William Dickinson Hawley (1784 – January 23, 1845) was an

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

clergyman who served as

Chaplain of the Senate The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...

Early years

Dickinson Hawley was born in 1784 in

Manchester, Vermont Manchester is a town in, and one of two shire towns (county seats) of, Bennington County, Vermont. The population was 4,484 at the 2020 census. Manchester Village, an incorporated village, and Manchester Center are settlement centers within ...

, the fifth child of Jabez Hawley and Phoebe Peet. He first studied for the law under Judge Peter Radcliffe in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. While in New York he also served in the state militia and was court martialed in 1813 for unofficerlike conduct; he was acquitted of the charges against him. General Bogardus was outraged at the acquittal. Hawley was permitted to resign his commission and thereafter studied for the ministry.St. John's Church, Lafayette Square: The History and Heritage of the Church , by Richard F. Grimmett, pp. 13ff

Ministry

He was ordained a deacon on November 4, 1814 by New York Bishop James Hobart. His first charge was St. Stephen parish,

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 ...

; he was ordained a priest in May 1815 by Bishop of Virginia

Richard Channing Moore Richard Channing Moore (August 21, 1762 – November 11, 1841) was the second bishop of the Diocese of Virginia (1814–1841). Life and career Moore was born in Manhattan. His classical education at King's College began at age eight, but ...

. He was called to serve

St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square (Washington, D.C.) St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square is an historic Episcopal church located at Sixteenth Street and H Street NW, in Washington, D.C., along Black Lives Matter Plaza. The Greek Revival building, designed by Benjamin Latrobe, is adja ...

, also known as ''The Church of the Presidents''. He was essentially the church's first rector. When invited to serve it was for "six or twelve months" on a trial basis. He in fact served as rector from 1817 to 1845. Hawley was a friend of

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

and

Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (Uni ...

. The church's Presidential pew was set apart for that use in December 1817, it was occupied by every president thereafter through Buchanan. In Hawley's rectorship, Presidential worshipers included President

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

who was a regular at afternoon services during his term of office. Hawley conducted the funeral of President

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

in the

East Room The East Room is an event and reception room in the Executive Residence, which is a building of the White House complex, the home of the president of the United States. The East Room is the largest room in the Executive Residence; it is used for ...

of the

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on April 7, 1841. His successor

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president dire ...

was an Episcopalian who, with his family, became regular worshipers at St John's Church. Hawley officiated in the White House for the weddings of

Samuel L. Gouverneur Samuel Laurence Gouverneur (1799 – September 29, 1865) was a lawyer and civil servant who was both nephew and son-in-law to James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. Early life Gouverneur was born in 1799 in New York City. His f ...

to Maria Hester Monroe (the President's youngest daughter) and John Adams II to Mary Catherine Hellen. Hawley was among those responsible for the establishment of the new Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in

Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth ...

. Following his death on January 23, 1845, Hawley's remains were buried outside the north wall of the church; the grave was left undisturbed during expansions in 1883, which made the gravesite now within the church.

Personal life

On August 25, 1818, at Christ Church,

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

, Hawley married Wilhelmina Douglass Potts, daughter of John and Eliza Ramsey Potts. Their nine children were: Elizabeth Potts, Phoebe Mary, Thomas Semmes, Wilhelmina, Catherine Ramsay, Peter William Radcliffe, Fanny Lear, Anna Sophia and William H. Hawley.familysearch.org

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawley, William Dickinson 1784 births 1845 deaths Chaplains of the United States Senate