William Fitzhugh (August 24, 1741June 6, 1809) was an American planter, legislator and patriot during 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 ...
who served as a delegate to the
Continental Congress for
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 ...
in 1779, as well as many terms in the
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been establishe ...
and both houses of 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, 16 ...
following the Commonwealth's formation. His
Stafford County home,
Chatham Manor, is on the
National Register for Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
and serves as the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...
Headquarters for the
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is a unit of the National Park Service in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and elsewhere in Spotsylvania County, commemorating four major battles in the American Civil War: Fredericksburg, Chance ...
.
Early and family life
Born into the
First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia (FFV) were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They descended from English colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsbur ...
, Fitzhugh was physically born in
King George County, Virginia, where his father owned large estates, largely acquired by his grandfather (this man's great-grandfather) before the county's creation. His family traced its descent from Bardolph, Lord of Ravensworth in Richmondshire in the time of William the Conqueror. His great grandfather, also
William Fitzhugh
William Fitzhugh (August 24, 1741June 6, 1809) was an American planter, legislator and patriot during the American Revolutionary War who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress for Virginia in 1779, as well as many terms in the House o ...
(1650-1701), immigrated from England to Virginia from England about 1671, became a successful lawyer and tobacco planter as well the first member of the family to sit in the House of Burgesses (in 1677). He established "Bedford" plantation as his family's seat (which was destroyed in the American Civil War) and by the time he died in 1701, owned 54,000 acres (220 km
2) mostly in the
Northern Neck of Virginia
The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula). The Po ...
, most of which this man inherited. His brother Henry Fitzhugh would also serve in the House of Burgesses and became high sheriff of Stafford County in 1715. William Fitzhugh's son (also William Fitzhugh, sometimes distinguished as "of Eagle's Nest"), also served as a burgess before his death in 1714.
The second William Fitzhugh's eldest son,
Henry Fitzhugh, studied at Oxford University and also served in the House of Burgesses in 1738, 1740 and 1742 representing Stafford County. In 1730, he married Lucy Carter in 1730 and became the father of two daughters and this man, who was a baby when his father died in 1742. Henry Fitzhugh's eldest daughter could not inherit land by primogeniture, but married
Benjamin Grymes of Spotsylvania County, who served in the House of Burgesses as did their descendants in the Virginia General Assembly. This man's mother, the widow Lucy Carter Fitzhugh, a daughter of
Robert "King" Carter
Robert "King" Carter (4 August 1663 – 4 August 1732) was a merchant, planter and powerful politician in colonial Virginia. Born in Lancaster County, Carter eventually became one of the richest men in the Thirteen Colonies. As President of t ...
(the largest landowner in Virginia in his lifetime, and who also provided for several other children) remarried to the widower Colonel
Nathaniel Harrison of "Brandon" in Prince George County, Virginia, who would serve in the Virginia Senate even though the couple had no additional children. This man, William Fitzhugh of Chatham received a private education suitable to his class. He lost an eye in a childhood accident, hit by one of his Harrison stepbrothers with a horse riding crop. Fitzhugh owned 38 slaves in Fairfax County in 1810.
Fitzhugh married Ann Bolling Randolph (1747–1805), also descended from the First Families of Virginia. His wife's paternal grandparents were
William Randolph II
William Randolph II (November 1681October 19, 1741), also known as William Randolph Jr. or Councillor Randolph, was an American planter and politician. He was the Treasurer of Virginia and the oldest child of William Randolph and Mary Isham.
Ea ...
and Elizabeth Beverley. This Randolph connection made Ann Fitzhugh cousin to
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
, who visited their home in Fredericksburg. This William and Ann had daughters but only one son,
William Henry Fitzhugh, who continued the family's planter and political traditions in the 19th century.
Career
In addition to the political activities described below, Fitzhugh was a planter, farming large estates (in several counties in Virginia's Northern Neck and what has now become the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C.) using enslaved labor. He built
Chatham Manor on property in Stafford County across the
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...
from
Fredericksburg, Virginia and completed it in 1771 after three years of construction. The Fitzhughs lived a lavish life there that included experimental farming, and his special passions of horse breeding and racing. After the
Revolutionary War, as the economy floundered, Fitzhugh sold Chatham Manor and 1,288 acres (5.2 km
2) to Churchill Jones for $20,000.
William Fitzhugh and
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
visited each other frequently until Washington died in 1799. Washington mentioned Fitzhugh in his diary and they served together on the
Pohick Church
Pohick Church, previously known as Pohick Episcopal Church, is an Episcopal church in the community of Lorton in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Often called the "Mother Church of Northern Virginia," the church is notable for its ass ...
vestry. Fitzhugh was the last person that Washington visited outside of
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
before his death.
In the 1787 Virginia tax census, Fitzhugh or relatives of the same name owned 60 enslaved adults older than 16 as well as 91 children in King George County, 4 adult and 5 child slaves in Prince William County, 54 adult and 54 child slaves in Stafford County, 57 adult and 81 child slaves in Fairfax County, and 8 adults and 10 children in Westmoreland County. A man of the same name and possibly him or a relative owned 20 adult and 23 children in nearby Caroline County (south of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County).
