History of Lancaster County Virginia United States of America

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Daniel Seth Doggett, M.E. bishop, was born in Lancaster county, Va., Jan. 10, 1810; son of the Rev. John and Mary (Smith) Doggett. His father was a local Methodist preacher, and a privateer in the time of the Revolution, and was married to Mary Smith of Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 27, 1782. His English ancestor was a clergyman of the Established church, who immigrated to Virginia about 1650, and was rector of Whitechapel church, Lancaster county. Next in descent was William, then Coleman, then John, father of Daniel Seth. He was educated at the Northumberland academy and was expected to study law, but decided upon the ministry, teaching school while he pursued his theological course. He joined the Virginia conference in February, 1829, at Lynchburg and was appointed helper on Roanoke circuit, N.C. In 1830 he returned to Virginia, was chaplain at the University of Virginia, 1839, chaplain of Randoph-Macon college, 1840; professor of English literature at Randolph-Macon, 1841-46, editor of the Southern Methodist Quarterly, 1850-58, and bishop of the M.E. church south, 1866-80. He was a trustee of the Randolph-Macon college, and received from that institution the honorary degree of D.D. He published: The War and its Close (1864). His sermons were published in 1881. He died in Richmond, Va., Oct. 27, 1880.

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

Cyrus Griffin, delegate, was born at Sion House, Lancaster county, Va., in 1748. He was sent to England to be educated and while attending law lectures in London accepted an invitation from the colonial ambassador at whose house he met Lady Christina, daughter of the sixth Earl of Traquair, whom he afterward married. Soon after the birth of his first son he returned to his home in Virginia. In 1778 he was elected a delegate to the Continental congress and served until 1781, and again in 1787-88. On Jan. 2, 1788, the last session was organized and he was elected president of that body. He was president of the supreme court of admiralty during its existence; was commissioner to the Creek Indians in 1789, and in December, 1789, was appointed judge of the U.S. court for the district of Virginia, holding that position until his death, which occurred in Yorktown, Va., Dec. 14, 1810.

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

Enoch George, M.E. bishop, was born in Lancaster county, Va., in 1767. He was brought up in the faith of the Church of England, but in 1790 he joined the Virginia conference of the M.E. church and till 1792 was a junior preacher in the Caswell circuit. He then removed to South Carolina, where in 1796-97 he was presiding elder of the Charleston district. He retired on account of ill-health, 1796-1803: was a member of the Baltimore, Md., conference, 1803-16, and held the office of bishop, 1816-28. He died in Staunton, Va., in August, 1828.

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

Richard Henry Jesse, educator, was born at Epping Forest, in Lancaster county, Va., March 1, 1853; son of William J. and Mary (Claybrook) Jesse. He was prepared for college at Hanover academy, Virginia, and was graduated from the University of Virginia in 1875. He was instructor in French and mathematics at Hanover academy, 1875-76; principal of a high school in Princess Anne county, Va., 1876-78; dean of the academic department of the University of Louisiana, New Orleans, La., 1878-84, and was a leader in the movement to consolidate it with Tulane university, which took place in 1884. He was senior professor at Tulane, holding the chair of Latin, 1884-91, and became president of the University of Missouri, July 1, 1891. He received the degree of LL.D. from Tulane university in 1891. He was chairman of the section on higher education of the National Educational association, 1897, and a member of the committee of ten, whose report on secondary education attracted wide attention and discussion.

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

History of Lancaster County Virginia

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