History of Kentucky, William B Allen, 1872. [page 239] John Breckinridge John Breckinridge was one of the most distinguished lawyers and statesmen of Kentucky, and his name is intimately connected with its history. He was born in Augusta County, Virginia, adjoining the town of Staunton, on the 2d day of December, 1760. His ancestors came from Ireland, and early in the last century to Virginia, and were of what was called the Scotch-Irish descent. His grandfathers, on both his father's and mother's side, lie buried in Tinkling Spring Cemetery, Augusta County, Virginia. His father died in Bottetourt County, Virginia, whither he removed when the subject of this sketch was only eleven years old. Mr Breckinridge was highly educated, without other aid than books, except about two years spent at the college of William and Mary in Virginia. He quit this college at about nineteen years of age, and was immediately elected a member of the House of Burgesses of Virginia from Bottetourt County, without any knowledge on his part of what was in agitation. On account of his youth his election was twice set aside, and it was only on the third return, and that, too, against his remonstrances, that he took his seat. From this period to his death he lived only as a lawyer and a statesman. Hiw wife was Mary Hopkins Cabell, of Buckingham County, Virginia, whom he married in 1785, and settled in Albemarle, where he practiced law until 1793. In the spring of that year he removed to Kentucky, and settled in Lexington, near to which place, at "Cabell's Dale," he resided till his death, which occurred the 14th of December, 1806, having just completed his forty-sixth year. Mr Breckinridge was regarded as profoundly learned as a lawyer, and highly gifted as a public speaker. He was honest in all his engagements, and exact in all his professional duties. His private character was without reproach; and he eminently deserved the distinction which he attained. He attained great popularity, and had a most controlling influence in every deliberative body in which he was at any time a participant. He occupied a commanding position as a statesman the greater part of his life, and took part in all the great questions of the [page 240] day, whether of a local or public nature. The Constitution of 1799 was more the work of his hands than of any other single man, and the molding of the most important laws of the Commonwealth, which stand upon our statute book to this day, were mainly the labor of his hand. He was in his day the leading statesman in all the West, and the acknowledged leader of the Old Democratic party which came into power with Jefferson, of whom Mr Breckinridge was a devoted friend, both personally and politically, and held the office of Attorney General under his administration. The famed resolutions of 1798, asserting the principles of the Democratic party, and making the first great movement against the alien and sedition laws, were the production of his hands. Several of Mr Breckinridge's sons arrived at great distinction in the community -- Robert C Breckinridge as a Presbyterian divine, and John Cabell Breckinridge as an eminent lawyer. The latter was the father of the distinguished John C Breckinridge, late Vice President of the United States, afterward elected to the United States Senate, and in the war of the rebellion of 1861 took a leading part as a Confederate general. The subject of this sketch is said to have been of very noble appearance, tall, slender, and muscular, with gray eyes and brown hair; grave and silent in ordinary intercourse, but courteous and gentle in his manners, and greatly beloved by all who ever knew him. ************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent.