Christopher Greenup

Christopher Greenup
Christopher Greenup as Governor
3rd Governor of Kentucky
In office September 4, 1804 – September 1, 1808
Governor	Isaac Shelby
Lieutenant	John Caldwell 1804 – 1806 Thomas Posey 1806 – 1808
Preceded by	James Garrard
Succeeded by	Charles Scott
9th Secretary of State of Kentucky
In office February 3, 1813 – March 13, 1813
Preceded by	Martin D. Hardin
Succeeded by	Martin D. Hardin
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's At Large district
In office November 9, 1792 – March 3, 1797
Preceded by	New congressional seat
Succeeded by	Thomas T. Davis
Personal details
Born	c. 1750 Fairfax County, Virginia
Died	April 27, 1818(1818-04-27) (aged around 68) Frankfort, Kentucky
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse(s)	Mary Catherine Pope
Profession	Soldier, Lawyer, Surveyor
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Continental Army, Virginia militia
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	Revolutionary War

Christopher Greenup (c. 1750  – April 27, 1818) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative and the third Governor of Kentucky. Little is known about his early life; the first reliable records about him are documents recording his service in the Revolutionary War where he served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army and a colonel in the Virginia militia.

After his service in the war, Greenup helped settle the trans-Appalachian regions of Virginia. He became involved in politics, and played an active role in three of the ten statehood conventions that secured the separation of Kentucky from Virginia in 1792. He became one of the state's first representatives, and served in the Kentucky General Assembly before being elected governor in a race where, due to his immense popularity, he ran unopposed.

Greenup's term in office was marred by accusations that he had participated in the Burr Conspiracy to align Kentucky with Spain prior to the former's separation from Virginia, but he vigorously and successfully rebutted these charges. Following his term as governor, he became less active in the political arena. He died on April 27, 1818. Greenup County, Kentucky and its county seat were both named in his honor.

Early life in Virginia

Christopher Greenup was most likely born in Fairfax County, Virginia around 1750.^[1][a] His parents were John and Elizabeth (Witten) Greenup.^[2] His early education was attained at the local schools of the area.^[2] He learned surveying and studied law under Colonel Charles Binns at Charles City County, Virginia.^[1][2][3] During the Revolutionary War, he first served as a lieutenant on the Continental Line and later attained the rank of colonel in the Virginia militia.^[4]

In 1781, Greenup helped settle the area now known as Lincoln County, Kentucky where he spent time as a surveyor and a land speculator.^[5] He was admitted to practice law in the county court in 1782.^[6] Following Virginia's creation of Kentucky County in 1783, he was admitted to the bar of the district court of Harrodsburg and served as clerk from 1785 to 1792.^[6]

In 1783, Greenup became one of the original trustees of Transylvania Seminary (later to become Transylvania University.)^[6][7] He purchased two lots of land in Lexington and served as the clerk of the town's trustees.^[6] In 1785, he represented Fayette County for a single term in the Virginia House of Delegates.^[6] When Mercer County was created later that year, he was appointed a justice there.^[6]

During this time, Greenup continued to practice law in Fayette County and pursued various other interests. He was a founding member of the Danville Political Club and in 1787, he joined the Kentucky Society for Promoting Useful Knowledge.^[6][7] In 1789, he helped organize the Kentucky Manufacturing Society.^[7] Later, he was appointed to the Kentucky River Company, a group dedicated to improving infrastructure on the Kentucky River.^[7]

On July 9, 1787, during a brief return to Virginia, Greenup married Mary Catherine ("Cathy") Pope of Hanover County, Virginia; the couple had two children  – Nancy and William.^[b] Cathy Greenup died October 22, 1809.^[7]

Political career in Kentucky

Greenup served as clerk of the first Kentucky statehood convention in Danville in 1784. He was elected as a delegate to the second and sixth statehood conventions in 1785 and 1788, respectively, and was a trustee of the city of Danville in 1787.^[2][7]

When Kentucky was admitted to the Union in 1792, Greenup moved to Frankfort where he was rewarded for his efforts on behalf of the state by being chosen as an elector for the state's senators and governor.^[7] He also served in the first Kentucky Senate.^[8] Following this, he was appointed to the court of oyer and terminer, but resigned immediately to accept a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.^[9] He was one of Kentucky's first two representatives in the House, and was elected to three successive terms, serving from November 9, 1792 to March 3, 1797.^[7] In 1798, he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing Mercer County.^[8] He also served as clerk of the state senate from 1799 to 1802.^[9]

