Thomas Monteagle Bayly (March 26, 1775 – January 7, 1834) was an eighteenth and nineteenth century slave owner, politician, lawyer and planter 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 ...

. He was the father of

Thomas Henry Bayly Thomas Henry Bayly (December 11, 1810 – June 23, 1856) was a nineteenth-century politician, slave owner, lawyer and judge from Virginia, and the son of Congressman Thomas M. Bayly. Early and family life Born at the family estate called ...

Early life

Born on Hills Farm near Drummondtown, Virginia, Bayly attended Washington Academy in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

as a young man. He went on to graduate from

Princeton College Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

in 1794, had studied law.

Career

Bayly was admitted to the bar around 1796 commencing practice in

Accomack County, Virginia Accomack County is a United States county located in the eastern edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Together, Accomack and Northampton counties make up the Eastern Shore of Virginia, which in turn is part of the Delmarva Peninsula, bordered ...

. Bayly also engaged in planting. Congressional Biographical Directory, "Thomas Bayly" He became a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

in 1798, serving until 1801 when he left to join 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 ...

, serving there until 1809. During 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 ...

, Bayly served as

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 ...

of militia. After the war, he was elected 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

United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, serving their from 1813 to 1815. Bayly was not a candidate for reelection in 1814 and instead resumed engaging 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 and practicing law. He was elected 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 ...

. Swem 1918, p. 346 He returned to the House of Delegates in 1819, 1820 and from 1828 to 1831 and was a delegate to the

Death

Bayly died at his plantation called "Mount Custis" in

Accomac, Virginia Accomac is a town in and the county seat of Accomack County, Virginia, United States. The population was 526 at the 2020 census. History Though Accomack County was established as one of Virginia's eight original shires in 1634, the governme ...

on January 7, 1834 and was interred in the family cemetery on the estate.

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

1775 births 1834 deaths Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Virginia state senators Virginia lawyers Princeton University alumni American militiamen in the War of 1812 Farmers from Virginia People from Accomac, Virginia American planters Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia American militia officers 19th-century American lawyers {{Virginia-Representative-stub