USA > Washington DC > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 65
USA > Virginia > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 65
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
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erley R. and Mary (Alexander) Wellford. brigade surgeon, Armistead's brigade, but Dr. Robert Wellford, of England, and later he was assigned as division surgeon a surgeon in the English army during the Revolutionary war, settled at its close in Virginia, at Fredericksburg, and married Catherine Yates, of that city. Their son, Dr. Beverley R. Wellford, the father of Dr. John S., was born in Fredericksburg, July 29, 1797, and died in Richmond, December 24, 1870. He was professor of materia medica in the Medical college of Virginia from October, 1854, until about 1868, and was possessed of more than ordinary learning and skill as a practi- tioner and teacher; he was also president of the American Medical association in 1852. He married, in 1824, at Fredericks- burg, Mary Alexander becoming his wife. She was the youngest child of William Alexander of Stafford, Va., and his wife,
to Jackson's hospital at Richmond, where he continued till six weeks after the sur- render, being one of the physicians to render the last army hospital service. The war being ended, Dr. Wellford located in Richmond, where he has since continued in an increasing practice, be- coming recognized as a leading general practitioner, and to the advancement of his profession he has largely contributed. He was prominent among the organizers of the Medical society of Virginia, of which he has been a member since its in- ception, and of which he has twice been vice-president. Since the early fifties he has been a member of the American Medical association. And upon the in- auguration and establishment of the Sarah Casson. Sarah (Casson) Well- Southern Surgical and Gynecological ford was born at Snowden, Va., in society, he was prominent in the move- October, 1803, and died in Richmond, Va., ment and has continued a member of that society. Among the physicians and in the medical societies of Richmond, he has played a prominent part. In 1868, he became professor of materia medica and therapeutics in the Medical college of Virginia, and has since remained a pro- fessor in that institution, and for the last few years he has held the chair of dis- eases of children and women, and it may be here added that Dr. Wellford has, perhaps, given more attention to this part of medical science and practice than any other; and in the treatment of dis- eases of women and children he has shown much skill, and in such he has had a large and successful practice. Although he has continuously been actively en- gaged in professional work, still Dr. Wellford has not been unmindful of the progress and interest of the public. He has served as city alderman and as a in January, 1869, leaving five sons and one daughter. One of these sons is Dr. John S. Wellford. The latter received his classical education at Fredericksburg, his native town, and began the study of medicine under the direction of his father. In 1846, he graduated in medicine from the university of Pennsylvania, at Phil- adelphia, and immediately returned to Fredericksburg, and entered into what has proven to be one of the most success- ful practices of medicine in the history of the profession in Virginia. He continued to practice at Fredericksburg until 1860, when he went to Europe, where for one year he attended hospitals, thus adding to an already well acquired ability and professional knowledge a more thorough equipment for general practice. In 1861, he returned to Virginia, and at once entered the Confederate States army sa
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member of the city council; and he is a schools. He has been twice married; prominent member of the Masonic fra- first, in 1853, to Matilda T. Fitzhugh, ternity. * He was married April 8, 1858, daughter of William C. Fitzhugh, Esq., Miss Emmeline Tabb becoming his wife. and to them were born seven children, of She was born in Gloucester county, Va., the daughter of Philip E. Tabb, Esq., formerly of that county, but now de- ceased. Dr. Wellford and wife are com- municants of the Presbyterian church of Richmond, and are among the most highly respected families of the city.
BENONI WHEAT.
Benoni Wheat belongs to the distin- young man. He was married, in 1807, to
guished Virginia family of that name which was intermarried with the equally illustrious family of Fitzhugh. He is one of the leading and representative business men of Alexandria and in years past has enjoyed some of the most flattering of honors which his admiring townsmen could bestow upon him. He was born in Alexandria April 5, 1823, and was ed- ucated at Dickinson college, Pennsyl- vania. After leaving college he spent a couple of years in St. Louis, but returned to his native city and embarked in the mercantile line and carried it on until the war broke out. He was captured very early in the-hostilities and was confined in the Capitol prison, but shortly after- ward gave his parole and resumed his business. In 1870 he was elected presi- dent of the Alexandria Insurance com- pany, which position he still holds; in 1886 he was made president of the Alex-
whom four died in infancy and three grew to maturity: Clarence, Harrie Fitz- hugh and Alice Maude. The first wife died July 2, 1885, and he was married, in 1890. to Lydie Addison Hester, daughter of Mr. Hester of Washington, D. C. Benoni Wheat's father was Benoni Wheat of Charles county, Md., born in 1789, and who came to Virginia when a Mary Napler Jordan of St. Mary's county, Md., and to them were born eleven chil- dren, of whom seven grew to maturity, as follows: Adeline Bond, deceased wife of B. H. Lambert; John Jordan, deceased; Harriet Hemphill, Robert Wilson, Mary Ann, deceased wife of Francis F. Trip- lett of Fairfax county, mother of ten chil- dren; Benoni, of Alexandria, Va .; Martha Jane, widow of James F. Carlin. Benoni Wheat, the elder, was a member of the Alexandria council for many years, and died in 1850. The founder of the house in America came from England under Lord Baltimore.
DR. LEWIS WHEAT,
one of Richmond's reliable and foremost physicians, was born in Rockingham county, Va., May 20, 1856. He is the son of Rev. James C. Wheat, D. D., an Epis- copal minister, who is a native of Wash- andria Water company, and in 1887 he ington, D. C. Dr. Wheat is of English was elected president of the Citizens, descent as to both parents. His mother National bank, and is president of the was Elizabeth R. Lewis, a native of Rock- Northwestern Improvement company of ingham county, Va., and with her husband Alexandria and of the Bethel cemetery is still living. Dr. Lewis Wheat had his company; he has also served in the city literary and educational training from his council, and as president of the board of father, who is a classical scholar and one fire wardens, and trustee of the public of the oldest teachers in the United
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States, having taught sixty-one consecu-| dent of the Dismal Swamp Canal com- tive terms. He commenced his pedagog- pany, and was president and principal ical career at the age of eighteen and has owner of the Norfolk City railway from since devoted his time to teaching and 1874 to 1887. At present, Mr. Whitehead preaching the gospel, being now in his is largely engaged in the real estate busi- ness. He was married, in 1843, to Emily Arnold Herman, daughter of Henry Her- man, a union blessed with several chil- dren, of whom Henry C., Emily, wife of Washington Taylor, and Lily B., wife of T. W. Walke, survive. Nathan White-
eightieth year. At the age of fourteen the doctor became a clerk in a book store in Staunton, Va., and from that time until he was twenty-one he followed various pursuits. At twenty-one he entered upon the study of medicine under Dr. William P. McGuire of Winchester. In 1881 he head, the father of John B., was born in Southampton county in 1792, and was a graduate of the old Pennsylvania Medical college. He practiced medicine in Norfolk with success for many years, and finally
graduated from the medical department of the university of Virginia and at once began his professional career in Rich- mond, where he has practiced ever since, being now one of the leading young phy- gave up the profession to accept the pres- sicians of the city. He is a member of idency of the Farmers' bank, which the Virginia Medical society, and makes responsible position he held for twenty- a specialty of surgery, though his practice seven years, or until his death in 1856. is general. He is a member of the Epis- He was a magistrate in Norfolk for thir- copal church, a Mason and an Odd ty-eight years, and during the scourge of Fellow, and a member of the board of yellow fever, upon the death of the mayor, visitors of the Virginia Medical college. took charge of the city. He was mar- Dr. Wheat was united in marriage, in ried, in 1817, to Miss Lillian Blair Mc- 1886, to Ella W. Rutherford of Richmond. Pherson, who bore him several children, He has three children, one son and two of whom the following five lived to ma- daughters. At the present time Dr. turity: Elizabeth, deceased in 1855; John Wheat is the regimental surgeon of the B., Cornelia G., deceased wife of Henry First Virginia cavalry.
