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Thomas Jarvis settled in Albemarle County some time before 1663, perhaps as early as 1658. He was known as a man “of sterling character and sound judgement.” With his wife, Dorcas, he lived on a plantation adjoining that of John Jenkins. He was a member of the Executive Council in 1672 and elected a delegate to the rebel “Parliament” in 1677. Between 1691 and 1694 he served as Deputy Governor to Governor Philip Ludwell and as such was executive of Carolina “North and East of the Cape Fear.” Inventory of the estate of “Thomas Jervis, esqr.” valued at £509 6s 11d, was accomplished August 6, 1694, by Foster Jarvis, believed to be his son. About the time of his marriage, George Durant apparently formed the purpose of making a new home for himself in some more favored spot. In the year of 1658, he joined a party composed of John Battle, Dr. Thomas Relfe, Roger Williams, Thomas Jarvis, John Harvey, John Jenkins and others to explore and settle the wilderness of the Albemarle - which was then a frontier of Virginia called Roanoke. Most of these men were from Isle of Wight and Nansemond County. In 1690, John Gibbs claimed the right of Deputy Governor, thereby disputing the Lords Proprietors in naming Philip Ludwell. John Gibbs stirred up much trouble in this claim, and he was eventually convinced to go to England to plead his case, along with Ludwell who also travelled to England for the same purpose. While Gibbs and Ludwell were in England, Thomas Jarvis, a member of the previous Executive Council was elected as Acting Deputy Governor of "Ye Lands North and East of Cape Fear." Upon Ludwell's return being confirmed as the Governor of all Carolina in 1691, Jarvis was officially appointed as Deputy Governor under Ludwell. Thomas Jarvis bought from the Indians a strip of land between the Perquimans River and Carolina Sound in what was then known as Albemarle County. By 1691, this Thomas Jarvis had attained sufficient influence to be appointed Deputy Governor of North and South Carolina when Colonel Ludwell was appointed Governor. Prior to this appointment, he was a ship captain. In 1691, the Lords Proprietors appointed Philip Ludwell governor of all Carolina, headquartered at Charles Town, with a deputy governor for the northern part of the colony - the beginning of the division of the province into North and South Carolina, though not so called at this time. Thomas Jarvis was the first Deputy Governor of the entire colony. Ludwell's appointment marked the end of Albemarle as a separate political entity. From 1689 on, the governor ceased to be termed the Governor of Albemarle, but was now called the Deputy Governor of Carolina, the first of whom was Thomas Jarvis. Not until 1710 was there commissioned a separate Governor of North Carolina, "independent of the Governour of Carolina," although as early as 1691 there had been references to Albemarle as North Carolina. 1691-1694 Thomas Jarvis was Deputy Governor for the region "North and East of the Cape Fear." Click Here for what little is known about the Executive Council under Deputy Governor Thomas Jarvis. |
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