James Madison
The Right Reverend James Madison (August 27, 1749 - March 6, 1812) was the first bishop of the Diocese of Virginia of the Episcopal Church, USA. He was also a student (1770-1772), professor of philosophy (1772-1775), and president (1777-1812) of the College of William and Mary.
Madison was born near Staunton, Virginia. He was a cousin of U.S. President James Madison, Jr.. He graduated in 1771 from the College of William and Mary and was admitted to the bar, though he did not practice law. Madison taught philosophy and mathematics at the college from 1773 to 1775, when he went to England to be ordained a priest of the Church of England. In 1777, he was elected president of William and Mary, serving until his death in 1812. Madison served as chaplain of the Virginia House of Delegates in 1777 and organized his students into a militia company during the American Revolution. He presided over the first convention of the Diocese of Virginia in 1785 and was consecrated bishop on September 19, 1790, in Canterbury, England.
Material in the Special Collections Research Center
- Bishop James Madison, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library.
External Links
- "A Biographical Sketch of Bishop James Madison", by Emma Powers, Colonial Williamsburg
- "Bishop James Madison and the Republic of Virtue", by Charlse Crowe, in The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Feb., 1964), pp. 58 - 70.
| Preceded by | College of William and Mary President | Succeeded by |
|---|---|---|
| John Camm
1771 - 1777 |
James Madison
1777 - 1812 |
John Bracken
1812 - 1814 |
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| A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki |
|---|
| The information available in this wiki is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of the College of William and Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information available here is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in the Swem Library's Special Collections Research Center and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the Special Collections search tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive. |
