Peyton Randolph
Randolph, a family of Virginians active in public life in colonial times and in the early days of the republic.
William Randolph (1651?-1711) was born in England and sailed to Virginia in 1673. He became a planter and acquired vast lands and many slaves. He held county offices, served in the House of Burgesses, and was king's attorney for Virginia. Randolph helped found the College of William and Mary in 1693. His descendants, besides the Randolphs mentioned below, include Thomas Jefferson, Chief Justice John Marshall, and Robert E. Lee.
Sir John Randolph (1693?-1737), William's son, was a prominent colonial lawyer. He was born in Henrico County. He studied law at William and Mary and in London. Randolph was clerk of the House of Burgesses, 1718-34, and speaker of the house, 1734-37. He represented colonial interests on missions to England in 1728 and 1732. He was knighted about 1732, the only colonial Virginian to be thus honored.
Peyton Randolph (1721 ?-1775), Sir John's son, became a leader of the American Revolution. He was born in Williamsburg. Like his father, he studied law at William and Mary and in London. He was successful and respected as king's attorney for Virginia, serving 1748-66, but his concern for colonial interests brought him into increasing conflict with the royal governor. Randolph was speaker of the House of Burgesses, 1766-75, and, although a moderate, was chairman of the revolutionary committees of correspondence in Virginia, 1773-75. He was also president of the Continental Congresses of 1774 and 1775.
Edmund (Jennings) Randolph (1753-1813), Peyton's nephew, was an early national leader and a member of President Washington's first cabinet. He was born in Williams-burg. After graduation from William and Mary, he served as attorney general of revolutionary Virginia, 1776-86, and governor of the state, 1786-88. His experience as a member of the Continental Congress, 1779-86, convinced him that the United States needed stronger central government. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, he submitted the Virginia Plan, under which states would be represented in Congress on the basis of population. Although he opposed some of the provisions eventually adopted, he fought for the Constitution's ratification.
Randolph was attorney general under President Washington, 1789-94, and secretary of state, 1794-95. In the State Department, he tried to maintain American neutrality in the war between Britain and France. In 1795 French documents captured by the British implied that he had revealed state secrets to the French minister. Although Randolph strongly denied that he had done so, he resigned from the cabinet. He then practiced law in Virginia and in 1807 successfully defended Aaron Burr against treason charges.
Thomas Mann Randolph (1768-1828) was a great-great-grandson of William Randolph. He was born in Goochland County and was married to Martha Jefferson, daughter of his distant cousin, Thomas Jefferson. Randolph was governor of Virginia, 1819-22.
John Randolph (1773-1833), known as John Randolph of Roanoke, was a great-grandson of William. The most eccentric political leader of his time, he often appeared in the House of Representatives in riding clothes, with a whip in his hand and dogs at his heels. Randolph was an aristocrat and owned vast lands, yet Roanoke, his home, was a modest log house in the middle of a forest. He opposed any measures that threatened slave-holding, yet he said that his greatest misery was owning slaves and he set his own slaves free in his will. Randolph was a brilliant but sharp-tongued orator, and was a bitter foe of President John Quincy Adams and Secretary of State Henry Clay.
Randolph was born in Prince George County. He attended the College of William and Mary and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), and read law in Philadelphia. He was elected to the House of Representatives when he was 26 years old. A supporter of Jefferson, Randolph was made administration leader when Jefferson became President. He supported the Louisiana Purchase, but as Jefferson began to extend the activities of the national government, Randolph moved back to a position of extreme states' rights. He bitterly opposed President Madison and the northern Democrats and lost leadership of the House. His allies were more often men such as Josiah Quincy, the aristocratic New England Federalist.
Randolph remained in the House during most Congresses until 1825, losing only the election of 1812 when he opposed war with England. He served in the Senate, 1825-27, and again in the House, 1827-29. Randolph became increasingly erratic after 1818. His health broke while he was traveling as President Jackson's minister to Russia in 1830.
George Wythe Randolph (1818-1867), a son of Thomas Mann Randolph and grandson of Thomas Jefferson, was born at Monticello. After service in the navy he graduated from the University of Virginia and became one of the foremost lawyers in Richmond. In 1862 he served as secretary of war for the Confederacy, but President Jefferson Davis wanted to take personal charge of the war and replaced Randolph.