Nationality English Occupation Colonial governor | Name Thomas 2nd Died January 27, 1689 | |
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Parents John Colepeper, 1st Baron Colepeper | ||
Thomas Colepeper (or Culpeper), 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway, (baptised 21 March 1635 – 27 January 1689) was the colonial governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683.
Biography
Born in 1635, Colepeper (often referred to by the alternate, Culpeper) was the son of Judith and John Colepeper. As a royalist, his father left England at the end of the English civil war following the execution of Charles I. Thomas Culpeper lived with his father in the Netherlands and there on 3 August 1659 married the Dutch heiress Margaret van Hesse. He returned to England after Charles II's restoration.
Culpeper was made administrator of the Isle of Wight which involved little administration but did add to his wealth. He became governor of Virginia in July 1677 but did not leave England until 1679, when he was ordered to by Charles II. While there, he seemed more interested in maintaining his land in the Northern Neck than governing and soon returned to England.
Rioting in the colony forced him to return in 1682, by which time the riots were already quelled. After apparently appropriating £9,500 from the treasury of the colony, he returned to England and Charles II was forced to dismiss him, appointing in his stead Francis Howard, 5th Baron Howard of Effingham. During this tumultuous time, Culpeper's erratic behaviour meant that he had to rely increasingly on his cousin and Virginia agent, Col. Nicholas Spencer. (Spencer succeeded Culpeper as acting Governor on the Lord's departure from the colony.)
Culpeper lived the rest of his life in London with his mistress, Susannah Willis, and their two daughters. He left a will in favour of Willis and her daughters that was suppressed. Catherine Culpeper, his only child with his wife Margaret van Hesse, inherited much of his wealth and married Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron in 1690.
In Virginia, Culpeper County and its county seat, the town of Culpeper are named for him.