Nicholas Spencer | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia Council of State | |
| In office 1672–1689 Serving with John Washington | |
| Member of the House of Burgesses for Westmoreland County | |
| Assumed office 1668-1669 Serving with John Washington | |
| Preceded by | Isaac Allerton Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Richard Lee II |
| In office June 1666 – October 1666 | |
| Preceded by | Isaac Allerton Jr |
| Succeeded by | Isaac Allerton Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1633 |
| Died | 1689 Westmoreland County, Colony of Virginia |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | planter, politician |
Colonel Nicholas Spencer, Jr. (1633–1689) was a merchant, planter and politician in colonial Virginia. Born in Cople, Bedfordshire, Spencer migrated to the Westmoreland County, Virginia, where he became a planter and which he twice briefly represented in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Spencer later served as the colony's Secretary[1] and on the Governor's Council, rising to become it President and on the departure of his cousin[2] Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper in 1683, was named Acting Governor (1683–84), in which capacity Spencer served until the arrival of Governor Lord Howard of Effingham.[3] Spencer's role as agent for the Culpepers helped him and his cousin[citation needed] Lt. Col. John Washington, ancestor of George Washington, secure the patent for their joint land grant of the Mount Vernon estate.
- ^ "List of the Colonial Secretaries". The William and Mary Quarterly. 10 (3). Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture: 167–175. January 1902. doi:10.2307/1915226. JSTOR 1915226.
- ^ Brock, Robert Alonzo; Lewis, Virgil Anson (1888). History of Virginia from Jamestown to Close of the Civil War. H. H. Hardesty. pp. [1].
- ^ "Nicholas Spencer". Virginia and Virginians.
Although Col. Spencer stepped down as acting Governor on Effingham's arrival, he continued to serve as Secretary of the Virginia Colony until at least 1689 and perhaps later.