Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Tucker, William

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774774Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 57 — Tucker, William1899Charles Alexander Harris

TUCKER, WILLIAM (1589?–1640?), colonist, born in England about 1589, seems to have gone out to Virginia in 1610 in the Mary and James (see Neill, op. cit.) He was one of the first subscribers to the Virginia Company, and in 1617 sent over two men in his service to the colony, himself following in 1618. He apparently devoted himself to trading voyages as well as to planting, and probably from this obtained the title 'Captain' by which reference is generally made to him. To judge from instructions which he left on one of his visits to England, he was a shrewd and hard man of business (Cal. State Papers. Colonial, 1574-1660, p. 151). He resided at Kiccowtan (afterwards Elizabeth City), where he had an estate of eight hundred acres and a large establishment, and on 30 July 1619 he was elected member for that city to the first assembly of Virginia. He took a leading part in the fighting arising out of the massacre in the colony by the Indians in 1622. Before 1623 he had become a member of the council of Virginia, and apparently was reappointed in subsequent years till his death. In 1630, and again in 1632 and 1633, he made voyages to England. On the last of these occasions he made an application to the privy council for a renewal of the ancient charter of Virginia, and for restraint of the Dutch from the trade. He seems to have died in England, probably before 1640. He married, before 1618, Mary, daughter of Robert Thompson of Watton, Hertfordshire, who was aunt to the first Baron Haversham.

[Brown's Genesis of the United States, ii. 1 034; Neill's Virginia Carolorum, p. 40; Calendar of State Papers, Colonial, 1574-1660.]

C. A. H.