[5][6] Notwithstanding his rough exterior, George Burrington seems to have been a man of education; and the sale of his books shows that he was not unprovided with literature at a time when libraries were few and scattered.
The first term which began on 15 January 1724 ended little more than a year later after a dispute over an alleged fraudulent will of former governor Charles Eden (who had died in 1722) led by August 1724 to physical confrontations with Christopher Gale, a powerful landowner and politician who also served terms as the colony's chief justice, and even a raid on Gale's house that August.
Burrington's removal ended threats to North Carolina lands from Eden's English hairs, and Sir Richard Everard became governor.
For a while Everard appeared to rule with the assistance of Gale and his sons in law William Clayton and William Little (whom Burrington had initially appointed as the colony's attorney general) as well as provincial secretary John Lovick, who also married one of the North Carolina heirs and administered Eden's estate (and made Everard, Gale and his brother alternate executors with instructions to give nothing to the English heirs).
However, although Burrington made peace with Lovick and praised his expertise in Indian affairs as well as appointed him to the Governor's Council,[11] this term also became controversy-filled.
[16] Burrington died in Westminster's St. James Park during an apparent robbery attempt on 22 February 1759, during which the 70 year old wrestled with his attackers, but fell or was thrown into a canal and drowned.