Spotsylvania County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Waller, Robert Emmett 1846 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 29, 2008, 4:30 pm Author: Leonard Wilson (1916) ROBERT EMMETT WALLER ONE can write up the history of Spottsylvania County, Virginia, by making a biography of the Waller family— for the family had a foothold in that County when it was organized in 1720, furnished the first, second and third Clerks of the County, covering several generations, and as the County records show, appears in evidence more largely than any other family of that section. It is a very ancient family name, apparently of Saxon origin, the Saxon form having been "Wealhere," which meant "a strange warrior." The family settled in Sweden, Holland and Flanders under its present name of Waller. Apparently, some of these northern Wallers were a part of that invading host of Northmen who invaded France and gave their name to Normandy, for we come upon the name of Alured de Waller, of Newark. County Nottingham, England, who died in 1183, and the form of whose name shows Norman origin. Between this Alured and his next descendant of whom we have authentic information is a gap of more than one hundred and fifty years. In the fourteenth century, probably about 1340, appears Thomas Waller, of Lamber-liurst, County Sussex, England, who purchased the estate of Groonibridge, County Kent, was the father of John, who was the father of Richard, known in history as Sir Richard Waller, and the founder of the distinguished Waller families of the Counties of Kent, Hertford and Buckingham, England. This Thomas, of Sussex, was a lineal descendant of Alured, of Nottingham. Sir Richard Waller appears upon the pages of history as a prominent figure in the battle of Agincourt. He was then a young man of twenty. It was his good fortune to capture Charles, Duke of Orleans, and as was customary in those days, this made his fortune. He served several years in France during the wars of that period, was Sheriff of Kent in 1437 and 1438, held many honorable public positions, was a very intimate friend of the famous Cardinal Beaufort and one of the executors of his will. He lived to old age, surviving the dreadful slaughter of the Wars of the Roses. The descendants of Sir Richard went into other English Counties until, in the time of the Civil War in England, there were strong families in Kent, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Devonshire—possibly in other Counties. The period of the Civil War, between Charles I and the Parliament, brought to the front three distinguished members of this family, Sir Hardress Waller and Sir William Waller, who were major-generals in the Parliamentary armies, and Edmund Waller, the famous poet and political leader of that period. All of these were notable men of their day, and Sir William Waller was counted the ablest of the Parliamentary Generals after Cromwell. A few years preceding the outbreak of this Civil War there had come to Virginia, on the ship "Transport," which sailed from London July 4, 1635. John Waller, whose age was then given as nineteen, and who was a member of the Waller family settled at Newport Pagnall. County Buckingham, which was the same Waller family to which these distinguished Parliamentarians belonged. This John Waller was the progenitor of the Virginia Waller families with which we are now dealing. He is said to have been a wild, reckless youth, about whom his friends were very uneasy; but he married a Miss Mary Key and settled down into a good citizen. On the same ship with John Waller came Peter Waller, aged twenty-four—but of him we have no further knowledge beyond a surmise that he was one of the progenitors of certain Waller families in Southside Virginia. Earlier than these two. Charles Waller had come to Virginia on the ship "Abigail," in 1620, at the age of twenty-two, and was living in James City in 1623. The Waller family has been identified with Virginia since 1620. Its line of descent is much better known than that of most families and is traceable through a period of more than seven hundred years. John Waller brought with him to Virginia the Coat of Arms containing the augmentation granted to his ancestor by Henry V on the field of Agincourt, as a reward for his gallantry on that field. Of this ancient family comes Judge Robert Emmett Waller, of Partlow, Spottsylvania County. Virginia. He was born at Hillsborough, in that County, December 10, 1846, son of Dr. Nelson Samuel and Mary Hampton (de Jarnette) Waller. Considering the disturbed period of his youth (for his best years for obtaining an education came during the terrible years of the Civil War) he succeeded in getting a fairly liberal education by receiving instruction from John C. Pettus, an A.M. of the University of Virginia; and in 1864 and 1865 he was a cadet of the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington. When