"George Wythe"

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Article text, 1911

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GEORGE WYTHE*

By L. S. HERRINK, A. B.

The Virginian of a century and a quarter ago was inclined, even more than his descendant of the present day, to pride himself on his family history. Judged by this standard, George Wythe would suffer no disparagement, for at the time of his birth in 1726, the Wythe family was one of the most prominent in Elizabeth City county.l His father, Thomas Wythe, was third in descent from the original Thomas Wythe, who had emigrated from England to Elizabeth City county about the middle of the seventeenth century. Each succeeding generation had been prominent in local affairs.2 George's father was a member of the House of Burgesses and for many years represented his county in that capacity. He owned a plantation on Back River and seems to have been a man of considerable means. Of his private life very little is known, but he was famed for his amiable character, his simplicity and candor of behavior, his parental tenderness, and his prudence in the management of his fortune.3 His mother was one of the five daughters of George Keith, a Scotch Quaker, distinguished as a mathematician and Oriental scholar, who immigrated to Hampton, Virginia, about 1684. Keith held radical views in regard to religion and slavery. He was the author of "Exhortation and Caution Against Buying or Keeping Negroes," seemingly the earliest Quaker protest against slavery, and of a treatise on mathematical subjects.4

*Awarded the Bennett History Medal for 1911.

1Jefferson, Papers, 1., 14., 205.

2William and Mary Quarterly, Historical Papers, II., 69.

3Sanderson, Biography of the Signers, IV., 172-173.

4B. B. Minor, Decisions of Cases in Virginia by The High Court of Chancery, 86.

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Of Wythe's early life very little is known. He spent most of his youth at home, and received nothing like a thorough education.5 While at school he learned only to read and write the English language, and to apply the simple rules of arithmetic.6 The year spent at William and Mary College may have supplied some of the defects of his early training, but there is no record left concerning his career at that institution. 7

Like Washington and many other distinguished men, George was still very young when his father died, leaving his entire estate to his eldest son. Wythe was then withdrawn from school, and for several years the entire direction of his education fell on his mother, a woman of unusual knowledge and strength of mind. She was intimately acquainted with and spoke the Latin language fluently, and it was from her that her young son received instruction in the rudiments of both Latin and Greek.8

After he had acquired a fairly good education in this way, Wythe devoted himself to the study of law under his unclean law, Mr. Drewry, who was a distinguished lawyer of Prince George county. Very little attention was paid to his legal education, and his time was chiefly taken up with the drudgery of a lawyer's office. It is therefore not surprising that he made very little progress, but the experience gained in this office work probably laid the foundations for much of his future success.

After two years spent in this cursory study of the law, Wythe returned home and devoted himself assiduously to his studies.9 The defects of his early education were very largely supplied by his great energy and perseverance. Alone and unaided he soon acquired a well organized and extensive store of knowledge.10 He became well versed in grammar, rhetoric, and logic and acquired a considerable knowledge of civil law. He

5Jefferson, Papers, I., 14, 205.

6American Law Journal, III, 92.

7H. G. Grigsby, Virginia Convention 1776, 119.

8American Law Journal, III.,92.

9B. B. Minor, Decisions of Cases in Virginia by The High Court of Chancery, 86.

10Sanderson, Biography of The Signers, IV., 172.

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