Francis Wyatt
Governor-General Sir Francis Wyatt | |
|---|---|
Apocryphal depiction of Opechancanough (left) and Francis Wyatt (right), c. 1621 | |
| Born | 1588 Boxley, Kent |
| Died | 1644 (aged 55–56) |
| Resting place | Boxley Abbey |
| Other names | Francis Wyate, Wyat |
| Known for | "A breife declaration of the plantation of Virginia..." (1624) |
| Spouse |
Margaret Sandys (m. 1618) |
| Father | George Wyatt |
| Governor of Virginia | |
| In office November 18, 1621 – September 18, 1625 | |
| Appointed by | James I |
| Preceded by | George Yeardley |
| Succeeded by | George Yeardley |
| Crown Governor of Virginia | |
| In office November, 1639 – February, 1641/42 (O.S./N.S.) | |
| Appointed by | Charles I |
| Preceded by | John Harvey |
| Succeeded by | William Berkeley |
Sir Francis Wyatt (b. 1588 – d. 1644) was an English knight and government official. He was the first royal governor of Virginia. Wyatt sailed for the New World on August, 1621. He became governor shortly after his arrival in November, taking with him the first written constitution for an English colony. In 1622 he rallied the defence of Jamestown which was attacked by Native Americans, during which the lives of some 400 settlers were lost and he then oversaw the contraction of the colony from scattered outposts into a defensive core. Governor Wyatt spearheaded trading and expansion of the Virginia colony. Described as an ancient planter, Wyatt owned several parcels of land.