Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Dec. 26, 1738 - Jan. 4, 1789
Named after his grandfather, he was the son of William and Elizabeth Burwell Nelson and brother of Col. Hugh Nelson of the Revolution and Judge William Nelson of the US. District Court of Virginia. Of a wealthy family, he was sent to England at age 14 and attended Eton and then Christ College of Cambridge University. In 1761, the young squire returned to Virginia as a member of the House of Burgesses. A year later, he married Lucy Grymes and, over the next 20 years, fathered six sons and five daughters, all of whom married.
He was a very active leader in the movement to separate the colonies from England, and, as a Virginia delegate, signed the Declaration of Independence. During the Revolution, he was chosen to take control of the state to manage both her military and civil policy. When money was needed, not only to pay troops, but also to run the government, and since Virginia's credit was low, he resorted to borrowing heavily on his personal security, which decimated his great wealth. He died a pauper and was buried at the foot of his father's grave without a tombstone. Not until this this century was a stone marker provided.
by courtesy of D. W. Conner
Heaven A holy life is a voice; it speaks when the tongue is silent, and is either a constant attraction or a perpetual reproof.