Greenup was a candidate for governor of Kentucky in 1800, but was runner-up to James Garrard in a four-man race that also included Benjamin Logan and Thomas Todd.^[10] Garrard appointed him judge of the circuit court in 1802, but he resigned the post June 5, 1804 to make another run for the governorship.^[8] Immensely popular, he ran unopposed, and served as governor from September 4, 1804 to September 1, 1808.^[9] During Greenup's administration, the state chartered the Bank of Kentucky and the Ohio Canal Company; Greenup became a director of the former in 1807.^[7][9] Despite his popularity, however, he was unable to pass much of his proposed agenda, which included provision of public education and reforms to the militia, courts, revenue system, and penal system.^[9]

A partisan Frankfort newspaper implicated Greenup in the Burr conspiracy, but he successfully defended himself and preserved his reputation.^[9] He deployed the Kentucky militia along the Ohio River to defend the state from any threat that might result from the Burr conspiracy, but that threat had largely dissipated by 1807.^[9]

Following his term as governor, Greenup was chosen as a presidential elector for the ticket of James Madison and George Clinton.^[7] In 1812, he became a justice of the peace in Franklin County.^[7] In August 1812, Kentucky Secretary of State Martin D. Hardin recommended to Governor Isaac Shelby that Greenup be appointed Assistant Secretary of State.^[11] Shelby made the appointment, and when Hardin, resigned December 15, 1812, Shelby nominated Greenup as his replacement.^[11] The Kentucky Senate approved the nomination on February 3, 1813, and Greenup served until his resignation on March 13, 1813.^[11]

Greenup died April 27, 1818, at Blue Lick Springs Resort, where he had traveled seeking relief from his rheumatism.^[2] He is buried in the Frankfort Cemetery.^[12] Greenup County, Kentucky was named in his honor, as was its county seat of Greenup, Kentucky.

Footnotes

^[a] The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress gives Greenup's place of birth as Westmoreland County, Virginia.
^[b] Hopkins states that Greenup's will included six children – two sons and four daughters.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Harrison, p. 388
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Encyclopedia of Kentucky, p. 72
3. ^ NGA Bio
4. ^ Trowbridge, "Kentucky's Military Governors"
5. ^ Harrison, pp. 388–389
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Hopkins, p. 12
7. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Powell, p. 18
8. ^ ^{a b c} Hopkins, p. 13
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Harrison, p. 389
10. ^ Powell, p. 16
11. ^ ^{a b c} "Secretary of State Christopher Greenup". Kentucky Secretary of State
12. ^ Congressional Biography

Bibliography

• Christopher Greenup at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Encyclopedia of Kentucky. New York City, New York: Somerset Publishers. 1987. ISBN 0403099811. 
• Harrison, Lowell H. (1992). "Greenup, Christopher". In Kleber, John E.. The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Associate editors: Thomas D. Clark, Lowell H. Harrison, and James C. Klotter. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813117720. 
• Hopkins, James F. (2004). "Christopher Greenup". In Lowell Hayes Harrison. Kentucky's Governors. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813123267. 
• "Kentucky Governor Christopher Greenup". National Governors Association. http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=8283c895ddf56010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD. Retrieved 2007-08-24. 
• Powell, Robert A. (1976). Kentucky Governors. Danville, Kentucky: Bluegrass Printing Company. ASIN B0006CPOVM, OCLC 2690774. 
• "Secretary of State Christopher Greenup". Kentucky Secretary of State. http://apps.sos.ky.gov/secdesk/sosinfo/default.aspx?id=10. Retrieved 2011-05-09. 
• Trowbridge, John M.. "Kentucky's Military Governors". Kentucky National Guard History e-Museum. Kentucky National Guard. http://kynghistory.ky.gov/people/Kentucky+Military+Governors.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 

Further reading

• Brown, Orlando (April 1951). "The Governors of Kentucky [1792–1825]". The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 49: pp. 102–106. 
• Jourdan, Elise Greenup (1992). Early Families of Southern Maryland. 1. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications. 

External links

Biography portal

• Christopher Greenup at The Political Graveyard
• Service record from Francis B. Heitman's Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army

Political offices
Preceded by James Garrard	Governor of Kentucky 1804–1808	Succeeded by Charles Scott

Persondata
Name	Greenup, Christopher
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1750
Place of birth	Fairfax County, Virginia
Date of death	April 27, 1818
Place of death	Frankfort, Kentucky