John West (colonel)


Colonel John West, Jr. of West Point, Virginia was commander of the New Kent Militia in the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, and a representative of the same county in the House of Burgesses.

Biography

John West was born 1632 at Bellfield, York River. He was the son of Captain John West, Virginia Governor.
West served in the militia from 1652 to 1673, ending with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was a supporter of Governor Berkeley during Bacon's Rebellion, and appears in the list compiled by the King's Commissioners of those who suffered grievances during the uprising:
West served as a member of the courts-martials which tried the rebels.
In 1659, West's father died, the last of the four sons of Thomas West, 2nd Baron De La Warr who came to Virginia. In recognition of the family's contributions to the colonial enterprise, the Virginia Assembly passed the following Act:
In 1685 West represented New Kent in the House of Burgesses. His will dated November 15, 1689, was probated about 1691. It was destroyed along with the other County records in a fire in 1787.

Family

In 1664, West married Unity Croshaw, daughter of Major Joseph Croshaw of York, member of the House of Burgesses. The children of Colonel John and Unity Croshaw were:
West was said to have fathered a son with the Pamunkey leader Cockacoeske about 1656, several years before West's marriage to Unity Croshaw. The child became known as Captain John West. Although there is evidence that Col. West was living apart from his wife in 1685, the year before Cockacoeske's death, the reasons for their separation remain unknown.

Ancestry