James Maury
Encyclopedia
The Reverend James Maury (1718-1769) was a prominent Virginia
educator and minister during the American Colonial period.
He was the son of Matthew Maury, a French Huguenot
, who was born in Castel Mauron, in Gascony
, and his wife, Mary Anne Fontaine, daughter of Rev. James Fontaine and Anne Elizabeth Boursiquot. James Maury was born April 8, 1718, in Dublin. Shortly after his birth, the family settled in Virginia
.
He attended The College of William and Mary, and on July 31, 1742, was appointed usher of the grammar school. In February, 1742, he went to England and was ordained a minister. Returning to Virginia, he became minister for one year of a parish in King William County and then served for 18 years in Louisa County
at Fredericksville Parish. As a minister he was highly regarded for his piety and learning. Maury was still minister of his parish when he died on June 9, 1769.
of 1757 and brought suit against the collectors of the parish for the full amount of his salary in tobacco. This suit, known in American history as The Parson's Cause
, was an important legal and political dispute in the Colony of Virginia involving the question of taxation, and is often viewed as an important event leading up to the American Revolution. It was defended by Peter Lyons, afterwards president of the Virginia Supreme Court, and opposed by Patrick Henry
, who denounced the interference of the King in setting aside the law as treason to the people of Virginia
. Maury won the law suit but was awarded only one penny in damages. He continued to hold the esteem of the people of Virginia. Afterwards Maury wrote a letter explaining the event which became known as "The Parson's Opinion of 'The Parson's Cause'".
There was animosity between Maury and Henry as a result of the case, but later Martha Henry, Patrick's daughter, married John Fontaine, a near relation of Maury.
, manners and morals, mathematics
, literature
, history
and geography
, and also Latin
and Greek
. Most of Reverend Maury's pupils boarded at his school. Thomas Jefferson
became one of his pupils for two years after the death of his father, Peter Jefferson
.
Maury's school is memorialized in a historical marker located near Gordonsville in Albemarle County, Virginia
.
), on November 11, 1743, in Louisa County, Virginia
. Mary was the daughter of Captain James Walker and Anne, his wife. Their children were:
Maury's eldest son was America's first overseas consul James Maury
(1746–1840), on whose behalf Thomas Jefferson
petitioned then US President George Washington
for an appointment. The petition was successful, and the son, James Maury (who came to be called "Consul" James Maury) became America's first consul
to Liverpool
, England
, a position that he held from 1790 to 1829, eventually quitting due to Jacksonian
politics. During this overseas appointment, both he and his nephew Matthew Fontaine Maury
(born in 1806) had opportunities to discuss and study the natural philosophy
lectures (mainly physics
) of Thomas Young published in 1807. "Consul" James Maury's portrait still hangs today in Liverpool Town Hall.
Matthew Fontaine Maury
was a grandson of the Rev. James Maury.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
educator and minister during the American Colonial period.
He was the son of Matthew Maury, a French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
, who was born in Castel Mauron, in Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
, and his wife, Mary Anne Fontaine, daughter of Rev. James Fontaine and Anne Elizabeth Boursiquot. James Maury was born April 8, 1718, in Dublin. Shortly after his birth, the family settled in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
He attended The College of William and Mary, and on July 31, 1742, was appointed usher of the grammar school. In February, 1742, he went to England and was ordained a minister. Returning to Virginia, he became minister for one year of a parish in King William County and then served for 18 years in Louisa County
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
at Fredericksville Parish. As a minister he was highly regarded for his piety and learning. Maury was still minister of his parish when he died on June 9, 1769.
The Parson's Cause
He opposed the Two Penny ActTwo Penny Act
The Two Penny Act, enacted in 1758 by the Virginia Assembly, is the act in which the Parson's Cause trial surrounded. The act was issued after three years of drought which produced a low yielding of tobacco crop....
of 1757 and brought suit against the collectors of the parish for the full amount of his salary in tobacco. This suit, known in American history as The Parson's Cause
Parson's Cause
The "Parson's Cause" was an important legal and political dispute in the Colony of Virginia often viewed as an important event leading up to the American Revolution...
