History of Berkeley County West Virginia United States of America

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Edward Colston, representative, was born near Winchester, Va., Dec. 25, 1786; son of Rawleigh and Elizabeth (Marshall) Colston; grandson of Traverse and Susanna (epic) Colston; great-grandson of Charles and Susan (Traverse) Colston; great-great grandson of William Colston, and great-great-great grandson of William Colston who left Bristol, England, for Virginia, about 1645. In 1801 his family removed to "Honeywood" Berkeley county, and in 1806 he was graduated at the College of New Jersey. He became a lawyer and was elected in 1821 to the Virginia house of delegates. He was a representative in the 15th congress, 1817-19. He was again in the house of delegates in 1826-27, and in 1833-34. For many years he was a magistrate and in 1845 was high sheriff of Berkeley county. He served in the war of 1812 as a lieutenant. He died at "Honeywood," Berkeley county, Va., April 23, 1851.

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

Felix Grundy, senator, was born in Berkeley county, Va., Sept. 11, 1777; the seventh son of a native of England, who immigrated to Virginia in his youth, settled in Berkeley county, and removed in 1779 to Red Stone, Old Fort, Pa., and in 1780 to the state of Kentucky. The family suffered from Indian depredations and three of the sons were killed. Felix was encouraged by his mother to gain an education, and he was sent to Bardstown academy, conducted by Dr. James Priestly, and became a lawyer in 1797. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1799; a representative in the state legislature. 1799-1806, and there introduced the bill which determined the circuit court system adopted by the state which was passed over the governor's veto. He was judge of the supreme court of errors and appeals, 1806-07, and chief justice of the court, 1807. He resigned in the winter of 1807-08, to take up the practice of law in Nashville, Tenn. His record as a criminal lawyer is remarkable, in that he defended 105 clients indicted for capital crime, and saved all but one from the gallows. He was elected as a War Democrata representative in the 12th and 13th congresses, 1811-15. He resigned in 1814 in order to devote his entire time to the care of an invalid wife. He was a representative in the Tennessee legislature, 1819-25, and in 1820 was a commissioner with William L. Brown to settle with Kentucky the boundary line dispute. When Senator John H. Eaton resigned his seat in the U.S. senate in 1829 to accept the portfolio of war in President Jackson's cabinet, Judge Grundy was elected to the vacancy in the senate, and he was re-elected in 1833 after a bitter contest. He was chairman of the committees on judiciary and post-offices and ably sustained the administration of President Jackson. When Martin Van Buren acceded to the presidency in 1837, he continued Benjamin F. Butler as attorney-general and on Butler's resignation in January, 1838, he nominated Senator Grundy who thereupon resigned his seat in the senate. He resigned the attorney-generalship in December, 1839, to take his place again in the U.S. senate, having been elected for a full term, Nov. 19, 1839, as successor to Ephriam H. Foster. He took his seat in the 26th congress, December 2, but resigned Dec. 14, 1839, the question of his eligibility having arisen, as he was a cabinet officer when elected, and he was promptly re-elected. In congress he advocated tariff for revenue only, favored the compromise bill of 1833, he having himself suggested it, and being a member of the committee that revised it. He took part in the presidential canvass of 1840, in opposition to William H. Harrison, and as an orator and statesman ranked with Clay and Webster. He died in Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 19, 1840.

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

History of Berkeley County West Virginia

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