Virginia: Colonial Governors: 1680-1775 - Archontology
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Virginia: Colonial Governors: 1680-1775
His Majesty's Lieutenant and Governor General of Virginia
10/20 May 1680 - Jun 1683 Thomas Culpeper, Baron Culpeper of Thoresway [1]
President of the Council of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
Jun 1683 - 21 Feb/2 Mar 1684 Nicholas Spencer
His Majesty's Lieutenant and Governor General of Virginia [2]
21 Feb/2 Mar 1684 - 20/30 Sep 1692 Francis Howard, Baron Howard of Effingham
20/30 Sep 1692 - 9/19 Dec 1698 Sir Edmund Andros [3]
9/19 Dec 1698 - 15/26 Aug 1705 Francis Nicholson [4]
15/26 Aug 1705 - 23 Aug/3 Sep 1706 Edward Nott
President of the Council of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
27 Aug/7 Sep 1706 - 23 Jun/4 Jul 1710 Edmund Jenings
Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
23 Jun/4 Jul 1710 - 27 Sep/8 Oct 1722 Alexander Spotswood [5]
27 Sep/8 Oct 1722 - 22 Jul/2 Aug 1726 Hugh Drysdale [5]
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
1/12 Aug 1726 - 11/22 Sep 1727 Robert Carter [5]
Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
11/22 Sep 1727 - 21 Nov/2 Dec 1751 William Gooch [5][6]
21 Nov/2 Dec 1751 - 5 Jun 1758 Robert Dinwiddie [6][7]
5 Jun 1758 - 3 Mar 1768 Francis Fauquier [7][8]
President of His Majesty's Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
4 Mar 1768 - 26 Oct 1768 John Blair [8][9]
His Majesty's Lieutenant and Governor General of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
26 Oct 1768 - 15 Oct 1770 Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt
President of His Majesty's Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
15 Oct 1770 - 25 Sep 1771 William Nelson [10]
His Majesty's Lieutenant and Governor General of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia
25 Sep 1771 - 8 Jun 1775 John Murray, Earl of Dunmore [11]
  1. Culpeper was appointed His Majesty's Lieutenant and Governor General (8/18 Jul 1675) in succession to Sir William Berkeley who died on 9/19 Jul 1677. He took the oath of office in London on 20/30 Jul 1677 and again on 10/20 May 1680 in Virginia. In defiance of his instructions, Culpeper departed for England in Jun 1683 without appointing a deputy governor. An inquiry into Culpeper's "neglect of government" found that he had forfeited the office and the jury passed a verdict to that effect on 16/26 Aug 1683. The commission of Culpeper was declared to be "utterly void" in Letters Patent issued for Baron Howard of Effingham (dated 28 Sep/8 Oct 1683, read in Council on 21 Feb/2 Mar 1684).
  2. During the joint reign of William III and Mary II Their Majesties' Lieutenant and Governor General of Virginia (13/23 Feb 1689 - 28 Dec 1694/7 Jan 1695).
  3. Also in New York and the Dominion of New England.
  4. Also in the Dominion of New England, Maryland, Nova Scotia and Carolina.
  5. Pending the taking office by George Hamilton, Earl of Orkney whose commissions were proclaimed in Virginia on 23 Jun/4 Jul 1710 and 13/24 Feb 1728. The Earl of Orkney never took office in Virginia and died on 29 Jan/9 Feb 1737.
  6. Pending the taking office by William Anne Keppel, Earl of Albemarle whose commission was proclaimed in Virginia after 4/15 Nov 1737. The Earl of Albemarle never took office in Virginia and died on 22 Dec 1754.
  7. Pending the taking office by John Campbell, Earl of Loudoun whose commission as Captain General and Governor-in-Chief was proclaimed in Virginia on 11 Oct 1756. The Earl of Loudoun never took office in Virginia, his Commission was apparently supreseded by Commission of his successor, Sir Jeffery Amherst (dated 29 Sep 1759).
  8. Pending the taking office by Sir Jeffery Amherst whose commission as Captain General and Governor-in-Chief was proclaimed in Virginia on 4 Mar 1760. Amherst never took office in Virginia, his Commission was apparently supreseded by Commission of his successor, Baron de Botetourt (dated 12 Aug 1768).
  9. From 12 Aug 1768 pending the taking office by Baron de Botetourt.
  10. From 19 Jan 1771 pending the taking office by Earl of Dunmore.
  11. Abandoned the seat of government at Williamsburg (8 Jun 1775), taking refuge aboard a British ship; continued to exercise some functions of office and directing warfare efforts against the revolutionary authorities to 7 Aug 1776 when the British fleet left the shores of Virginia.
Last update: 13 Dec 2023
https://www.archontology.org/nations/us/virginia/00_1680.php