Who were these "Gentlemen Justices?"

In 1788, the Courthouse was due to be renovated or rebuilt. In order to raise the funds for this, though, it was put to a vote whether or not the Court had the authority to tax the county for these funds. Years earlier, when George Mason was serving on the House of Burgess, something similar had occurred.

Alexandria was a port city on the Potomac River, making it perfect for imports and exports, especially for tobacco. In 1759, the Court tried to levy a tax of 22,000 pounds of tobacco on all taxable items or people in Fairfax County, with most of the money being used to build a dock in Alexandria for imports and exports. However, planters had many more taxable items and people than merchants.[1] A. G. Roeber even said land was so abundant that no wonder nearly every white male Virginian was a planter of some kind.[2] Whether or not the justices had malicious intent with this tax is a matter for another day. The planters of the county petitioned the House. It was referred to the Committee on Propositions and Grievances. The taxpayers of Fairfax ended up losing their tobacco anyway, but walked away with the view that their County Court was being controlled by Alexandria merchants.

[1] See Hening, Statutes at Large, Second Volume for the 1705 Act that made all non-white female slaves ages sixteen and older tithable (taxable) property, as well as making all males sixteen years and older tithable people.

[2] Roeber, Faithful Magistrates.

1788-1789 vote

Against the tax: 

George Mason, Charles Broadwater, William Payne, Charles Alexander, Roger West , Richard Chichester, Martin Cockburn, David Arell, William Herbert, Charles Little, William Lyles, Thomas Gunnell

For the tax:

Robert Adam, George Gilpin, John Moss, William Brown, Benjamin Dulaney, David Stuart, James Wren, Richard Conway, John Fitzgerald, John Potts

Obviously, George Mason was a planter, along with Charles Alexander and Roger West. David Arell was a coroner and tavernkeeper. William Herbert was a banker. Charles Little, Richard Chichester, and Martin Cockburn all held the office of sheriff at one point. Colonel William Payne was a soldier and a surveyor. Interestingly enough, William Lyles was a merchant.

James Wren was a tavernkeeper. He was also an architect and would be the man to design the new Fairfax County Courthouse. Richard Conway was a retail merchant and served as mayor in Alexandria in 1783. John Fitzgerald was a merchant and brewer. John Potts was a merchant who owned an import store. He was business partners with William Herbert at one point.

William Ramsay was a merchant and had been business partners with John Carlyle at one point in his life. Robert T. Hooe was the first mayor of Alexandria and served in various positions on the Fairfax County Court, including sheriff and justice of the peace.