COLONIAL COUNCILLORS OF STATE
117
mention of Lee as holding a public place is in
the official records under date of Feb., 1641,
when he was appointed clerk of the council.
On Oct. 12, 1643, he was made attorney-gen-
eral, in 1646 he was a magistrate for York and
the year following represented that county in
the house of burgesses. He seems to have
moved away from York in or before 1651,
a> in that year he was paid for services as a
burgess of Northumberland. On Sept. 9, of
the same year, he was present in the council as
a member. He owned three plantations, one
in York county, on the York river, and two
in Northumberland on Dividing creeks, where
necks of land afford such a good harbor that
it is used to this day as a landing place for
Baltimore steamers. In addition to these
places grants of land in Lancaster, Westmore-
land and Gloucester were made to him. He
was a staunch Royalist and made many trips
to England and on to Holland, the latter for
the express purpose of seeing the exciled
King, Charles II. According to John Gibbons,
Lee intended to end his days in England, and
with this in view, employed him. Gibbons, to
oversee his estate in the colony. It happens,
however, that his will arranges for the dis-
posal of his English property and the settle-
ment of his children in the colony, "all except
Francis if he be pleased," so that it seems
probable that Gibbons was in error. This will
was executed in London on Feb. 6, 1663-64,
while Col. Lee was in England. He must
have returned to Virginia shortly after this
and died almost upon arrival, as he is men-
tioned under date of April 20, 1664, as "Colo-
nel Richard Lee Esq., who is now deceased."
Taylor or Tayloe, William, was an early settler in York county. In or before 1640, he purchased from John LTtie the estate called
"I'tiemaria" in that county, but, it seems, did
not long hold it. I5y a deed dated Dec. 25,
1640, "William Taylor of Utiemaria in the
County of Charles River, in Virginia, mer-
chant," sold to William Blackley, 100 acres of
land which he had bought from John Utie, and
on Jan. 7, 1641, he sold to Henry Corbell 1250
acres also purchased from Utie. Col. William
Tayloe, as he ultimately became, was a bur-
gess for York in March, 1642-43, and Nov.,
1647. As Maj. William Taylor, he was pres-
ent as a member of the council, Nov. 6, 165 1,
but lost his seat on the surrender of Virginia
to the parliament. He w^as, however, again
elected a councillor, April 30, 1652, and once
more on March 31, 1654-55. He had been a
justice of York since 1647. Col. Tayloe mar-
ried Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Kings-
mill, of Virginia, and died without issue. His
widow married secondly Nathaniel Bacon.
The tomb of Mrs. Elizabeth P)acon, now in
St. Paul's Churchyard, Norfolk, bears the
Kingsmill and Tayloe arms. Through his
nephew, however, Col. William Tayloe, of
Richmond county, he has numerous represent-
atives in Virginia.
Bernard, William, was born about 1598, and came to the colony in 1625, in the ship "America." He was the son of Francis Ber- nard, Esq., of Kingsthorpe, Northampton- shire, and brother of Sir Robert Bernard, Bart., of Brampton, Huntingdonshire. He settled first in Isle of Wight county and prob- ably continued to make his home there. He was certainly living there in 1639, when the assembly appointed him a tobacco inspector for the district extending from Laune's creek to Casstra ( ?) creek. The act styles him "Mr. William Barnett." Bernard first appears as a member of the council in March, 1642-43, and
