Spotsylvania-Orange County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Waller, Absalom 1860 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 29, 2008, 4:19 pm Author: Leonard Wilson (1916) ABSALOM WALLER ABSALOM WALLER, of Spottsylvania County, Virginia, lawyer and prominent citizen, was born at Wildwood, Spottsylvania County, on April 15,1860, son of Dr. Nelson Samuel and Mary Hampton (de Jarnette) Waller. The known history of this family runs back to the year 1183, and includes such distinguished men in English history as Sir Richard Waller, who captured Charles, Duke of Orleans, in the battle of Agincourt and was rewarded by Henry V. Sir William Waller, and Edmund Waller, famous poet of the period of the Civil War between Charles I and Cromwell, and of whom Addison has written so splendid an encomium. The English history of the Waller family is given in greater detail in the sketch of Mr. Waller's elder brother, Judge Robert Emmett Waller, which appears in this volume. The history of the American branch dates from John Waller, who came from Newport Pagnall, County Buckingham, England, in 1635, then a youth of nineteen. He married Mary Key, and became the progenitor of the Waller families on the north side of the James River in Virginia, and possibly of some of those on the south side. John Waller settled in what is now Spottsylvania County. The old records tell of Colonel John Waller, who, in 1702, was Sheriff of King and Queen County, Justice of King William County in 1705, and a member of the House of Burgesses in 1719. The act creating Spottsylvania County was passed in 1720, and in 1722 Colonel John Waller became the first Clerk of the County. He was succeeded in that office by his son, Edmund, who was the second Clerk, and who was succeeded by his younger brother, John, who was the third Clerk. The youngest child of Colonel John Waller was Benjamin Waller, who settled in Williamsburg, and became a celebrated Judge. Edmund Waller's son Benjamin, father of Rev. Absalom Waller, and grandfather of Absalom Waller, named his place "Newport," after his home in England. The Wallers prospered and multiplied, and speedily became one of the most influential families of their section of the State. Bishop Meade, in his work, "Old Churches and Families of Virginia," speaks of the Wallers as among the leading families of the State, and mentions certain of them by name as prominent in many ways. In Stafford County they were among the leading members of the County Court. Judge Benjamin Waller appears as a vestryman of old Bruton Parish in Williamsburg. The old records show marriages between the Wallers, the Carters, the Pendletons, the Tazewells, the Pages, and numerous other historic families of the State. There is also mentioned, as of the early days, John Waller, of St. George's, Spottsylvania, about 1725; a little later, John Waller, Jr., of the same Parish; and yet later, William Waller, in the same Parish. Bishop Meade pays an especially high tribute to William Waller, of Lexington, Parish, Amherst County, for his sincere piety and long years of devotion to the interests of humanity and to the up-building of the church. In the Revolutionary War, the Wallers contributed their full share. Allen was an ensign, Benjamin and George were captains, Edmund was a major, Daniel, James, John, Major, Thomas and William appear to have been privates. The old records do not even state what Counties these men came from; but in the case of Thomas an exception is made, and he is credited to Spottsylvania. Church of England men in the earlier period of the State (or Colony, as it then was), in later days the Wallers became especially prominent in the Baptist Church; and the Rev. John and Absalom Waller were among the most eminent Baptist ministers. In 1769 John Waller built in Spottsylvania the church which, since that time, has been known as Waller's Baptist Church. It will be seen from this brief record that the Wallers of Virginia have been conspicuously good citizens for nearly three hundred years, just as the Wallers of England had been conspicuously good citizens in that country for nearly five hundred years, before the first one of the Virginia family left the old country. Both in the Old World and in the New, a distinguishing trait of the family appears to have been loyalty and devotion to their country. Absalom Waller received his first educational training in private schools, followed by four years at a preparatory school at Keswick, Albemarle County, Virginia; from which he went to the University of Virginia, and was graduated from that great school in 1881. For a few years after his graduation, he taught school in his native County and at Gordonsville; and then entered the Columbia University