James Colleton (d. c. 1706) was a governor of the English proprietary Province of Carolina from 1686 to 1690.

Biography

Son of Sir John Colleton, one of the colony's founders, he took over some of the family's landholdings in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...

before being appointed governor by the colony's proprietors. Upon his arrival in the colony he put a stop to a planned expedition against Spanish St. Augustine, organized in retaliation for an earlier attack against Charles Town. Since England and Spain were then at peace, the proprietors approved his action, much to the annoyance of the local leaders. He further angered the colonists by maintaining the government according to the colony's Fundamental Constitutions in the face of popular opposition. In 1687 the Lords Proprietors wrote to Colleton, angry that a member of his Grand Council had been abetting pirates. John Boone had been removed from the Council for smuggling supplies to Henry Holloway and a pirate named Chapman, and helping hide their loot. The Proprietors excoriated Colleton when Boone was allowed back on the Council: "This must not be. Men convicted of such misdemeanours must not be chosen again and restored. ... We are sorry to see the proneness of the Parliament of Carolina to such proceedings, and hope that they will not occur again." By 1690 Colleton and the provincial assembly were at loggerheads, and Colleton attempted to rule without the assembly. This resulted in open resistance to his rule, prompting him to declare

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

, although he quickly retracted this when he could not even control the militia. He was turned out of office by the arrival in 1690 of

Seth Sothel Seth Sothel (also spelled Sothell and Southwell, d. c. 1694) was a colonial American proprietor and governor of the Province of Carolina. He ruled the northern portion, Albemarle Sound (future North Carolina), in 1678 and the southern portion (fut ...

, one of the proprietors.McCrady, Edward
''The History of South Carolina Under the Proprietary Government, 1670-1719''
/ref> Colleton was the Speaker of the House of Assembly of Barbados from 1700 to 1701.

References

Colonial governors of South Carolina Speakers of the House Assembly of Barbados 1706 deaths Year of birth unknown Younger sons of baronets Colony of Barbados people {{SouthCarolina-politician-stub