Alexander White (June 17, 1738 – October 9, 1804) was an earlyAmericanlawyer andpolitician in the present-dayU.S. states ofVirginia andWest Virginia. He served in theHouse of Burgesses (representingHampshire County), theVirginia House of Delegates (representingFrederick County and laterBerkeley County. During theAmerican Revolutionary War, White facilitated the release ofQuaker andHessian civilian prisoners held bypatriots. White also participated in theVirginia Ratifying Convention (in which Virginia ratified theUnited States Constitution in 1788) and became thenorthwestern Virginia district's inaugural member in theUnited States House of Representatives (1789 to 1793).United States PresidentGeorge Washington appointed White one of the commissioners responsible for the planning and construction ofWashington, D.C. (1795 to 1802).^[1]

The son of Virginia pioneer settler and physician Dr.Robert White (1688–1752); White was a member of the prominent White political family of Virginia and West Virginia. His nephew became Virginia judgeRobert White (1759–1831), another nephew became United States CongressmanFrancis White (1761–1826), and his brother-in-law wasVirginia GovernorJames Wood (1741–1813).

Alexander White was born in 1738 to Dr.Robert White (1688–1752) and his wife, Margaret Hoge, at "White Hall" in theColony of Virginia, near present-dayHayfield then in vastOrange County (later part ofFrederick County, which was created later that year).^[2] White's father, Dr. Robert White, had served as asurgeon in theRoyal Navy of theKingdom of Great Britain.^[3][4][5] Between 1732 and 1735, Dr. White became a "pioneer settler" and one of two practicing physicians in what became Frederick County.^[6][7] Through his father, White was ofScottish descent and raised in thePresbyterian faith.^[8]

Dr. White sent his son toScotland, where he studiedjurisprudence at theUniversity of Edinburgh.^[3][9][10] White continued his law studies inLondon, England, where he was admitted to theInner Temple on January 15, 1762, andmatriculated atGray's Inn on January 22, 1763.^{[2][9][11][12]} White remained in Britain and completed his law studies during what Virginians called theFrench and Indian War.^[13]

White returned to Virginia in 1765, where he was admitted to the bar, beganpracticing law and became a prominentlawyer in theShenandoah Valley region with a "national reputation".^[13][14] White became deputyKing's attorney for Frederick County in 1772.^[14][15]

Hampshire County voters elected as one of their two (part-time) representatives to theHouse of Burgesses inWilliamsburg in 1772, but he only served a year of what became a two-year term, resigning in 1773 in order to accept a position as deputy king's attorney, and replaced byJoseph Neville.^{[16][13][14][17]}James Mercer was Hampshire County's other representative; although he lived nearFredericksburg, his family owned land in Hampshire County.^[17] White also served withPatrick Henry; Henry reportedly never cast his vote without first consulting with White.^[8] White was an eloquentpublic speaker, and due to his Scottish Presbyterian background, he strongly opposed the colonial government's support for theChurch of England in Virginia.^[8] Therefore, White presented aresolution before the House of Burgesses regarding theseparation of church and state.^[8] According to historiansHu Maxwell andHoward Llewellyn Swisher, White is the first man in what is now theUnited States to present a resolution to alegislature regarding thefreedom of religion.^[8]

When the first court ofBerkeley County convened on May 19, 1772, the judges appointed White as theKing's attorney for the county.^[18] White resigned from the House of Burgesses upon being appointed the deputy King's attorney for the Colony of Virginia in 1773.^[14]

While White did not engage inmilitary service during theAmerican Revolutionary War, he remained active in thepractice of law inWinchester throughout the war's duration.^[3][14] According to tradition, White facilitated the release ofQuaker andHessian civilian prisoners held byAmerican Revolutionary patriots in a building in the southern part of Winchester.^[15][19][20] The Quakers and Hessians were imprisoned under the suspicion of their perceived support ofBritish forces.^[15][19][20] The prisoners asked White to assist them with their release, and paid him 100Virginia pounds.^[15][19][20] Following the British retreat from thePhiladelphia campaign, White traveled toPhiladelphia to negotiate with the "executive authority" concerning the prisoners' release toPennsylvania, where public sentiment demanded their return.^[19][20] White successfully secured their release upon the condition that they affirm that "they would henceforth live by their creed and be at peace with all men."^[15][19]

From 1782 to 1786, White was elected annually and served in theVirginia House of Delegates, representing Frederick County (Winchester being the county seat) alongsideCharles Mynn Thruston (three times, although White only arrived a month after theVirginia General Assembly began its firstlegislative session), and alongside James Wood in the 1784–1785 term.^[21] White served another term in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1788 alongsideJohn Shearman Woodcock.^{[22][2][11][14][23]}

In 1788, White and Woodcock also participated in theVirginia Ratifying Convention, in which Virginiaratified theUnited States Constitution.^{[2][8][3][14]} White is believed to have used thepseudonym "An Independent Freeholder" to author a series of essays written in support of the Constitution's ratification.^[24][25] The essays were published in the January 18 and 25, 1788, issues of theWinchester Virginia Gazette newspaper.^[24][25] After his congressional service, White served two additional terms in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1799 to 1801, again representingBerkeley County, where he owned a significant amount of land.^[2][14][23]

