Preceded by Henry Lee III Children Richard Brooke Spouse(s) Mary Ritchie Hopper Role Political figure | Name Robert Brooke Preceded by John Marshall Alma mater Edinburgh University Succeeded by James Wood | |
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Died February 27, 1800, Spotsylvania County, Virginia, United States Party Democratic-Republican Party | ||
Political party Democratic-Republican Education University of Edinburgh | ||
Robert Brooke (ca. 1760 – February 27, 1800) was a soldier and Virginia political figure who served as the tenth Governor of Virginia.
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Biography
Robert Brooke was likely born in Spotsylvania County in the Colony of Virginia. His birth year is uncertain; most sources have him born around 1760. He was the son of Richard Brooke, and grandson of Robert Brooke, a skilled surveyor, who had been one of Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood's "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition".
He was educated at Edinburgh University, and on returning home at the beginning of the revolution was captured by Howe, British admiral, and sent back to England, whence he went to Scotland, then to France, and reached Virginia in a French vessel carrying arms for the continentals. He joined Captain Larkin Smith's company of cavalry, was captured near Richmond by Simcoe in 1781, was exchanged, and rejoined the army.
From 1791 to 1794 he represented Spotsylvania county in the house of delegates. On December 1, 1794 he was elected governor and served two years.
In 1795 Robert Brooke built a home upon Federal Hill, which looked over Sandy Bottom to Marye's Heights, a thousand yards away.
He was a Democratic-Republican, and in 1798 was elected attorney-general of the state, over Bushrod Washington, nephew of General Washington.
Brooke was a Freemason in Virginia, 1795–97. and in November 1795 succeeded John Marshall as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Virginia.
He died while still attorney general on February 27, 1800.
The county of Brooke, formed from Ohio County, now in West Virginia (Brooke County, West Virginia) was named in his honor.
Ancestry
Brooke (England) AND Taliaferro (Venice, Italy)