Janney, John, 1798-1872

On November 8, 1798, John Janney was born in Alexandria, Virginia, to Elisha and Mary Janney. The Janneys were members of the religious denomination of Friends or Quakers. Janney obtained little formal education, instead going to work at his father's mill. He later left the mill to study law, and at the age of eighteen, he entered the Bar in Loudoun County. On January 26, 1826, Janney married Alcinda (Alice) Marmaduke. When separated, they wrote almost daily letters to one another.

Janney became a respected lawyer and in 1850 he represented Loudoun County at the Virginia Constitutional Convention. Janney also served his state when he accepted the position as President of the Virginia Secession Convention in 1861. As a strong Whig and Unionist, Janney fought against secession and voted against it twice. When secession finally passed, Janney embraced it fully. He signed the Ordinance of Secession and formally appointed Robert E. Lee as commander of military forces of Virginia. Janney continued to serve as a lawyer in Loudoun until his death in 1872.

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