COLONIAL COLWCILLORS OF STATE
ordered him to make an attack upon the In-
dians. As "Captain Thomas I'urefoy." he
was a member of the house of burgesses for
"tl^e lower parts of EHzabeth City," at the ses-
sion of March, 1629-30. and on Dec. 20, 1621,
appears as a councillor, lie was probably
appointed by Harvey, whom he always faith-
fully supported during the long dispute be-
tween the governor and the council and bur-
gesses. When this contest reached a climax
and an address from the house of burgesses
to the English government was being circu-
lated for signatures, the people of the lower
country went in such numbers to sign it that
"Captain Purfry took an affright that caused
him to write to the Governor of many inci-
dent dangers, insomuch that he durst not keep
a court until he heard from him or had a letter
from the King." Samuel Mathews says that
in this letter Capt. Purefoy accused the people
cf being "in a near sense to rebellion, which
since he denied, it being very usual with him
to affirm and deny often the same things."
This, of course, is the opinion of a member of
the hostile party. The opinion of another
contemporary is very different. "He is a sol-
dier and a man of open heart, hating for aught
I can see all kinds of dissimulation and base-
ness." In spite of his adherence to Harvey,
Purefoy continued a member of the council
after the governor's deposition, and was one
of those whom the King thought fit to allow
to retain their seats. He named, according to
a land patent, one of his estates, a i.ooo acre
track. "Drayton," doubtless after a place of
tl-at name mentioned by Burke as a seat of
the Purefoys in England. He left a son
Thomas who had an only daughter h'rances
who had many descendants in X'irginia —
Tabbs. fJookers, Lowrys, etc. Capt. Purefoy
was alive in 1640.
Peirce, William, came from England in the
"Sea X'enture" in 1609 and was, for many
years one of the foremost men of the colony.
In May, 1623, Gov. Wyatt appointed him cap-
tain of the guard and commander of James
City. In the same year, the governor ordered
"Captain W'm. Peirce, Captain of his guard
and lieutenant governor of James City," to
lead an expedition against the Chickahominies.
This Peirce did, falling upon them on July 23,
"with no small slaughter." He had already
made a very favorable impression upon George
Sandys, the treasurer of \'irginia, who wrote
to England in 1623 that William Peirce, the
governor of Jamestown, was inferior to none
in experience, ability and capacity and recom-
mended him for appointment to the council.
In 1627. he was again commissioned to attack
the Chickahominies with Thomas Harwood as
hih second in command. In 1629. he was in
England and while there, prepared "A Rela-
tion of the Present State of the Colony of Vir-
ginia, by Capt. William Perse, an ancient
planter of twenty years standing there." He
states that there were in X'irginia between four
and five thousand English, generally well
housed, besides much other valuable informa-
tion in regard to those times. In 1631, Peirce
was appointed a member of the council and,
on December 20, signed the accord between
that body and Governor Harvey. He was a
strong opponent of Harvey's misgovernment
and was one of the councillors who, on .April
28, 1635, arrested and deposed him. himself
leading thirty, or according to some accounts,
fifty musketeers to beset Harvey's house.
Early in the next month, when Claiborne com-
plained to the new governor. West, and the
council of his treatment in Maryland. Capts.
Utie and Peirce were sent to that colony to
protest, to the authorities there, against their
