Judge Benjamin Waller

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA. DAR Ancestor # A120029

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Waller

Benjamin Waller (1 October 1716 – 1 May 1786) was descended from a Virginia family established in the state since the 17th century. He was born in King William County, Virginia, the son of Col. John and Dorothy (King) Waller, and was trained as a lawyer utilizing the legal library of Sir John Randolph. He studies law at William & Mary. Benjamin Waller was a clerk of the general court for a number of years and, in 1777, he was named presiding judge of the court of admiralty in Williamsburg, Virginia. Subsequently he served as a judge on the first Court of Appeals where he remained until 1785 when the court moved to Richmond, Virginia.

He was an eminent lawyer of Colonial times and held many important offices under the crown. His name is on the list of the Committee of Safety for the city of Williamsburg Dec. 1774 (Forces Archives.) He was Judge of the Court of Admiralty and in a list of the Judges of the Supreme court of Virginia 1778 (WMQ July 1898). Also: King's attorney of Gloucester (1738); Clerk of James City county (1739; 1742); clerk of "The Court of Oyer and Terminer" (1739); Clerk of the "Committees of Propositions and Grievances, and Privileges, and Elections" (1743); all under George II of Great Britain. He served on the Supreme Court of Virginia 1779-1785.

As clerk of courts, it fell to Benjamin Waller to read the United States Declaration of Independence from the Williamsburg courthouse steps on July 25, 1776. Waller also served as mentor and teacher of law to George Wythe.

He was a Vestryman at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Va.

His grandson, Littleton Waller Tazewell, was a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator from and governor of Virginia. Benjamin Waller's family had emigrated from Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, the branch of a family long seated at Beaconsfield and previously at Groombridge Place, Kent, England. John Waller Esquire was one of the signators to the Second Charter of Virginia in 1609. Author Alex Haley sketched out the family's English origins in his book Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Williamsburg's Waller Street is named for Benjamin Waller and his family.

He was a member of The House of Burgesses from 1744-1761. He served as a member of the Constitutional Convention from 1776-1777 and was Judge of the Court of Admiralty from 1779-1786

GEDCOM Source

@R251119104@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=120121121&pi...

GEDCOM Note

Judge Benjamin Waller
BIRTH 1 Oct 1716
Enfield, King William County, Virginia, USA
DEATH 1 May 1786 (aged 69)
Urbanna, Middlesex County, Virginia, USA

BURIAL
Buckingham House Cemetery
Urbanna, Middlesex County, Virginia

The son of John and Dorothy King Waller. A lawyer in Williamsburg. Information about him initially found in a c1950 issue of VA. Magazine of History and Biography. An unknown source indicated Benjamin Waller was said to have died at the home of a daughter during his stay there. The Corbin abstract mentioned below seems to support this.
The exact location of Buckingham House in Middlesex County is unknown at this time. FAG demands a city/town entry. Urbanna was chosen because of an online reference to Perrot's Creek being north of Urbanna.
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Unsourced date of death originally cited here as May 18, 1786 was changed to May 1, 1786 per family Bible page entry. Transcribed record available online from Library of Virgina and William and Mary College Genealogies of Virginia Families.
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Burial location: Buckingham House, Middlesex, Virginia.
Online abstract from the court records at Fredericksburg, VA shows Maria Waller Corbin asked to be buried in the cemetery at Buckingham next to her father. Abstract includes will date 1797 which must be the probate date. Maria's death date was 16 Sept. 1796.
Source: Historic Court Records, http://www.historiccourtrecords.org/courtrecord.asp
Record Title: Corbin's Admr. vs Corbin et al; Year Recorded: 1853; Collection: CR-CI-H; Record ID: 71-11
The following not in the abstract and source unknown: Buckingham (Buckingham House or Lodge) was the chief home of Henry Corbin. It was on a bluff overlooking the Rappahannock, Perrot's Creek and other creeks. It was destroyed by two fires.

Parents
John Waller
1673–1754
Dorothy King Waller
1675–1758

Spouse
Martha Hall Waller
1728–1780 (m. 1746)

Siblings
Mary Waller Lewis
1699–1781
John Waller
1701–1776
Thomas Waller
1705–1765
William Waller
1714–1760
Edmund Waller
1718–1771

Children
Martha Waller Taylor
1747–1828
Dorothy Elizabeth Waller Tazewell
1754–1777