James Waddel

His parents, Thomas and Janetta Waddel, emigrated to the United States later that same year, settling in southeastern Pennsylvania near the Delaware line.

In 1767 James and Mary were married at her father's home (later renamed Verville, and moved into the "Honeymoon Cottage" on the property near the intersection of two grances of the Corrotoman River.

Under the influence of Samuel Davies, whose circuit included Hanover and Louisa Counties Waddel decided to study for the ministry.

[4] Patrick Henry classed Waddel with Samuel Davies as one of the two greatest orators he had ever heard, and James Madison reputedly said: "He has spoiled me for all other preaching,".

[1] When the American Revolutionary War began, the Waddel family moved to the Tinkling Spring church in Augusta County and also preached in Staunton.

During the war, Waddel made many addresses to soldiers encouraging them to fight; one stirring sermon in particular was having been given to the forces of Campbell, McDowell, and Moffett, while assembled at Midway in preparation to meet the army of Charles Cornwallis in North Carolina.

[5] Waddel became one of the founding trustee of Liberty Hall, formerly the Augusta Academy, when in 1776 it was renamed in a burst of revolutionary fervor and relocated to Lexington, Virginia.

[7][8] In 1785 Waddel settled on an estate in Louisa County, where he supplied vacant pulpits and ran a classical school.

Waddel died at "Hopewell", his Louisa County estate near Gordonsville, Virginia, on September 17, 1805, survived by his wife Mary and seven children.

"In 1871 his body was moved to the yard of the Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church at Rapidan, Culpeper County, Virginia.