JOHN B. WHITEHEAD.
Irvin, of Maryland; William C., died in January, 1857; and Mary Elizabeth, de ceased wife of Lieutenant Carter Braxton Poindexter, of the United States navy. The grandfather of Mr. Whitehead was William Whitehead, a native of South- ampton county, and a farmer all his life.
John B. Whitehead, the leading real estate man of Norfolk, was born in the house in which he now resides in that city, Nov. 13, 1822. He was educated in Elizabethtown, N. J., and at Coleman's school in Carolina. He has been presi- FRANCIS M. WHITEHURST dent of the common council of Norfolk was born in Princess Anne county, Va., December 1, 1835. He was educated in his youth in the schools of Norfolk, and at a later period graduated from the uni- versity of Virginia. In 1861 he enlisted for ten years, and served as mayor from 1870 to 1872 and again from 1874 to 1876, and has been president of both the Ex- change and Franklin banks, president of the Baker Salvage company, and presi- in a company organized in Norfolk, and
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was afterward assigned to duty in the John F. Thorowgood, of Norfolk; Will- Sixth Virginia infantry, Mahone's brigade. iam H., deceased; Jane, deceased wife of He served two years as a private, and was | Mr. Walker (deceased) of Middlesex, then elected first lieutenant of the com- Va .; Francis M., of Norfolk; Reuben, de- pany and commanded it at the battle of ceased, and Amy, wife of Walter Land, of Florida. The grandfather was Daniel Whitehurst, also a native of Princess Anne county. the Crater, where he was captured and held a prisoner until the close of the war. During his service on the field he was in the following battles: Seven Pines, Mal- vern Hill, Second Bull Run, Fredericks- JOHN GREEN WILLIAMS burg, Gettysburg, Bristow Station, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, and the battles around Petersburg, where he led the right wing upon the memora- ble charge of the Crater, and out of nine- ty-four men in his company seventy-five were killed or wounded. After the war Mr. Whitehurst practiced law in Princess
was born in Orange, Orange county, Va., January 19, 1843, and was educated at William and Mary college, where he re- ceived the degree of bachelor of arts, after the war. He left college in May, 1861, and in May, 1862, entered the Con- federate service, enlisting in the Thirty- eight Virginia regiment of volunteer in- Anne county, where he has been both fantry. Soon after he was transferred to commonwealth's attorney and county company A, Thirteenth Virginia regiment · judge, filling these offices with distin- of infantry, and was detailed as a courier guished ability. He located in Norfolk on Gen. J. B. Early's staff. He acted in in 1884, where he has successfully prac- that capacity until the surrender at Appomattox. He took part in the follow- ing named battles; Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spottsyl- of Commerce and of the Norfolk Real vania C. H., Wilderness, the fights around ticed his profession ever since; he is also president of the Holstein Improvement company of Norfolk, director of the Bank Estate Investment company. He was Richmond, Monocacy, Winchester, and married, January 21, 1873, to Laura E. Cedar Creek, the fights around Peters- Styron, daughter of Henry V. Styron of burg and many engagements of less note.