the cadets were called into action, during the Federal advance under Hunter in the Valley of Virginia, he shared in that campaign, and participated in the battle of New Market where the Cadet Corps won immortal fame. After the war, Judge Waller read law under Judge T. N. Welch, of Caroline County, and was admitted to the Bar. He served in official positions as Deputy Treasurer of Spottsylvania County and as Commonwealth's Attorney. After some years of successful practice of his profession, he was elected Judge of Spottsylvania County, on March 1, 1880. and served unbrokenly until 1904. It is hardly necessary to expatiate on the character or the standing of a man who, during a quarter of a century, has held the unbroken confidence of his community, and has served in its most important official positions. But as an evidence of the esteem in which he was held, and the faithful service which he had rendered, at the time of his retirement, he was presented with a loving cup, upon which appears the following inscription: "Judge R. E. Waller—1890-1904 "Extinctus amabitur idem." "A testimonial of his worth and character as Judge and citizen, by his friends." In politics, Judge Waller classes himself a Democrat. He has for many years been an active member of the Baptist Church, serving as Superintendent of the Sunday-school; and his family has long been prominent in Baptist circles in Virginia— two members of it. the Revs. John and Absalom Waller, having been prominent ministers, and the name being borne by a church in Spottsylvania County. Judge Waller has a rather unusual taste in reading for our modern day, for outside of his law studies he has found his greatest pleasure and help in such works as Don Quixote, Tristram Shandy, Goldsmith's works and Addison's "Spectator." As might be expected from one whose taste runs in such channels, he is a master of good English. He is very strongly impressed with the futility of war, and believes that international differences should be settled by arbitration, just as we settle our individual differences through the arbitraments of the courts. In view of the tremendous calamity which has overtaken the world and thrown everything into chaos, at this time, it cannot be doubted that Judge Waller will have the sympathy of a great multitude of people in this view, and the hope is now widely entertained, as a result of the terrible destruction of life and property in Europe, that the nations may eventually recognize the horror and futility of war and devote their energies in the future to the permanent establishment of an era of peace and good will among men. Judge Waller has been twice married—first, on December 27. 1883, to Constance G. Cazenove. a daughter of William G. Cazenove, of Alexandria, Virginia, and a granddaughter of Judge Stanard. His married life with this lady was very brief. Mrs. Waller passing away in June, 1SS5, leaving no children. On June 4, 1902, Judge Waller contracted a second marriage with Kate Perkins Dew, of Spottsylvania County, born April 1. 1878, daughter of Thomas Roderick and Mildred Walker (Perkins) Dew. Mrs. Waller is a great-granddaughter of Parke Poindexter, who was Clerk of the Court of Chesterfield County, Virginia, for thirty-five years. She is also a great-niece of Thomas Roderick Dew, first President of William and Mary College; and a niece of the beautiful Miss Parke Perkins, who was crowned queen of love and beauty at the Philadelphia Centennial in 1870. Judge and Mrs. Waller have two children: Nannie Maria Waller and Robert Emmett Waller, Jr. The Coat of Arms used by John Waller, the immigrant, was the original Coat of Arms granted to Sir Richard Waller, and therefore to his descendants, and showed neither Crest nor Motto; but an examination of English authorities shows that a Crest was granted to Sir Richard Waller after Agincourt, to which was added a Motto, and the complete description is as follows: "Sable: Three walnut leaves or, between two bendlets argent. "Crest: On a mount vert a walnut tree, proper; on the sinister side an escutcheon pendent charged with the arms of France, with a label of three points argent. "Motto: Hic fructus virtutis." Additional Comments: Extracted from: MAKERS OF AMERICA BIOGRAPHIES OF LEADING MEN OF THOUGHT AND ACTION THE MEN WHO CONSTITUTE THE BONE AND SINEW OF AMERICAN PROSPERITY AND LIFE VOLUME II By LEONARD WILSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSISTED BY PROMINENT HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WRITERS Illustrated with many full page engravings B. F. JOHNSON, INC. CITY OF WASHINGTON, U. S. A. 1916 Copyright, 1916 by B. F. Johnson, Inc. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/spotsylvania/photos/bios/waller86gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/spotsylvania/bios/waller86gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/vafiles/ File size: 10.1 Kb