Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-08
By Robert II. Munrord. .,r.


II has been suggested to mo by one
or two friends that IL would he Of in.
terest IL would contribute to The
historical page OF the sunday Times
Dispatch sketch of Chancellor
Wythe.
This request ! very gladly comply
wtth-whilc r"ErcttinG tho necessary
mutations imposed upon a brief ar
ttcie and rccrettinc still moro that
those who we're Gualihcd TO produce
complete biography Of this learned
man and mol. character have long
since passed a>Nay without undcrtak.
ing 50 friendly an Office.
Geore" Wythc was born in Eliza
beth City County in i72S--his native
county heins ono OF the original
elEh, "cnunilts" which had heen ere
ated IN Virginia in the year ls3a
His people were of established no
sition in Elizabeth city county h.
fore 100: and his father. Thomas
Wythe, was several limos mem
Der OF tho Hcus" Of Burg csses in
the first quarter Of tho eighteenth
century. His mother was Margaret
Walker daughter Of George and
Ann Keith Walker
Had Br"thrr. Thomas
George Wythe was only years
old when his father died nor did
his mother liv" long enough to see
him grown 10 Young manhood
he had brother Thomas who
died without issue in 1853: and, also
one sister Ann. who became tn"
wife OF Charles Sweeney. and who's.
grandson, George Myth. sweeney
was by an unharry fate to prove OF
i'll repute and fnally 70 hc tho cause
of the death of his illustrioue great
uncle-the chancellor. Rut Of tina,
matter later
HIS mother. Marcaret Walker
Wythe. must have been an unusual
woman and there seems no doubt
but that to her. GeorEo Wy,hc was
Indebted for an carly ira ming in At
least the foundation principles Of
Latin and Greek that made MIN al
a later period classical scholar OF
distinction
Entered William aud Mary.
shortly after his mothers death hc
entered William and Mary college FOR
a willie and Afterwards read Law fri
some time under the direction Of q
Mr. Dewey or Prince George county.
who was tho husband Of one OF his
Walker aunts. Mr.. p"wey's iustruc-
tion seems t" nave been along tho
line Of leEal forms rather than the
essential principles which would
have interested his pupils typ" Of
mind. This period of training then
does not seem 10 have been a very
happy onc-slthouc ii is not inn
prohah bic lat tn. cNpcrieucc was of
more practical value 10 the future
'chancclos" than was apparent to
n!m al N" time
Mr. Wy'he came to tho bar" when
ne was 20 wears ~ nrc. in The yea,.
Ia
!, Der. sine" u is assuciacd in ones
mind with the Rsrtlc or "Cullod.n :,
and the last aggressive effort ~ the
young prctendsr" To ,ak. hand
IN English politics and claim vha,
ne considered tho heritage Of his
family
Pass Into History.
ne Stuar's had passed into his
tory and George Wythe was before
many years 10 MAY his conspicuous
part In the elimination ~ the HOUSE
OF Hanover from American AFFAIR.
From the wear iTi6 10 IN. year 1885
mere is an in'"rr"gnum I'm Mt
Wythe's lie th- seem, To be marked
by no event OF especial interest save
that OF his rnsrriag" 10 Ann Lewis
o. Spotsylvania County. in December.
11i1-hls first wife whn died within
year In this county ~ abortion
ne resided some cichr years and in
1855, the death Of ~. nlde.. brother
having brought n r-im'afi arrreciahle
estate, he settled IN Williamsburg
IND entered seriously upnn the rrac-
tice q ms profession and m. NOR.
/ advanced STUDY If tho Latin and
creek and ~ some or tho modern
languages
This year 1855 Whom he dc,id.d 10
make his HON" In Tho capital. may he
h%td In mind as one or mo Important
years In his -. H nov YOU SEQ
became a part of comm,initv 10
un9st NE he vas hy nature and
trainina atun-d both In It's intel
lectual and political aspect.
survived second wife.
About this YEAR also he married
his second We elizabeth raItafor-
70 whom he survived some Years. In
the third year 81 his p sidenrs iu
William shUrs Mr. Wyrh. was chosen
to represent William and Mary DOL
lege in tho House or Rurgesgos
which was. indeed mo- slight honor
his predecessors in that representa-.
tive capacity having been LAWYERS or
great ability
Here ne WAS member ~ several
committee The most sign Tcsni h.-
ing the COMMITTEE ~ ,'arrnsrop-
oence--a foreign affairs commit
Zee or shah No say. 4 committe.
for home aNalrs acros, IN. GO,
since the hated "Srarnr act" hstn".
set been Pasted and tho hreak with
England Fad NOT yet come Among
the archives of Virginia nav. =,
some time read som. of the corr.
epondence between mis- cnrmi,...
and Mr.. MontAcu. !rs ATTORNEY .