Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/664

PAGE, Emily Rebecca, poet, b. in Bradford, Vt., 5 May, 1834; d. in Chelsea, Mass., 14 Feb., 1862. She was educated in the academies at Bradford and St. Johnsbury, Vt., and began in 1846 to contribute poems to the Portland “Transcript.” Later she wrote both prose and poetry for the “Carpet-Bag,” the “Ladies' Repository,” and an annual called the “Rose-Bud” (Boston, 1854-'5). She was for several years a constant contributor to the publications of Maturin M. Ballou (q. v.) and an assistant in the editorial work. "The Old Canoe" and others of her poems were, on their appearance, attributed to various distinguished authors. That and “Haunted” are printed in “Poets and Poetry of Vermont” (Boston, 1860). “The Old Bridge,” “Mabel,” “My Angels,” and “Watching” are also well known. “Lily of the Valley” was issued in book-form (Boston, 1859).

PAGE, James, lawyer, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1795 : d. there. 6 April, 1875. He was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia in 1816. attained note in his profession, and for nearly half a century was active in public affairs. He served in the war of 1812, afterward became captain of the state fen- cibles, and subsequently was colonel of a volunteer regiment. In politics he was a Democrat, and he wielded a large influence in the counsels of his party. He was postmaster of Philadelphia from 1833 till 1841, county treasurer from 1842 till 1844, collector of the port from 1846 till 1849, and a member of the select council from 1866 till 1868. When the body of John Quincy Adams was borne through Philadelphia, Col. Page was one of the pall-bearers. The James Page library company was given its name in honor of Col. Page. PAGE, John, merchant, b. in Bedfont, England, in 1627 ; d. in Williamsburg, Va., 23 Jan., 1692. He was a member of the colonial council in the reign of William and Mary, and acquired a large estate. — His son, Matthew, planter, b. in Virginia in 1659 : d. there, 9 Jan., 1703. was one of the original board of trustees of William and Mary college, a member of the council under Queen Anne, and active in public affairs. — Matthew's son. Maun, planter, b. in Virginia in 1691 ; d. there, 24 Jan., 1730, was, next to Lord Fairfax, the largest land- holder in Virginia, owning nearly 70,000 acres in Frederick, Prince "William, SjDottsylvania, and other counties, besides the plantation of Rosewell, in Gloucester county, on which he built, in the largest and costliest man- sion in the colony. The house, which is still standing and is shown in the ac- companying illus- tration, was built of brick, with mar- lile casements and mahogany wain- scoting and balus- trades, all the ma- terial being import-

ed. In one of its

rooms, which are all of cubic dimensions, Thomas Jefferson is said to have drafted the Declaration of Independence. The lead from the window-case- ments was used for bullets in the Revolutionary war. Of his three sons, Mann inherited Rosewell ; John removed to North End in that part of Glou- cester county that is now Matthews county, and was a member of the last royal council in Vir- ginia ; and Robert settled at Broadneck, in Han- over county. — The second Mann's son, John, gov- ernor of Virginia, b. at Rosewell, Gloucester co., Va., 17 April, 1744: d. in Richmond, Va., 11 Oct.,. 1808, was graduated in 1763 at William and Mary, where he was the as- sociate and intimate fi'iend of Thomas Jef- ferson, of whom he was a follower in poli- tics afterward. He was with Washington in one of his western expeditions against the French and In- dians. Afterward he was a representative in the Virginia house of burgesses and a member of the colo- nial council. In 1776 he was a visitor of the College of William and Mary. In the

same year he was a

delegate to the convention that framed the Vir- ginia state constitution. During the Revolution- ary struggle he rendered important services as a member of the committee of public safety, and as lieutenant-governor of the commonwealth, con- tributing from his fortune to the public cause. He was an officer for the county of Gloucester during the war, where he raised a regiment of militia to repel a British invasion. He also contributed freely from his private fortune to the public cause. There is still in existence a letter from Edmund Pendle- ton urging Gov. Page to accept payment for the lead taken from Rosewell for making bullets. He was elected one of the earliest representatives in congress from Virginia, iipon the adoption of the Federal constitution, and was re-elected three times, serving from 4 March, 1789, till 3 March, 1797. In 1800 he was chosen one of the electors for president, and in December, 1802, was made governor of Virginia, succeeding James Monroe. After serving three years he was followed by Will- iam Cabell, as the state constitution at that time did not permit the same person to hold the office more than three years in succession, and was soon appointed by President Jefferson U. S. commis- sioner of loans for Virginia, which office he held at the time of his death. Gov. Page published " Ad- dresses to the People " (1796 and 1799). He was distinguished for his theological learning, as well as for his soldierly and statesman-like qualities, and at one time his friends desired him to take holy orders in order to become the first bishop of Vir- ginia. There is a portrait of him executed in 1758 by Benjamin "West, also a later one by Charles W. P'eale. Gov. Page preserved many letters from leaders of the Revolution, and left these and other material for memoirs of his time. These papers were lost after his death, but many of them were recovered in Boston in 1887. — The second John's half-brother. Mann, member of the Continental congress, b. at Rosewell in 1749 ; d. at Mansfield, near Fredericksburg, Va., was a delegate from Vir- ginia to the old congress in 1777. his colleagues be- ing Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Nelson, and George Wythe. — The second John's cousin. Carter, sol- dier, b. in North End, Gloucester (now Matthews) CO., Va., in 1758 ; d. in Willis Fork, Cumberland CO., Va., in April, 1825, was one of the students that left William and 3Iary college in 1776 to join the