Daniel Sheffey

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title: "Daniel Sheffey" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1770-births", "1830-deaths", "virginia-lawyers", "politicians-from-frederick,-maryland", "federalist-party-united-states-representatives-from-virginia", "people-from-staunton,-virginia", "19th-century-american-lawyers", "19th-century-united-states-representatives", "19th-century-members-of-the-virginia-general-assembly"] description: "American politician" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Sheffey" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American politician ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Daniel Sheffey
state	Virginia
district	6th
term	March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1817
predecessor	Abram Trigg
successor	Alexander Smyth
office2	Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Augusta County
term2	1822
Alongside Briscoe Baldwin
office3	Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Wythe County
term3	1808
Alongside Joseph Crockett
term4	1800–1803
Alongside John Evans and Alexander Smyth
office5	Member of the Virginia Senate from Botetourt, Grayson, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lee, Monroe, Montgomery, Russell, Tazewell, Washington and Wythe Counties
term5	1804–1807
predecessor5	James Patton Preston
successor5	Francis Smith
birth_date
birth_place	Frederick, Province of Maryland, British America
resting_place	Staunton, Virginia, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Warm Springs, Virginia, U.S.
party	Federalist
profession	lawyer
::

| name = Daniel Sheffey | image = | caption = | state = Virginia | district = 6th | term = March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1817 | predecessor = Abram Trigg | successor = Alexander Smyth |office2 = Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Augusta County |term2 = 1822 Alongside Briscoe Baldwin |office3 = Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Wythe County |term3 = 1808 Alongside Joseph Crockett |term4 = 1800–1803 Alongside John Evans and Alexander Smyth |office5 = Member of the Virginia Senate from Botetourt, Grayson, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lee, Monroe, Montgomery, Russell, Tazewell, Washington and Wythe Counties |term5 = 1804–1807 |predecessor5 = James Patton Preston |successor5 = Francis Smith | birth_date =
| birth_place = Frederick, Province of Maryland, British America | resting_place = Staunton, Virginia, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Warm Springs, Virginia, U.S. | party = Federalist | religion = | spouse = | children = | website = | footnotes = |profession = lawyer Daniel Sheffey (1770December 3, 1830) was a U.S. representative from Virginia.

Biography

He was born in Frederick in the Province of Maryland to Johann Adam Schieffe, a cobbler, and his wife Magdelena Loehr of Südwestpfalz, Germany. They had immigrated to the Province of Maryland about 1764. Largely self-educated, Sheffey pursued classical studies. Apprenticed as a shoemaker in his father's shop, he spent his leisure hours observing nature and the mysteries of astronomy; upon attaining his majority, he walked to Winchester, Virginia and began plying his trade until he built up his resources. He moved to Wytheville, Virginia, in 1791.

He worked at his trade, all the while he attained a reputation for quick wit and immense intellect. Finally, he was received as a student into the office of Alexander Smyth, Esq. an eminent lawyer in that part of the state, and afterwards commander of the northern army during the War of 1812. He was admitted to the bar July 1, 1802, and commenced the practice of his profession in Wytheville. He moved to Staunton, Virginia where he continued the practice of law. He served as member of the Virginia State House of Delegates 1800–1804. He served in the Virginia State senate, 1804–1808.

Sheffey was elected as a Federalist to the Eleventh and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1817). On January 30, 1812, he married Maria Hanson, the daughter of Lt. Col. Samuel Hanson of Mulberry Grove, Maryland and great-niece to John Hanson, President of the Continental Congress. In 1814, Sheffey was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society. He was again a member of the Virginia State House of Delegates in 1822 and 1823.

He died at the Warm Springs, Virginia on December 3, 1830, while on his way from Greenbrier Chancery Court to his home in Staunton, Virginia. He was buried in the churchyard at Trinity Episcopal Church (Staunton, Virginia).

Electoral history

• 1809; Sheffey was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 66.56% of the vote, defeating Democrat Republican Francis Preston.
• 1811; Sheffey was re-elected unopposed.
• 1813; Sheffey was re-elected unopposed.
• 1815; Sheffey was re-elected unopposed.

References

Sources

• Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. 4, p. 346, Thom. W. White, Publisher & Proprietor, Richmond, Virginia, June 1838

| state=Virginia | district=6 | before=Abram Trigg | after=Alexander Smyth | years=1809–1817}}

References

1. [http://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlists American Antiquarian Society Members Directory]

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