Princess Anne county, by whom he has had three children: Sue, Ethel and Mabel. The father of Francis M. Whitehurst was William Whitehurst, born in Princess Anne county in 1790. He followed the pursuit of agriculture all his life and was After the surrender at Appomattox Mr. Williams returned to his home in Orange county, arriving there Saturday, April 16, 1865, and on April 18 he went to work on his father's farm, remaining there un- til 1871, when he was admitted to the bar. presiding magistrate for many years and He located at Orange and began the also commissioner of revenue. He was practice of law, which he has pursued married in 1815 to Miss Amy Lovett, and there ever since. In 1870 he was ap- to them were born ten children, of whom pointed clerk of the courts and held that nine grew to maturity, as follows: Ann, position for one year. He was elected widow of J. W. Old, of Norfolk; Daniel, commonwealth attorney in 1881, an office deceased; Margaret, widow of Benjamin which he has ever since held. Mr. Wil- Flanagan, of Norfolk; Mary A., widow of liams has served as chairman of the
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Orange county democratic central com- mittee. August 16, 1871, he was married to Miss Kate Murat Willis, daughter of Col. George Willis, a native of Fred- ericksburg, Va. They have have had born to them the following children: Sallie Innis, Lewis Catlett, Kate Burwell, Mary Page and John Green Williams, Jr., Lewis B. Williams, the father of Mr. Williams, was born in Fredericksburg, Va., January 27, 1802, and was educated at Princeton, N. J. He was admitted to the bar in 1823, and located · at Culpeper, where he remained two years and then went to Orange and practiced law until county; Alice C .; John G .; Charles C., who was first in the Thirteenth regiment and afterward in the First regiment, served all through the war and died in June, 1865, from disease contracted in the service; and Nannie Clayton, wife of P. G. Cald- well, of King William county. Mr. Will- iams' mother died in 1849, and his father was married again in 1852, to Miss Char- lotte J. Blair, of Orange county; she died in June, 1865, without issue, and the father was married again in 1870, to Emily F. O'Bannon, née Brent, of Winchester, Va., by whom he had no issue. Mr. Williams' grandfather was William Clayton Will- his death April 20, 1879. In 1832 he was iams, who was born in 1760 in Fredericks- elected to the house of delegates, serving burg, Va., where he practiced law for many years and then removed to Rich- mond, where he remained engaged in the there one term. He was appointed com- monwealth attorney for Orange county in 1833 and held that office about forty- professional work of his life, until his seven years, at the expiration of which death in 1820. He married Alice Bur- nell, of Gloucester county, Va., and they had several children, three of whom came to adult age. Their names are John G., Lewis B.and Luther Page Williams. The great-grandfather was a native of Virginia time his son succeeded him. It is a proof of their fitness and efficiency in adminis- tering the duties of this office that they have been the only individuals who have ever held the office since the organization of the present judiciary system in the and was also a member of the legal pro- county. The father was married three fession. Mr. Williams' ancestors upon times; first, in 1828, to Mary, daughter of his father's side were English.
Robert Catlett, of Fauquier county. The issue of this marriage was nine children, WILLIAM GRYMES WILLIAMS, of whom eight came to maturity. Their brother of John G. Williams, above men- names were William G., of Orange; he tioned, was born November 8, 1829, at Orange Court House, Orange county, Va. He was educated in his native town and at the university of Virginia; took a law course at William and Mary college and was admitted to the bar in 1853, when he located at Orange Court House, where he practiced his profession until 1857, and then went to Richmond, where he taught school until 1861. He then enlisted in the Confederate service, going into the
was commissary of the Fifty-eighth regi- ment of Virginia infantry all through the Civil war, and married Miss Roberta B. Hansbrough; Lewis B., who was first lieu- tenant-colonel of the Seventh Virginia regiment of infantry, and after May, 1862, was made colonel of the First regiment, and was killed at Gettysburg, leaving no issue; Mary B., widow of George C. Lee, of King William's county; Mildred P., widow of R. S. Booton, of Madison Fifty-eighth Virginia infantry regiment
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as company commissary, serving in that commissioned lieutenant of company K, capacity all through the war, though for of the same regiment. In this position a long time he acted as brigade commis- he served with great credit for some time, sary. After the war had come to an end, and at Appomattox was in command of Mr. Williams resumed the practice of two companies. He served in the army law at Orange Court House, and con- of northern Virginia under Gen. R. E. Lee tinued his practice until 1870, when he in Gen. A. P. Hill's corps, and was in was elected judge of the county court. every battle fought by the army of north- He served in this capacity ten years and ern Virginia except Malvern Hill, at then resigned and went into business on which time he was in the hospital. He New river; he remained there until 1883 served successively in the seizure of the and then returned to Orange. In 1884, magazine at Norfolk, Craney's Island, he went into business there, which he near Norfolk, Drewry's Bluff, Seven still carries on. He was married Septem- Days' fight around Richmond, French's Farm, Charles City Roads, Warrenton, Va., second Manassas, Hampton Gap, ber 10, 1857, to Miss Roberta Hansbrough and they had nine children, five of whom came to maturity. Their names are Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Culpeper Court House, Williamsport, Martinsburg,
