LORDS PROPRIETORS VIII
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Codington (Colleton) in Kitty Hawk Bay is a lovely place. It was named for a
Lords Proprietor. — (Photo by Hemmer.)
A Barbados Planter
John Colleton save his name to a
beautiful island in Kitty Hawk Kay.
— By —
WILLIAM S. POWELL
John Colleton, the son of Peter Col¬
leton and his wife, Ursula Hull, was
born in 160S. probably in the west
of England, since his father was high
sheriff of Exeter in Devonshire ten
years later. During the civil war he
served faithfully in the royal cause,
first as a captain of infantry and later
as a colonel. Sir John Berkeley com¬
missioned Colleton to raise a regiment
for his army in the west. This Colle¬
ton did in ten days, and in the cause
of the King also spent some .£40.000
of his own money.
To West Indies
It seems to have been late in 1650
or early in 1651 that Colleton, de¬
scribed as “a man of considerable
wealth and influence," went to the Is¬
land of Barbados in the West Indies.
The governor there, Francis Willough¬
by. Lord of Parham, confided in him
and discussed with him many of his
problems. Colleton appears to have re¬
turned to London for a brief period in
1652, but was soon back in Barbados
where he remained an ardent sup¬
porter of the royalist cause. He is de¬
scribed by various authorities as a
“merchant and promoter.” “a Barba¬
dian financier,” and simply as “a
planter." He was related to Sir Thomas
Modyford. at one time governor of the
island, to whom George Monck, Duke
of Albemarle, was also related.
About the time of the restoration
of Charles II in 1660. Colleton re¬
turned to England, never again to visit
Barbados. His property in Barbados
was taken over by his son, James,
who married Ann, daughter of James
Kendall, governor of the island. Sir
John Berkeley presented a “memorial"
in Colleton's behalf to the King and
in February, 1661, he was knighted
together with twelve others, including
John Ycamans, who took an early part
in the settlement of Carolina and who
had also lived in Barbados. Colleton
was appointed a member of the Royal
African Company, and in December,
1660, had been made a member
of the very important Council for For¬
eign Plantations of which Berkeley was
president.
The idea of obtaining a grant from
the King for the region lying south of
Virginia seems to have occurred first
to Colleton. It is likely that he had
heard attractive accounts of this vast
unoccupied region from captains who
had sailed their ships along the coast
and noticed the large navigable rivers
and sounds and fertile lands. Their
accounts would have interested a Bar¬
badian planter such as Colleton whose
plantations were being crowded out
by large sugar growers. After the grant
of Carolina was made in 1663 to the
eight Proprietors, Colleton seems to
have taken a sincere interest in the
territory and he attended meetings of
the Proprietors regularly.
A grant for "the island heretofore
called Carlyle Island now Colleton Is¬
land lycing ncarc the mouth of C'ho-
wanc now Albemarle river" was made
( This article concludes an S- piece
scries prepared especially by William
S. Powell of the U.N.C. Library for
The State.)
to Sir John Colleton in September,
1663. This island in Kitty Hawk Bay
back of the Wright Memorial is now-
known as Codington Island.
Thomas Woodward, surveyor of Al¬
bemarle in 1665. addressed a letter to
Colleton “ncctc St. Jameses, London,"
where we presume he was then living.
The next year. 1666, he died — the first
of the Lords Proprietors to be taken
by death.
Colleton's share in Carolina and his
title passed to his eldest son, Peter.
At Sir Peter’s death in 1679. the share
went to his son. Sir John Colleton,
third baronet. This Sir John removed
to South Carolina sometime after
1714, and in 1729 relinquished his
share in Carolina to the crown. James
Colleton, son of the first Sir John,
was appointed governor of South Caro¬
lina in 16S6 and served until 1690.
The last member of the family bear¬
ing the name. Sir Robert Augustus
William Colleton, died in September,
1938, leaving no male heir.
13
THE STATE. Sc PTC MO CP 26. 1953
