Virginia: Governors: 1610-1680

Lieutenant General
23 May/2 Jun 1610 - 10/20 Jun 1610	Sir Thomas Gates
Governor of the Colony of Virginia [1]
10/20 Jun 1610 - 7/17 Jun 1618	Sir Thomas West, Baron De La Warr [2][3]
19/29 Apr 1619 - 18/28 Nov 1621	Sir George Yeardley
18/28 Nov 1621 - bf. 28 Jul/7 Aug 1626	Sir Francis Wyatt [3]
bf. 28 Jul/7 Aug 1626 - c. 10/20 Nov 1627	Sir George Yeardley [4]
14/24 Nov 1627 - 5/15 Mar 1629	Francis West
5/15 Mar 1629 - 24 Mar/3 Apr 1630	John Pott
24 Mar/3 Apr 1630 - 28 Apr/8 May 1635	Sir John Harvey [5]
May 1635 - 18/28 Jan 1637	John West
18/28 Jan 1637 - Nov 1639	Sir John Harvey
Nov 1639 - 8/18 Mar 1642	Sir Francis Wyatt [6]
8/18 Mar 1642 - 12/22 Mar 1652	Sir William Berkeley [7][8]
30 Apr/10 May 1652 - 31 Mar/10 Apr 1655	Richard Bennett
31 Mar/10 Apr 1655 - Mar 1657	Edward Digges
Mar 1657 - Jan 1660	Samuel Mathews, Jr. [9]
Feb 1660 - 9/19 Jul 1677	Sir William Berkeley [10][11]
27 Apr/7 May 1677 - 17/27 Dec 1678	Herbert Jeffreys [12]
30 Dec 1678/9 Jan 1679 - 10/20 May 1680	Sir Henry Chicheley

Also in official use: Governor of Virginia, Governor of the Colony and Plantation of Virginia, Governor and Captain General of the Colony of Virginia.
De La Warre was appointed "principall Governor, Commander and Captain Generall" for life by a commission issued by the Virginia Company of London on 28 Feb/10 Mar 1610. He arrived to Virginia where his commission was read and proclaimed on 10/20 Jun 1610. Following the departure of De La Warre, who had sailed for England on 28 Mar/7 Apr 1611, the functions of Governor devolved on the deputy governors.

Deputy Governor

28 Mar/7 Apr 1611 - 10/20 May 1611

George Percy

10/20 May 1611 - 1/11 or 2/12 Aug 1611

Sir Thomas Dale

1/11 or 2/12 Aug 1611 - Jan/Feb 1614

Sir Thomas Gates

Jan/Feb 1614 - Apr/May 1616

Sir Thomas Dale

Apr/May 1616 - c. 20/30 May 1617

Sir George Yeardley

c. 20/30 May 1617 - c. 5/15 Apr 1619

Samuel Argall

c. 5/15 Apr 1619 - 19/29 Apr 1619

Nathaniel Powell

De La Warre died during his return trip to Virginia. Conflicting accounts provide different dates and locations of his death. The date (7/17 Jun 1618) recorded above is taken from the inquisition post mortem conducted at Andover on 3/13 Apr 1619.
The commission of Wyatt prescribed the assumption of government on 18/28 Nov 1621. He arrived to Virginia in October 1621 and is presumed to have taken office on the appointed day. Wyatt departed for England shortly after 17/27 May 1626 as evident from his letter to the Privy Council. Yeardley, who had been appointed governor on 14/24 Mar 1626, arrived to Virginia in the summer of 1626 (the first General Court at which he presided was held on 28 Jul/7 Aug 1626.
The minutes of the Governor and Council record that Yeardley was buried on 13/23 Nov 1627, suggesting that his death likely occurred around 10/20 Nov 1627.
Harvey was confronted by members of the Council on 28 Apr/8 May 1635, compelled to deposit his commission, and effectively placed in custody. John West was elected governor, either by the Council or the General Assembly, on or about 7/17 May 1635. Harvey departed for England, where he was reappointed governor on 2/12 Apr 1636, and upon his return to Virginia had his commission read on 18/28 Jan 1637.
Wyatt, who had been commissioned as governor on of 11/21 Jan 1639, most likely arrived in Virginia in November 1639. This inference is drawn from a surviving certificate signed by Governor Harvey on 29 Oct/8 Nov 1639, which indicates that Harvey was still in office at that date.
Berkeley departed for England between 22 Jun/2 Jul 1644 and 29 Jun/9 Jul 1644, and returned on 7/17 Jun 1645. During his absence, Kemp was elected governor in accordance with the provisions of Berkeley's commission:

Governor of the Colony of Virginia

Jun/Jul 1644 - 7/17 Jun 1645

Richard Kemp
Berkeley surrendered the government to the Commissioners of the Council of State of the Commonwealth of England on 12/22 Mar 1652.
Elected governor by the Grand Assembly in Dec 1656 and assumed the functions of office after the departure of Edward Digges in March 1657.
Berkeley resumed the functions of governor probably in February 1660, summoning the Grand Assembly which elected him to the office on or after 13/23 Mar 1660.
Berkeley sailed for England c. 6/16 Jun 1661, and returned in November 1662. Before his departure, Moryson was elected governor by the Council on 30 Apr/10 May 1661 and commissioned on 11/21 May 1661:

Governor of the Colony of Virginia

c. 6/16 Jun 1661 - Nov 1662

Francis Moryson
Jeffreys was appointed "Lieutenant Governor of [the] Colony and plantation in Virginia" on 11/21 Nov 1676 to serve during the absence of Berkeley. He took the oath of office in London on 18/28 Nov 1676 and arrived in Virginia to assume the government. Berkeley disputed the terms of his retirement and delayed the transfer of authority until Jeffreys proclaimed his assumption of executive functions as "Governor and Captain General" on 27 Apr/7 May 1677. Berkeley objected to the takeover but departed for England on 5/15 May 1677, formally remaining in office until his death in London on 9/19 Jul 1677.