John Williams Green (November 9, 1781 – February 4, 1834) was a

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 ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

, soldier, plantation owner, politician and

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

. He fought in 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 ...

, was elected to the

Virginia State Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 Senate, senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor ...

, and served for more than ten years as a judge on the

Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrativ ...

Early life and family

Born in

Culpeper County, Virginia Culpeper County is a county located along the borderlands of the northern and central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is Culp ...

, Green was the only son of William Green and Lucy Williams. His grandfather Colonel John Green fought in 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 ...

. John W. Green was educated as a lawyer. Although he was 31 years old, Green volunteered to fight in the

, serving as a lieutenant in that conflict. He married twice, first to Mary Brown in 1805 and second to Million Cooke (1785–1842, granddaughter of

George Mason George Mason (October 7, 1792) was an American planter, politician, Founding Father, and delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, one of the three delegates present who refused to sign the Constitution. His writings, including s ...

) in 1817.

Political and judicial career

Green served in the

from 1815 to 1819, representing

Culpeper County Culpeper County is a county located along the borderlands of the northern and central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is Culp ...

and neighboring Spotsylvania,

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

and Madison Counties. He also served as a delegate to the

Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830 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 are s ...

. In 1830, Judge Green's household consisted of seven white males (four of them boys), three white females (one a girl) and 42 slaves (28 males and 14 females). Green resigned his part-time senate seat in 1819 upon being elected to the Court of Chancery. Three years later, the legislature elected Green as a judge of the Virginia

Supreme Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Virginia is the supreme court, highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and ...

. Green held that position for over ten years, but poor health prevented him from attending sessions of the court during the last two years of his life. As a result, 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 ...

began considering removing Judge Green from office, before his death on February 4, 1834, made those considerations moot.

Death and legacy

Green died at his plantation, Greenwood, survived by his widow. Both are buried at Culpeper's Fairview Cemetery.findagrave.com no. 50809271

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, John W. 1781 births 1834 deaths American military personnel of the War of 1812 People from Culpeper County, Virginia Virginia lawyers Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia 19th-century American judges