Hugh Blair Grigsby

Vocation

Lifestyle

American historical scholar, an authority on the history of Virginia. He contributed to the Southern Literary Messenger, and wrote numerous historical discourses, including one on the Virginia convention of 1829-30 delivered before the historical society in 1853, another on that of 1776 delivered at the College of William and Mary in 1855, and "Discourse on Hon. Littleton W. Tazewell" (Norfolk, 1860). For six years he was owner and editor of the Norfolk American Beacon. He represented Norfolk in the legislature 1829-1830, and became a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830 along with, James Madison, and other noted men. Grigsby had a great passion for books and classical art. He eventually acquired over 6,000 volumes in his lifetime, and augmented his own collection with volumes purchased from the library of John Randolph of Roanoke, who was a delegate from Charlotte County in the Virginia Convention of 1829-30 they had attended together. He supported Virginia sculptor Alexander Galt. Grigsby died in Charlotte County, Virginia on 28 April 1881, aged 74. Link to Wikipedia biography