{{Short description|American politician (1761–1840)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = John Greenhow | image = | alt = | caption = | order = | office = | term_start = | term_end = | alongside = | predecessor = | successor = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1761|5|11}} | birth_place = [[Williamsburg, Virginia]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1840|6|30|1761|5|11}} | death_place = [[Washington, D.C.|Washington City]], U.S. | resting_place = | party = | spouse = Mary Ann Wills | children = 1 | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = Politician | signature = }}
'''Robert Greenhow''' (May 11, 1761 – June 30, 1840) was an American politician from Virginia. He served as mayor of [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]] and as mayor of [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]] in 1813. He also represented [[James City County, Virginia|James City County]] in the [[Virginia House of Delegates]].
==Early life== Robert Greenhow was born on May 11, 1761, in [[Williamsburg, Virginia]], to Judith (née Davenport) and John Greenhow. His father was a merchant.<ref name="obit">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-enquirer-died-3-jul-1840-r/154875698/ |title=Died... |date=1840-07-03 |newspaper=Richmond Enquirer |page=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=2024-09-08}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="virginia">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_TykSAAAAYAAJ_2/page/n229/mode/2up |title=Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography |author=[[Lyon Gardiner Tyler]] |volume=2 |year=1915 |pages=215–216 |via=[[Archive.org]] |access-date=2024-09-08}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="editors">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/jstor-1919905/page/n9/mode/2up |title=Old Virginia Editors |year=1898 |page=17 |via=[[Archive.org]] |access-date=2024-09-08}}{{Open access}}</ref> His father later married Elizabeth Tyler, sister of [[John Tyler]].<ref name="editors"/>
==Career== Born to a wealthy family, Greenhow had a substitute in his place during the [[American Revolutionary War]] He served in a junior company during the Revolutionary War. He helped protect Williamsburg and the banks of the [[James River]].<ref name="obit"/>
Greenhow served as mayor of Williamsburg and he represented [[James City County, Virginia|James City County]] in the [[Virginia House of Delegates]]. In 1810, he moved to [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].<ref name="obit"/> In 1811, he was appointed as a commissioner to supervise the building of the new Governor's mansion in Richmond.<ref name="richmond">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/richmondherpastp01chri/page/546/mode/2up |title=Richmond: Her Past and Present |last=Christian |first=W. Asbury |year=1912 |pages=75,87–89,546 |via=[[Archive.org]] |access-date=2024-09-08}}{{Open access}}</ref> He served as Richmond's mayor in 1813 during the [[War of 1812]].<ref name="obit"/><ref name="richmond"/>
Greenhow was an organizer of the Virginia Bible Society.<ref name="richmond"/>
==Personal life== Greenhow married Mary Ann Wills. He lost his wife in the [[Richmond Theatre fire]] in 1811. He and his son Robert Jr. were survivors of the fire.<ref name="virginia"/><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/richmonditspeopl00stan/page/n155/mode/2up |title=Richmond: Its People and Its Story |last=Stanard |first=Mary Newton |year=1923 |pages=104–105 |via=[[Archive.org]] |access-date=2024-09-08}}{{Open access}}</ref> His son Robert married [[Rose O'Neal Greenhow|Rose O'Neal]].<ref name="editors"/>
Greenhow was a member of the Episcopal Church for more than 50 years.<ref name="obit"/> He was the first warden of the rebuilt Monumental Church in 1814.<ref name="richmond"/> He died at the home of his son in [[Washington City]] on June 30, 1840.<ref name="obit"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenhow, Robert}} [[Category:1761 births]] [[Category:1840 deaths]] [[Category:Members of the Virginia House of Delegates]] [[Category:Mayors of Williamsburg, Virginia]] [[Category:Mayors of Richmond, Virginia]] [[Category:United States military personnel of the American Revolution]] [[Category:19th-century American legislators]] [[Category:19th-century Virginia politicians]]