Henry Tazewell, U.S. Senator

Henry Tazewell (November 27, 1753 – January 24, 1799) was an American politician who was instrumental in the early government of the U.S. state of Virginia. He was born in Brunswick County, Virginia. He served as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1795.

He was the father of Littleton Tazewell. He graduated from the College of William and Mary at Williamsburg, Virginia in 1770 where he had studied law. He raised and was commissioned captain of a troop of cavalry in the Revolutionary War. Tazewell served as a member of the House of Burgesses in 1775. He was delegate to the State constitutional convention of 1775 and 1776. In 1778-1785 he was member of General Assembly. From 1785-1793, he was judge of the Virginia General Court, and elevated to Chief Justice of that court from 1789-1793. He also served as a judge on the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals (later renamed the Virginia Supreme Court) in 1793. In 1794 he was elected in to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Taylor. In 1798 he was reelected, and served from December 29, 1794, until his death. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is interred in Christ Church Burial Ground.

He is the eponym of Tazewell County, Virginia; Tazewell, Virginia; Tazewell, Tennessee; and possibly also Tazewell County, Illinois.

links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Tazewell
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7595106&ref=wvr