Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Cary, Archibald

CARY, Archibald, patriot, b. in Virginia about 1730; d. at Ampthill, in September, 1786. He early became a member of the house of burgesses. Prior to 1760 he undertook to revive the iron-works on Falling creek, Va., established by Col. William Byrd, and operated them with pig-iron imported from Maryland; but the enterprise was abandoned as unprofitable. In 1764 he served on the committee that reported the address to the king, lords, and commons. In 1773 he was one of the committee of correspondence, and he was a member of the convention of 1776. As chairman of the committee of the whole he reported the resolutions instructing the Virginia delegates in congress to propose independence. On the organization of the state government he was returned to the senate, where he presided until his death. He was descended from Henry, Lord Hunsdon, and at the time of his death was heir-apparent of the barony. He was a man of singular courage and intrepidity, short in stature, but of remarkably prepossessing appearance. The title of “colonel” is commonly prefixed to his name.