I49001: David DENNISON Sr. (ABT 1760

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m. Johanna _____. Birth: ABT 1292 Death: ABT 1332. ^[S3029]

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"HENRY, Patrick, 1736-1799: HENRY, Patrick, (grandfather of William Henry Roane, cousin of Isaac Coles, and great-great-great-grandfather of Robert Lee Henry), a Delegate from Virginia; born in Studley, Hanover County, Va., May 29, 1736; pursued classical studies; engaged in mercantile pursuits; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1760; moved to Louisa County in 1764; served as a member of the colonial house of burgesses in 1765; Member of the Continental Congress 1774-1775; Governor of Virginia 1776-1779 and 1784-1786; member of the State convention which ratified the Constitution in 1788; declined the appointment of United States Senator in 1794, the Cabinet portfolio of Secretary of State in 1795, the appointment of Chief Justice of the United States tendered by President Washington, and of Minister to France offered by President Adams; elected to the State senate in 1799, but did not take the seat; died in Red Hill, Va., June 6, 1799; interment on “Red Hill” estate near Brookneal, Va. Bibliography: DAB; Beeman, Richard R. Patrick Henry: A Biography. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1974; Meade, Robert D. Patrick Henry. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1957-1969."

Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Volume II, I--Fathers of the Revolution: Patrick Henry was born at "Studley," Hanover county, Virginia, May 29, 1736; son of John and Sarah (Winston) Syme Henry, and grandson of Alexander and Jean (Robertson) Henry, of Scotland, who came to Virginia prior to 1730, and of Isaac and Mary (Dabney) Winston.

John Henry was a member of the Church of England, a classical scholar, and a brother of the Rev. Patrick Henry, first rector of St. George's parish, Spottsylvania county, and ultimately of St. Paul's parish, Hanover county. His mother was a Presbyterian, a sister of Rev. William Robertson, of the Old Grey Friars Church, Edinburgh, and cousin of Rev. William Robertson, the Scottish historian.

After Patrick was ten years old, his father was his only tutor. He became proficient in Latin, gained a little knowledge of Greek and was a good mathematician. He was well versed in ancient and modern history when he was fifteen, and had acquired some knowledge of the French language. When eighteen years of age he established with his brother William, a country store which they conducted unprofitably one year and then wound up the business.

He was married in 1754 to Sarah, daughter of John Shelton, also of Hanover county. He made a poor existence by farming and was frequently helped by his father. To add to his misfortunes, his dwelling house was burned, together with his furniture. He then sold some of his negroes and with the proceeds purchased a stock of goods for a country store. Two years' experience found him in debt. He thereupon commenced the study of law, and within six weeks after taking up "Coke upon Littleton" and "Digest of the Virginia Acts," he appeared before Peyton and John Randolph, George Wythe, Robert C. Nicholas and Edmund Pendleton, at Williamsburg, to be examined for admission to the bar. The Randolphs signed the license, but Wythe refused, while Nicholas and Pendleton, on promise of future reading, also signed the license. Henry appears to have been sensible to his deficiencies, for he continued his studies some months before beginning to practice.

On November 3, 1763, he was retained by the colony in the celebrated "parsons cause," involving the constitutionality of the "option law," also known as the "twopenny act," passed by the Virginia legislature in 1757. He discussed the mutual relations and reciprocal duties of the King to his subjects and of the clergy to their parishioners, and when he declared that the King who would insist on such a principle as advanced would, instead of remaining the father of his people, degenerate into a tyrant and would forfeit all his rights to the obedience of his subjects, the murmur of "treason" ran through the court-house. When the jury brought in a verdict of one penny for the plaintiff, the people bore the young advocate on their shoulders in triumph around the court-yard. Patrick Henry, in the Hanover court-house, had struck the keynote of the American revolution. In 1765 he was elected to the house of burgesses. He took his seat May 20, and met all his examiners of two years before except John Randolph, besides many other distinguished statesmen of Virginia. Nine days after he had taken his seat he offered resolutions denying the right of Great Britain to enforce the Stamp Act in Virginia. Peyton Randolph, Pendleton, Wythe, and others opposed the resolutions, but after what Jefferson characterized a "most bloody" debate, Henry carried his resolutions by a majority of one. It was in this debate that he electrified the house with "Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third --" "Treason! treason!" re-echoed from every part of the house. Without faltering, but rising to a loftier attitude and fixing on the speaker an eye which seemed to flash fire. Henry completed his sentence, "may profit by their example. If this be treason make the most of it." From that moment Patrick Henry was the political leader of Virginia. In 1769 he was admitted to practice in the general court and attained eminence in criminal cases. In May, 1773, he helped in organizing and was a member of the committee of correspondence. In 1774 he was delegate to the Virginia convention, the first public assembly to recommend an annual general Congress. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, 1774-76, and opened his first session by a speech in which he declared, "I am not a Virginian, but an American." He served on the committee to prepare the address to the King, but his draft was too advanced for the conservative party, and the address was modified. When the proposition of Joseph Galloway for a plan of reconciliation with England was before Congress and apparently had the sanction of that body, Mr. Henry led the opposition and was the only one to speak against it. The vote of one colony defeated the measure, and Patrick Henry alone arose to the occasion that precipitated the war. He moved before the Virginia convention, March 23, 1775, to put the colony in a state of defence preparatory to war which was threatening. The delegates met in St. John's Episcopal Church, Richmond, and Mr. Henry for two days listened to the proceedings toward an amicable settlement of the colonies and England. He foresaw in any compromise acceptable to the King, absolute submission that would be little less than slavery, and he prepared a set of resolutions providing for an immediate organization of the militia and the placing of the colony in a condition of defense. The reading of these resolutions alarmed some, who asked him to withdraw his resolutions. Instead of this he pronounced his immortal oration, closing with the sentence, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

