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Virginia Vignettes
Who were the
Loyalists in
Virginia during
the Revolution?
The continuous presence of British ships in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast encouraged a number of residents from the Eastern Shore and Norfolk areas to remain steadfast loyalists throughout the war. Some were merchants who had much to gain financially by trading with Britain; others were smugglers who made handsome profits by bringing in goods forbidden by the nonimportation associations. Still others remained loyal to the mother country out of principle, believing that small losses in personal liberty were more than outweighed by the security provided by membership in the British Empire. Some, too, were outright monarchists who feared that republican forms of government would lead only to chaos and mob rule. The vast majority of the Virginia gentry sided with the patriots; but some notable exceptions included former attorney general John Randolph, Deputy Receiver General Richard Corbin, and a hesitant William Byrd III. Many Anglican clergy and small nonslaveholding farmers in southwest Virginia also remained loyal.
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