Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/396

 PROMINENT PERSONS

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bixth Lord Baltimore. Custis had not yet reached his twentieth year at the time of his marriage, and his bride was only six- teen. Washington had protested against the union, in a note written to Mr. Calvert, at the same time stating that the young man's estate embraced about 15,000 acres of land. a good part adjoining the city of Williams- burg, between two and three hundred ne- groes, and eight to ten thousand pounds in bonds. His protest was unavailing; the marriage took place as above stated, Wash- ington was readily reconciled. Custis was aide to Washington during the revolu- tion, and while serving at Yorktown, con- tracted camp fever and retired to "Eltham" in New Kent county, the home of his ma- ternal uncle, Burwell Bassett, where he died November 5, 1781. He was a member of the house of delegates at the time. He !elt four children : Elizabeth Parke Custis, who married Thomas Law; Martha Parke Cus- tis. who married Thomas Peter: Eleanor Parke Custis, who married Lawrence Lewis (Washington's nephew), and George Wash- ington Parke Custis. After Custis* death his widow married (secondly) Dr. David Stuart, of Prince George county, Maryland.

Robinson, John, born in York county, Vir- ginia, February 13, 1773, son of Anthony Robinson and Frances Reade, his wife. In 1787 he went to Richmond and entered the office of Adam Craig, clerk of the county and of the hustings court of Henrico county, and under which he served as assistant for many years. He was afterwards an assist- ant to John Brown, clerk of the Richmond district court, and succeeded to the office when Mr. Brown went as secretary to Hon. John Marshall. United States minister to the

French Republic. Mr. Robinson continued as clerk until the district court was abol- ished in 1809, and was for a time clerk of the committee for the courts of justice of the Virginia house of delegates, and clerk of the circuit court of Henrico county. From 1812 to 1827 he was in business with his brother-in-law, William Moncure, and Frederick Pleasants; and in 1827 resumed his clerkship, which he held until his death, at Richmond, April 26, 1850. He joined the militia, May 9, 1793, and was made a lieu- tenant the following year. In 1798 he pub- lished a "Book of Forms," which in 1826 was enlarged and republished by his son, Conway Robinson, who was his deputy. Hon. Henry Clay, as a youth, was also in his office as a deputy. He married, in 1801, Agnes Conway, daughter of John Moncure and Ann Conway, his wife.

Jouett, John, son of Matthew Jouett, was born in Albemarle county, Virginia, and kept the Swan Tavern in Charlottesville. On June 3, 1781, he was in the Cuckoo Tavern at Louisa, when Tarleton's troops swept by. intending to surprise the legis- lature then holding its session at Char- U^ttesville. Suspecting their design. Jouett mounted his horse — a very fleet Virginia blood horse — and rode on at full speed by a shorter and disused road and arrived in Charlottesville in time to give notice to the members, who thereupon dispersed to meet in Staunton. On his way to Char- lottesville Jouett stopped at Monticello and gave information of Tarleton's approach to Governor Jefferson. Without this timely notice it is probable that the whole govern- ment of Virginia would have been captured. .After providing for the public safety Jonett

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