Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/162

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at William and Mary College in 1813-1814; studied and practiced law; member of the \'irginia senate. 1832-34-38-39; and member of the twenty-sixth congress, to fill a va- cancy caused by the resignation of Charles F. Mercer, and served from January 25, 1840, to March 4, 1841 ; provisional governor of Florida.

McComas, Willianu native of Virginia; elected as a Whig to the twenty-third and twenty-fourth congresses (March 4, 1833- March 3, 1837).

McCoy, William, native of Augusta coun- ty, Virginia; elected as a Jackson Democrat to the twelfth, and to the ten succeeding congresses (March 4, 1811-March 3, 1833).

McDowell, James (q. v.).

McKinlcy, William, native of Virginia; elected as a Republican to the eleventh con- gress, to fill vacancy caused by the resigna- tion of John G. Jackson, and served from December 21. 1810, to March 3, 181 1.

Meade, Richard Kidder, born in Frederick county, Virginia, in 1795 ; pursued an aca- demic course ; studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Peters- burg, Virginia ; elected as a Democrat to the thirtieth, thirty-first and thirty-second con- gresses (March 4, 1847-March 3, 1853) ; de- clined the appointment of charge d'affaires to Sardinia tendered by President Pierce in 1853; minister to Brazil by the nomination of President Buchanan, July 27, 1857, to July 9, 1861 : returned to Virginia and de- voted himself to the cause of the Confed- eracy; died in Petersburg, Virginia, April 20. 1862. He was a son of Richard Kidder Meade, aide-de-camp to Washington, and

grandson of David Meade, of Xansemond county, and Susanna Evcrard, his wife, daughter of Sir Thomas Evcrard, governor of North Carolina.

Mercer, Charles Fenton, born in Fred- ericksburg, Virginia, June 6, 1778, son of James and Eleanor (Dick) Mercer, and grandson of John Mercer, an emigrant from Dublin, Ireland, who settled at Marlboro, Stafford county, Virginia, where he occu- pied a high legal position, and was the com- piler of a collection of Virginia laws, known as "Mercer's Abridgement;'* his father (1749-93), a native of Virginia, was gradu- ated at William and Mary College in 1767, was a prominent lawyer of the state, mem- ber of the Virginia conventions of 1774- 1775-1776, member of the Virginia house of burgesses, of the committee of safety, of the continental congress, served in congress during 1779-80, and was a judge of the state court of appeals ; said to have drawn up the will of George Washington's mother; Charles F. Mercer graduated from Prince- ton College in 1797; lieutenant and captain of cavalry in the United States army 1798- 1800; studied law. was admitted to the bar in 1802, and after making a tour of Europe during 1802-03, returned to the United States and settled in practice in Aldie, Loudoun county, Virginia; in 181 1 was again called to military duty by the general government, was appointed aid-de-camp to the governor in 18 1 3, and rose to the rank of brigadier- general of militia in command of the forces at Norfolk; member of the state house of representatives, 1810-1817. and in 1816 was appointed chairman of the committee on finance, in which capacity he brought for- ward a bill for the construction of the Chesa-

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