John Taliaferro Brooke (1761-1821)—the son of Richard Brooke (died 1792) and grandson of Robert Brooke who accompanied Alexander Spotswood and the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe on their expedition west. During the American Revolution, John T. Brooke and his three brothers served in the Continental army. John practiced law in Fredericksburg and was a partner with James Madison. After the Revolution, he abandoned his law practice and concentrated on running his farm, Millvale, on which now stands the present Brooke VRE station. He was the first president of the Farmers Bank of Fredericksburg and represented Stafford in the House of Delegates from 1805-1808. In 1812 he was presidential elector for his old friend, James Madison.