Willoughby Newton
Encyclopedia
Willoughby Newton was a nineteenth century congressman and lawyer from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

.

Biography

Born at "Lee Hall" near Hague, Virginia
Hague, Virginia
Hague is an unincorporated community in Westmoreland County, in the U. S. state of Virginia.-References:*...

, he was the son of Willoughby Newton and Sarah "Sally" Bland Poythress (1768-24 May 1828), the widow of Richard "Squire" Lee
Richard "Squire" Lee
Richard Lee , known most commonly as "Squire", was a prominent Virginian colonist, and American politician, who was active in the American Revolutionary War.-Family:...

 and daughter of Peter Poythress (1715–1785) of "Branchester", and Elizabeth Bland (1733–1792).

He married Elizabeth Armistead abt 1825. She died after only a year. He next married Mary Stevenson Brockenbrough (15 September 1810-9 January 1888), daughter of Judge William Brockenbrough, on 12 May 1830. The couple had 8 children;
  1. William Brockenbrough Newton (15 April 1832-11 October 1863); Capt. of the 4th Virginia Cavalry
    4th Virginia Cavalry
    The 4th Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....

     (C.S.A.) killed at Raccoon Ford
  2. Sarah Newton (b. 1833) ; married Dr. Philip Smith
  3. Mary Willoughby Newton (b. 1835); died young
  4. Willoughby Newton III (1837-20 June 1897); married Elizabeth Lewis Marshall (1841–1888)
  5. Rev. John Brockenbrough Newton (7 Feb 1839-28 May 1897); assistant bishop of Virginia
  6. Robert Murphey Newton (b. 15 May 1842)
  7. Judith White Newton (b. 29 October 1843); married Edwin Claybrook
  8. Edward Colston Newton (b. 1845)


He died at "Linden" in Westmoreland County, Virginia
Westmoreland County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,846 households, and 4,689 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,286 housing units at an average density of...

 on May 23, 1874 and was interned in a private cemetery on his family's estate.

Career

Newton received a liberal education from private teachers as a child and went on to attend the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...

. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, commencing practice in Westmoreland County, Virginia
Westmoreland County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,846 households, and 4,689 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,286 housing units at an average density of...

. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...

 from 1826 to 1832 and was later elected a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

 to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 in 1842, serving from 1843 to 1845. After being unsuccessful for reelection, Newton resumed practicing law and also engaged in agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 pursuits. He was president of the Virginia Agricultural Society in 1852. He delivered an important and strongly pro-slavery and pro-secession speech before the literary societies of the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...

 in 1858. Newton returned to the House of Delegates in 1861, serving until 1863.

External links

Retrieved on 2009-04-14
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