Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/148

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY


retained his seat until 1652. The house of burgesses again made him a councillor by suc- cessive elections in April, 1652; ]\Iarch, 1654- 55; March, 1657-58 and April, 1658. He was also present as a member on March 13, 1659- 60. He doubtless remained a councillor until his death, which occurred in or not long be- fore 1662. Col. Bernard took part in the effort to make silk culture a success in Virginia, and in the "Reformed X'irginia Silk Worm," pub- lished in 1652. John Ferrar Jr., who puts into rhyme the substance of letters lately received by his sister, \'irginia Ferrar, says of him :

"Yea, worthy Bernard that stout Colonel Informs the lady the work most facile And of rich silken stuffs made shortly there He hopes that he and others shall soon wear."'

Only two grants of land to Bernard appear in the land books. The first, dated Aug, 10, 1642, was to "William Bernard, Esq., 1200 acres in Isle of Wight county, at the head of Laune's creek, and extending to the head of Pagan creek, due for his own adventure into the Colony four times, and for the transporta- tion of 20 persons;" and the second to "Col. Bernard, Esq., 600 acres in Lancaster on Divid- ing Creek." Col. Bernard married in 1652 or the year following, Lucy, widow of Maj. Lewis Burwell, of "Carter's Creek," Glouces- tei county, and daughter of Capt. Robert Hig- ginson. Several deeds in York prove this marriage, the earliest of them being from Wil- liam Bernard, Esq., and his wife, Lucy, con- veying to George Reade a tract of land which had been purchased by Capt. Robert Higgin- son on Jan. 9, 1648. Bernard died in or be- fore 1662, in which year his widow had be- come the wife of Philip Ludwell. He left a daughter Elizabeth, who married Thomas


Todd, of Toddsbury, Gloucester county, and has descendants.

Morrison, Francis, g(3vernor of X'irginia (q- v.).

Harwood, Thomas, was a member of the house of burgesses for Mulberry Island in the ytars 1629, 1630, 1633 and 1642; speaker of the house 1648 and 1649, ^"<^1 chosen member of the council in 1652. He took a prominent part in the movement to depose Gov. Har- vey, and when he was at length sent to Eng- land, Harwood and Francis Pott went with liim, as representatives of the house of bur- gesses and the council. On their arrival in Plymouth, Harvey had them arrested by the mayor, and the letters carried by Harwood were sealed up. They appear to have been soon released, for in Aug., 1635, Harvey wrote to the English authorities that Harwood was in London, and asked that he be "restrained of his liberty." The English state papers give a glimpse of him on his way from Plymouth to London. One Browne gave information that on the i8th of July preceding he was in the house of one Ebbottson at the sign of the \'aliant Soldier in Exeter, and Ebbottson spied the post that carried the packet to London, and a stranger with him riding post also, whom Ebbottson went into the street to meet, and they went into the house and drank a pint of wine together and parted, and Ebbottson then told Browne that the stranger was one Harwood new come from Virginia, who informed him that they have had great contentions, and have displaced Gov. Harvey, for he hath done great injuries to that country, and that Harwood was appointed by the country to carry letters to the King and that he would make great haste to be up before Sir John, that he might