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 John Tayloe Lomax.

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to Virginia, was admitted to the bar and the Hon. Presley Thornton of Northumber commenced the practice of law in Fred- land House, in the county of that name, ericksburg and the adjacent counties. From who was a member of the King's Council at the start he displayed sterling qualities of his death in 1769. The father of Mrs. mind, habits of industry and the most Lomax was Capt. Presley Thornton, who thorough preparation of all cases intrusted had a military education and served as cap to him, which at once gave him standing in tain in what was known as the army of John the courts, and introduced him to the favor Adams in 1798, organized to repel the ap able notice of the judges before whom he prehended French invasion. Of this army, practiced. His love George Washington for and knowledge of was Commander-inthe classics, of Eng Chief. lish literature and a About the year critical study of the 1810 Mr. Lomax re speeches of such men moved from Frederas Fox, Chatham and icksburg to Rich Burke had inclined mond County, in him to cultivation of order to facilitate his the graces of the practice in the courts English language, to of chancery. Here, rhetorical oratory, in the War of 1812, but he was diverted he was commissioned at an early day from an officer in a regi this path of distinc ment raised in the tion in his profession lower counties of the by cases of a civil Northern Neck, for nature, involving in the purpose of guard tricate questions of ing that territory, ex the law of realty, in posed as it was to at the settlement of large tack by the enemy, estates, and the ad from the two great ministration of trusts, rivers by which, with which threw his prac the Chesapeake Bay, JOHN TAYLOE OF MOUNT AIRY. tice into the courts of it is bounded. About chancery, which sat in the cities of Rich the year 1817 he returned to Fredericksburg mond and historic Williamsburg. Here he and resumed the practice of law, and was en was brought into contact with the ablest gaged in the active duties of his profession members of the bar of his day, and here a until 1826. In April ofthat year William friendship with the distinguished William Wirt, having been notified of his own ap Wirt of Virginia was cemented. Based upon pointment as professor of the School of Law mutual respect and admiration of one an at the University of Virginia, declined it, owing to his duties as attorney general of the other's talents, this friendship lasted through out life and embraced a correspondence United States, but recommended his friend which contributed many delightful letters John Tayloe Lomax to Thomas Jefferson and the Board of Visitors. This led to the visit from Mr. Wirt. In July, 1804, John Tayloe Lomax mar of Mr. Lomax to Monticello shortly before ried Charlotte Thornton, granddaughter of the death of the great statesman, and to the