Thomas Wilson (September 11, 1765January 24, 1826) 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 ...

, father of Edgar Campbell Wilson and grandfather of

Eugene McLanahan Wilson Eugene McLanahan Wilson (December 25, 1833 – April 10, 1890) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served in various legal and political offices in Minnesota including as a member of Congress and as the fifth and seventh ...

Early life

Wilson was born in Staunton 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 ...

, and studied law there.

Career

He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

on September 21, 1789, and commenced practice in

Morgantown, Virginia Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia Universit ...

(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 ...

). He served as member of the

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

from 1792 to 1795 and in 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 1799 and 1800. He was again a member of the

1800–1804. Wilson 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 Twelfth Congress (March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813) defeating Democratic-Republican William McKinley. He was again a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in 1816 and 1817, after which he resumed the practice of law.

Death

He died in

(now

) on January 24, 1826 and was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in Morgantown.

Sources

1765 births 1826 deaths Politicians from Morgantown, West Virginia Virginia lawyers Virginia state senators Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 19th-century American lawyers Lawyers from Morgantown, West Virginia Burials at Oak Grove Cemetery (Morgantown, West Virginia) {{Virginia-politician-stub