Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/254

 PROMINENT PERSONS

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ation until 1830, a period of twenty-two years, practiced his profession in the city o( Richmond ; in addition to his professional duties he edited the "Jackson Democrat in tlie presidential canvass of 1828; in 1830 he accepted a position in the treasury depart- ment, Washington, D. C, and served until 1864, the year of his death; he was the author of: View of Ancient Geography and History" (1813);. "New System of Mythology" (4 vols., 1815-19) ; "Pension Laws of the United States, 1775-1833" (1833;; "Political Sketches of Eight Years in Washington;'* "Commercial and Revenue System of the United States" (2 vols., 1S47) ; "The Treasury Department; its Origin, Or- ganization and Operations" (1847); ^^ ^^e time of his death he was preparing a gene- alogical history of the Mayo family of Vir- ginia ; he died in Washington, D. C, Octo- ber 31, 1864.

Duval, Waiiam P., was born in Virginia, in 1784, died in Washington, D. C, March 19, 1854. His great-grandfather was a Huguenot, who settled in Virginia, his grandfather Samuel a member of the house of burgesses, and his father, Major William, an officer of the revolution, who possessed a high reputation as a chancery lawyer, spent a large fortune fn helping the poor, and en- joyed the friendship of Washington. The son removed to Kentucky when a boy, stud- ied law there, and was admitted to the bar. He commanded a company of mounted vol- unteers against the Indians in 1812, and was elected to congress in that year, serving from March 24, 1813, until March 2, 1815. After his return to Kentucky he practiced law at Bards town till 1822, when he was ap- pointed governor of the territory of Florida

by President Monroe. He was continued in that office by Presidents Adams and Jack- son, serving till 1834. He removed in 1848 to Texas and died of a paralytic shock while visiting Washington. His life and char- acter have been celebrated in fiction by James K. Paulding, who portrayed him in '*Nimrod Wildfire," and by Washington Irving, who drew from him the character of
 * Ralph Ringwood."

Early, John, was born in Bedford county, Virginia, in 1785, died in Lynchburg, Vir- ginia, November 5, 1873. He joined the Methodist conference of his state in the great revival of 1801-02, and became an itinerant preacher about 1807. He soon at- tracted attention by the fervor and elo- quence of his sermons, and was especially successful in conducting religious exercises in a revival. He successively filled the offices of secretary of the conference and presiding elder, and was repeatedly a delegate to the quadrennial general conference. In the agi- tation that resulted, in 1844, in the division of his denomination into the Methodist church north and south, Mr. Early took an active part, and was elected the first book agent of the latter. Though sixty-nine years of age, he was elected bishop in 1854, and served his church with great zeal and fidelity for nineteen years. He was largely instrumental in founding Randolph-Macon College, Virginia. Bishop Early, though a vigorous writer, published only a few ser- mons, addresses, and occasional pamphlets, some of them relating to the disruption con- troversy. He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity.

Armistead, Walker Keith, was born in Virginia, about 1785. brother of George

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