After the new U.S. Congress decided to move the national capital to land donated by Virginia and Maryland along the
Potomac River
The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...
to become the new federal city (soon
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
), Fitzhugh moved his main residence northward from near Fredericksburg to
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, across from the new federal buildings (but part of the District of Columbia from 1790 until decades after Fitzhugh's death). His cousin Col. Henry Fitzhugh (1723-1783; son of Burgess Henry Fitzhugh who died in 1745) having died, Fitzhugh acquired much of his estate in
Fairfax County
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria and ...
(where
north Springfiled is now located) from his heirs. In 1796 William Fitzhugh built another mansion, that he called
Ravensworth
Ravensworth is a village and civil parish in the Holmedale valley, within the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north-west of Richmond and from Darlington. The parish has a population of 255, accordin ...
. That Fairfax County property became his country home, with the Fitzhughs spending winters at their townhouse in Alexandria. Ravensworth stood until about 1925, when it burned under mysterious circumstances.
About 1799, William Fitzhugh bought the house at 607 Oronoco Street,
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C.
In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...
, which is now usually known as "The Boyhood Home of
Robert E. Lee." The house had been built in 1795 by John Potts, Jr. After William Fitzhugh's death, William Henry Fitzhugh inherited the property and rented it to the Lee family.
Political career
Fitzhugh first served as a legislator when Virginia's General Assembly consisted solely of the
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been establishe ...
. He was one of two part-time representatives from
King George County, and served alongside Joseph Jones between 1772 and 1775. When tensions with Britain escalated and Virginia colonial governor
John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, dissolved the Assembly, Fitzhugh and Jones continued to serve their County in all five ad hoc Virginia Revolutionary conventions (some held in Williamsburg and others in Richmond), as well as in the first sessions 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-number ...
after creation of the new state government. Fitzhugh was also a member of the Revolutionary Committee of Safety in 1774–75. During 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 ...
Fitzhugh was a commissioner of two arms and munitions factories. He represented
Stafford County as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates beginning in 1777. Somewhat ironically, Fitzhugh served and then succeeded his distant cousin,
Charles Carter, who had previously represented King George County in the House of Burgesses (as had his
father of the same name, but who had been disinherited for his excessive spending, won a court case in order to acquire then resell that inherited property, and used the proceeds and loans from Speaker John Robinson in order to move from King George to Stafford County, which that Charles Carter represented before, during and after the American Revolutionary War while also incurring additional personal financial problems. Meanwhile, beginning in 1781 through 1785, voters in Westmoreland, Stafford, and King George Counties elected and re-elected Fitzhugh to the state Senate. Fitzhugh last represented Stafford County in the House of Delegates in 1787–1788.
Fitzhugh also was a presidential elector for the
1789 election from Westmoreland District. That District consisted of King George County,
Lancaster County,
Northumberland County,
Richmond County Richmond County may refer to places:
Australia
*Richmond County, New South Wales, a cadastral division
Canada
*Richmond County, Nova Scotia
United Kingdom
*Richmondshire, the original Richmond County in Yorkshire, England
United States
...
, Stafford County, and
Westmoreland County, which cover the area between the Rappahannock and
Potomac River
The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...
s.
All 10 Virginia electors who voted each cast one of his two votes for George Washington. Although Fitzhugh's second vote is unknown, five Virginia electors also voted for
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...
, three for
George Clinton, one for
John Hancock
John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of t ...
, and one for
John Jay
John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the f ...
. In a letter from
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for h ...
to
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
on 29 March 1789, 'Mr W Fitzhugh of Chatham' is described as a
Federalist.
In 1804 Fitzhugh's daughter
Mary Lee Fitzhugh was married in the parlor of the Alexandria townhouse to
George Washington Parke Custis
George Washington Parke Custis (April 30, 1781 – October 10, 1857) was an American plantation owner, antiquarian, author, and playwright. His father John Parke Custis was the stepson of George Washington. He and his sister Eleanor grew u ...
, grandson of
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 21, 1731 — May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington served as the inaugural ...
and adopted grandson of George Washington. In 1831 their daughter,
Mary Anna Randolph Custis, married
Robert E. Lee.
Death and legacy
Fitzhugh died in 1809 at the age of 69, leaving behind the three of his children who survived to adulthood. He was initially buried at Ravensworth, which his son William Henry Fitzhugh inherited, but when the mansion was destroyed, his remains and gravestone were moved to historic
Pohick Church
Pohick Church, previously known as Pohick Episcopal Church, is an Episcopal church in the community of Lorton in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Often called the "Mother Church of Northern Virginia," the church is notable for its ass ...
cemetery in
Lorton. He also gave the "Eagle's Nest" and "Somerset" plantations in King George County to his nephews William F. Grymes, Benjamin Grymes and Geeorge N. Grymes.
[Barnes p. 852]
References
External links
*
*
Fitzhugh's biographic note on U.S. Congress websiteMayo Stuntz Oral HistoryLee Boyhood Home Virtual Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzhugh, William
1741 births
1809 deaths
18th-century American politicians
American planters
American slave owners
Bolling family of Virginia
Carter family of Virginia
Continental Congressmen from Virginia
Fitzhugh family of Virginia
American people of English descent
House of Burgesses members
Members of the Virginia House of Delegates
Politicians from Alexandria, Virginia
People from Fairfax County, Virginia
People from King George County, Virginia
Randolph family of Virginia
Virginia state senators
Burials at Pohick Church Cemetery