Henry Soane (1622–1661) was a

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

politician, real estate investor and landowner who served in the

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses () was the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly from 1619 to 1776. It existed during the colonial history of the United States in the Colony of Virginia in what was then British America. From 1642 to 1776, the Hou ...

1652–55, 1658, and 1660–61, and was its Speaker in 1661.

Early and family life

He married Judith Fuller, which whom they had five children. His son William Soane and grandson Henry Soane II would also serve in the House of Burgesses representing Henrico County and James City County, respectively. His daughter Judith Soane first married Henry Randolph I (the clerk of the house of burgesses) and after his death in 1673, Major Peter Field of Henrico County. His son John Soane became a noted surveyor, as well as agent of the Royal African Company, but never married and gave his plantation in Henrico County, Poplar Spring, to his brother William and his surveying instruments to Williams' son Henry Soane II. The progenitor of a political dynasty that spanned two centuries, Soane is the great-great grandfather of President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

Career

Soane began speculating in Virginia real estate by 1651, patenting land on the upper side of the Chickahominy River, as well as the northeast side of the Mattaponi River and the south side of the Rappahannock River. His main plantation was in James City County, and in 1656 he purchased 2200 acres. His and his eldest son Henry Jr's land in New Kent County totalled 2800 acres by 1656. Some of the land was along Diascund Creek, which became the dividing line between James City County and New Kent County in 1651. The Mattaponi land was then in New Kent County. He assigned his 45- acres on the Rappahannock River patented in 1652 to Governor Sir Henry Chicheley in 1654 James City County voters repeatedly elected Soane as one of the men representing them in the House of Burgesses, and burgesses elected him as their Speaker. During his speakership, he asked Col. Fransis Moryson and Randolph to prepare a collection of acts passed by the legislature, for which he received tobacco worth 50 pounds sterling and which was published in London in 1662.Kukla

References

Speakers of the Virginia House of Burgesses People from James City County, Virginia 1622 births 1661 deaths Jefferson family Emigrants from the Kingdom of England {{Virginia-politician-stub

Early and family life

Career

See also

References