Andrew Wodrow (1752–1814) was a prominent Scottish American merchant,

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

officer,

clerk of court A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court, administer oaths to witn ...

, lawyer, and landowner in the

colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...

(and later

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

) of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Wodrow was born in Scotland in 1752 and immigrated to Virginia in 1768. In Fredericksburg, he engaged in a thriving

import An import is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. In international trade, the importation and exportation of goods are limited ...

business. Following the outbreak of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, Wodrow placed his entire inventory up for public auction and contributed the profits to the American Revolutionary patriot cause. During the war, Wodrow served as a

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in command of

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

. Wodrow was the first resident clerk of court for Hampshire County, Virginia (now

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

), a position in which he served for a tenure lasting 32 years (1782–1814). There, Wodrow served in the position of major in the Hampshire County militia. In addition, he represented Hampshire County at the

Virginia Ratifying Convention The Virginia Ratifying Convention (also historically referred to as the "Virginia Federal Convention") was a convention of 168 delegates from Virginia who met in 1788 to ratify or reject the United States Constitution, which had been drafted at ...

, held to

ratify Ratification is a principal's approval of an act of its agent that lacked the authority to bind the principal legally. Ratification defines the international act in which a state indicates its consent to be bound to a treaty if the parties inten ...

the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...

in 1788. He was appointed by the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...

as a trustee of the towns of Romney and Watson Town (present-day Capon Springs). Wodrow amassed numerous properties which included landholdings along the

Cacapon River The Cacapon River ( ; meaning Medicine Waters), located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region, is an shallow river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, hunting, and wilderness scenery. As part of the Potomac ...

and the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House in Romney, and became a prosperous landholder in Hampshire County.

Early life and education

Andrew Wodrow was born in Scotland, possibly in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, in 1752. He was descended from a family of scholars and professors. His father Robert Wodrow was a historian of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

with a "national reputation" and published his history in 1752, the same year as Wodrow's birth. Two other members of Wodrow's family filled, in succession, the "chair of theology" at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

and another Wodrow family member served as the university's librarian. Wodrow immigrated to the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

in 1768.

Business career

During the 1770s, Wodrow established and expanded what became a thriving

business in Fredericksburg. Following the outbreak of the

, he abandoned his business rather than import and sell goods from the

Kingdom of Great Britain The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a Sovereign state, sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of ...

. He placed his entire inventory of British goods up for public auction in January 1775 and contributed the resulting profits totaling 19 pounds and 14

shillings The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence or ...

to the American Revolutionary patriot cause in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. Wodrow became affiliated with the King George Association of 1770, which called on "every freeholder" in

King George County, Virginia King George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 26,723. Its county seat is the town of King George. The county's largest employer is the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center ...

, to carry the revolution through to its fullest extent.

Political career

American Revolutionary War posts

Following the cessation of his import business, Wodrow was appointed to serve in the political post of

clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

for the Revolutionary Committee for King George County on May 6, 1775. During the American Revolutionary War in 1779, Wodrow joined the Virginia militia where he was commissioned an

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

with the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and served under the

. He then served as a

in command of

until 1781 after which he became a member of the

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

of Virginia. Wodrow relocated from King George County to Romney in Hampshire County during the latter years of the American Revolutionary War. In 1781, Wodrow was promoted to the military rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards * ...

of the Hampshire County militia.

Hampshire County Clerk of Court tenure

In 1782, he was elected to serve as the clerk of court for Hampshire County following the retirement of Gabriel Jones, who had been appointed by

Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (22 October 16939 December 1781), was a Scottish peer. He was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, and Catherine Colepeper, daughter of Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper. The on ...

