William Branch Giles

William Branch Giles
portrait by John Adams Elder
24th Governor of Virginia
In office March 4, 1827 – March 4, 1830
Preceded by	John Tyler
Succeeded by	John Floyd
United States Senator from Virginia
In office December 4, 1804 – March 3, 1815
Preceded by	Andrew Moore
Succeeded by	Armistead T. Mason
In office August 11, 1804 – December 4, 1804
Appointed by	John Page
Preceded by	Abraham B. Venable
Succeeded by	Andrew Moore
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 9th district
In office March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803
Preceded by	Joseph Eggleston
Succeeded by	Philip R. Thompson
In office December 7, 1790 – October 2, 1798
Preceded by	Theodorick Bland
Succeeded by	Joseph Eggleston
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Amelia County
In office 1826–1827
In office 1816–1817
In office 1798–1800
Personal details
Born	(1762-08-12)August 12, 1762 Amelia Courthouse, Colony of Virginia, British America
Died	December 4, 1830(1830-12-04) (aged 68) Amelia Courthouse, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Alma mater	College of William & Mary Hampden–Sydney College

William Branch Giles (August 12, 1762 – December 4, 1830; the g is pronounced like a j) was an American statesman, long-term Senator from Virginia, and the 24th Governor of Virginia. He served in the House of Representatives from 1790 to 1798 and again from 1801 to 1803; in between, he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and was an Elector for Jefferson (and Aaron Burr) in 1800. He served as a United States Senator from 1804 to 1815 and then served briefly in the House of Delegates again. After a time in private life, he joined the opposition to John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay in 1824; he ran for the Senate again in 1825 and was defeated but appointed Governor for three one-year terms in 1827; he was succeeded by John Floyd, in the year of his death.