History of Tappahannock, (Essex County) Virginia United States of America

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Benjamin Blake Minor, educator, was born at Tappahannock, Essex county, Va., Oct. 21, 1818; son of Dr. Hubbard Taylor and Jane (Blake) Minor, grandson of Col. Thomas and Elizabeth (Taylor) Minor, of Spottsylvania county, and of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Aldridge) Blake, and great-grandson of Thomas and Alice (Thomas) Minor. These Minors probably came to Massachusetts with Governor Winthrop in 1630, and Thomas Minor removed to Virginia, where he married Alice Thomas in March, 1741. Benjamin Blake Minor attended Bristol college, Pa., 1833-34; the University of Virginia, 1834-37, graduating in several of its schools, and was graduated in moral and political science and law at the College of William and Mary, in 1839. He practised law in Petersburg, Va., 1840-41; in Richmond, 1841-43; owned and edited the Southern Literary Messenger, 1843-47; was principal of the Virginia Female Institute, Staunton, 1847-48, and founded the Home School for Young Ladies, Richmond, 1848. He was married, May 26, 1842, to Virginia Maury, daughter of the Rt. Rev. James Hervey Otey . In 1845 he originated the historical department of the Society of Alumni of the University of Virginia; the same year was vice-president of the commercial convention at Memphis; in 1847 was a chief factor in the revival of the Historical society of Virginia of which he was made a life member; and was a made a corresponding member of the historical societies of New York and Wisconsin; and secretary of the African Colonization society of Virginia and of the Virginia Bible society, which antedates the American Bible society. He resumed the practice of law in Richmond in 1848 and the same year was the mover and author of the memorial to the Virginia legislature that led to the erection of the Washington monument on Capitol square. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 19th Virginia militia; was a warden, resister and diocesan delegate of St. James's church, and one of the founders of the Richmond Male Orphan asylum. On July 4, 1860, he was elected president of the State University of Missouri, serving until the curators suspended the work of the university during the civil war. He was principal of a Female seminary in St. Louis, 1865-69; life insurance state agent and superintendent, and public lecturer, 1869-89, and in 1889 rejoined his family in Richmond, Va., and engaged in literary work. He received the honor ary degree of LL.D. from the State University of Missouri in 1894, and in 1896 was made secretary of the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He edited a complete edition of Reports of Chancellor George Wyths, with a Memoir of the Author; a new edition of Henning & Munford's Virginia Reports, and contributed to law journals in New York city.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Tappahannock, (Essex County) Virginia

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