William Clayton, who married Evelyn Johnson, daughter of Joseph H. Johnson; Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettys- Richard Catlett, deceased in April, 1888; Lewis B., Bessie C., and James S. Will- iams. burg, Bristow Station, Hatcher's Run, Wilcox House, Boynton Plank Road, Bellefield, Ream's Station, the battle of THEODORICK ARMISTEAD WILLIAMS, the Crater, where the regiment went into action with ninety-three men, of whom eighty-four went down in that red vortex of death. Williams' company, consisting of sixteen men and three officers at the beginning of the battle, had fifteen men and two officers killed and wounded. At the close of the war, Mr. Williams re-
a well known and successful wholesale dealer, was born in Norfolk, Va., Febru- uary 20, 1840. He was educated in the schools of that city, and at the age of sev- enteen entered the wholesale shipping house of Rowland & Reynolds, where he
remained a year, and after keeping the sumed his business in Norfolk under books of another large firm, he gained very discouraging circumstances, but his sufficient education to embark in the thorough business training and great pop- wholesale grocery business for himself, ularity soon put him again on the road which, with the exception of the period of to success, and within a short time his the Civil war, he has since conducted prosperity became thoroughly assured. with the largest measure of success. At In 1869 he was elected a director of the the beginning of that great struggle he Citizens' bank of Norfolk, which position entered the service of the Confederacy, he held for a period of twenty years, and enlisting in company E, Sixth Virginia in 1889 he was elected president of the infantry, as a private, but was shortly bank of Commerce, the duties of which afterward promoted to the highest non- he has since ably discharged. He is trustee of the Norfolk academy, director commissioned position, and for gallant and meritorious conduct was subsequently of the Seamen's Friends' society, and is
61
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prominently connected with other public and at Stanton school near Sandy Spring, and commercial enterprises, being chair- Md. Before the war he was engaged as man of the Citizens' select committee of a clerk and went into the Confederate service May 24, 1861, as a member of the Old Dominion Rifles, which organization was afterward assigned to the Seventeeth Virginia regiment and known as com- pany H. Mr. Wise went into the com- pany as a corporal, and soon afterward was made second sergeant, He served in company H of the same regiment until December, 1863, when he was transferred to the First engineer troop and made sergeant, serving as such to the close of the war. He took part in the following battles: Langley, Alexandria C. H., the seven days' fight around Richmond, ex- cept Malvern Hill and Fraser's farm; Wil- derness, Petersburg, and put up large guns there as engineer, erected embank- ments, etc. At the close of the war he returned to Alexandria, and soon after went into the employ of the Orange & Alexandria railroad, and then the Wash- ington road, in which he remained for two years. In January, 1867, he went into the insurance business, which he now car- ries on. Norfolk, and of the financial committee for years, and also one of the managers of the Boys' home. He was married in February, 1864, to Gertrude Smart, daugh- ter of John P. Smart, of Leesburg. To this union six children were born, of whom five survive, as follows: John, Pierson, Henrietta A., Theodorick A., Jr., and Mary Wherry Williams. Mr. Will- iams's father was John Williams, who was born in Fairfax county, in Novem- ber, 1803. He removed to Norfolk in 1830, and entered the clerk's office, to which position he was afterward elected, and which he held until his removal, in 1862, by order of Gen. B. F. Butler, then military dictator of the district. He served as city treasurer for several years and retired from active life a short time prior to his death, which event occurred in 1875. He was married, in 1831, to Martha Armistead, who bore him four children: Eliza D., wife of William Sharpe, of Norfolk; Walter W., rector of Christ's Episcopal church, of Balti- more, Md .; Theodorick A., of Norfolk, and John Newton, of Norfolk. The grandfather of Mr. Williams was named William Walter Williams, born in Vir- ginia in 1775. He married Henrietta Wheeler about 1800 and died in 1815. He was an extensive farmer and a repre- sentative man of his day. The paternal ancestors of the Williams family were of Welsh extraction, and on the maternal side English. The maternal grandmother of Mr. Williams is Martha Newton, and she is still a resident of Norfolk.
