Thomas Mann Randolph Sr. (1741–November 13, 1793) served in the Virginia

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 ...

, the Revolutionary conventions of 1775 and 1776, and the Virginia state legislature. Married twice, he fathered 15 children. One marriage was to a cousin, Anne Cary, with whom they had 13 children. His second marriage, which resulted in two children, caused a dissention among family members. The youngest son, with the same name as his half-brother, Thomas Mann Randolph, inherited the family plantation,

Tuckahoe plantation Tuckahoe is a Native American word that may refer to: Plants and fungi *''Peltandra virginica'', also called tuckahoe; the rhizome was cooked and used as food by Native Americans *''Orontium aquaticum'', also called tuckahoe; the seeds and rhiz ...

. Randolph expanded upon the house that began to be built during his parents' short marriage. Orphaned as a young boy, Randolph continued work on Tuckahoe when he came of age. He also purchased Salisbury house, which was used during his lifetime as a hunting lodge.

Early life

Randolph was the only son of William Randolph III (1712–1745) and Maria Judith Page (died 1744), the daughter of

Mann Page Mann Page (1749–1781), sometimes referred to as Mann Page III, was an American lawyer, politician and planter from Spotsylvania County, Virginia, who served in the House of Burgesses and first Virginia House of Delegates as well as a d ...

of the

Rosewell plantation Rosewell Plantation in Gloucester County, Virginia, was for more than 100 years the home of a branch of the Page family, one of the First Families of Virginia. Begun in 1725, the Flemish bond brick Rosewell mansion overlooking the York River w ...

. The

Randolph family of Virginia The Randolph family of Virginia is a prominent political family, whose members contributed to the politics of Colonial Virginia and Virginia after it established statehood in June 1788, following the American Revolutionary War. They are descended ...

were among the

First Families of Virginia The First Families of Virginia, or FFV, are a group of early settler families who became a socially and politically dominant group in the British Colony of Virginia and later the Commonwealth of Virginia. They descend from European colonists who ...

. He was the grandson of

Thomas Randolph of Tuckahoe Thomas Randolph (June 1683 – 1729), also known as Thomas Randolph of Tuckahoe, was the first European settler at Tuckahoe, a member of the House of Burgesses, and the second child of William Randolph and Mary Isham, daughter of Henry Isha ...

and descendant of

William Randolph William Randolph I (bapt. 7 November 1650 – 21 April 1711) was an English-born planter, merchant and politician in Colony of Virginia, colonial Virginia who played an important role in the development of the colony. Born in Moreton Morrell, W ...

(c.1650–1711). Randolph's parents were married in 1736 and her father provided a £2000 sterling dowry that was used to build an "elegant new two-story mansion. By 1742, Maria Page Randolph had died. William Randolph died in 1745. William Randolph stipulated in his will of late 1745 that he wanted his good friend

Peter Jefferson Peter Jefferson (February 29, 1708 – August 17, 1757) was a planter, cartographer, and politician in colonial Virginia best known for being the father of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. The "Fry-Jefferson Map", cre ...

and his first cousin and Peter's wife,

Jane Randolph Jefferson Jane Randolph Jefferson (February 10, 1720 – March 31, 1776) was the wife of Peter Jefferson and the mother of US president Thomas Jefferson. Born in the parish of Shadwell, near London, she was the daughter of Isham Randolph, a ship ...

, to take care of his son and two daughters at

Tuckahoe Plantation Tuckahoe is a Native American word that may refer to: Plants and fungi *''Peltandra virginica'', also called tuckahoe; the rhizome was cooked and used as food by Native Americans *''Orontium aquaticum'', also called tuckahoe; the seeds and rhiz ...

and provide the children a good education until Thomas Mann Randolph came of age. Peter Jefferson also managed the plantation's business affairs. The Jeffersons left their residence at

Shadwell, Virginia Shadwell is a census-designated place (CDP) in Albemarle County, Virginia. It is located by the Rivanna River near Charlottesville. It was the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson, the central intellectual force behind the American Revolution, author ...

, with their three daughters and son,

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 ...

, in 1746. Second cousins, Randolph and Thomas Jefferson were close during their childhood at Tuckahoe. The boys were tutored at Tuckahoe on English spelling, grammar, and composition. Thomas Jefferson maintained relationships with his Randolph family members, particularly the Randolphs at Tuckahoe.

Marriages and children

In 1761, Thomas Mann Randolph Sr. married Anne Cary (1745–1789), the daughter of

Archibald Cary Archibald Cary (January 24, 1721February 26, 1787)Tyler, ''Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography'', 8. was a Virginia planter, soldier, politician, and major landowner. He was a political figure from the colony of Virginia. While a member of the 17 ...

and Mary Randolph Cary of

Ampthill Ampthill () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It lies between Bedford, Bedfordshire, Bedford and Luton. At the 2021 census it had a population of 8,825. Histor ...

