Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway, was the colonial governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683.
Background
Born in 1635, Colepeper (often referred to by the alternate, Culpeper) was the son of Judith and John Colepeper. As a royalist, his father left England at the end of the English civil war following the execution of Charles I. Thomas Culpeper lived with his father in the Netherlands and there on 3 August 1659 married the Dutch heiress Margaret van Hesse.
Career
He returned to England after Charles II"s restoration. Culpeper was made administrator of the Isle of Wight which involved little administration but did add to his wealth. He became governor of Virginia in July 1677 but did not leave England until 1679, when he was ordered to by Charles World War II While there, he seemed more interested in maintaining his land in the Northern Neck than governing and soon returned to England.
Rioting in the colony forced him to return in 1682, by which time the riots were already quelled.
After apparently appropriating £9,500 from the treasury of the colony, he returned to England and Charles II was forced to dismiss him, appointing in his stead Francis Howard, 5th Baron Howard of Effingham. (Spencer succeeded Culpeper as acting Governor on the Lord"s departure from the colony)
In Virginia, Culpeper County and its county seat, the town of Culpeper are named for him.