Philip Doddridge, Politician, Personal and Family Papers
Collection
Collection Number: A&M 3893
Personal and family papers of Virginia statesman and U.S. Congressman Philip Doddridge (1773-1832), the namesake of Doddridge County, West Virginia. Includes printed material, correspondence, and legal and financial documents. The collection is divided into two main series: Doddridge Family Papers and Plattenburg Family Papers. The Doddridge Family Papers include letters by Phillip Doddridge (26 items regarding politics, family matters, etc., most dating from 1829-1832), letters to or about him, and family correspondence. The Plattenburg Family Papers includes legal and financial documents as well as correspondence of the family of Philip Doddridge's daughter, Ellen [or Eleanor] Sophia, who married Perry Plattenburg. See Historical Note for more information on Philip Doddridge and for genealogical information on the Doddridge and Plattenburg families.
English
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Lawyer and sectional leader Philip Doddridge (May 17, 1773 - November 19, 1832) was born near Bedford, Pennsylvania. As an infant he moved with his family to Washington County, PA. At age 17 he moved again with his family to nearby Wellsburg, Virginia, and there read for the law. He became successful as a circuit lawyer. In 1799, Doddridge married Julianna Parr Musser. In 1815-1816, Doddridge represented Brooke County in the Virginia legislature and soon took up the causes of the people living in the western part of the state. He fought to repeal the law that qualified only landholders to vote and became a leader for public education.
In 1829, he was one of four selected to represent the northern district of Western Virginia at the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830. The convention attempted unsuccessfully to address the growing east-west sectionalism in Virginia. Doddridge was a major spokesman for the trans-Allegheny region. He failed at the convention, but his arguments against the East were influential in creating sentiment for the subsequent separation of West Virginia from Virginia. In 1828, Doddridge was elected to Congress and reelected in 1830. He died in Washington. Doddridge County was named in his honor in 1845.
Genealogical Information (not all verified):
Philip Doddridge married Julianna Parr Musser in 1799.
Children of Philip and Julianna Doddridge:
Jasper Yates Doddridge
John Musser Doddridge
Benjamin Laccheus Biggs Doddridge
Sarah Mary Doddridge
Ellen [Eleanor?] Sophia Doddridge Plattenburg (see below)
Cadwalder Doddridge
Julia Adeline Doddridge Ramsey
Philip Alexander Doddridge
Harriet Venna Doddridge
Anna Ruth Doddridge Meek
Ellen [Eleanor?] Sophia Doddridge Plattenburg married Perry Plattenburg, ca. 1824-1828. They lived in Wellsburg, [West] Virginia and Canton, Illinois.
Children of Ellen and Perry Plattenburg:
Albert E. Plattenburg
William D. Plattenburg
Philip D. Plattenburg
Adeline Plattenburg
Perry W. Plattenburg
Ellen [Ella?] Plattenburg
Wilbur F. Plattenburg
0.4 Linear Feet (Summary: 5 in. (1 document case, 5 in.))
Personal and family papers of Virginia statesman and U.S. Congressman Philip Doddridge (1773-1832), the namesake of Doddridge County, West Virginia. Includes printed material, correspondence, and legal and financial documents.
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository