History of Hanover, (Hanover County) Virginia United States of America

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Biographies:

Robert Carter Nicholas, statesman, was born in Hanover, Va., in 1715; son of Dr. George Nicholas, who immigrated to Virginia about 1700. His brother, John Nicholas, was the progenitor of tim Nicholas family of the Seven Islands in the James river and was married to Martha, daughter of Col. Joshua and Mary (Micon) Fry. Robert Carter Nicholas was graduated from the College of William and Mary about 1733, and practised law in James City, Va. He was married to a daughter of Wilson Cary and had sons: George (1755-1799); Wilson Cary ; John , and Philip Norborne (1773-1849), judge of the general court of Virginia, 1823-49. He was treasurer of the colony of Virginia, 1766-77, the member from James City in the house of burgesses until 1777, and a member of the house of delegates, 1777-79. He was opposed to the stamp act resolutions proposed by Patrick Henry, holding that the act was void because unconstitutional. He was a member of the committee of correspondence, 1773, and of the various state conventions, being president pro tempore of the one of July, 1775. He was appointed judge of the high court of chancery in 1779 and subsequently became judge of the court of appeals. He died in Hanover, Va., in 1780.

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

Robert Carter Nicholas, senator, was born in Hanover, Va., in 1790; son of Col. George and Mary (Smith) Nicholas, and grandson of Judge Robert Carter and Ann (Cary) Nicholas. His father was born in Hanover about 1755; graduated at the College of William and Mary; was colonel, 2d Virginia regiment, in the Revolution; a member of the convention that ratified the Federal constitution; a member of the house of delegates, and in 1790 removed to Kentucky where he was a member of the state constitutional convention, April 1, 1792, and author of the document; first attorney-general of the state, and died in 1799. Robert Carter Nicholas was graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1810; was appointed captain in the 25th U.S. infantry, March 12, 1812; was promoted major and assigned to the 12th U.S. infantry, March 3, 1813; lieutenant-colonel and assigned to the 44th U.S. infantry, Aug. 20, 1814, and was transferred to the 30th U.S. infantry, Nov. 14, 1814. He served in the war of 1812 and on the Canadian frontier and was mustered out of service on the reduction of the army in June, 1815. He retired to a sugar plantation in Louisiana. He was U.S. charg? d'affaires to Naples; secretary of the state of Louisiana for several years; U.S. senator, 1836-41, and state superintendent of public instruction, 1851-57. He died in Terrebonne parish, La., Dec. 24, 1857.

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