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Wealthy, experienced, and politically savvy, the man selected to be the first governor of Virginia, Englands first permanent settlement in America, was considered an obvious choice. For more than a century, Thomas West, third Baron De La Warr, has been credited as the greatest backer of the Virginia Company of London, the company organized to establish Jamestown. In fact, he is regarded as the colonys savior. It is said that De La Warr received a lifetime appointment as governor of Virginia (1610-18) because of his large investment, his military experience in the Netherlands, and the political expertise he gained from his years of service on the Privy Council of England.1
Yet, Lord De La Warr never served on the Privy Council, never fought in the Netherlands, never bought shares of stock in the Company, and spent less than a year in the colony. His contributions to Virginia are due for reconsideration.
Lord De La Warr (pronounced Delaware), after whom the state, a river, a bay, a cape, and a Native American tribe of the Lenape were named, is scarcely known beyond his title. Almost alone of the early figures in Virginia history, Thomas West has not been the subject of a full-length biography. Few records survive, and he kept a low profile because he had insufficient funds to live in London according to his dignity. Even the one portrait said to depict him is open to doubt; although its authenticity has never been questioned, in it he looks more like a sea captain than a Jacobean aristocrat.2
Like many of his gubernatorial successors, Lord De La Warr was impoverished; he agreed to go to the New World to repair his reputation and fill his purse. As part of the arrangement, he brought with him family members who remained in Virginia to make their fortunes. The younger brothers of the West family-John, Nathaniel, and Francis-became important political and social figures in the young colony; for that reason, among others, historians have not looked closely at the first governor and his circumstances.
De La Warr spent fewer than ten months in Virginia and died at age forty-one on a return journey to the colony. Only after his death is he listed as owning stock in the Company....