. Anne and Thomas were second cousins. He came of age in 1762. Randolph worked on construction of the mansion sometime between 1760 and 1765, perhaps partially funded by a dowry for his wife. The house came to have an h-shaped layout, with a north wing, hyphen, and a south wing. The mansion was built for a large family and entertaining. Construction was completed by 1769 when Englishman

Thomas Anburey Thomas Anburey (active late 1700s) was a British explorer and writer who wrote a disputed narrative of his travels in North America in the 1770s-1780s. Arnburey sailed from Cork in 1776 in charge of Irish recruits of the 47th Regiment. He serve ...

visited Tuckahoe. He wrote that the mansion Ann Cary and Thomas Mann Randolph had thirteen children, which include: *

Mary Randolph Mary Randolph (August 9, 1762 – January 23, 1828) was a Southern American cook and author, known for writing ''The Virginia House-Wife; Or, Methodical Cook'' (1824), one of the most influential housekeeping and cook books of the 19th century. ...

(1762–1828), married David Mead Randolph in 1780, she was the author of ''

The Virginia House-Wife ''The Virginia House-Wife'' is an 1824 housekeeping manual and cookbook by Mary Randolph. In addition to recipes it gave instructions for making soap, starch, Blacking (polish), blacking and cologne. Publication history ''The Virginia House-Wif ...

'' (1824) * Henry Cary Randolph,(1764-1765), died as an infant * Elizabeth Randolph,(b. 1765), married Robert Pleasants of Filmer about 1785 *

Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. (October 1, 1768 – June 20, 1828) was an American planter, soldier, and politician from Virginia. He served as a member of both houses of the Virginia General Assembly, a representative in the United States Congress, a ...

(1768-1828) an American planter, soldier, and politician, including Governor of Virginia. Married

Martha Jefferson Martha Skelton Jefferson ( ''née'' Wayles; October 30, 1748 – September 6, 1782) was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781. She died ...

in 1790. * William Randolph, (1770-1848, married Lucy Bolling, the daughter of Beverley Randolph about 1794 * Archibald Cary Randolph, (1771-1771), died an infant * Judith Randolph, (1772-1816), married Richard Randolph of the Bizarre plantation and tried for the Bizarre Plantation scandal * Ann Cary "Nancy" Randolph (1774–1837), wife of

Gouverneur Morris Gouverneur Morris ( ; January 31, 1752 – November 6, 1816) was an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. He wrote the Preamble to the ...

. Nancy was harassed throughout her life because of an alleged unwed teenage pregnancy and subsequent suspicion of abortion that was detailed in a sensational murder trial at the time where she was defended by both

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remai ...

and

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. May 18, 1736une 6, 1799) was an American politician, planter and orator who declared to the Virginia Conventions, Second Virginia Convention (1775): "Give me liberty or give m ...

who secured her acquittal for lack of evidence. She later claimed a stillborn birth had occurred after a member of her own family relentlessly pursued her in the court of public opinion. * Jane Cary Randolph, (1776-1832), married Thomas Eston Randolph of Bristol, England about 1797 *Dr. John Randolph, (1779-1834), married Judith Lewis * George Washington Randolph, (1781-1783), died an infant * Harriet Randolph, (1783-1869), married Richard S. Hackley of New York about 1803 * Virginia Randolph Cary (1786–1852), author of ''Letters on Female Character'' (1828) Ann Cary Randolph died in 1789. In 1790, a few months after his first wife's death, the 49-year-old Thomas Mann Randolph Sr. married Gabriella Harvie, the daughter of John Harvie Jr. She was 17 years of age, and he was more than twice her age. The children of Gabriella Harvie and Thomas Mann Randolph are: * Mary Jane Randolph who died while an infant. * Thomas Mann Randolph (1792–1848), was born before 1793 when Randolph died. This son had the same name as the son of his first wife which caused a great deal of division among the family. The children from Randolph's first marriage did not visit Tuckahoe after the second marriage.

Career

Randolph served during the Revolutionary War where he acquired the name "Colonel Randolph". He served in the Virginia

, the Revolutionary conventions of 1775 and 1776, and the Virginia state senate in 1776. He was a member of the House of Delegates from 1784 to 1788 and was County Lieutenant of Goochland County.

Salisbury house

In 1777, Thomas Mann Randolph Sr. purchased the Salisbury house from

Abraham Salle Abraham Salle (1670–ca. 1719) was a French Huguenots, Huguenot who emigrated to Colonial Virginia. He was the progenitor of the Salle family in the United States. He was a successful merchant and served in the militia and was a justice of Henrico ...

(a Huguenot descendant of

(1670–ca. 1719)). The estate in

Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield County is a County (United States), county located just south of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north an ...

(14 miles from Richmond, directly across the River from the Randolph-owned Tuckahoe) became a Randolph family hunting lodge. In 1784

lived at Salisbury during his second term as Virginia governor (1784 to 1786).

Death

Randolph died on November 13, 1793. The second Thomas Mann Randolph, Gabriella's son, inherited Tuckahoe. After Randolph's death, Gabriella married Dr.

John Brockenbrough John Brockenbrough (1775–1852) was a business man and civic leader in Richmond, Virginia. He was an "intimate friend" and frequent correspondent of John Randolph of Roanoke. He was president of the Bank of Virginia. His home in Richmond's Cour ...

of Richmond by 1798.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Randolph, Thomas 1741 births 1793 deaths People from Virginia House of Burgesses members Randolph family (Virginia) 18th-century American politicians