John E. Massey Explained

John E. Massey
Order:15th
Office:Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Term Start:January 1, 1886
Term End:January 1, 1890
Governor:Fitzhugh Lee
Predecessor:John F. Lewis
Successor:James Hoge Tyler
Birth Date:April 2, 1819
Birth Place:Spotsylvania County, Virginia, U.S.
Blank1:Religion
Data1:Baptist
Profession:Attorney, Preacher
Party:Democrat

John Edward "Parson" Massey (April 2, 1819 – April 24, 1901) served as the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from January 1, 1886, until January 1, 1890. He was from Albemarle County, Virginia and a member of the Democratic Party.

A Baptist preacher, Massey considered himself the founder of the short-lived Readjusters.[1] However, when the "Big Four" revolted to buck Confederate-general-turned-Republican-boss William Mahone, Massey supposedly supported the revolt. The "Big Four" were Andrew M. Lybrook of Patrick County, Peyton G. Hale of Grayson County, Samuel H. Newberry of Bland County, and B.F. Williams of Nottoway County.[2] [3] [4]

Upon Massey's death, he was buried in Charlottesville's Oakhill cemetery. His autobiography appeared posthumously in 1909, edited by Elizabeth H. Hancock.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Moger, Allen (1968). Virginia: Bourbonism to Byrd, 1870-1925. University Press of Virginia. pp. OCLC 435376.
  2. Clevie H. Wingate, Memories of Greayson (Grayson County Historical Society, 1992), p. 299 (poster explaining article published March 21, 1930)
  3. Book: Virginia. General Assembly. House of Delegates. Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 1928. Commonwealth of Virginia. 969–.
  4. Book: Michele Gillespie. Katharine and R. J. Reynolds: Partners of Fortune in the Making of the New South. 1 October 2012. University of Georgia Press. 978-0-8203-3226-0. 306–.
  5. https://archive.org/details/autobiographyofj00masse Autobiography of John E. Massey