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 1686 - 1740 (54 years)
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| Name |
Alexander Spotswood |
| Birth |
1686 |
Tangier, Africa  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
7 Jun 1740 |
Annapolis, Anne Arundel, Maryland, USA |
| Person ID |
I16347 |
Bob Juch's Tree |
| Last Modified |
31 Dec 2022 |
| Family |
Anne Butler Brayne |
| Marriage |
1725 |
St Martins in the Fields, Middlesex County, VA |
| Children |
| | 1. Dorothea Spotswood, b. 1733, Fredericksburg, VA d. 25 Sep 1778, Hanover County, Virginia, USA (Age 45 years) [natural] |
| | 2. Anna Katherine Spotswood [natural] |
| | 3. Robert Spotswood d. 1757 [natural] |
| | 4. John M. Spotswood, b. Fredericksburg, VA d. 6 May 1756, Germanna, Spotsylvania County, VA [natural] |
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| Family ID |
F6266 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
31 Dec 2022 |
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| Event Map |
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 | Death - 7 Jun 1740 - Annapolis, Anne Arundel, Maryland, USA |
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| Notes |
- SPOUSE-CHILDREN: A History of Henry County Virginia, Judith Parks America Hill Major General; Governor of Virginia Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Volume I II--Colonial Presidents and Governors Name: Alexander Spotswood lieutenant-governor under the Earl of Orkney (1710-1722) was a great-grandson of John Spotswood or Spotiswood. Scotland, who in 1635 became archbishop of Glasgow and one of the privy council. His grandfather, Sir Robert Spotswood, was an eminent lawyer, who was elected president of the court of sessions in Scotland. In the civil war, Sir Robert was a staunch supporter of Charles I. and was temporary secretary of state in 1643. Taken prisoner at the battle of Philiphaugh, he was tried by the Scotch parliament, sentenced to death, and executed. Alexander Spotswood's father was Dr. Robert Spotswood, who was a physician to the governor and garrison at Tangier. His mother was Catherine Elliott, a widow who had by her first husband a son, General Roger Elliott, whose portrait is now in the state library at Richmond, Virginia. Alexander was born at Tangier in 1676, educated for a military life, fought under Marlborough, was quartermaster-general with the rank of colonel, and was dangerously wounded in the breast at the battle of Blenheim. In 1710 he was appointed lieutenant-governor of Virginia, and showed himself a conspicuously energetic administrator. He bestowed much attention upon Williamsburg, leveled the streets, assisted in rebuilding the church, providing some of the brick, built a brick magazine for the safe-keeping of the public arms, and aided in rebuilding the college, which had been burned in 1705; and in 1722, on the petition of the people of Williamsburg and the assembly, he granted a charter of incorporation to the city of Williamsburg. Against the enemies of the colony he took firm and decided steps. The coast of Virginia was harassed by piratical vessels. Spotswood sent an expedition against them under Captain Maynard, killed the pirate. Teach or Blackbeard, and hanged others. As to the Indians he blended humanity with policy. He established a school for the Saponies at Fort Christanna in Brunswick county, and paid the master. Mr. Griffin. out of his own pocket, and arranged a treaty by which the chiefs of the tributary tribes promised to send their sons to college. He sent soldiers against the Tuscaroras, who had attacked North Carolina, but laid force aside when he found them ready to negotiate a treaty of peace. Against the French and Indians he established two forts on the frontiers to guard the northern and southern passes. At the first of these he planted the German settlement and at the other he gathered the Sapony Indians. His idea was to extend the line of Virginia settlements so as to check the further extension of French influence on this continent. With this in view he explored the back country, and in 1716 crossed the Blue Ridge mountains and visited the Shenandoah river and the beautiful valley through which it runs. He urged upon the mother country the policy of establishing a chain of posts back of the mountains, from the great lakes to the Mississippi river. But Spotswood had his weak points like Nicholson, another capable man before him. He was overbearing and had great ideas of the royal prerogative. And so, though he encouraged the rights of the subject by bringing over with him a confirmation of the writ of habeas corpus, he did not like Nott attempt to conciliate the people. The result was that he got at cross purposes with the assembly, with the council, and with Dr. James Blair, the president of the college, which resulted in his removal September 27, 1722. He continued to reside in Virginia and led an active life. During his governorship he had established a postal system in Virginia, and in 1730-1739 was deputy postmaster-general for the American colonies, in which capacity he arranged the transfer of mails with great energy. It was he who made Benjamin Franklin postmaster for Pennsylvania. He had also called the legislature's attention to the iron ores of Virginia, though without effect; and now in a private capacity he established a furnace in Spotsylvania county, where he had patented 40,000 acres of land. In 1740 Spotswood was made general of an expedition against Carthagena. He visited Williamsburg, and then repaired to Annapolis with the intention of embarking with the troops, but he died June 7, just before the embarkation, and Colonel William Gooch was appointed chief in his place. He left his books and mathematical instruments to the college. Colonel Spotswood married, in 1724, Ann Butler Brain, daughter of Mr. Richard Brain, of London, and they had two sons, John and Robert Spotswood, and two daughters, Ann Catherine, who married Bernard Moore, and Dorothea, who married Captain Nathaniel West Dandridge. Robert, his younger son, was slain by the Indians in the French and Indian war. John, the elder son, married, in 1745, Mary, daughter of William Dandridge, and had issue two sons, General Alexander Spotswood and Captain John Spotswood, both of the army of the revolution, and two daughters, Mary and Ann. The descendants of Governor Spotswood are now represented in numerous families of distinction. The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Volume IX page 456 SPOTSWOOD, Alexander, governor of Virginia, was born in Tangier, Africa, in 1676. He became a soldier early in life, and served under the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim, attaining the rank of quartermaster-general in the British army. He was appointed governor of Virginia in 1710; and became extremely popular, introducing constitutional reforms and receiving the co-operation of the general assembly. He was instrumental in the restoration of William and Mary college; and established a school for the education of Indian children. In 1716 he formed the first exploration party to venture into the Appalachian mountains. This party consisted of his personal friends, Indian guides and servants, each gentleman wearing a small golden horseshoe, and being afterwards called the "Knights of the golden horseshoe." He named Mounts George and Spotswood and took possession of the Valley of the Virginia in the name of King George I. He instituted the order of "Tramontane" to encourage further explorations, secured a treaty with the Six Nations in 1772; and introduced the plan to extend the Virginian settlements, to interrupt the means of communication between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. He was removed in 1772 on account of a controversy arising as to his right of appointment of church livings. He was deputy postmaster-general of the colonies, 1730-39, and postmaster of Pennsylvania. He established the first iron smelting furnace in Virginia, and maintained courtly establishments on the Rapidan and at Yorktown. He was appointed major-general in 1740, and given command of the expedition to the West Indies, but became mortally ill before embarking. His Official Letters were published (2 vols., [p.456] 1882-85), and his speeches in the assembly, 1714-18, appeared in William Maxwell's "Virginia Historical Register." His son Robert was killed by Indians in 1757. Governor Spotswood died in Annapolis, Md., June 7, 1740. Colonial families of the United States of America: Volume 1 page 497 ALEXANDER SPOTSWOOD, b. 1686, on an English man-of-war in the harbor of Tangier, son of Dr. Robert SPOTSWOOD, and his wife Catherine Mercer, widow of Gov. Elliott of Tangier; m. Anne Butler BRAYNE, dau. and co-heiress of [p.497] Edward BRAYNE, Esq., St. Margaret's Parish, Westminster, London. He was Col. and A.D.C. under the Duke of Marlborough's command. He did distinguished service at the battle of Blenheim. He was later appointed Asst. Quartermaster General of the army in North Britain, Gov. of Virginia, Postmaster General of the American Colonies, Major General and Commander-in-Chief of the Colonial Army. He resided in Virginia between 1710 and 1740. He is supposed to have received knighthood in consideration of his expedition across the mountains of Virginia. The gentlemen who accompanied him were afterwards designated as Knights of the Golden Horseshoe. Outside of executive duties he was interested in the mining and manufacture of iron. Associated with him was his half-brother, Gen. Roger Elliott of London. He established the first blast furnace in America. His Virginia estates in Spotsylvania Co., embraced a large part of that county and the latter took its name from Spottswood in consequence. His principal seat was Germanna and adjacent to it was the village occupied by the German settlers he brought over to operate his ore properties. He died at Annapolis in 1740 just as he was going to embark with Admiral Vernon's fleet to take charge of the land forces in the attack on Carthagena.
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