White served two terms as the inaugural member to representVirginia's 1st congressional district in theUnited States House of Representatives during the1st United States Congress and the2nd United States Congress (March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1793).^[2][3][23] White was the first person residing in what later becameWest Virginia to occupy a seat in theUnited States Congress.^[18] During his tenure, White'scongressional district spanned fromHarpers Ferry to theOhio River.^[26] As he was previously known in the House of Burgesses, White was reportedly one of the more eloquently spoken members in the first Congress and also known for his "remarkable punctuality".^[8][18]

White voted in favor of theResidence Act, theUnited States federal law that settled the question of locating the capital of theUnited States along thePotomac River inMaryland andVirginia.^[27] Three days after the Residence Act became law, the United States House of Representatives agreed upon theFunding Act as part of theCompromise of 1790, to address the issue of funding domestic debt.^[28] On August 9, 1790, the Funding Act became law.^[28] White voted in support of the Funding Act; however, according toThomas Jefferson, White's vote was the result of an argument that occurred at a dinner hosted by Jefferson, after which White andRichard Bland Lee changed their votes in favor of the Funding Act.^[26][28] Jefferson stated that White reluctantly supported the bill "with a revulsion of stomach almost convulsive".^[26][28] The votes of both White and Lee carried the Funding Act measure, making the enactment of the Residence Act possible.^[29]

White was re-elected to his seat in 1791 after defeating his opponents,William Darke and GeneralJames Wood.^[18][23] According toGovTrack, from May 1789 to March 1793, White missed 26 of 211recorded votes (or 12.3%).^[30] White's voting participation was higher than the median of 14.6% among the lifetime records of representatives serving in March 1793.^[30] Following theadjournment of the 2nd United States Congress, and the completion of his term in 1793, Whiteretired from public life and went to his estate, "Woodville", in Frederick County near Winchester.^[8][14]

On May 18, 1795, White was appointed byUnited States PresidentGeorge Washington to serve as one of the three commissioners responsible for supervising the raising of funds, planning, design, and acquisition of property and the erection of public buildings in the city ofWashington and the federal district.^{[2][14][27][31]} White had been selected to replaceDaniel Carroll on the board following Carroll's resignation.^[27][31] While on the board, White was paid asalary of $1,600 per year for his services;^[27] White continued to serve on the board until May 1, 1802, when it was abolished.^[2] He concurrently served as one of the directors of thePotomac Company, which madeimprovements to the Potomac River and improved its navigability for commerce.^[27]

In 1796, White married Elizabeth Wood (September 20, 1739 – October 24, 1782), the daughter of Colonel James Wood, founder of Winchester, Virginia, and his wife, Mary Rutherford Wood.^{[32][33][34][35]} Colonel Wood was also the father ofJames Wood, an officer in theContinental Army during the American Revolutionary War and the11thGovernor of Virginia.^[34][35] Following the death of his wife, Elizabeth, White remarried on June 10, 1784, in present-day Berkeley County, to Sarah Cotter Hite, the widow of John Hite.^[33]

On either June 2 or November 5, 1773, White purchased the 260 acres (1.1 km²) estate of Henry Heth, who hadforeclosed on hismortgage agreement with William McMachen.^[32][36] McMachen sold the property to White for 500pounds following his relocation to Hampshire County.^[36] White renamed the property "Woodville", presumably after his wife Elizabeth's family, and it remained his primary residence until his death in 1804.^[32] "Woodville" is presently located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of Winchester's Sunnyside neighborhood and approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Apple Pie Ridge Road (Virginia Secondary Route 739).^[32]

White owned "valuable lands" in Hampshire County, which enabled him to represent that county while serving as a member of the House of Burgesses.^[8] On June 12, 1769, White andAngus McDonald purchased 297 acres (1.20 km²) on theLittle Cacapon andNorth rivers, and another 425 acres (1.72 km²) on the Little Cacapon River in Hampshire County.^[37] White also owned a significant amount of land in Berkeley County, which he represented in the Virginia House of Delegates.^[14]

White continued topractice law throughout his political career.^[8] In October 1776, White was named atrustee for the town ofBath, after its conveyance fromThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.^[38] In October 1786, White was also appointed a trustee forCharles Town.^[39]

White died on October 9, 1804, at his "Woodville" estate in Frederick County, Virginia.^{[2][31][32][33]} He died without children, thus leaving no descendants.^[3][33][34] White wasinterred at the Wood family's "Glen Burnie" estate in Winchester, Virginia.^[10][32]

Hiswill was drafted on May 26, 1804, and proved on December 3, 1804, following his death.^[40] In his will, White left the bulk of his property and assets to hisnephews andnieces.^[40] Although in his lifetime, White had opposed the "Quaker memorial relating to slavery",^[41] and owned six enslaved adults and 7 enslaved children in 1787,^[42] the will also manumitted hisslaves.^[40] White left his "Woodville" estate to his nephew, JudgeRobert White.^[32]

In his book,The History of the Virginia Federal Convention of 1788 (1891), VirginiahistorianHugh Blair Grigsby remarked of White, "Perhaps no member of the able and patriotic delegation which the West contributed to our early councils exerted a greater influence in moulding public opinion, especially during the period embraced by the treaty of peace with Great Britain and by the adoption of the Federal Constitution, than Alexander White, of Frederick."^[11]

White had aLiberty ship named for him in 1942 duringWorld War II. The SSAlexander White, MC hull 139,^[43] waslaid down on October 11, 1942, andlaunched on December 7, 1942. It wasscrapped in 1964.

• Biography at theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress

• 1738 births
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