Richard Henderson
American pioneer (1735-1785)
Richard Henderson (April 20, 1735 – January 30, 1785) was an American jurist, land speculator, politician and pioneer leader who organized and led the foundational expedition that established Nashville, Tennessee. He is also well known for attempting to create the Transylvania Colony in frontier Kentucky.2
From Wikipedia’s article on Richard Henderson (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born Apr 20, 1735, died Jan 30, 1785.1
About
Henderson County and its seat Henderson, Kentucky, are named for him.
Henderson was born in Virginia Colony, but his family moved to Granville County, North Carolina, when he was a child. There, he studied law and became a member of the bar. He married Elizabeth Keeling, an Englishwoman, in 1763 and had 6 children. Henderson was appointed judge in 1768, but retired in 1773 to pursue land deals. In 1774, he formed the Transylvania Company for that purpose. Between 1775 and 1783, he pursued various land deals in Kentucky, Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia, including the Transylvania Purchase and Colony in western Kentucky and north central Tennessee. The extra-legal deals collapsed by 1783 when voided by the Virginia and North Carolina colonial governments.
Henderson's Transylvania settlement was one of the early triggers of the Cherokee-American wars.
After the land deals, he returned to North Carolina and held various legislative and executive positions in the North Carolina government. He died at age 49 at his home in North Carolina.
From Wikipedia’s article on Richard Henderson, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2
Early life and education
Henderson was born in Hanover County, Virginia Colony, on April 20, 1735. His parents were Samuel Henderson and Elizabeth Williams Henderson, and his brother was Thomas Henderson. In 1745, his family moved to Granville County, North Carolina. There, he studied law, was admitted to the bar, practiced law, and in 1768, was appointed judge of the Superior Court.
In 1763, he married Elizabeth Keeling, the daughter of an Englishman. Their children were Fanny (b. 1764), Richard (b. 1766), Archibald (b. 1768), Elizabeth (b. 1770), Leonard (b. 1778), and John (b. 1780).
Viewed as a member of the gentry, he had been a target of Regulator violence. He was a member of a Church of England parish in Williamsboro during this time.
In 1773, Henderson retired from the bench to pursue his real estate interests.
From Wikipedia’s article on Richard Henderson (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career
Occupation: politician, judge, surveyor, explorer, jurist, lawyer.5
Personal life
Links
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataRichard Henderson on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaRichard Henderson on Wikipedia
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