Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/249

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

during the second war with England, in de- fense o{ the city of Richmond, in 1812-13, and was the general in command of the Vir- ginia troops at Camp Carter and Camp Holly; he was prominent as a promoter of the temperance cause, held the office of vice- president of the American Temperance Soci- ety, and was recognized as one of the dis- tinguished leaders in the movement in the country; he was also vice-president of the American Colonization Society; he was a member of the original board of visitors of the University of Virginia, and held a posi- tion in that body from 1819 until 1832; took great pride in the University as one of the institutions of the state, and his influence was a factor in its development and sub- stantial growth ; he died in Fluvanna coun- ty, Virginia, July I, 1866.

Lomax, John TayIoe» LL. D., who dis- played high abilities as a professor of law, in the University of Virginia, and who con- tributed substantially to the development of jurisprudence in Virginia, in the capacity of jurist and author, was born at Port Tobago, Caroline county, Virginia, January 19, 1781, son of Thomas and Anne Corbin Tayloe, his wife; he was a student at St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland, grad- uated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts at sixteen years, studied law in the same institution, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Port Royal, Vir- ginia ; removed to Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1805, from there to Menokin, in 1809, from there returned to Fredericksburg in 1818, and there engaged in the practice of bis profession until 1826, when he was called tc*. the chair of law in the University of Vir- ginia, the first appointment to that professor- ship; in 1830 was appointed by unanimous

vote of the legislature of Virginia to a posi- tion on the bench of the circuit court, and at once resigned his professorship to enter upon his judicial duties; was reelected by vote of the people of the circuit in 1851, not- withstanding the fact that, under a provi- sion of the constitution adopted that year, he was disqualified by reason of age, having exceeded the prescribed age limit of sev- enty years; his service upon the bench had been so conspicuously useful, however, and his powers showing no impairment, his re- tention was so generally demanded that the constitutional inhibition was removed at the concerted request of the practitioners at the bar ; he completed his full term of six years, acquitting himself with great ability, and then at the advanced age of sevenr>'-six years, retired to private life; Judge Lomax was a well known writer upon legal sub- jects, and his works were* regarded with great favor, being frequently quoted as au- thority in court proceedings; his most im- portant work, and one to the preparation of which his leisure hours were devoted for several years, was his "Digest of the Laws Respecting Real Property," generally adopt- ed and in use throughout the United States ; this work appeared in three volumes, pub- lished in Philadelphia in 1839, and a second edition, revised and enlarged, was brought out in Richmond in 1856 ; he also published a "Treatise on the Laws of Executors and Ad- ministrators," generally in use in the United States, two volumes, in 1841, and a second edition was published at Richmond, in 1856; Judge Lomax died in Fredericksburg, Vir- ginia, October 10, 1862.

Henley, John Dandridge, born in Wil- liamsburg, Virginia, February 25, 1781 ; son of Leonard Henley and his wife, Elizabeth

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