Balthrope

Balthrope. Boldrup. (preface) Newport News was a small community located in Warwick County until late in the 19th century. Established as a town in 1880, it was incorporated as a city in 1896. Warwick County, one of the eight original Virginia shires formed by 1634, became extinct in 1952 when it was designated the city of Warwick. It merged with Newport News in 1958., In 1626, William Claiborne patented 500 acres along the Warwick River above Denbign. Captain Samuel Stevens acquired the estate, called Balthrope or Boldrup, in 1631. Stevens married Frances Culpeper who inherited the estate upon his death. Governor Sir William Berkeley married the wealthy widow and sold the 1,350-acre plantation to his close advisor Colonel William Cole in 1671., William Cole (1638-1694) served as an attorney in Warwick County and commanded the county’s militia. He was a member of the Council of the State from 1674 until 1692. During Bacon’s Rebellion, Cole negotiated unsuccessfully with Nathaniel Bacon to end the conflict and later fled with Governor Berkley to the Eastern Shore. After Bacon’s death, Cole resumed his political career, serving as the colonial secretary of state from 1689 to 1692 and as a trustee for the College of William and Mary. He also acquired more land in York County, Elizabeth City County, and Warwick County. Cole left his heirs more than 3,600 acres of land and a rich political legacy. His son, Colonel William Cole (1692-1729), inherited Balthrope and served as a member of the House of Burgesses as well as a Warwick County justice, sheriff, and militia commander. The manor house remained in Cole family ownership until 1766. The Boldrup Plantation Archaeological Site is listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places., (captions) , Governor Sir William Berkley , William Cole’s Coat of Arms , Nathaniel Bacon (right) def[ying] Governor Berkeley during Bacon’s Rebellion, 1676. - Courtesy Central Office of Information, London