Francis Nicholson Papers: Addition One(1695/6–1765)

MS 1986.10
17 pieces

Nicholson was a member of the Council for the Dominion of New England and in 1688 was commissioned lieutenant governor of the Dominion. Served as lieutenant governor of New York (1688), lieutenant governor of Virginia (1690–1692), governor of Maryland (1694–1698), governor of Virginia (1698–1705) governor of Nova Scotia (1713–1717), and governor of South Carolina (1721–1725. He was a fellow of the Royal Society.

This collection contains letters, 1696–1724, written to Francis Nicholson as governor of Maryland and South Carolina by the Bishop of London (Henry Compton) concerning Anglican ministers, and citing the example of Virginia [College of William and Mary?] in advising him about his school in Maryland (King William’s School, later St. John’s University, Annapolis); by the Archbishop of Canterbury (William Wake) advising him not to return to England to answer imputations; by Walter Cary concerning court politics, [Sir Robert?] Walpole, and the death of Sir Charles Cook; by Peter H[?] discussing French events; by [?] Jackson concerning the loss of a ship; by Elloys Knight, recounting a journey; by E[lizabeth] Sa[vage] on plots against King William III, and mentioning [William] Pen[n] as an enemy of Nicholson; and by an unidentified person detailing a conspiracy against the king by trying to affect the election of sheriffs of London and Middlesex.

There are also papers, 1731–1765, that concern the will of Francis Nicholson in which he left his estate to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts including letters of David Humphrey, M. Howard, Jacob Henderson, and a legal opinion of P[hillip] Yorke.

See also the Francis Nicholson Papers (MS 1943.3).

Inventory

Date	Description
10 February 1695/6	Letter. Peter Haset (?) to Governor Francis Nicholson, Annapolis, Maryland re English governmental policies, events and gossip.
17 January 1697	Letter. London, Peter (?) Jackson to Col. Francis Nicholson.
26 January [1696/7]	[Elizabeth Savage], London, to Francis Nicholson, Governor of Maryland, re deaths and political hangings in London.
5 January 1698	Letter. H. London (Henry Compton, Bishop of London) to Francis Nicholson re schools in Maryland.
27 January 1720	Letter. Ellway Knight to Francis Nicholson, Governor of South Carolina.
28 February 1720	Letter. Walter Cary, London, to Francis Nicholson re attempted meetings with Lord Townsend and deaths in London.
ca. 1722–1723	Anonymous agent’s report to Francis Nicholson re conspiracies relating to the election of the sheriff of London.
10 February 1723/4	Letter. [Archbishop of Canterbury], Lambeth House, to Francis Nicholson.
24 February 1731	Letter. D.H. [Rev. David Humphries], London, Secretary for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, to Mr. Bordley, Maryland, re land Francis Nicholson willed the S.P.G. in Maryland.
24 February 1731	Letter. Unsigned [Rev. David Humphries], London, to Rev. Jacob Henderson, Maryland, re Francis Nicholson lands in Maryland.
26 March 1731	Letter. Rev. David Humphries, London, to Jacob Henderson, Maryland, re Francis Nicholson lands in Maryland.
5 August 1732	Letter. William Howard, Attorney General of Maryland, to Rev. Jacob Henderson, Maryland re Francis Nicholson land in Maryland.
16 August 1732	Letter. Rev. Jacob Henderson, Maryland, to David Humphries, London, re possible lawsuit over Francis Nicholson lands in Maryland.
24 October 1732	Letter. Jacob Henderson, Maryland, to David Humphries, London, re Francis Nicholson land in Maryland.
26 December 1732	Legal opinion of P. Yorke re Francis Nicholson will and the bequeathment of lands in America to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
1765	Extracts of accounts including the legacy of Gov. Francis Nicholson’s will.
N.D. (ca. 1735)	Memorandum re items willed the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

View Virginia Heritage Project finding aid