Edmund Harrison (1764–1826) was a

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

planter, politician, military officer and member of the

Harrison family of Virginia The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...

. He represented the counties of Prince George and Amelia in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

, and served as that body's

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

from 1802 until 1803.

Early life and education

Edmund, the eldest son of Nathaniel Harrison (1741-1782) and Mary Ruffin (1746-1767), was born into the

First Families of Virginia First Families of Virginia (FFV) were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They descended from English colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsbur ...

. His father and paternal ancestors had served in the Virginia General Assembly. His uncle

Benjamin Harrison V Benjamin Harrison V (April 5, 1726April 24, 1791) was an American planter, merchant, and politician who served as a legislator in colonial Virginia, following his namesakes’ tradition of public service. He was a signer of the Continental As ...

, also a planter and politician, signed the Declaration of Independence and served two terms as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, an office Edmund won in his second term, but only briefly held. His great-grandfather,

Robert Carter I Robert "King" Carter (4 August 1663 – 4 August 1732) was a merchant, planter and powerful politician in colonial Virginia. Born in Lancaster County, Carter eventually became one of the richest men in the Thirteen Colonies. As President of ...

had been nicknamed "King Carter" in his lifetime because of his vast landholdings and great political power, and so many of this boy's uncles and cousins also served in the legislature. Edmund Harrison received a private education appropriate to his class. Edmund, just 18 years old at his father's death, offered the following eulogy:

Marriage and family

On January 14, 1787 Harrison married Polly Murray (b. 1771) who died in 1804 and was survived by five of their nine children. Only one of these, Edmond Jr., (1801-1820) lived to maturity. On November 28, 1806 Harrison married Martha Wayles Skipwith (1786 - 1827), daughter of Henry Skipwith and Anne Wayles; Martha was a niece of Mrs. Thomas Jefferson. By Martha, he had nine children, six of whom lived to adulthood: William Henry Harrison (1810-1881); Nathaniel (1812-1875): Lelia Skipwith (1814-1868); Sally Carter (1816-1886); Donald MacKenzie (1818-1872); Septemia (1820-1870?)

Political career

In the 1801 House of Delegates election for Amelia, Harrison was elected along with John Wiley, and won re-election annually. In 1804 Harrison's electoral fortunes began to fade, when he ran second to Thomas Randolph 115–140, although both were seated. In his last real attempt, Harrison lost to Randolph again in 1805, 99–109. However, in 1807, Amelia County voters unseated both men Upon entry to his office as Speaker in the Virginia House, Harrison on December 30, 1802 wrote to President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

in reply to a gift received from the latter, "Edmund Harrison presents his respectful acknowledgments to Mr. Jefferson,—thanks him for the parliamentary Manual, which is enhanced in value from the polite and friendly manner in which it was presented. Where the voice of Millions join in the wish that our present chief Magistrate may long fill the exalted station, which he has so much dignified, the single expression of an Individual conforming to that Wish, cannot be deemed intrusive." Harrison served in the military during the War of 1812.

Final years

As the firstborn son of his planter father, Harrison received at least one plantation and considerable wealth, as he referenced in his correspondence a responsibility for nearly 100 people. He appears to have been an overly generous person in his later years, but also a very unlucky investor who at times was quarrelsome and even hot-tempered in his efforts to handle delinquent debts. However, there is little doubt of his conviviality, in light of his Speakership in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Death and legacy

Harrison died of a stroke in Richmond, the state capital. By that time, he had a negative net worth. Harrison's home “The Oaks” plantation house in Amelia, was built in 1745 by his grandfather, Benjamin Harrison IV, and is said to have been bought by a relative in liquidation of Edmund's debts after his death. In 1927 the home was dismantled and reconstructed in the Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond, Va., at 307 Stockton Lane. It remained in the family until 1975, when it was devised to the

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, or VMFA, is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia, United States, which opened in 1936. The museum is owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Private donations, endowments, and funds are used for the s ...

. It became the designated residence of the museum's sitting director until its sale in 2014.

References

* List of former Speakers of the House of Delegates, in the old House chamber in the Virginia State Capitol {{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Edmund Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates People from Amelia, Virginia 1764 births 1823 deaths Edmund