James Pleasants, Jr., 22nd Governor of Virginia (DemRep)

Biography

James Pleasants, Jr., 22nd Governor of Virginia (DemRep) was born on October 24, 1769 in Cold Comfort Estate, Powhatan County, Province of Virginia. His parents were James Pleasants and Anne Isham Scott Pleasants (Randolph). He was a Politician: 22nd Governor of Virginia, US Senator, US Congressman, Member of the Virginia House of Delegates; Politician, Lawyer, Judge.

James married Susanna Lawson Pleasants (Rose) on May 8, 1790 in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Together they had the following children:

1. John Hampden Pleasants;
2. Marcella Smith (Pleasants);
3. Marianna Lilburn Smith (Pleasants).

He died on November 9, 1836 in Contention Estate, Goochland County, Virginia, United States from died in a duel with Thomas Ritchie, Jr., owner and editor of a rival newspaper, the "Richmond Enquirer" and was buried there.

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https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10182-5731/james-pleasan...

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

James Pleasants, Jr. (October 24, 1769 – November 9, 1836) was an American politician who served in the U.S. Senate from 1819 to 1822 and was the 22nd Governor of Virginia from 1822 to 1825. Pleasants was born at “Cold Comfort,” in Powhatan County, Virginia, October 24, 1769. He pursued classical studies and graduated from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. He studied law and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Amelia County, Virginia in 1791.

Pleasants was the son of James Pleasants and Ann Randolph, the daughter of Isham Randolph of Dungeness and granddaughter of William Randolph. His sister was Susan.

Pleasants was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates 1797-1802 and clerk of the house of delegates 1803-1811. On January 30, 1811, he was appointed to the Court of Appeals but resigned almost immediately. Pleasants was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Twelfth and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1811, to December 14, 1819, when he resigned, having been elected a United States Senator. Pleasants served as chairman of the Committee on Public Expenditures (Thirteenth Congress), Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Navy (Fifteenth Congress).

He was elected on December 10, 1819, as a Democrat-Republican to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John W. Eppes and served from December 14, 1819, to December 15, 1822, when he resigned. He was also chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs (Sixteenth and Seventeenth Congresses). He was chosen as Governor of Virginia, serving 1822-1825. Pleasants was a delegate to the State constitutional conventions in 1829 and 1830. He retired and lived on his estate, “Contention,” near Goochland, Goochland County, Virginia, where he died on November 9, 1836. He was buried on his estate. His brother-in-law and law partner, Eugene C. Massie, named his son James Pleasants Massie, after Pleasants. The name has been handed down, now to a total of four generations.

In one version of her memoirs dictated to her god-daughter, Charlotte Downs, abolitionist leader and San Francisco entrepreneur Mary Ellen Pleasant claimed she was born a slave to a Voodoo priestess and the youngest son of Gov. Pleasants.

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Virginia Governor, U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, he studied law, was admitted to bar and began the practice of law in Amelia County, Virginia in 1791. Entering politics, he was a member of the Virginia State House of Delegates (1797-1802) and clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates (1803-11). In 1811, he was elected as a Democratic Republican to the Twelfth Congress and to the next four succeeding Congresses, serving until 1819. He was then elected as a Democratic Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John W. Eppes, serving 1819-22, when he resigned. In 1882, he was elected the 22nd Virginia Governor, serving until 1825. During his administration, he advocated interest in educating children of the poor and improving the penitentiary system. He objected to a protective tariff as contrary to the interests of the South, was a supporter of colonization as a solution to the slave problem and was elected vice president of an auxiliary branch of the National Colonization Society. After leaving office, he retired from politics and lived on his estate until his death.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith https://www.findagrave.com/user/profile/46568383

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PLEASANTS, James, a Representative and a Senator from Virginia; born at "Cold Comfort," in Powhatan County, Va., October 24, 1769; pursued classical studies and graduated from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va.; studied law; admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Amelia County in 1791; member, State house of delegates 1797-1802; clerk of the Virginia house of delegates 1803-1811; elected as a Democratic Republican to the Twelfth and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1811, to December 14, 1819, when he resigned, having been elected a United States Senator; chairman, Committee on Public Expenditures (Thirteenth Congress), Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Navy (Fifteenth Congress); elected on December 10, 1819, as a Democratic Republican to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John W. Eppes and served from December 14, 1819, to December 15, 1822, when he resigned; chairman, Committee on Naval Affairs (Sixteenth and Seventeenth Congresses); Governor of Virginia 1822-1825; delegate to the State constitutional conventions in 1829 and 1830; retired and lived on his estate, "Contention," near Goochland, Goochland County, Va., where he died on November 9, 1836; interment on his estate.

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links

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Pleasants
• https://scvahistory.org/scv/p/james-pleasants-jr-1811/
• https://www.nga.org/governor/james-pleasants/
• https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/266216:50015?tid=...
• https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/701061:60214 m 08 May 1790 Susanna Rose
• https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4225:61360
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8343077/james-pleasants?_gl=1*1...
• https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=18369
• https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L759-VR4/james-pleasants-jr.-...
• https://goochlandhistory.wordpress.com/tag/james-pleasants/
• https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=CH18240928.1.3&srpos=126&e=---... (Father's obituary)
• https://www.seekingmyroots.com/members/files/G001820.pdf
• https://archive.org/stream/douglasregisterb00doug/douglasregisterb0...
• https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-978...
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/39643510/?article=9d971bdf-f6f8-4d...
• https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/P000386
• https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12395:61462?tid=&... (Virginia, U.S., Extracted Vital Records, 1660-1923)