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Alexander Henderson (American politician)

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Alexander Henderson
Virginia House of Delegates
(Fairfax County)
In office
1783–1784
Virginia House of Delegates
(Prince William County)
In office
1789–1790
Personal details
Born(1738-03-03)March 3, 1738
Glasgow, Scotland, US
DiedNovember 22, 1815(1815-11-22) (aged 77)
Prince William, Virginia, US
NationalityUnited States American
SpouseSarah Moore
Occupationmerchant and politician

Alexander Henderson (March 2, 1738 – November 22, 1815) was a merchant and politician in the British colony and American state of Virginia.

Biography

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Henderson House, Dumfries, Virginia.

Henderson was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He married Sarah Moore c. 1769. He was the father of Archibald Henderson, the longest-serving Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, who served from 1820 to 1859. He moved to Colchester, Virginia, in 1756.[1]

Henderson served in the Virginia militia during the American Revolution. He represented Fairfax County in the Virginia House of Delegates 1783–1784 and Prince William County 1789–1790.[2]

He was a Virginia delegate to the Mount Vernon Conference in 1785 which led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He also served as a vestryman at Pohick Church and a magistrate of Fairfax and Prince William Counties.[1]

Henderson moved to Dumfries, Virginia, in 1787, where his home, Henderson House still stands. There he opened a store with additional outlets later opening in Colchester, Occoquan, and Alexandria and leading him to be considered the "father of the American chain store."[3]

Death

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Henderson died on November 22, 1815, in Prince William, Virginia. He was buried at the Henderson Cemetery.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Alexander Henderson". The historical Marker Database. Prince William County, Virginia. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  2. ^ Kromkowski, Charles A. "The Virginia Elections and State Elected Officials Database Project, 1776–2008". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  3. ^ History's Hendersons. At the Clan Henderson Society of the United States of America website. Accessed September 25, 2007. Archived September 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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