Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/40

 RANDOLrH

RANEY

state legislature, 1859-Gl; was elected state senator ill ISG'2 to fill a vacancy, and was re-elected fur the full term, serving. 18G2-G5. He introtluced a bill providing for a state comptroller, and in 1SG5 removed to Morristown, N.J. He was governor of New Jersey-, 18G9-72, and during his administration the State riparian commission was establislied; the Camden and Amboy monopoly tax was repealed; the Morris Plains lunatic asylum was con- structed, and on the anniver- sary of the battle of tlieBoyne, July 12, 1871, he is- sued a proclamation, insuring the right of parade to the Orangemen of New Jersey, giving them state protection, and thus avoiding a riot similar to the one that occurred in New York city the same day. He was U.S. senator from New Jersey, lST.j-81. He was a delegate to the Democratic national conventions of 18G4r-72; chairman of the Democratic national committee; a trustee of Rutgers college, and one of tiie founders and president of the Washington Headquarters asso- ciation of Morristown, N.J. He died in Morris- town. N.J.. Nov. 7, 1S83.

RANDOLPH, Thomas Jefferson, autlior, was born at Monticello. Va., Sept. 12. 1792; S(m of Gov. Thomas Mann (q.v.) antl Martha (Jefferson) Randolph. He was sent to scliool in Philadel- piiia, 1S07-10, gained his further education in the library of his grandfather, largely collected in Europe, and was married in 182-i, to Jane Hol- lins. daughter of Gov. Wilson Gary Nicholas (q.v.). He became literary executor of his grandfather, as well as the superintendent of his estates, from the proceeds of the cultivation of which he discharged financial obligations of his grandfather to the extent of $40,000, satisfying every claim, besides supporting and educating his own brothers and sisters and starting them in life, and bringing up and giving the best advan- tages of education to his twelve children. He was a representative in tiie state legislature, a!id in 18^32 introduced a bill for emancipation on the post-natal plan suggested by Jefferson, and secured the passage of the tax bill in 1842, wliich placed the state on a firm financial basis. He was also a member of the state constitu- tional convention of 1851-52. and for .seven years rector of the University of Virginia, having been on its board of visitors for tliirty-one years. His antislavery views prevented his political advance- ment in Virginia. After the war he was influential in securing the re.storation of the financial and agricultural prosperity of the state. He was chairman of the Democratic national convention at Baltimore in 1872. He is the author of: Life and Correspondence of Tliomas Jefferson (4 vols.,

1820); Sixty Years Reminiscences of the Ciirrenci/ of the United States (1842). He died at Edge Ilili. AUMMuarle city, Va.. Oct. .^. 1875.

RANDOLPH, Thomas Mann, governor of Virginia, was born at Tuckahoe, on James river, Va.. Oct. 1, 1768; son of Thomas Mann and Anne (Gary) Randolph, and grandson of William Ran- dolpli of Tuckahoe and of Gol. Archibald Gary. He was educated at Edinburgh university. 1785- 88, and by Sir John Leslie, who returix d with him and his brother to Virginia, and was a tutor in his father's family. He visited Tiiomas Jeffer- son in Paris, and there met Martha Jefferson, to whom he was married, Feb. 23, 1790, at Monti- cello, and continued his studies in Jefferson's library at Monticello. He was a representative from Virginia in the 8th and 9th congresses, 1803-07, and while in congress came in contact with John Randolph of Roanoke, in debate, with the result that preliminaries for a duel were ar- ranged, which was. however, prevented. While in congress he resided with his wife in the White House. He joined the arm}' in 1812 as lieutenant of light artiller}'; was ordered to the Ganada frontier as captain in the 20th U.S. infantry; quarrelled with General Armstrong, and resigned from tiie army, Feb. 6, 1815. He was elected governor of Virginia in 1818, -serving. 1819-21. He died at:\Ionticello, Va., June 20, 1828.

RANEY, George Pettus, jurist, was born at Apalachicola, Fla., Oct. 11, 1845; son of David Greenway and Frances Harriet (Jordan) Raney; grandson of William and Rebecca (Abernathy) Raney, and of Miles and Hariot (Pettus) Jordan. He was educated in the schools of his native town, and entered the University of Virginia in 18G3; was in the Gonfederate army from Septem- ber, 1863, till the close of the civil war; studied law at the University of Virginia in 1866-67; wa& addmitted to the bar in 1867, and practised his profession at Apalachicola until he moved to Tallahassee in the latter part of 1869. He was a member of the Florida legislature, 1868-70; a member of the Democratic state executive com- mittee, 1876-80; attorney -general of Florida, 1877-85; reporter of the decisions of the state supreme court, 1877-85; associate justice of the state supreme court, 1885-89, and chief justice, 1889-94, when he resigned and returned to the ])ractice of law at Tallahassee. He was a pres- idential elector, 1806; a member of the state leg- islature from Leon county, 1899-1902, and a member of the Democratic national committee for 1900-04. He was married twice: first, in November, 1873, to Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Tiiompson Byrd and Sarah (Bailej) Lamar, who died in 1900. and .secondly, in November, 1901. to Evelyn B\'rd, daughter of Walker Anderson and Elizabeth Page (Walker) Gameron.