St. George Tucker
St. George Tucker (1752-1827) was a significant figure in American law and literature born in Bermuda to an aristocratic family. After economic challenges prevented him from pursuing law studies in England, he moved to the American colonies with his brothers. Settling in Williamsburg, Virginia, Tucker studied law and became involved in the Revolutionary War, participating in blockade running and serving as a lieutenant colonel during key battles, including the siege of Yorktown. His literary contributions were notable, with works ranging from an epic poem titled *Liberty* to satirical and bawdy tales published anonymously. In addition to his literary pursuits, Tucker held positions as a judge, law professor, and editor of important legal texts, significantly influencing the field of law in Virginia and beyond. He was also known for his engagement with a community of poets, producing various works throughout his life. Tucker passed away in 1827, leaving behind a diverse body of writings, with a collection of his poetry published posthumously in 1977.
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St. George Tucker
Jurist
- Born: June 29, 1752
- Birthplace: Near Port Royal, Bermuda
- Died: November 10, 1827
- Place of death: Warminster, Virginia
Biography
St. George Tucker was born in Bermuda in 1752 to an aristocratic family of colonists. He was educated privately by tutors in his family home and harbored a hope to attend law school in England. However, an economic downturn affected his family’s fortunes, and Tucker was unable to travel to England to further his education. He then immigrated to the American colonies with two of his brothers to pursue his interest in law there.
Tucker settled in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he studied law with George Wythe and immersed himself in high society. He returned to Bermuda in 1775 for an extended visit, returning to Virginia in 1777. Upon his return, Tucker became involved with the Revolutionary War, engaging in blockade running. He also married Frances Bland Randolph, a wealthy widow with whom Tucker had two sons. In 1780, Tucker joined the militia, fought in two notable battles, and was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel. Tucker kept a journal of his experiences fighting in the siege of Yorktown which is today considered an important historical document. Tucker’s wife died in 1788, and three years later he married a widow, Lelia Skipwith Carter.
For more than fifty years, Tucker composed verse and surrounded himself with poets and like-minded individuals with whom he wrote songs, odes, and quirky prose. He published an epic poem written during the Revolutionary War in 1788 entitled Liberty, a Poem: On the Independence of America. Tucker released much of his work anonymously, from satirical works such as The Probationary Odes of Jonathan Pindar, Esq., initially published in the National Gazette, to bawdy tales like The Knight and Friars: An Historical Tale (1786), to patriotic odes about the greatness of America.
In 1788, Tucker was elected to a judgeship on the General Court of Virginia and shortly thereafter became a professor of law at the College of William and Mary. He served on the Virginia Court of Appeals and was appointed to the U.S. District Court for Virginia. He edited Blackstone’s Commentaries: With Notes of Reference, to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States, and of the Commonwealth of Virginia, one of the most important law books of the era. He also wrote several books about the law, including Examination of the Question, “How Far the Common Law of England Is the Law of the Federal Government of the United States?” and Reflections on the Cession of Louisiana to the United States. He died on November 10, 1827, having published eleven known works during his lifetime. A collection of his poetry, The Poems of St. George Tucker of Williamsburg, Virginia, 1752-1827, was published in 1977.