. Wodrow was the first clerk of court to reside in Hampshire County while serving in the post. Because of his key position as clerk, Wodrow performed a significant role in the conveying and settling of lands in Hampshire County. On January 10, 1788, Wodrow was recommended to the position of major in the Hampshire County militia. Later, in March 1788, Wodrow, along with Ralph Humphreys, was elected to represent Hampshire County at the

held to

the

. The Virginia Ratifying Convention convened in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

in June 1788, with Wodrow and Humphreys both voting "aye" in favor of ratification. During the lead up to the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, Wodrow chaired an anti-war meeting in Hampshire County at which those assembled objected to a heedless rush to war with the British, which was in line with contemporary

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

principles. According to historian Stuart L. Butler, Wodrow and the meeting's attendees felt that:

to involve
he United States He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
in an expensive and uncertain war, for purposes not absolutely necessary, and entail taxes and misery on ourselves and our posterity, when we might enjoy the blessings of peace and plenty and a good price for our produce on terms as honorable at least as those for the last fifteen years past, would appear to them the extreme of folly, little short of madness.

Wodrow and the committee believed that within two years of the war's beginning, it would become unpopular because of the need for increased taxation and prolonged military service. Wodrow and the committee stated, "the nation would rise in its constitutional strength, and say to those who brought about such an unpropitious state of things, 'depart from ye wicked.'" Wodrow served as the clerk of court for Hampshire County for a tenure spanning 32 years until his death at his residence in Romney in 1814. Following his death, Wodrow's son-in-law Samuel McGuire served the remainder of his term for fifteen months until 1815 when he was succeeded by John Baker White. West Virginia historian Wilmer L. Kerns said of Wodrow in ''Hampshire County, West Virginia, 1754–2004'' (2004) that he "was a prominent and scholarly man, successful in his business, and a good politician."

Land affairs and holdings

In 1782, Wodrow served as an

executor An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, may sometimes be used. Overview An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker of a ...

of the last

will and testament A will or testament is a legal document that expresses a person's (testator) wishes as to how their property ( estate) is to be distributed after their death and as to which person ( executor) is to manage the property until its final distributi ...

of his uncle Alexander Wodrow, a wealthy merchant, and sold his personal estate, a

moiety Moiety may refer to: Chemistry * Moiety (chemistry), a part or functional group of a molecule ** Moiety conservation, conservation of a subgroup in a chemical species Anthropology * Moiety (kinship), either of two groups into which a society is ...

of two land lots in Falmouth, and along the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...

in Stafford County to pay his uncle's debts, with the remainder of the proceeds directed to his other family members. Wodrow sought permission from the

to sell the remainder of Alexander Wodrow's landholdings in Frederick, Hampshire, and Stafford counties, which he was granted. In addition to his landholdings, Wodrow was also charged with the sale of his uncle's

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, furniture, watches, buckles, and several personal items. Wodrow personally inherited his uncle's riding horse and "wearing apparel." After his move to Romney, Wodrow began to amass numerous properties and became a prosperous landholder in Hampshire County. In 1788, Wodrow purchased a land tract consisting of along the

in Hampshire County. On December 4, 1789, Wodrow was appointed by an act of the Virginia General Assembly as a trustee of the town of Romney. He served as a trustee alongside Isaac Miller, Isaac Parsons, Stephen Colvin, Jonathan Purcell, Nicholas Casey, William McGuire, Perez Drew, and James Murphy. Wodrow and his fellow trustees were given authority by the Virginia General Assembly to settle disputes regarding the town's

land lot In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s). A plot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property (meaning practically the same thing) in ...

s and to "open and clear" the town's "streets and lanes" in accordance with the original survey and plan for Romney. Wodrow was again appointed by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on December 27, 1800, to a second

board of trustees A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

governing Watson Town (present-day Capon Springs), and charged with laying off

s, streets, and a half-acre lot containing the

mineral spring Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produces hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage underg ...

for public use along

Capon Springs Run Capon Springs Run is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary stream of the Cacapon River in Hampshire County of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. ...

. On October 4, 1808, Wodrow and fellow trustee Henry Beattie conveyed Lot No. 2 in Watson Town to

Lawrence Augustine Washington Lawrence Augustine Washington (April 11, 1774 – February 15, 1824) was a nephew of United States President George Washington and son of Samuel Washington and his fourth wife, Anne Steptoe. Lawrence was born at Harewood in what is now Jefferso ...

a nephew of then former President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

. The location of Watson Town is the present-day site of

Capon Springs Resort Capon Springs, also known as Frye's Springs and Watson Town, is a national historic district in Capon Springs, West Virginia that includes a number of resort buildings ranging in age from the mid-nineteenth century to the early 20th century. ...

Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House

Wodrow and his wife Mary Ann inherited her father Colonel George Wilson's residence on the eastern boundary of Lot 48 in Romney following his death in 1777 and made it their home. During the 1770s and 1780s, Wodrow's residence was located on what was then the "main street" in Romney, presently known as Gravel Lane. During his tenure as clerk of court, Wodrow constructed a two-and-one-half story office building adjacent to this residence and its

kitchen A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a ...

, all three of which are extant and contribute to the structure presently known as the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House at 51 West Gravel Lane. The adjoining edifice, built by Wodrow for the handling of his clerk of court affairs, is believed to be the oldest extant public office building within the present-day state of West Virginia. Wodrow "went to great expense to add beauty and dignity" to his office building, incorporating architectural styles of

panelling Panelling (or paneling in the U.S.) is a millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials. Panelling was developed in antiquity to make roo ...

and

woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, woodworking joints, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with Rock (geology), stone, clay and animal parts, ...

prevalent in both Fredericksburg and

Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...

. Following Wodrow's death, his residence was owned by his son-in-law John McDowell.

Old Presbyterian Church and Churchyard

Wodrow was a dynamic and influential member of the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, and in his will, he granted two land lots (Lots No. 59 and No. 60) south of West Gravel Lane from his residence for the construction of Romney's first Presbyterian church building and the establishment of a

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

. Wodrow's executor, James Dailey, deeded the two land lots on April 1, 1816, to Mount Bethel Congregation trustees James Beach, William Inskeep, Adam Hare, and John Lawson for these purposes. Wodrow was

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

in this cemetery (later known as "the Old Presbyterian Cemetery") which was located atop the hill of the two lots. The Presbyterian church was built near the corner of West Gravel Lane and South High Streets between 1812 and 1816. The Old Presbyterian Cemetery fell into neglect by the late 19th century and was destroyed around 1940 when the hill on which it was located was cut away and leveled for the construction of a factory. Although some human remains and headstones were relocated to

Indian Mound Cemetery Indian Mound Cemetery is a cemetery located along the Northwestern Turnpike ( U.S. Route 50) on a promontory of the "Yellow Banks" overlooking the South Branch Potomac River and Mill Creek Mountain in Romney, West Virginia, United States. The ce ...

, Wodrow's remains were likely lost during the destruction of the cemetery.

Personal life

Marriage and issue

Wodrow married Mary Ann Wilson, the daughter of Colonel George Wilson. Wodrow and his wife Mary Ann had at least five children: Matilda Wodrow McDowell, married to John McDowell; an unnamed daughter, married to Samuel McGuire; Craig Wodrow; Emily Jean Wodrow Kercheval, married to lawyer Samuel Kercheval, Jr., son of Virginia historian

Samuel Kercheval Samuel Kercheval (March 1767 in Frederick County, Virginia – 14 November 1845 in Middletown, Virginia) was a Virginia lawyer and author. His ''A History of the Valley of Virginia'' (1st edition, 1833) provides important primary information on the ...

; and Elizabeth Wodrow Dailey, married to James Dailey. Wodrow's son, Craig Wodrow, was a scholar, but due to his chronic poor health, he was unable to pursue active roles in business or politics. Craig Wodrow was also interred in the Old Presbyterian Cemetery in Romney.

References

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wodrow, Andrew 1752 births 1814 deaths 18th-century American merchants 18th-century Presbyterians 19th-century Presbyterians 18th-century American landowners American militia officers British emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Burials in West Virginia Businesspeople from Virginia Businesspeople from West Virginia Colonial American merchants Continental Army officers from Virginia County clerks in Virginia Military personnel from Fredericksburg, Virginia Military personnel from West Virginia Military personnel from Glasgow People from King George County, Virginia People from Romney, West Virginia People from West Virginia in the War of 1812 People of pre-statehood West Virginia Presbyterians from Virginia Presbyterians from West Virginia Trustees of populated places in Virginia Virginia colonial people Virginia lawyers Virginia militiamen in the American Revolution People of colonial West Virginia 19th-century American lawyers