John Edward "Parson" Massey (April 2, 1819 – April 24, 1901) was a Baptist preacher and politician in

Albemarle County, Virginia Albemarle County is a United States county (United States), county located in the Piedmont region of Virginia, Piedmont region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, Virginia, Charlottes ...

who served in both houses of the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...

after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

before becoming Virginia's 15th

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

(January 1, 1886, until January 1, 1890). ving as an adult, Massey founded the short-lived

Readjuster Party The Readjuster Party was a bi-racial state-level political party formed in Virginia across party lines in the late 1870s during the turbulent period following the Reconstruction era that sought to reduce outstanding debt owed by the state. Readj ...

and is sometimes considered

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Early life and education

Born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia to devout Baptists Benjamin Massey and his wife, the former Elizabeth Chewning, he received an education suitable for his class. Like his elder brother Joseph, he attended the Virginia Baptist Seminary (now the

University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approxim ...

Prewar career

Massey taught school in addition to his preaching duties. By 1860 he lived near Scottsville in Albemarle County, Virginia. He owned slaves in the 1860 federal census.

Postwar career

After the war, he continued his career as a Baptist preacher in Albemarle County. Massey considered himself the founder of the short-lived Readjusters. He first won election to the Virginia House of Delegates when Albemarle County voters refused to re-elect J.A. Early, J.C. Hill and G.B. Stephens, but instead elected Massey, Richard G. Crank and B.H. Magruder, then re-elected Massey once before he successfully ran for the Virginia Senate, although he served only two years. Massey allied with the "Big Four" Readjusters who revolted to buck Confederate-general-turned-Republican-boss

William Mahone William Mahone (December 1, 1826October 8, 1895) was a Confederate States Army general, civil engineer, railroad executive, prominent Virginia Readjuster Party, Readjuster and ardent supporter of former slaves. He later represented Virginia in th ...

. The "Big Four" were Andrew M. Lybrook of Patrick County, Peyton G. Hale of Grayson County, Samuel H. Newberry of Bland County, and Benjamin F. Williams of Nottoway County. Massey was elected Virginia's Lieutenant Governor in 1885, succeeding fellow Readjuster John F. Lewis, and presided over the Virginia Senate in the 1886 and 1889 sessions, before being J. Hoge Tyler assumed those offices.

Death and legacy

Upon Massey's death, he was buried in Charlottesville's Oakhill cemetery. His autobiography appeared posthumously in 1909, edited by Elizabeth H. Hancock.Autobiography of John E. Massey
Library of Congress Internet Archive

References

Politicians from Albemarle County, Virginia 1819 births 1901 deaths Lieutenant governors of Virginia Virginia Democrats 19th-century Virginia politicians People from Spotsylvania County, Virginia Baptist ministers from the United States Baptists from Virginia 19th-century American clergy {{Virginia-politician-stub