Career
He was appointed by the Lords Proprietor to succeed William Drummond. Stephens was born in Jamestown, Virginia and was the first governor of any colony to be born in America. In 1652, Stephens married Frances Culpepper, the sister of Lord John Culpeper.
They had no children.
They owned Boldrup Plantation. Before King Charles II of England established the Province of Carolina, Stephens had served as "Commander of the Southern Plantation" for the Colony of Virginia between 1662 and 1664.
The "Southern Plantation" roughly corresponded to what would later be northeastern North Carolina. Stephens died while serving as Governor.