James Garrard
Kentucky’s 2nd Governor
James Garrard was born January 14, 1749 in Stafford County, VA. He was the second child of Colonel William and Mary Naughty Garrard. His father was a county lieutenant giving him the rank of colonel and in charge of the county militia. The county courthouse was built on their land.
During his childhood, James worked on the farm and attended the schools in Stafford County. He studied at home and loved books. He was associated with the Hartwood Baptist Church near Fredericksburg, VA.
Garrard married Elizabeth Mountjoy, his childhood sweetheart, in 1769. They had twelve children. Three children died before the age of two. All his sons participated in the War of 1812 and served in the KY General Assembly.
Garrard served in the Revolutionary War as a member of his father’s Stafford County militia. He was captured by the British while on a schooner in the Potomac River. He refused to offer information but later escaped.
In 1779, Garrard was elected to represent Stafford County in the VA House of Delegates. He advocated for a bill that granted religious freedom to all Virginians. Passage of the bill ended religious persecution from those associated with the Church of England. After the session, he returned to his military duties where he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
Following the war, Garrad’s former neighbor, John Edwards encouraged him to consider traveling to KY. Garrard and Samuel Grant headed west. Being a veteran, Garrard was able to claim any vacant land and record it for himself at the state land office. He claimed 40,000 acres for himself and made claims for family and friends. He then moved his family to Fayette County, KY.
Three years later, he employed John Metcalfe, a noted stonemason and older half-brother of future KY Governor Thomas Metcalfe, to build his estate. Mount Lebanon was located on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River, near what will be Paris in Bourbon County, KY. There he farmed, ran a grist mill, lumber mill and whiskey distillery.
In 1785, Garrard was elected to represent Fayette County in the VA legislature. He served on a committee to recommend the division of KY County. One of the new counties was Bourbon, his county of residence. His estate was temporarily the county seat.
Later, he participated in three statehood conventions representing Bourbon County while running a farm, a mill, and a whiskey distiller.
He was also an ordained Baptist minister in 1791 and was a strong influence on religion in Kentucky too. He was then a delegate to the Kentucky Constitutional Convention in 1792 after which Kentucky was admitted to the Union and accepted as a Commonwealth.
He was the second Governor of Kentucky from June 7, 1796 - September 5, 1804.
He was first elected with controversy. On the first ballot, Benjamin Logan received 21 votes, Garrard received 17 and Thomas Todd received 14. They followed with a second ballot where most of Todd’s votes went with Garrard.
He also endorsed the 1798 and 1799 Kentucky Resolutions, and formed twenty six counties.
During his first term as governor, Kentucky drafted a new constitution. He and his son, William were not chosen as delegates because of their anti slavery views.
For Garrard’s re-election in 1800, due to the new Kentucky constitution he was the state's first Governor elected by popular vote.
During a small conflict with the Spanish then President Thomas Jefferson asked Garrard to raise a militia to be prepared for what may come. Garrard obliged by offering land for volunteers.
He was the first resident of the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort.
He died at his residence at Mount Lebanon and was buried there. The state legislature erected a monument at his final resting place the following year. Garrard County, Kentucky was named after him and four of his direct descendants became generals in the Union Army during the Civil War.
He was beloved by all Kentuckians and was honored for his able public service, for his Christian character, and the purity of his private life.
