William H. Cabell

William H. Cabell (December 16, 1772 – January 12, 1853) was a Virginia politician and Democratic-Republican. He served as Member of the Assembly, as Governor of Virginia, and as judge. He adopted his middle initial, which does not stand for anything, in 1795, to distinguish himself from other William Cabells, including his uncle (and father-in-law) and his first cousin.

Cabell was born at “Boston Hill” in what is now Cumberland County, Virginia on December 16, 1772. He was the son of Colonel Nicholas Cabell and Hannah Carrington Cabell. He studied under private teachers and later attended Hampden-Sydney College and the College of William and Mary, graduating from W&M in July 1793. He then came to Richmond to complete the study of law and was licensed there on June 13, 1794. He began practice in July 1794. He started his career as a lawyer and entered the politics. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and a Presidential elector. He was the 14th Governor of Virginia from 1805 to 1808. In December 1808, he was elected as a judge of the general court. After being on that court for two years he was elected to the Court of Appeals on March 21, 1811. Serving continuously until the reorganization of the court in 1831, he was again elected to the new court, where he became president on January 18, 1842. He remained in this position until 1851 but during his last year was frequently unable to be present because of ill health. Judge Cabell was on the Court of Appeals for forty-one years. He died on January 12, 1853 in Richmond, Virginia and was there interred in Shockoe Hill Cemetery.

Cabell County, West Virginia was named in his honor.