Randolph family

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

The Randolph family was an important Virginia political family, whose members contributed to the politics of Colonial Virginia and Virginia after it gained its statehood. They are descended from the Randolphs of Morton Moreton, Warwickshire, England. The first Randolph to come to America was Henry Randolph in 1643. His nephew, William Randolph later came to Virginia as an orphan in 1669. He made his home at Turkey Island along the James River.

The name Randolph is supposedly derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "Radwulf", meaning "fierce wolf". Randolph bloodlines can be traced to several noble characters from history, such as John II, king of Jerusalem, Richard the Lion-Heart of England, Robert the Bruce of Scotland, and various other nobility.^{[citation needed]}

The Randolph family can trace much of its roots back to England, Scotland, and various European nations. Thomas Randolph the first earl of Murray was companion-in-arms of Robert the Bruce, during the Scottish wars for independence. Many Randolphs are descendants of Robert the Bruce due to the marriage of his daughter to Jiles Randolph.

Randolph family of Virginia married with members of the Lee, Washington, and Harrison families, and included notable members such as Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, First Continental Congress president Peyton Randolph, Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, Secretary of War George Randolph, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee.^{[citation needed]} Also, some evidence suggests that the famous American frontiersmen, politician, and hero Davy Crockett was in fact of Randolph descent.^{[citation needed]}

In the late 19th century, William Randolph Hearst was a Randolph who gained prestige by his command of the American media.

Today, many Randolphs still hold political prestige in the United States. The Randolph family is considered to be one of the political families of America.