George Wythe
George Wythe was born in Elizabeth City, Virginia, in 1728. His father was a wealthy planter; his mother was a woman of unusual talents, learning, and worth. To her, this son was indebted for his education and early impressions of the correct and noble principles that actuated him after he assumed the dignity of a man.
He was a member of the House of Burgesses in 1754 and helped to oversee the defense expenditures during the French and Indian War (1755-1763).
On November 14, 1764, he was appointed to a committee to prepare a petition to the king, a memorial to the House of Lords, and a remonstrance to the House of Commons on the impropriety and injustice of the proposed Stamp Act.
In 1768, he was a member of the House of Burgesses. Among the new members was Thomas Jefferson, a law student under Mr. Wythe. From that time, Mr. Wythe continued to oppose parliamentary and ministerial oppression and boldly vindicated the rights of his injured country. At the commencement of the revolutionary movements, he joined a volunteer corps, determined to clear in the field the principles he had advocated in the legislative hall. He lived up to the motto: "We do what we say."
Wythe was rigidly honest and would not proceed in a cause until convinced justice required his services. If drawn into a cause by misrepresentation tinctured with wrong, he would abandon it when he discovered that fact and return the fee.
George Wythe, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
In August 1775, Wythe was elected a member of Congress and took a high rank in that body. When the subject of Independence was made, he approved.In November 1776, Messrs. Wythe, Pendleton, and Jefferson were appointed to revise the laws of Virginia. Although much other business devolved upon them, they prepared and reported one hundred and twenty-six bills by June 18. The new code commenced the revision at the time of the revolution in England and brought it down to and per the new government.
In 1777, Mr. Wythe was Speaker of the House of Delegates: the same year, a Judge of the High Court of Chancery and, subsequently, Chancellor. A more impartial judge never graced the Bench. Nothing could induce him to swerve from strict justice. He was a profound jurist and a lucid expounder of the law. He was a law professor in the College of William and Mary until other duties compelled him to resign. He was a member of the legislature when Virginia sanctioned the Federal Constitution.
Wythe was Poisoned. Murdered?
Chancellor Wythe died suddenly on June 8, 1806, believed to be from the effects of poison administered by George Wythe Sweeny, his sister's grandson. Sweeny was tried and acquitted of murder.As the story goes, the poison was left for three slaves. The purpose was to prevent their inheritance from the last will of George Wythe. The poison was intended for two emancipated slaves, legatees named in the will, who died a few hours before their benefactor.
Ironically, Wythe had signed a Codicil to the Will, omitting Sweeny!
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wythe; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wythe; The Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution by L. Carroll Judson
Remarks by Jeannette Austin:
About Wills, Codicils, etc.
The county probate court (or circuit court) is where to search for wills and estates. The writing on the pages is that of the clerk who copied the document into the court record. An entry is usually posted after the document concerning the date of probate. Generally speaking, the will was submitted for probate within three days after the death! A supplement may or may not follow. Thus, the researcher should use the index to find all information about the deceased. Sometimes, the heirs sued in the courts. To this end, the universities have a law library.Other places to search:
- Newspapers ran three concurrent notices of estate sales. Read carefully, as the notice could be anywhere.
- Obituaries could be printed in a local newspaper that spanned the news for several counties.
- Deed records. Read the legal description to learn more about the location of the property and the mention of the original owner. Some deeds reveal that the father deeded property to his heirs before his death. An excellent place to spot the daughters and who they married.
- Tax Digests. Locate the last entry of the deceased. The property of the deceased as it passed down to family members. The legal description on the deed will help to pinpoint the property.
- One should search for loose ends in the wills and estate records.