Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/192

164 ing the revenue laws, but reflected on President Grant in one of his arguments and was removed from this office.— His wife, Mary Foote, author, b. in New York about 1835, is a daughter of Judge Elisha Foote (g. v.). She was married to Mr. Hen- derson in Washington, D. C, removed with him to St. Louis, Mo., and has taken a wide interest in woman's suffrage, serving as president of the State suffrage association in 1876. In that year she or- ganized in St. Louis the School of design, or In- dustrial art-school, and in 1879 the Woman's ex- change. From 1881 till 1885 she studied art in the Washington university, St. Louis. She has published " Practical Cooking and Dinner-Giving " (New York, 1876), and " Diet for the Sick " (1885).

HENDERSON, Matthew, missionary, b. in Fife- shire, Scotland, in 1736; d. in Washington county, Pa., 2 Oct., 1795. He was educated at Glasgow university, studied theology under Rev. Alexander Moncrieff, was licensed to preach in 1756, and or- dained in 1758. Immediately afterward he came to Pennsylvania as missionary to the British colo- nies, and settled in Oxford, Lancaster co., where he labored for twenty years. In 1782 he removed to Washington county, and became pastor of the As- sociate Reformed church of Chartiers and Buffalo, being the only clergyman of his denomination in that portion of Pennsylvania. He lived in a rude cabin, and preached in a tent in winter and in the open fields in summer, but his ministry was attended with success and he had a great influence over his parishioners. Henderson was large and powerful. On one occasion while travelling to a distant con- gregation he lodged at a tavern where he was treated with much rudeness by two men. He en- dured their insults with so much patience that they were encouraged finally to assault him, mistaking his mildness for timidity, when he threw off his black coat, and with the exclamation, " Lie there, Rev. Mr. Henderson ! and now, Matthew, defend yourself," he seized one of the men, dashed him through the open window, and was preparing to send the other after him, when the second ruffian escaped. Mr. Henderson was killed by the fall of a tree, in the thirty-seventh year of his ministry.

HENDERSON, Peter, gardener, b. in Pathhead, near Edinburgh, Scotland, 25 June, 1823 ; d. in Jer- sey City Heights, N. J., 17 Jan., 1890. He studied botany while serving an apprenticeship as a gar- dener, and in 1840 obtained the medal given by the experimental gardeners of Edinburgh for the best collection of dried specimens of plants. He after- ward came to the United States, engaged in green- house horticulture in Jersey City, also as seedsman in New York, and his business in both departments is now the largest in the United States. He was the author of " Gardening for Profit," which has attained a sale of over 100,000 copies (New York, 1866) ; " Practical Floriculture " (1868) ; " Garden- ing for Pleasure " (1875) ; " Henderson's Handbook of Plants " (1881) ; " Garden and Farm Topics " $1884) ; and " How the Farm Pays " (1884).

HENDERSON, Richard, pioneer, b. in Han- over county, Va., in 1734; d. in Hillsborough, Granville co., N. C, 30 Jan., 1785. His parents were poor, and he had grown to manhood before he learned to read or write. While yet a young man he was appointed to be constable, and was sub- sequently made under-sheriff. He removed to North Carolina in 1762, and, having devoted his leisure time to the perusal of such law-books as fell in his way, was admitted to the bar. In 1769 he was appointed associate judge of the superior court. In September, 1770, the populace, which had been aroused by the unjust system of taxation, enforced by the loyal governor, Tryon, arose, and, armed with cudgels and cow-skin whips, broke into the court over which Judge Henderson was presiding, attempted to strike him, and forced him to leave the bench. When independence was declared, in 1775, and the state government organized in North Carolina, he was re-elected judge, but declined to accept, as he had become interested in an extensive scheme for the acquirement of land. He had previously been involved in unsuccessful speculations, and, in the hope of retrieving his fortunes, formed the " Transylvania land company," and succeeded in 1775 in negotiating with the chiefs of the Cherokee nation a treaty known as the " Treaty of Watoga," by which all that tract of land lying between the Cumberland river, the Cumberland mountains, and the Kentucky river, and situated south of the Ohio, was transferred for a reasonable consideration to the company. By this treaty Henderson and his associates became the propriators of an extent of territory comprising more than half the present state of Kentucky. A government was at once organized, of which Henderson was made president, with its capital at Boonesborough. The new country was named Transylvania. The first legislature held its session under a large elm-tree, near the walls of a fort. Among the eighteen members were Daniel Boone, Richard Calloway, Thomas Slaughter, John Floyd, and James HarrodBy a compact between the proprietors and the colonists, a liberal administration was established features of which were an annual election of delegates, and entire freedom of opinion in matters of religion. The appointment of the judges was to be in the hands of the proprietors, but the former were to be answerable to the people for malfeasance in office. The sole power to raise and appropriate moneys was given to a popular convention. Henderson's purchase from the Indians was subsequently annulled by the state of Virginia, as an infringement of its chartered rights. But to compensate the proprietors for settling the wilderness, the legislature granted them a tract of land twelve miles square on the Ohio, below the mouth of Greene river. In 1779 Judge Henderson was appointed with five other commissioners to run the line between Virginia and North Carolina, into Powell's valley. The same year he removed to. Tennessee, practised law at Nashville, and returning to North Carolina, in 1780, settled on his large plantation and engaged in farming. A town, a village, and a county are named in his honor. — His brother, Pleasant, soldier, b. in Hanover county, Va., 9 Jan., 1756: d. in Huntington, Tenn., 10 Dec, 1842, studied law with his brother Richard, entered the Revolutionary army in 1775, and at the close of the war was major of Col. Malmedy's mounted corps. In 1789 he succeeded John Haywood as clerk of the house of commons of North Carolina, holding office continuously for forty years. In 1831 he removed to Tennessee. — Richard's son, Archibald, lawyer, b. in Granville countv. N. C., in 1768 : d. in Salisbury, N. C, 1 Oct., 1822. was educated at Granville county academy, and settled in the practice of law at Salisbury. From 1709 till 1803 he was a member of congress, having been chosen as a Federalist, but supported Thomas Jefferson for the presidency in 1800. In 1807-20 he served in the North Carolina house of commons. He was the acknowledged head of the bar in northwestern North Carolina, and distinguished throughout the state as an advocate. — Another son, Leonard, jurist, b. in Granville county, N. C., 6 Oct., 1772 ; d. near Williamsborough, N*. C, 13 Aug., 1833, was educated in the county schools,