# James F. Strother

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American politician

This article is about the Virginia politician and lawyer. For his namesake grandson, see [James F. Strother (West Virginia politician)](/source/James_F._Strother_(West_Virginia_politician)).

James F. Strother Strother (c. 1853) Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 9th district In office March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 Preceded by Jeremiah Morton Succeeded by John Letcher 23rd Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates In office 1847–1848 Preceded by John W. Jones Succeeded by Harry L. Hopkins Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Rappahannock County district In office December 1, 1840 – January 11, 1852 Preceded by William Walden Succeeded by John H. Morrison Personal details Born James French Strother (1811-09-04)September 4, 1811 Culpeper County, Virginia, US Died September 20, 1860(1860-09-20) (aged 49) Culpeper, Virginia, US Resting place Masonic Cemetery, Culpeper, Culpeper County, Virginia Party Whig Spouse Elizabeth Richardson Children 10, including John and Philip Parent George Strother (father) Alma mater St. Louis University Occupation Lawyer farmer politician

**James French Strother** (September 4, 1811 – September 20, 1860) was a nineteenth-century [American politician](/source/American_politician) and lawyer from a [Virginia](/source/Virginia) political family of lawyers, military officers and judges. He was the grandson of [French Strother](/source/French_Strother) who served in the [Continental Congress](/source/Continental_Congress) and both houses of the [Virginia General Assembly](/source/Virginia_General_Assembly), son of Congressman [George Strother](/source/George_Strother) and grandfather of Congressman [James F. Strother (West Virginia politician)](/source/James_F._Strother_(West_Virginia_politician)).

## Early and family life

Born in [Culpeper County, Virginia](/source/Culpeper_County%2C_Virginia) to lawyer [George F. Strother](/source/George_F._Strother) and his wife, the former Sarah Green Williams, Strother's ancestors were of the [First Families of Virginia](/source/First_Families_of_Virginia). His grandfather [French Strother](/source/French_Strother) had served in the [Continental Congress](/source/Continental_Congress) then represented Culpeper County for decades in both houses of the [Virginia General Assembly](/source/Virginia_General_Assembly). His father had served in the [Virginia House of Delegates](/source/Virginia_House_of_Delegates) and the [U.S. House of Representatives](/source/U.S._House_of_Representatives) before moving to Missouri with his family and slaves after voting for the [Missouri Compromise of 1820](/source/Missouri_Compromise_of_1820). Thus, James F. Strother received a private education in Virginia and Missouri, and attended [St. Louis University](/source/Saint_Louis_University_(United_States)) in [St. Louis, Missouri](/source/St._Louis%2C_Missouri) before reading law.[1]

He married Elizabeth Richardson, who would bear seven sons and a daughter who survived to adulthood: George French Strother (1834-1877), John R. Strother (1837-after 1850), Lt. and Judge Philip Williams Strother (1839-1922), Judge James French Strother (1841-1927),[2] Sgt. William Henry Strother (1843-1862), John Hunt Strother (1845-1862), Dr. William Johnson Strother (1849-1942), Maj. Lewis Harvie Strother (1855-1908), and Sarah Williams Strother (1854-1932).[3]

## Career

Strother returned to Virginia and was admitted to the bar, as had generations of family members before him. Strother began his legal practice in [Washington, Virginia](/source/Washington%2C_Virginia) in [Rappahannock County](/source/Rappahannock_County%2C_Virginia) on the eastern slopes of the [Blue Ridge Mountains](/source/Blue_Ridge_Mountains). As Strother's wealth grew, directly and by inheritance, he may have invested in land and enslaved labor. In 1840, he owned 4 slaves, in addition to his household of 7 white people (5 of them children),[4] However, he does not show in slave schedules for Rappahannock County in 1850 nor 1860, and Virginia state slave censuses are not available online.[5]

In 1840, Strother won election to the [Virginia House of Delegates](/source/Virginia_House_of_Delegates) where he represented [Rappahannock County, Virginia](/source/Rappahannock_County%2C_Virginia) and won reelection many times, serving until 1851.[6] When the Whig party gained control of the House of Delegates in 1847, he became Speaker of the House, but his party lost its majority in 1848 and remained the minority party the remainder of his life.[7] Strother was also a delegate to the [Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850](/source/Virginia_Constitutional_Convention_of_1850) (representing Fauquier and Rappahannock counties alongside fellow lawyer [Robert E. Scott](/source/Robert_Eden_Scott) and [Samuel Chilton](/source/Samuel_Chilton)).[8]

Voters of [Virginia's 9th congressional district](/source/Virginia's_9th_congressional_district) nonetheless elected Strother as a [Whig](/source/Whig_Party_(United_States)) to the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) in 1850. He defeated fellow Whig [Jeremiah Morton](/source/Jeremiah_Morton) and served from 1851 to 1853. However, Democrat (and future Virginia governor) [John Letcher](/source/John_Letcher) foiled his re-election bid.

## Death and legacy

Afterward, Strother resumed his legal practice in [Culpeper, Virginia](/source/Culpeper%2C_Virginia) until his death near there on September 20, 1860. He was interred in Masonic Cemetery. Within a year, the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War) had begun destroying the area. His cousin [James E. Slaughter](/source/James_E._Slaughter) would become a Confederate Brigadier General, and some of his sons also volunteered to fight for the [Confederate States of America](/source/Confederate_States_of_America). Philip Williams Strother served as a lieutenant, William Henry Strother a sergeant and George F. Strother an assistant commissary officer—all survived the conflict. William Henry Strother died of disease in 1862. Union forces began controlling the Rappahannock/Rapidan area after the [Battle of Culpeper Court House](/source/Battle_of_Culpeper_Court_House) in September 1863, and what had been Strother's district would become devastated before Major General Robert E. Lee took his last survey from atop Clark Mountain on May 4, 1864.[9]

Nonetheless, the family (and its political tradition survived). His son Philip Williams Strother became a Virginia judge in [Pearisburg](/source/Pearisburg%2C_Virginia), and his son (named [James F. Strother](/source/James_F._Strother_(West_Virginia_politician)) after his grandfather) would become a lawyer and congressman from West Virginia. This James French Strother's son of the same name would become a Virginia Circuit judge in his native Rappahannock County.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** - United States Congress. ["James F. Strother (id: S001025)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S001025). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Elisabeth B. and C.E. Johnson Jr., Rappahannock County, Virginia: a History (Walsworth Publishing Co. WV, 1981, p. 53

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** 1850 U.S. Federal Census for Rappahannock County, Virginia

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** U.S. Federal Census for Rappahannock County, Virginia p. 14 of 81

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Someone of that name (but possibly 3 years older) owned 11 slaves in neighboring Fauquier County, Virginia, in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Slave Schedules for Ashby's, Fauquier County, Virginia p. 2 of 62 and five slaves in the Southern Division of Culpeper County in 1860 according to the 1860 U.S. Federal Census, slave schedule for Southern Division, Culpeper County, Virginia p. 21 of 34

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Cynthia Miller Leonard, Virginia's General Assembly 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 398, 402, 406, 414, 418, 423, 425, 427, 432, 437, 445

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Jamerson, Bruce F., Clerk of the House of Delegates, supervising (2007). *Speakers and Clerks of the Virginia House of Delegates, 1776-2007*. [Richmond, Virginia](/source/Richmond%2C_Virginia): Virginia House of Delegates.{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Leonard p. 441

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Eugene M. Scheel, Culpeper: a Virginia County's History through 1920 (Culpeper Historical Society1982) pp.70, 75

Political offices Preceded by John W. Jones Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates 1847–1848 Succeeded by Henry L. Hopkins U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by Jeremiah Morton Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 9th congressional district March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 Succeeded by John Letcher

This article incorporates [public domain material](/source/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States) from [*Biographical Directory of the United States Congress*](http://bioguide.congress.gov). [Federal government of the United States](/source/Federal_government_of_the_United_States).

v t e Speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates Pendleton Wythe B. Harrison Lee Tyler B. Harrison Prentis Mathews Wise Smith E. Harrison Holmes Johnston Nelson Barbour Stevenson Stanard Banks Gilmer Southall Holleman Southall Goode Jones Strother H. Hopkins G. Hopkins Crutchfield Kemper Sheffey Baldwin Turner Hanger Allen Lacy Fowler Stuart R. Cardwell Ryan Saunders Ryan W. Cardwell Byrd E. Cox Houston Brewer Ozlin Brown Dovell Stanley Massenburg Moore Cooke Philpott Moss Wilkins Howell K. Cox Filler-Corn Gilbert Scott Category Commons

v t e United States representatives from Virginia's 9th congressional district Bland Giles Eggleston Giles Thompson Love Hawes Hungerford Ball Stevenson Taylor Roane Hunter Chilton Pendleton Morton Strother Letcher Harris R. Bowen Terry Pridemore Richmond Fulkerson H. Bowen Trigg H. Bowen Buchanan Marshall Walker Rhea C. Slemp C. B. Slemp Peery Shaffer Flannagan Fugate Wampler Jennings Wampler Boucher Griffith All Virginia districts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · at-large

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