PROMINENT PERSONS
279
lectures on the French revoUition, which he
dehvered the next year, at Washington and
L.ee University, and which were subse-
quently expanded into book form. From
1886 to 1889 he was professor of history at
the Indiana University, and in the latter
year was made adjunct professor of history
at the University of Virginia, being pro-
moted in 1897 to the chair of historic and
economic science. His "John Randolph" is
a specially meritorious work, and he has
made frequent contributions to leading
niagazines and newspapers. He is a mem-
ber of numerous historical and literary so-
cieties. He married (first) Mary Amanda
I'.entley, of Richmond; and (second) Lily
Heath Davis, of Albemarle county, Virginia.
Seawell, Molly Elliott, born in Gloucester cfiunty. Virginia, daughter of John Tyler Seawell (q. v.). (a nephew of President John Tyler), and F"rances Jackson, his wife. She was educated at home. Her father dying, her mother and herself took up their resi- dence in Washington City. She began writ- ing sketches and stories in 1886 ; and pub- lished her first novel in 1890, and in that year took a prize of $500 offered by the '""^'outh's Companion" for the best story for boys. In 1895 she received from the New York "Herald" a prize of $3,000 for her "Sprightly Romance of Marsac." Her most important works are : "The Berkeleys and Their Neighbors." "Throckmorton," "Chil- dren of Destiny," "Maid Marian," "History ■of Betty Stair," "The House of Egremont." "A Virginia Cavalier," "The Loves of the Lady Arabella." "The Great Scoop Garvin Hamilton." Some of her novels have been wrought into plays.
RufTfin, Thomas, born in King and Queen
county, \'irginia, November 17, 1787, son
of Judge Sterling Rufifin, of Brunswick
county, Virginia, and Alice Roane, his wife.
He graduated at Princeton College in 1805,
studied law, and went to Hillsboro, North
Carolina. He served in the legislature there,
1813-16, being speaker in the latter year;
was judge of the state supreme court in
1816-18, elected again in 1825, and was chief
justice from 1829 till 1852, and again in
1856-58, after which he was presiding judge
of the county court. He opposed nullifica-
tion in 1832, and secession in i860, but in
the North Carolina convention voted for the
secession ordinance. He was a delegate to
the peace congress in 1861. The University
O' North Carolina gave him the degree of
LL. D. in 1834. He died in Hillsboro, North
Carolina, January 15, 1870. He was re-
garded as one of the ablest judges in the
L'nited States.
Whelan, Richard Vincent, l)orn in Balti- more, Maryland. January 28, i8og; educated at Mount St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, and studied theology in the Seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris. He was ordained priest in 1832. and after his return to the United States was appointed pastor at Harper's Ferry, at the same time attending neighbor- ing missions. He was made second bishop of Richmond in 1840. and consecrated at Baltimore by Archbishop Eccleson. There were only six priests in Virginia to minister to six thousand souls, and he appealed for help to the societies for the propagation of the faith in Europe. He received a liberal response, and founded a school at Martins- burg. To continue to provide priests for his diocese, he bought land near Richmond, and
