Hello list, An email colleague recently sent me the extracts given below about this man. Those who might be related to him may already know of this resource, but it's interesting Stewart reading anyhow. Mary in Greece STUART, Alexander Hugh Holmes, a Representative from Virginia; born in Staunton, Va., April 2, 1807; attended Staunton Academy and the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va.; was graduated from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in 1828; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1828 and commenced practice in Staunton; member of the State house of delegates 1836-1839; elected as a Whig to the Twenty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1841-March 3, 1843); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1842 to the Twenty-eighth Congress; served as Secretary of the Interior in the Cabinet of President Fillmore from September 16, 1850, to March 6, 1853; member of the State senate 1857-1861; member of the State secession convention in 1861; delegate to the National Convention of Conservatives at Philadelphia in 1866; presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Thirty-ninth Congress in 1865 but was not admitted; chairman of the committee of nine, which was instrumental in restoring Virginia to the Union in 1870; member of the State house of delegates from 1874 to 1877; rector of the University of Virginia from 1874 to 1882; president of the Virginia Historical Society; resumed the practice of law; died in Staunton, Va., February 13, 1891; interment in Thornrose Cemetery. From Virginia Historical Soc. Richmond: MSS1 St 9102 e 16: The Stuart Family by Alex H H Stuart [slightly edited] =================================================== Girard Briscoe and Margaret Baber [grandparents of the writer] lived on the former's estate Cloverdale two or three miles west of Winchester; among their children were Elizabeth Briscoe b 14 Aug 1772 m. Judge Hugh Holmes [of the Ballykelly fam. - son of Joseph Holmes of Winchester]; and Eleanor Briscoe b 2 Sept 1768 m Judge Archibald Stuart ; Archibald and Eleanor had among other children Alex Hugh Holmes Stuart [writer of this memoir] b 2 April 1807 m 1 Aug 1833 Frances Cornelia Baldwin eldest dau of Judge Briscoe G Baldwin and his wife Martha Steel Brown; A H H Stuart's fifth child was Mary Stuart b Staunton 6 Feb 1844 m 19 Dec 1866 Dr Hunter Holmes McGuire. "Nothing is known with any degree of certainty as to ....the family in Ireland where they resided near Londonderry. The tradition is that they migrated from Scotland to Ireland in the reign of James I. This is strengthened by the fact that older members of the family spelled their name Stewart as the Scotch family generally spelled it. Archibald Stuart, my great grandfather was the first of the family who came to Virginia. I have reason to believe he was a man of some consideration in his own country. His will which is filed in the office of the County Court of Augusta appears to have been written with his own hand and the writing and style shows that he had more education than was usual at that early day. He is represented to have been an earnest Presbyterian and in his will, he makes his family Bible the subject of a special bequest to his eldest son Thomas Stuart. "Archibald Stuart was married in Ireland to Janet Brown who was a sister of the Rev John Brown, and eminent Presbyterian minister, who at a later date, migrated to Virginia where he left numerous descendants, some of whom became distinguished. John Brown married a daughter of John Preston. While Archibald Stuart lived in Ireland two of his children viz. Eleanor and Thomas were born. "About 1725 or later when the spirit of persecution was strong in Ireland, Archibald Stuart took an active part in some insurrectionary movement and was compelled to fly from his country leaving his wife and children behind him. With some difficulty, he made his escape to America and took refuge in the western part of Pennsylvania where he remained in concealment for nearly seven years. Amnesty having then been proclaimed, he sent for his family to come over and join him in his new home. They accordingly came to Pennsylvania and remained with him for some years. But when the upper portion of the valley of Virginia was opened for settlement, he took his family and many of his countrymen, known as "Scotch Irish", and removed to Augusta County. I have not been able to fix with accuracy the date of his removal to Augusta, but I am satisfied from strong circumstantial evidence it was in 1737 or 1738. His sons, Alexander and Benjamin, were born in Pennsylvania after his wife joined him there. It is believed he came to Virginia under Gov. Spotswood's offer of toleration. Archibald Stuart settled near Waynesborough and acquired large landed estates which in his lifetime and by his will, he divided among his four children, Eleanor, who inter-married with Edward Hall, Thomas, who was a prominent man, Alexander who also became a leading man and Benjamin, who was a man of great benevolence and universally esteemed but held no public position. "After Archibald Stuart had settled in Augusta, two of his brothers followed him from Ireland and from them are descended the Stuarts of Greenbrier, some of the Stuarts of Rockbridge, some who settled in South Carolina, and from the best information I can obtain, Hon John L Stuart, of Illinois, and Rev Samuel D Stuart are descended from one of these brothers. The family likeness between these gentlemen and members of my family indicate close consanguinity...... "Thomas Stuart married Elizabeth Moore......Alexander Stuart, son of Archibald and his wife Janet, was born in Pennsylvania in 1734 and came to Virginia with his father when about three or four years old. He grew up to be a man of large stature and imposing appearance and possessed uncommon intellect and energy of character. At different periods of his life he lived in Augusta, Rockbridge, Monroe, Tazewell and Giles Counties. He was born on 27th August 1734. He married Mary Patterson 19th November 1754. [lists of their children by Mary and 2nd wife Mrs Anna Reid whose maiden name was Miller]. Alexander Stuart was a gallant soldier of the Revolutionary War. He was second in command of the Augusta Regiment of which Col Samuel McDowell was colonel. At the battle of Guilford Court House, Col McDowell being sick, the command of the regiment devolved on Maj. Alexander Stuart, who greatly distinguished himself by his courage and good conduct. He had two horses killed under him during the fight, and was himself badly wounded and was left on the field, where he was made prisoner. [much more detail on descendants]."