Francis White (1761October 6, 1826) was a distinguished early

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and politician in what was then the U.S. state of Virginia (now West Virginia). White served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing Hampshire County, and later served as a member of the Virginia State Senate, representing Berkeley, Hampshire,

Hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

, and

Morgan Morgan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Morgan (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Morgan le Fay, a powerful witch in Arthurian legend * Morgan (surname), a surname of Welsh origin * Morgan (singer), ...

counties. He represented Virginia's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives during the

13th United States Congress The 13th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1813 ...

. White also served as the

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of Hampshire County. White was the grandson of Virginia pioneer settler and physician Dr. Robert White (1688–1752); thus, he was a member of the prominent White political family of Virginia and West Virginia. He was the nephew of United States House Representative Alexander White (1738–1804), and the brother of Virginia judge Robert White (1759–1831).

Early life

Francis White was born in 1761 at Hayfield, near

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

in Frederick County in 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 ...

. White was the son of John White and his wife, Ann Patton White. Through his grandfather, Dr. Robert White (1688–1752), Francis White was of

Scottish descent The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded t ...

. His uncle was Alexander White (1738–1804), an inaugural member of the United States House of Representatives. White attended the common schools in Winchester. Following his education, White engaged in

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

pursuits along the Cacapon and North rivers in Hampshire County, Virginia (now West Virginia). By 1813, White was operating a gristmill and a sawmill on his Hampshire County property.

Political career

Virginia House of Delegates

White was elected to represent the multi-member electoral district of Hampshire County in the Virginia House of Delegates for three terms: 1794, 1809 to 1813, and 1818 to 1823. In his 1794 term, White served alongside Isaac Parsons; from 1809 to 1813, he served alongside Alexander King, from 1818 to 1823, White served alongside William Armstrong, Jr., Ephraim Dunn, and Edward McCarty. During the 1809 election for Hampshire County's two seats in the Virginia House of Delegates, White ran against fellow

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 ...

Alexander King, and

Democratic-Republicans The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

William Donaldson and Jonathan Pugh. King received the most votes at 312, and White came in second with 288 votes, thus qualifying him for a seat. White ran for reelection in 1811 against Alexander King, William Armstrong, and Jonathan Pugh. White and King received the two highest vote totals, with White receiving 313 votes. White was reelected to his seat in 1812, with 336 votes. Following his election along with Ephraim Dunn in 1821, White returned to the Virginia House of Delegates, representing Hampshire County. In the 1822 election, White ran for election against Ephraim Dunn and George Park, with Dunn and White winning Hampshire County's two seats in the Virginia House of Delegates. White received the most votes, with 276. In 1795, while serving in the Virginia House of Delegates, White was either elected or appointed to serve as a justice of the peace in Hampshire County, along with Alexander King, William Vause, John Jack, Virgil McCrackin, and John Snyder.

United States House of Representatives

White was elected unopposed as a Federalist representing Virginia's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives during the

(March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815). White's election in 1813 occurred during an ascendancy of the Federalist Party throughout Virginia. White served on the United States House Committee on the District of Columbia. According to GovTrack, from May 1813 to March 1815, White missed 56 of 352 roll call votes (15.9%). White resided at the Law's Ten Buildings boarding house of Mrs. Lane on New Jersey Avenue in Washington, D.C. during the May 24 – August 2, 1813 session and the December 6, 1813 – April 18, 1814 session. White ran for reelection in 1815, but he lost to fellow Federalist

Magnus Tate Magnus Tate (September 1, 1767March 30, 1823) was a Virginia lawyer, farmer and politician who served in the Virginia General Assembly and the U.S. Representative. Early and family life Born in 1767 in Berkeley County in the Colony of Virgini ...

with 420 votes (36.65 percent of the vote), while Tate had 726.

Virginia State Senate

Following his term in the United States House of Representative, White continued to operate his farms on the Cacapon and North rivers. In 1823, White was elected as a member of the Virginia State Senate, defeating opponent candidate Ignatius O'Ferrall. White held the seat until 1824. White's seat in the Virginia State Senate represented District 6, which consisted of Berkeley, Hampshire,

, and

counties. While serving in the Virginia State Senate, White was appointed

of Hampshire County on December 9, 1823, by Virginia Governor James Pleasants. On Thursday, January 1, 1824, White informed the Virginia State Senate of his appointment to the position of Hampshire County sheriff, and he asked for an opinion as to whether he could retain his senate seat while serving as sheriff. White's inquiry was referred to the senate's Committee of Privileges and Elections for "consideration and a report of their opinion thereupon to the House." The following day, on Friday, January 2, 1824, the Committee of Privileges and Elections delivered their opinion: White should vacate his senate seat upon his acceptance of the position of Hampshire County sheriff, and the sheriffs of the senate district's four counties were directed to hold a special election to "supply the vacancy occasioned." On Tuesday, February 3, 1824, the Virginia State Senate certified the election of

Elisha Boyd Elisha Boyd (October 6, 1769 – October 21, 1841) was a Virginia lawyer, soldier, slaveowner and politician who served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly, and developed Berkeley County. Early and family life Elisha Boyd was born o ...

to fill White's senate seat.

Later life and death

White continued to serve as Hampshire County's sheriff until his death. White died on October 6, 1826, at his residence on the Cacapon River in Hampshire County. He was interred at the White Family Graveyard at Hayfield in Frederick County, Virginia.

Personal life and family

White married his first cousin, Margaret White, in Frederick County on December 5, 1787. Margaret White was the daughter of White's uncle, Robert White II. White and his wife had at large family, with at least six children: * Robert Norvell White, married Matilda McBride, daughter of John McBride * Thomas B. White * John A. White * Francis White, Jr. (1799 – September 8, 1868) * Unnamed daughter, married to a Mr. Keyes * Mary M. White McDonald (1811 – February 7, 1839), married Evan McDonald, son of Benjamin and Margaret Hiett McDonald

Land ownership

White amassed extensive landholdings in Hampshire County. In 1797, White purchased along the North River in Hampshire County from Henry and Rachael Pierce of Cecil County, Maryland. White purchased an additional along the North River in 1800. At the time of his election to the United States House of Representatives, White was a resident of Romney.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Francis 1761 births 1826 deaths 18th-century American lawyers 18th-century Presbyterians 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century Presbyterians American justices of the peace American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent American planters American slave owners Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Members of the Virginia House of Delegates People from Frederick County, Virginia People from Hampshire County, West Virginia Politicians from Winchester, Virginia Presbyterians from Virginia Presbyterians from West Virginia Robert White family of Virginia and West Virginia Virginia colonial people Virginia lawyers Virginia sheriffs Virginia state senators West Virginia lawyers