in the City of Washington, now known as the George Washington University, and was graduated from its Law Department in 1887. Admitted to the Bar in 1888, he has since been active in the practice of law in the City of Washington, and in Spottsylvania county. Mr. Waller possesses the courage of his convictions, which has been a notable trait in his family since the days of the Civil War in England, for at that time three members of his ancestral line espoused the Parliamentary cause, and two of them became distinguished generals on that side. It is not surprising therefore, to find him going counter to the general political trend in his State. Up to 1896, he had voted with the majority in Virginia as a Democrat. When the free silver question came to the fore, with Bryan as its exponent, he could not reconcile that to his views of public policy, and aligned himself with the Republican party, with which he has since affiliated, and has been twice nominated by that party as a candidate for the State Senate from the Thirteenth Senatorial District, in 1901 and 1905. He holds his church membership in the Waller Baptist Church, named for its founder, John Waller, one of his ancestors. Mr. Waller is a lover of high class reading. The Bible and Shakespeare take first place with him. Next to these he rates Addison and classical English literature. He has been twice married. His first wife was Anne Caze-nove du Pont, of Wilmington, Delaware, niece of Admiral du Pont, to whom he was married on December 22, 18SG. Of this marriage there was no issue; and subsequent to the death of his first wife, he was married on February 17, 1902, to Sarah Louise •Jones, of Eome, Georgia, who was born in Greensboro, Georgia, on March 27,18S2, daughter of Edwin du Bose Jones and Minnie (Knowles) Jones. Mrs. Waller's mother was a daughter of Rev. Joshua and Sarah Elizabeth (Roberts) Knowles. The Rev Joshua Knowles was for twenty-five years rector of the Episcopal Church in Greensboro, Georgia, in the churchyard of which he is buried. His memory is yet cherished as one of the most useful and devoted of the early clergy of Georgia. Mr. and Mrs. Waller have two children: Absalom Kelson Waller, born October 27, 1902, and Louise du Bose Waller, born May 9, 1914. Mrs. Waller, through her father, is related to some of the most distinguished of South Carolina and Georgia families. He was a great-great-grandson of Captain Elias Du Bose, of South Carolina, one of the distinguished soldiers of the Revolution, and a great-grandson of Dr. Ezekiel Du Bose, of South Carolina, also a prominent figure in his generation. The famous Robert Toombs, of Georgia, member of President Jefferson Davis' Cabinet, Confederate general, eminent lawyer, able financier and father of the present Constitution of Georgia, was a cousin. Through this side of her family, Mrs. Waller is related to the Hill, Du Bose and Anthony families, of Washington, Georgia, all of which have been conspicuous in that State for several generations. The Waller family has the right to a just pride in its ancestral history, but it has an even greater right to be proud of the fact that the traditions of the family appear to have acted as an incentive to its later generations. It is conspicuous for those qualities which go to make up good citizenship and untiring devotion to duty, just as its ancestors were conspicuous for their valor on the battle-field and their wisdom in the Council Chamber. The Coat of Arms of this branch of the Waller family, which was brought to Virginia by John Waller, the immigrant, dates back to the fourteenth century. An augmentation was granted it after the battle of Agincourt, in 1415, by King Henry V, to Sir Richard Waller of that day, for his valiant service in that battle. It is described as follows: "Sable, three walnut leaves or, between two bendlets argent. "Crest: On a mount vert a walnut tree, proper; on the sinister side an escutcheon pendent charged with the arms of France, with a label of three points argent. "Motto: Hie fructus virtutis." Additional Comments: Extracted from: MAKERS OF AMERICA BIOGRAPHIES OF LEADING MEN OF THOUGHT AND ACTION THE MEN WHO CONSTITUTE THE BONE AND SINEW OF AMERICAN PROSPERITY AND LIFE VOLUME II By LEONARD WILSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSISTED BY PROMINENT HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WRITERS Illustrated with many full page engravings B. F. JOHNSON, INC. CITY OF WASHINGTON, U. S. A. 1916 Copyright, 1916 by B. F. Johnson, Inc. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/spotsylvania/photos/bios/waller85gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/spotsylvania/bios/waller85gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/vafiles/ File size: 9.8 Kb