Isham Randolph of Dungeness
Isham Randolph was an American planter, shipmaster, merchant, military officer and politician who served a partial term in the House of Burgesses representing Goochland County. He may today be best known as the maternal grandfather of United States President Thomas Jefferson.
Early life
Isham Randolph was born on the Turkey Island plantation in Henrico County, Virginia on February 24, 1687. He was the third son of William Randolph and wife Mary Isham. His father was a colonist, landowner, planter, and merchant who served as the 26th Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses.Randolph graduated from the College of William & Mary.
Career
Like his father, Isham Randolph farmed tobacco and other crops using enslaved labor. In 1730, Randolph built "Dungeness," an English manor styled house on what became a large tobacco plantations, near Goochland, Virginia just west of Fine Creek. That land had seemed near the frontier when it was acquired, 40 miles from Richmond, Virginia. but Dungeness became a house of "refinement and elegant hospitality" with a hundred or more servants.Randolph was also a prominent merchant and shipmaster, traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to London many times. A well-established merchant in London, Randolph became agent for the colony of Virginia, but returned by October 1725 when his second daughter, Mary, was born. In addition to bringing indentured servants to the colony, Randoph also participated in the triangular trade, and slaves to colonial Virginia.
Like his good friend, Colonel William Byrd, Randolph had an interest in science and engaged in amateur science circles while in London. He was noted for his abilities as a naturalist by members of the Royal Society. Upon the recommendation of naturalist John Bartram, Randolph was visited by botanist Peter Collinson and led an excursion to gather specimens in colonial Virginia.
In 1738, Randolph succeeded Abraham Nicholas as the adjutant general of Virginia. The following year, he became a colonel of the militia of Goochland County. Around the same time, Randolph also succeeded Edward Scott of Manakintown, who died in 1738, as one of Goochland County's two representatives to the House of Burgesses.
Marriage and children
In 1717, Isham Randolph married Jane Rogers in London at St. Paul's Church in the Shadwell parish. Jane was from a wealthy landed gentry family of England and Scotland. Isham and Jane Randolph moved to Virginia. Together, they had nine children and were familially connected to many other prominent individuals:- Isham Randolph, lived only ten days.
- Jane Randolph, who married Peter Jefferson and had nine children, including Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States.
- Isham Randolph, married Sarah Hargreaves in 1749, in Philadelphia.
- Mary Randolph, who married Colonel Charles Lewis of Buck Island and had eight children, including Charles Lilburn Lewis, one of the founders of Milton, Virginia.
- Elizabeth Randolph
- William Randolph, married Elizabeth Little on 31 July 1761, in London and would died in Bristol
- Dorothea Randolph who married John Woodson
- Thomas Randolph, died young.
- Ann Randolph, who had four children in three marriages. She was the mother of James Pleasants Jr., the 22nd Governor of Virginia, via her last marriage to James Pleasants Sr.
- Thomas Randolph, who married Jane Cary, the daughter of Archibald Cary, in 1768.
- Susannah Randolph, who married Carter Henry Harrison I and had six children. She was the great-grandmother of Carter Henry Harrison III, a five-time mayor of Chicago.