The Virginia convention of 1775 made him commander of all the Virginia forces, and commissioned him colonel of the First Virginia Regiment. When the Virginia troops were taken into the Continental army, Congress commissioned a subordinate, brigadier-general, and offered a single regiment to Colonel Henry, who declined any commission from that body. He was elected to the Virginia convention of May, 1776, charged with "the care of the republic," the royal governor having fled. This convention framed a new constitution and elected Henry the first governor of the state on the first ballot. He was re-elected in 1777, 1778, 1784 and 1785, and in 1786 declined a reelection.

In 1777 he planned and sent out the George Rogers Clarke expedition which conquered the northwest. He served in the Virginia convention that ratified the Federal constitution, and after vehemently opposing it as dangerous to the liberties of the people, he offered amendments to the instrument which were partially adopted.

In 1794 he declined the appointment of United States senator, made by Governor Henry Lee, and withdrew from public life.

In 1795 he declined the position of secretary of state in President Washington's cabinet, in 1796 the position of chief justice of the United States supreme court, and the nomination for governor of Virginia, and in 1797, the mission to France offered by President Adams.

In 1799 he allowed himself to be elected to the state legislature in order to oppose the Virginia resolutions of 1798, but he died before taking his seat. His first wife died in 1775, and October 9, 1777, he married Dorothea Spotswood Dandridge, a granddaughter of Governor Alexander Spotswood.

His life was written by William Wirt (1817); by Alexander H. Everett in Sparks' "American Biography" (1844-48); by Moses Coit Tyler in "American Statesmen" (1887), and by his grandson, William Wirt Henry (3 vols. 1891-92). His body lies in a grave on the estate in Charlotte county, where he formerly fived, and the simple gravestone is inscribed with the one line, "His Fame His Best Epitaph." He died at "Red Hill," Charlotte county, June 6, 1799."

DAR ID Number: 20753.

"IX. Patrick Henry((2)), the orator, b. May 29, 1736; d. June 6, 1799. Married, first (1751), Sarah Shelton; second (Oct. 9, 1777), Dorothea Dandridge, the granddaughter of Governor Alexander Spottswood, who upon his death married, second, Judge Edmunds Winston, of the Court of Appeals of Virginia; d. 1831 at his residence, "The Meadows," Buckingham Co., Va."

Patrick Henry National Memorial: http://www.redhill.org/descendants.htm

"Father: UNKNOWN HENRY Mother: UNKNOWN ?"

^[S1635] ^[S2530] ^[S2072]

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Loose Peytons in my database, need parents and kinship; please write [email protected]

Albemarle, Virginia Record of Families, 1744-1890
About this database: Listing of marriages, deaths, births, and military service for residents of Albemarle County, Virginia, 1744-1890
PEYTON, John Howe
PEYTON, Lucy, father, Craven (son of Valentine), married ESKRIDGE, James W.
PEYTON, Margaret, father, Craven (son of Valentine), married JEFFERSON, Isham R.
PEYTON, Mary, father, Craven (son of Valentine), married ESKRIDGE, William C.
PEYTON, Robert, father, Valentine
PEYTON, Valentine, father, Craven
PEYTON, Valentine, father, Craven (son of Valentine)
PEYTON, William, father, Henry

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Daughter of Joseph W. Tinsley (Thinseley) of SC, and Julienne Barker (Bogard), widow of Walter McBride. A half-sister to Thomas McBride who married Sophia Higginbotham and Walter McBride who married Judite Higginbotham, sons of Thomas Walter McBride and Julianne Bogard.

My Southern Family

David DENNISON Sr.

ABT 1760 - ____

ID Number: I49001

Sources

Janice FLETCHER

Joe W. GATEWOOD

Dec 1896 - 1959

ID Number: I67292

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Mary Elizabeth GREEN

ABT 1730 - ____

ID Number: I74205

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Peter GUERRANT IV

ABT 1800 - ____

ID Number: I26226

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NICOLAS de HAYA

by 5 Feb 1283 - by Jun 1306

ID Number: I63971

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Hon. Patrick HENRY Gov. of Virginia

29 May 1736 - 6 Jun 1799

ID Number: I28596

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Joseph HOLMES

Elizabeth J. KNIGHT

ABT 1860 - ____

ID Number: I22905

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Rebecca van METRE

ABT 1700 - ____

ID Number: I61601

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(RESEARCH QUERY) PEYTON

____ - ____

ID Number: I92496

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Elizabeth TINSLEY

16 Nov 1827 - 31 Dec 1904

ID Number: I15992

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