James Henry

Who was James Henry?

James Henry was an American lawyer from Virginia who was a delegate to the Continental Congress.

He was first elected to the Congress on December 17, 1779, but didn't enter the Congress until April 1780. Although he was elected again the following year, he attended no other sessions.

James Henry was a native of Scotland, but moved to Philadelphia at an early age where he studied law. Afterwards, he settled on the eastern shore of Virginia. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1772–1774. Following the declaration of independence, he became a member of the state legislature. In 1779, he was appointed a judge of the court of admiralty and thus a judge of the first Court of Appeals. In 1789, when the Court of Appeals was reorganized, he was made a judge of the general court.