Henry Wilkinson

Henry Wilkinson (s d. after 1681) was an English soldier and colonial administrator who was appointed governor of Albemarle Sound, a proprietary colony in present-day North Carolina, by the Lords Proprietors in 1680. Although commissioned to restore stability following political unrest in the colony, Wilkinson never assumed office, as financial difficulties and imprisonment in England prevented his departure.

Early life and military service Wilkinson was born around the 1620s in York, England. During the English Civil War, he served as a professional soldier on the Royalist side, attaining the rank of captain. Following the end of his military career, he attempted to establish himself in civilian occupations but met with limited success. Around 1679, he relocated with his family from York to London.

Career

Appointment as governor In November 1680, the Lords Proprietors appointed Wilkinson as interim Governor of Albemarle, a colony that had experienced significant political turmoil stemming from the administrations of Thomas Eastchurch and Thomas Miller and the events surrounding Culpeper's Rebellion. Wilkinson was selected in part because he was considered an outsider with no ties to the colony's competing political factions. The proprietors believed his military experience, loyalty, and perceived impartiality would enable him to govern fairly and restore stability. Two of Wilkinson's sons were designated for colonial offices, one as surveyor and proprietary deputy and another as register.