Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/384

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

peace for Louisa from December 13, 1742, vestryman of Fredericksville parish, county lieutenant of Louisa, and member of the house of burgesses from 1742 to 1756. He was the friend, legal client and political supporter of Patrick Henry. He died De- cember 16, 1768. and was father of Nathan- iel \^enable ( (j. v. ).

Venabie, Nathaniel, son of Abraham Ven- able and Martha Davis, his wife, of Louisa county, was born November i, 1733, and resided first in Buckingham county and then in Prince Edward county, was vestry- man of St. Patrick's parish, became a Presby- terian, and organized the first Presbyterian church in Prince Edward county ; was jus- tice cjf the peace and burgess for Prince Edward, in the assembly of 1766-1768, and afterward a member of the Virginia house of delegates. He was one of the earliest promoters and one of the first trustees (in 1775) of Hampden Sydney Academy and (in 1783) of Hampden Sydney College. He died December 27, 1804. He married Eliza- beth Woodson, of Prince Edward.

Wadding, Rev. James, was minister at Jamestow^n in 1672, and afterwards served in Gloucester county in 1676. He was the minister whom Nathaniel Bacon so sharply reproved, because of some unpleasant ad- vice. He married Susanna, widow of Walter Chiles, Jr., of Jamestown.

Wade, Armiger, believed to have been descended from Armingall Wade, of Bell- size, near Hampstead, England, who w'as fpther of Sir William Wade, frequently mentioned in the progress of James I., and of whom there is a curious and interesting history in "Parke's History of Hampstead." He was a justice of York county and bur-

gess in 1656. His will was proved April 24, 1677. Issue: I. Armiger. 2. Mary mar- ried Captain John Hay. 3. Dorothy mar- ried John Lilly.

Wade, Robert, was a burgess for Halifax county in 1758-1761 and 1761-1765. He died about 1770, and mentions in his will sons Robert, John, Stephen, Edward and Charles, daughters Sarah Stokes, Mary Hunt ; grand- SC'U Hampton Wade, son of Robert Wade, Robert Wade, son of Charles, Robert Wade, son of son Robert.

Waddell, James, was born in Ulster, Ire- land. July, 1739, of Scotch parentage. Shortly after his birth, his parents emi- grated to Pennsylvania. He was schooled under Dr. Finley of Nottingham and was a tutor in the school at fifteen. At nineteen years he came to Hanover county, Virginia, where he met Rev. Samuel Davies, and was licensed to preach by the Hanover Pres- bytery in 1 761. He had charge of a church in Lancaster county till 1778; then removed to his estate of "Spring Hill" near Waynes- borough, where he remained for seven years, acting continuously as minister of Tinkling Spring and sometimes at Staun- ton. In 1785 he moved to Louisa county where he resided till his death in 1805. Be- sides preaching in various churches in the neighborhood, he taught school. William Wirt immortalized him as "The Blind Preacher," in the essays of the "Old Bache- lor."

Wagener, Rev. Peter, was licensed by the Bishop of London for Maryland August 9, 1703, but soon came to Virginia, where he was a minister of a parish in 1705. He re- turned to England and was living there in Essex county in 1739.