Daniel Sheffey (1770December 3, 1830) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

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 ...

Biography

He was born in Frederick in the

Province of Maryland The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S. state of Maryland ...

to Johann Adam Schieffe, a cobbler, and his wife Magdelena Loehr of

Südwestpfalz Südwestpfalz is a district (''Kreis'' or more precise ''Landkreis'') in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from west clockwise) Saarpfalz, the district-free city Zweibrücken, the districts Kaiserslautern and Ba ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. They had immigrated to the

about 1764. Largely self-educated, Sheffey pursued classical studies. Apprenticed as a shoemaker in his father's shop, he spent his leisure hours observing nature and the mysteries of astronomy; upon attaining his majority, he walked to

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...

and began plying his trade until he built up his resources. He moved to Wytheville, Virginia, in 1791. He worked at his trade, all the while he attained a reputation for quick wit and immense intellect. Finally, he was received as a student into the office of

Alexander Smyth Alexander Smyth (1765April 17, 1830) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. Smyth served in the Virginia Senate, Virginia House of Delegates, United States House of Representatives and as a general during the War of 1812 ...

, Esq. an eminent lawyer in that part of the state, and afterwards commander of the northern army during the War of 1812 . He was admitted to the bar July 1, 1802, and commenced the practice of his profession in Wytheville. He moved to

Staunton, Virginia Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...

where he continued the practice of law. He served as member of the Virginia State House of Delegates 1800–1804. He served in the Virginia State senate, 1804–1808. Sheffey was elected as a

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 ...

to the

Eleventh In music or music theory, an eleventh is the note eleven scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the eleventh. The interval can be also described as a compound fourth, spanning an octave plus a f ...

and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1817). On January 30, 1812, he married Maria Hanson, the daughter of Lt. Col. Samuel Hanson of Mulberry Grove, Maryland and great-niece to John Hanson, President of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. In 1814, Sheffey was elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

.American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
/ref> He was again a member of the Virginia State House of Delegates in 1822 and 1823. He died at the

Warm Springs, Virginia Warm Springs is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Bath County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 123.

on December 3, 1830, while on his way from Greenbrier Chancery Court to his home in Staunton, Virginia. He was buried in the churchyard at

Trinity Episcopal Church (Staunton, Virginia) The Trinity Episcopal Church, Staunton VA. is a Gothic Revival style building in Staunton, Virginia. It is an active Episcopal church in the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in ...

Electoral history

*1809; Sheffey was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 66.56% of the vote, defeating Democrat Republican

Francis Preston Francis Preston (August 2, 1765 – May 26, 1835) was an American lawyer and politician from Abingdon, Virginia. He was the son of Col. William Preston of Virginia, served in both houses of the state legislature, and represented Virginia in th ...

. *1811; Sheffey was re-elected unopposed. *1813; Sheffey was re-elected unopposed. *1815; Sheffey was re-elected unopposed.

References

Sources

*Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. 4, p. 346, Thom. W. White, Publisher & Proprietor, Richmond, Virginia, June 1838
Daniel Sheffey at Find a Grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheffey, Daniel 1770 births 1830 deaths Virginia lawyers Politicians from Frederick, Maryland Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Members of the American Antiquarian Society People from Staunton, Virginia 19th-century American lawyers