, was an important legal and political dispute in the Colony of Virginia involving the question of taxation, and is often viewed as an important event leading up to the American Revolution. It was defended by Peter Lyons, afterwards president of the Virginia Supreme Court, and opposed by Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
, who denounced the interference of the King in setting aside the law as treason to the people of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Maury won the law suit but was awarded only one penny in damages. He continued to hold the esteem of the people of Virginia. Afterwards Maury wrote a letter explaining the event which became known as "The Parson's Opinion of 'The Parson's Cause'".
There was animosity between Maury and Henry as a result of the case, but later Martha Henry, Patrick's daughter, married John Fontaine, a near relation of Maury.
Educator
Maury taught instruction in classicsClassics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
, manners and morals, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, and also Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
. Most of Reverend Maury's pupils boarded at his school. Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
became one of his pupils for two years after the death of his father, Peter Jefferson
Peter Jefferson
Peter Jefferson was the father of American President Thomas Jefferson . A surveyor and cartographer, his Fry-Jefferson Map of 1751 accurately depicted the Allegheny Mountains for the first time and showed the route of "The Great Road from the Yadkin River thro Virginia to Philadelphia distant 455...
.
Maury's school is memorialized in a historical marker located near Gordonsville in Albemarle County, Virginia
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...
.
Family
Maury married Mary Walker (who was born November 22, 1724, in King and Queen County, VirginiaKing and Queen County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,630 people, 2,673 households, and 1,897 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile . There were 3,010 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
), on November 11, 1743, in Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
. Mary was the daughter of Captain James Walker and Anne, his wife. Their children were:
- Matthew Maury, b. September 10, 1744, d. May 6, 1801
- "Consul" James MauryJames Maury (consul)James Maury was one of the first United States diplomats and one of the first American consuls appointed overseas. In 1790 he was appointed to the Consulate of the United States in Liverpool, one of the first overseas consulates founded by the then fledgling United States of America...
, b. February 3, 1746, d. February 23, 1840 - Leonard Maury, b. June 3 1747, d. 1747
- Anne Maury, b. November 16 1748, d. January 8, 1822
- Mary Maury, b. September 17 1750
- Walker Maury, b. July 21, 1752, d. October 11, 1788
- Catherine Maury, b. July 15, 1754, d. July 26, 1786
- Elizabeth Maury, b. April 1 1756
- Abram Maury, b. April 28 1758
- Fontaine Maury, b. February 3, 1761, d. February 1824
- Benjamin Maury, b. January 17, 1763
- Richard Maury, b. May 19, 1766, d. January 31, 1843
- Matilda Hite Maury, b. October 28, 1769, d. November 7, 1821
Maury's eldest son was America's first overseas consul James Maury
James Maury (consul)
James Maury was one of the first United States diplomats and one of the first American consuls appointed overseas. In 1790 he was appointed to the Consulate of the United States in Liverpool, one of the first overseas consulates founded by the then fledgling United States of America...
(1746–1840), on whose behalf Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
petitioned then US President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
for an appointment. The petition was successful, and the son, James Maury (who came to be called "Consul" James Maury) became America's first consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
to Liverpool
Consulate of the United States in Liverpool
The United States Consulate in Liverpool, England was established in 1790, and was the first overseas consulate founded by the then fledgling United States of America. Liverpool was at the time an important center for transatlantic commerce and a vital trading partner for the former Thirteen...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, a position that he held from 1790 to 1829, eventually quitting due to Jacksonian
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
politics. During this overseas appointment, both he and his nephew Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury , United States Navy was an American astronomer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, and educator....
(born in 1806) had opportunities to discuss and study the natural philosophy
Natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science...
lectures (mainly physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
) of Thomas Young published in 1807. "Consul" James Maury's portrait still hangs today in Liverpool Town Hall.
Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury , United States Navy was an American astronomer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, and educator....
was a grandson of the Rev. James Maury.
