Person:Archibald Roane (1)

Information on Archibald Roane

From "The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography", Volume 7, pg. 208:

ROANE, Archibald, second governor of Tennessee (1801-03), was born at Derry township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) co., Pa., in 1760. His father was Andrew Roane, who with his brother, Rev. John Roaue, came from Greenshaw, Ireland, both settling in 1736 in Lancaster county, Pa., then called Donegal and Derry. His mother was Marcaret Walker. Andrew Roane died in 1768, leaving four children, Archibald, Margaret, William and Sarah, under the guardianship of John Hoane, after the death of his wife. In the will of John Roane was this bequest : "I also allow to my nephew, Archibald Roane (iu case the above persons, the Rev. John Daffield and my executors apprehend him religiously disposed). twenty pounds towards his college expenses." Archibald attended school at Lancaster, but left to enter the Continental army, and was present at the surrender of (Jornwallis. He then studied law and removed to Tennessee, where he was admitted to the bar. He was soon appointed district attorney-general, and in 1795 was honored with the position of judge of the supreme court of Tennessee. He was elected governor of the state iu 1801, qualifying Sept. 23rd, and served until Sept. 23, 1803, when he desired re-election, but was defeated by John Sevier. The latter had been the first state governor, and served the three continuous terms for which he was eligible, and being again eligible, after another incumbency, was put forward, defeating even the popular Roane. Gov. Ronne held other important offices during his life. Little has been preserved of bis personal history. He was a teacher at one time, and gave instruction to Hugh L. White, who was afterward a candidate for president of the United States. Gov. Roaue was an able and leading lawyer and jurist, and an influential citizen of the state of his adoption. In his honor, Tennessee named one of its counties. Gov. Roane was married to Ann, daughter of David and Mary (Hamilton) Campbell of Campbell's Station, who died in 1831, leaving six children. The third son, Andrew Roane, named his eldest son Archibald Roane, after his distinguished father. The latter became a leading jurist of Grenada, Miss. Gov. Roane was appointed circuit judge in 1811. He was from early boyhood a member of the Presbyterian church, and was an elder in Pleasant Forest Church at the time of his death. He was a warm friend of Andrew Jackson, whom he appointed major-general of the Tennessee militia while lie was governor of Tennessee. He died at his home near Campbell's Station, in January, 1817, and was buried in Pleasant Forest churchyard, near his home.

From State of Tennessee website:

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Governor Archibald Roane

ca. 1759 Born in Derry Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) County, Pennsylvania.

1767 His father died, followed within a year by his mother. Roane became the ward of an uncle John Roane, a Presbyterian clergyman who gave him a good education.

ca. 1780 Migrated to the west, eventually settling at Liberty Hall, Rockbridge County, Virginia where he met and married Mary Hamilton Campbell.

1788 Admitted to the Bar at Jonesborough and Greeneville.

1790 Served as Attorney General of Hamilton District, Territory of the United States of American South of the River Ohio.

1796 Member of the Convention which framed Tennessee’s Constitution for statehood.

1801 Elected second Governor of Tennessee

1803 Defeated by John Sevier for re-election. Earlier, Roane had cast the deciding vote in electing Andrew Jackson over Sevier as Major General of the State Militia.

1815 Served on the Supreme Court of Errors and Appeals until his death in 1818.

ROANE GENEAOLOGICAL DATA

The Roanes are of pure Scottish origin. Sire Archibald Gilbert Roane, among the first of the name, was born in Scotland on February 12, 1680. After serving with distinction under William the 3rd, in the Civil wars of his time, he removed and settled in Greenshaw, Ireland on a grant of land given by the King to him and his heirs “as long asgrass grows and water runs” in reward for his service. He had four sons, all of whomcame to America. John and Andrew came in 1739 and settled in Lancaster (now Dauphin County, Pennsylvania). William and James came in 1741 and settled in Essex County,Virginia. Andrew Roane, son of Sir Archibald Gilbert Roane was born in Greenshaw, Ireland July 17, 1710; died 1768 in Pennsylvania. Ha was married first to Mary Bowman, no issue; second to Margaret Walker. Archibald Roane, son of the above-named Andrew was born in 1759 and died near Knoxville, Tennessee on his plantation in Grassy Valley in 1819. He was born in DerryTownship Lancaster (now Dauphin) County, Pennsylvania. Upon the death of his father in 1768 he was placed in the care of his uncle, the Reverend John Roane, a Presbyterian minister of Pennsylvania. In the will of the Reverend John Roane, who died 1775, this mention is made of him:“I also allow to my nephew, Archibald Roane, in case the above persons, the Reverend Geo. Duffield and my Executors apprehend him religiously disposed, Twenty Pounds towards his college expense”. Archibald Roane removed from the State of Pennsylvania to Virginia and enteredLiberty Hall Academy, afterwards Washington University. He graduated at Liberty Hall Academy and was Professor of Mathematics one year in said school. He studied law and removed to Tennessee; married Ann Campbell, youngest child of David Campbell ofRoyal Oaks, near Abbingdon, Virginia. Archibald Roane, while at college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania enlisted as a volunteer in the 5thCompany, 9thBattalion, Pennsylvania Volunteers and was with Washington at Yorktown, Virginia during the Revolutionary War, and was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. After removing to Tennessee, he obtained a license to practice law, was shortly afterwards appointed District Attorney-General, and was in 1796 honored with the position of Judge of the Superior Court of Tennessee. He was Governor of this State from 1801 to 1803, and at the time of his death was Judge of the Supreme Court. Governor Roane was a cousin of Judge Spencer Roane of the Supreme Court of Virginia and of William Henry Roane, United States Senator from Virginia. There were several Roanes from Virginia who served terms in the United States Congress.

Source: http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/govpapers/findingaids/gp3.pdf

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Archibald Roane.