John Tyler Sr.
John Tyler Sr. | |
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United States District Court for the District of Virginia | |
In office January 7, 1811 – January 6, 1813 | |
Appointed by | James Madison |
Preceded by | Cyrus Griffin |
Succeeded by | St. George Tucker |
15th Governor of Virginia | |
In office December 1, 1808 – January 15, 1811 | |
Preceded by | William H. Cabell |
Succeeded by | James Monroe |
Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
In office 1781–1785 | |
Preceded by | Benjamin Harrison V |
Succeeded by | Benjamin Harrison V |
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Charles City County | |
In office May 4, 1778 – October 15, 1786 Serving with Benjamin Harrison, William Green Munford, Henry Southall | |
Preceded by | William Acrill |
Succeeded by | William Christian |
Personal details | |
Born | John Tyler February 28, 1747 James City County, Virginia, British America |
Died | January 6, 1813 Charles City County, Virginia, United States | (aged 65)
Spouse | Mary Marot Armistead (m. 1777; death 1797) |
Children |
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Parents |
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Education | College of William & Mary |
Profession |
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John Tyler Sr. (February 28, 1747 – January 6, 1813) was an American lawyer,
Early life and education
Born on February 28, 1747, in
Career
Tyler was admitted to the Virginia bar and had a private legal practice.[2] Around 1770, Tyler moved to Charles City County. There, in addition to his private legal practice, Tyler operated plantations using enslaved labor. By his marriage in 1776, discussed below, Tyler built Greenway Plantation, where he would raise his family and later die. In the 1787 Virginia tax census, Tyler owned 20 enslaved adults and 14 enslaved children, as well as 12 horses and 75 cattle, and was also taxed for his carriages (which had a total of six wheels).[4] Meanwhile, as relations with Britain became strained, Tyler became a member of the Charles City County
Tyler's statewide political career began in 1778, as he first won election as one of Charles City County's delegates to the Virginia House of Delegates. Charles City County voters re-elected him annually until 1788.[5] Furthermore, fellow delegates elected Tyler as their Speaker in 1781, when he succeeded Benjamin Harrison (who legislators had elected the Governor), and re-elected Tyler until 1785, when Benjamin Harrison again became the Speaker).[1][3][6]
In addition to his legislative service, Tyler served as a Judge of the Virginia High Court of Admiralty from 1776 to 1788.
Virginia ratification convention
Charles City County voters elected Tyler as one of their representatives to the
Governor
Legislators elected Tyler the 15th Governor of Virginia from 1808 to 1811.[2]
Federal judicial service
President
Death and legacy
Tyler died on January 6, 1813, at Greenway Plantation in Charles City County.[2] His official papers as Governor are held by the Library of Virginia.[9]
Tyler County, West Virginia, is named in Tyler's honor.[10]
Family
Tyler married Mary Marot Armistead (1761–1797) in 1777.[9] His wife was the only child of Robert Booth and Ann (Shields) Armistead of King's Creek plantation in York County, Virginia (her ancestor, another Robert Booth, had served as a burgess representing the county in 1653 and 1654–1655.) They had eight children, including future President John Tyler.[3]
References
- ^ a b c Jamerson, Bruce F., Clerk of the House of Delegates, supervising (2007). Speakers and Clerks of the Virginia House of Delegates, 1776-2007. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia House of Delegates. p. 23.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j John Tyler at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ a b c d e Lyon Gardiner Tyler, "John Tyler" in Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography (1915) vol. 2, pp. 35-36
- ^ Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florence Speakman Love, The 1787 Census of Virginia (Genealogical Books in Print, Springfield, Virginia, 1987) p. 1050
- ^ Cynthia Miller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly, 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 129, 133, 137, 141, 145, 149, 153, 156
- ^ Leonard pp. xv, 156
- ^ Leonard p. 172
- ^ "Energetic Government: John Tyler, Virginia Ratifying Convention". press-pubs.uchicago.edu.
- ^ a b "A Guide to the Governor John Tyler Executive Papers, 1808-1811 Tyler, John, Executive Papers of Governor, 1808-1811 41223". ead.lib.virginia.edu.
- ^ "Tyler County history sources". 2013-05-29. Archived from the original on 2013-05-29. Retrieved 2021-07-13.