Isle of Wight County Virginia USGenWeb Archives History.....Congressmen, 1934 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ County Men Who Have Been Congressmen J. Waverly Thomas has furnished us with a list of the men born in this country [sic; county], or made their homes therein, who have been elected to Congress. Josiah Parker: A representative from Virginia; born in Macclesfield, Isle of Wight County, Va., May 11, 1751; pursued preparatory studies; member of the committee of safety in 1775, and of the Virginia convention that held sessions in March, July, and December of that year; commissioned major in the fifth Virginia regiment February 13, 1776; lieutenant colonel July 28, 1777, and colonel April 1, 1778; served under Gen. Charles Lee in Virginia until the fall of 1776, when transferred to Washington's army; rendered distinguished service at the battle of Trenton, Princeton, and the Brandywine; resigned from the army July 12, 1778; member Virginia house of delegates 1780-1781; naval officer at Portsmouth, Va., 1786; defeated for delegate to the Virginia convention of 1788; elected to the first six Congresses (March 4, 1789-March 3, 1801); died in Macclesfield, Va., March 18, 1810. Samuel Hardy: A Delegate from Virginia; born in Isle of Wight County, Va., about 1758; was graduated from William and Mary College in 1781; studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced; member of the house of delegates 1777- 1781; appointed member of the executive council in June, 1781; member of the Continental Congress 1783-1785; lieutenant governor of Virginia for a time; died in New York City, in October, 1785. (Hardy Magisterial District named for this distinguished son). Arthur Smith: A Representative from Virginia; born in Isle of Wight County, Va., November 15, 1785; was graduated from William and Mary college; studied law, but did not practice; served in the war of 1812; member of the state house of representatives; elected to the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Congresses (March 4, 1821-March 3, 1825); died in Smithfield, Va., March 30, l853. Archibald Atkinson: A Representative from Virginia; born in Isle of Wight County, Va., September 13, 1792; studied law at William and Mary college; served through the War of 1812; admitted to the bar, and began practice in Smithfield; member for several terms of the state senate, and house of delegates; elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eight, Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Congresses (March 4, 1843-March 3, 1849); prosecuting attorney for Isle of Wight county; died in Smithfield, Va., January 16, 1872. Joel Holleman: A Representative from Virginia; born in Isle of Wight County, Va., October 1, 1799; completed preparatory studies; studied law; was admitted to the bar and began practice in Burwell Bay; elected as a Van Buren Democrat to the Twenty-sixth Congress, and served from March 4, 1839, until 1846, when he resigned; again elected a member of the state house of representatives and served as speaker; died in Smithfield, Va., August 5, 1844. William Ballard Preston: A Representative from Virginia; born in Smithfield, Va., November 25, 1805; was graduated from William and Mary college in 1823; was graduated from the law school and engaged in practice in 1826; elected as a Whig to the Thirtieth Congress (March 4, 1847-March 3, 1849); Secretary of the Navy 1849-1850; served in the Confederate congress; died in Smithfield, Va., November 14, 1862. William Mallory Levy: A Representative from Louisiana; born in Isle of Wight County, Va., October 30, 1827; received a college training; studied law; was admitted to the bar, and practiced; served in the Mexican war; moved to Louisiana in 1852, and practiced in Nachitoches; member of the state house of representatives 1859-1861; presidential-elector on the Democratic ticket in 1860; served in the Confederate army; elected as a Democrat to the Forty- fourth Congress (March 4, 1875-March 3, 1877); appointed justice of the state supreme court in 1879, and served until his death in Saratoga, N. Y., August 10, 1882. John William Lawson: A Representative from Virginia; born in James City County, Va., September 13, 1837; attended the schools of Williamsburg, William and Mary College, and the University of Virginia; studied medicine and was graduated from the University of the city of New York, March 4, 1861; returned to Virginia and enlisted in the thirty-second regiment Virginia infantry; served on the Peninsular [sic; Peninsula]; participated in Seven Pines; entered the medical department; assistant surgeon in charge of artillery battalion; promoted to full surgeon March 10, 1864, and served until the surrender at Appomattox, April 9. 1865; settled in Isle of Wight County, Va., December 1865; practiced medicine for ten years; elected to the house of delegates and re-elected; elected to the state senate; engaged in farming; elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-second Congress (March 4. 1891-March 3, 1893); died in Smithfield, Va., February 21, 1905. "The Smithfield (VA) Times," Vol. 14, No. 5, May 10, 1934, p. 2, col. 7-8 Additional information: Josiah Parker is buried at the family estate, "Macclesfield," Carrollton. Isle of Wight County Historical Society {IWCHS} Grave Site Survey Task Force {GSSTF} report #3: http://www.iwchs.com/Cemetery-Reports.html Find a Grave Mem. #7595308 for Samuel Hardy gives: b. 10 Jun 1758, Isle of Wight Co., d. 17 Oct 1785, Philadephia, PA, bu. Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., PA There are 2 errors in the index of the county history in the entry for Smith, Arthur (V): it gives 1792-1854, and a citation is wrong ("269"). Helen Haverty King, et al. "Historical Notes on Isle of Wight County, Virginia." Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors, 1993. p. 625 Smith is buried at his birthplace, "Windsor Castle," the family estate. (Find a Grave Mem. #27564396) Archibald Atkinson is buried in Old St. Luke's Cemetery, Benns Church. IWCHS GSSTF report #17 Joel Holleman & John William Lawson are buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery, Smithfield. IWCHS GSSTF report #48 Find a Grave Mem. #14764370 for William Ballard Preston gives: b. 25 Nov 1805, Blacksburg, d. 16 Nov 1862, Blacksburg, Montgomery Co., VA, bu. Preston Cemetery at Smithfield Plantation, Blacksburg Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/history/congress.txt