A Brief History Of The First Harrisons Of Virginia, Descendants Of Cuthbert Harrison, Esq. Of Ancaster, England, From A.d. 1600 To A, Part 1915
(
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923....)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections
such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact,
or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections,
have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works
worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
++++
The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification:
++++
A Brief History Of The First Harrisons Of Virginia, Descendants Of Cuthbert Harrison, Esq. Of Ancaster, England, From A.D. 1600 To A, Part 1915
reprint
Henry Tazewell Harrison
National Capital Press, 1915
Reference; Genealogy; Reference / Genealogy
Henry Tazewell was an American lawyer, judge, and senator.
Background
Tazawell was born in Brunswick County, Virginia, in November 27, 1753. His parents Littleton and Mary (Gray) Tazewell. His grandfather, William Tazewell, had emigrated from England to Northampton County c. 1715, but his ancestor Nathaniel Littleton, a descendant of Sir Thomas Littleton, the author of the Tenures, had been sheriff of Accomac County in 1636. The line of descent exhibits a procession of lawyers and court officers that imposed almost a hereditary compulsion upon the careers of Henry Tazewell and his son, Littleton Waller Tazewell.
Education
After a course at the College of William and Mary, which he finished in 1770, Tazewell studied law in the office of his uncle, John Tazewell, later a judge of the general court.
Career
Tazewell began the practice of law in his native county of Brunswick, and the following year, after a severe contest, was elected to the General Assembly. Revolution was in the air; but though Tazewell had raised and been commissioned captain of a troop of cavalry, he was of the element that still hoped for conciliation. As the author of resolutions in this sense, he was the object of a hasty attack by Jefferson in the Assembly of 1775, but met it with a manly independence that won him for life the high regard of that statesman. The revolutionary convention of 1776 was unanimous in its declaration of independence; and Tazewell became a member of the important committee named to frame a constitution and bill of rights for the state. He represented Brunswick in the General Assembly until 1778, when he removed to Williamsburg, and was almost immediately elected to represent that borough in the same body, and continued to do so until his election to the old general court in 1785. The tribute was the more notable in that his practice had been subjected to severe interruptions by the removal of the capital to Richmond and the frequent closing of the courts in Williamsburg as the result of military operations.
His state-wide reputation and popularity were established and enhanced by his service on the reorganized general court, created in 1788, the judges of which "rode the circuits" into which the state was divided. The next year he became the chief justice of the general court, and in 1793 was appointed to the court of appeals. Meanwhile he had served as one of the revisors of the law, the revision of 1792 being in principal part the work of his hands. On the simultaneous retirement of James Monroe and John Taylor of Caroline from the United States Senate, each of them requested Tazewell to stand for his place. Choosing Taylor's, he was elected by a large majority for the unexpired term and took his seat on December 29, 1794.
Tazewell had been opposed to the ratification by Virginia of the federal Constitution, and his views brought him, on entering the Senate, into opposition to the administration and the Federalist majority. In keeping with the Virginia position, he opposed the ratification of the Jay treaty. But notwithstanding these circumstances, he was, on February 20, 1795, elected president pro tempore, and reëlected the following December.
Reelected in 1798 for the full term, he contracted a severe cold in traveling to Philadelphia to resume his duties, and died of pleurisy a few days after arrival in that city. He was buried there in Christ Church yard.
Achievements
Never defeated in a political contest, he was probably the most popular Virginian of his day, and this without surrender of strong opinions strongly held. Gifted and genial, he maintained a dignity that impressed without offending, and achieved general recognition of his ability while avoiding all appearance of asserting it. Ambition was cloaked in dedication to the public service. Never has any other Virginian achieved at so early an age so impressive a series of political and judicial honors.
