.
Two years later, William was involved in a plot to overthrow Queen Mary, also known as Bloody Mary. He was convicted of treason, but his execution was not carried out. In 1557, he was somehow pardoned by Queen Mary. (Paul’s kin also had contact with this queen, but the result was less fortunate.) Later, because of his service to the first Queen Elizabeth, William West was knighted and the title of Baron De La Warr was recreated. He thus became the 1st Baron De La Warr of the second creation.
William West’s descendants continued to carry the title of Baron until 1761, when King George III (America’s nemesis) created William’s fourth great grandson as the 1st Earl De La Warr. The 11th Earl De La Warr sits today with his eldest son and grandson in waiting. The family’s Buckhurst Estate is shown below.
William’s son Thomas West (c. 1556 to March 1601/02), Marjory’s 12th great grandfather, became the 2nd Baron De La Warr on his father William’s passing. Thomas was also a member of Queen Elizabeth I’s Privy Council and High Sheriff of Hampshire
Thomas had six sons and eight daughters. Three of those sons became either governor or acting governor of the Virginia colony.
Thomas West’s eldest surviving son, also named Thomas West, succeeded his father in 1602 as the 3rd Baron De La Warr. He was also a member of the Privy Council. This Thomas West (1577-1618) headed a contingent of 150 men who sailed to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1610 – just in time to persuade the original settlers not to give up and return to England. He successfully put down the Powhatan Indians and, as a result, was appointed governor-for-life and Captain-General of Virginia. Leaving his deputy in charge, Thomas returned to England in 1610 or 1611 to report on conditions in the colony. As he returned to Virginia 1618, he died at sea. He was once thought buried in the Azores, but it is now believed he rests in the colony at Jamestown.
It was this Lord De La Warr, the 3rd Baron and Marjory’s 11th great grand uncle, for whom the river, the state, and the Indian tribe were named. De La Warr has always been pronounced “Delaware.”
The 2nd Baron’s son Francis West (1586-1633/34), another of Marjory’s 11th great grand uncles, served as Acting Governor of Virginia from 1627 to 1629 while awaiting the appointment and arrival of Crown Governor Sir John Harvey. The Honourable Francis West also served as Commandant of Jamestown and Captain-General of Virginia. He was an appointed representative to the first House of Burgesses.
The 2nd Baron’s younger son John West (1590-1659) served as Acting Governor during 1635 and 1636. This was at a time when the Crown Governor Sir John Harvey (above) was suspended and impeached by the House of Burgesses. Sir John Harvey returned to England where he was restored to his post by King Charles I.
The Honourable John West, Marjory’s 11th great grandfather, was also a member of the House of Burgesses. In 1630, the decision was made to plant a settlement along the York River. John West received one of the first grants of 600 acres, which he subsequently sold. He later acquired over 3,000 acres at the fork of the York River (at the confluence of the Pamunkey and the Mattaponi) that became known as West’s Point. That land is the site of the present town of West Point, Virginia.
This John West’s son, also named John West (1632-1691) and Marjory’s 10th great grandfather, served in the colony’s militia from 1652 to 1673 ending with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1685, he too sat in the House of Burgesses as representative of New Kent County, Virginia.
While an impressive title, Barons are the lowest rank in the English Peerage – Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and then Baron. All of these Peers were required to sit in the House of Lords of the English Parliament.
The term “second creation” (above) means there was a previous line of Barons De La Warr. The first Barony was created in 1299 and ended in 1554 with the death of William’s uncle Thomas West. Uncle Thomas was childless and had adopted his nephew William as his heir and the next Baron. However, William was accused of being impatient and poisoning his uncle, and was sent to the Tower of London in 1548. An Act of Parliament in 1550 prevented him from inheriting the title.
Two years later, William was involved in a plot to overthrow Queen Mary, also known as Bloody Mary. He was convicted of treason, but his execution was not carried out. In 1557, he was somehow pardoned by Queen Mary. (Paul’s kin also had contact with this queen, but the result was less fortunate.) Later, because of his service to the first Queen Elizabeth, William West was knighted and the title of Baron De La Warr was recreated. He thus became the 1st Baron De La Warr of the second creation.
William West’s descendants continued to carry the title of Baron until 1761, when King George III (America’s nemesis) created William’s fourth great grandson as the 1st Earl De La Warr. The 11th Earl De La Warr sits today with his eldest son and grandson in waiting. The family’s Buckhurst Estate is shown below.
William’s son Thomas West (c. 1556 to March 1601/02), Marjory’s 12th great grandfather, became the 2nd Baron De La Warr on his father William’s passing. Thomas was also a member of Queen Elizabeth I’s Privy Council and High Sheriff of Hampshire
Thomas had six sons and eight daughters. Three of those sons became either governor or acting governor of the Virginia colony.
Thomas West’s eldest surviving son, also named Thomas West, succeeded his father in 1602 as the 3rd Baron De La Warr. He was also a member of the Privy Council. This Thomas West (1577-1618) headed a contingent of 150 men who sailed to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1610 – just in time to persuade the original settlers not to give up and return to England. He successfully put down the Powhatan Indians and, as a result, was appointed governor-for-life and Captain-General of Virginia. Leaving his deputy in charge, Thomas returned to England in 1610 or 1611 to report on conditions in the colony. As he returned to Virginia 1618, he died at sea. He was once thought buried in the Azores, but it is now believed he rests in the colony at Jamestown.It was this Lord De La Warr, the 3rd Baron and Marjory’s 11th great grand uncle, for whom the river, the state, and the Indian tribe were named. De La Warr has always been pronounced “Delaware.”
The 2nd Baron’s son Francis West (1586-1633/34), another of Marjory’s 11th great grand uncles, served as Acting Governor of Virginia from 1627 to 1629 while awaiting the appointment and arrival of Crown Governor Sir John Harvey. The Honourable Francis West also served as Commandant of Jamestown and Captain-General of Virginia. He was an appointed representative to the first House of Burgesses.
The 2nd Baron’s younger son John West (1590-1659) served as Acting Governor during 1635 and 1636. This was at a time when the Crown Governor Sir John Harvey (above) was suspended and impeached by the House of Burgesses. Sir John Harvey returned to England where he was restored to his post by King Charles I.
The Honourable John West, Marjory’s 11th great grandfather, was also a member of the House of Burgesses. In 1630, the decision was made to plant a settlement along the York River. John West received one of the first grants of 600 acres, which he subsequently sold. He later acquired over 3,000 acres at the fork of the York River (at the confluence of the Pamunkey and the Mattaponi) that became known as West’s Point. That land is the site of the present town of West Point, Virginia.
This John West’s son, also named John West (1632-1691) and Marjory’s 10th great grandfather, served in the colony’s militia from 1652 to 1673 ending with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1685, he too sat in the House of Burgesses as representative of New Kent County, Virginia.
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