GEORGE WISE
was born in Alexandria, Va., May 14, 1840, and was educated in his native city
Mr. Wise was happily married, in 1868, to Miss Ida V., daughter of James Smoot, of Alexandria, and they have had three children: Claude Newton, who died in 1887 at the age of eighteen years; Cary May and Florence Wise. The name of Mr. Wise's father was George Peter Wise, who was born, in 1805, near Alex- andria. He carried on the mercantile trade in that city for many years and served several terms as mayor. He was a member of a company called the light horse cavalry, formed in Alexandria to take part in the Mexican war, but the company saw no active service. He was one of the escort which received Gen-
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eral Lafayette in Alexandria in 1824, |ing. He was admitted to the bar in Mr. Wise was married in 1829 to Miss Sina Ann, daughter of William Newton, of Alexandria, and they had ten children, nine of whom came to maturity. Their
1861, but, owing to the opening of the inter-state war, did not immediately be- gin practice. On the contrary, fired with zeal for the cause of the south, he enlisted names were Peter, Jennie S., deceased; that year in the First Kentucky national Edwin N., of Redford county, Va .; guard, of a company of which he was ap- Martha N., George, Frank Adams, Will-
pointed lieutenant, and was assigned to iam N., of Leesburg; Mary Ann and duty at Maryland Heights. He was soon James Cloud, of Prince William county. made adjutant of his regiment, and served The father of Mr. Wise died in 1882; his with it until it was disbanded in 1862. He mother in 1865. Mr. Wise's grandfather was subsequently transferred to the south- was George Wise, who was born in Vir- western army and served through the ginia in 1778. He was a man of con- campaign of Tennessee and Mississippi, siderable means and was twice married. being wounded at Resaca. While with After the death of his first wife he mar- Stuart's division he was on the staff of ried Miss Grath. He died in 1856. The great-grandfather of Mr. Wise was Peter Wise, who was a native of England.
HON. GEORGE D. WISE,
a leading citizen of Richmond, Va., and one of her most eminent attorneys, was born in Accomac county, Va., in 1835, a son of Tully and Margaret D. (Wise) Wise. Tully Wise was also born in Accomac county and was educated to the law, but never practiced, preferring plant- ing for a vocation. He was very popular as a gentleman and a scholar and was
Major Gen. E. L. Stevenson, and carried the last dispatch to Gen. Johnston before the fall of Vicksburg. After recovering from his wound he joined Hood in his march through Tennessee, and was with Hood and Johnston until the final sur- render, in 1865, at Greensboro, N. C. He then began the active practice of his pro- fession at Richmond, Va., and in 1870 was elected commonwealth attorney, served one term, and then was re-elected. In 1880 he was elected to congress (in which body he had served as a page in his youth) . His career in the national legislature ran
twice elected to the state legislature; he through the forty-seventh, forty-eighth, also held the office of state auditor, and forty-ninth, fiftieth, and fifty-first con- was generally active in directing the gresses, in all of which he was noted for
political affairs of his district. He was his untiring industry and comprehensive statesmanship. He held membership in the most important committees, such as those on naval affairs, foreign affairs, united in marriage to a daughter of John Wise, Esq., a prominent lawyer, who once served as speaker in the house of dele- gates and was thoroughly posted in the rivers and harbors, military affairs, mer- politics of Virginia.
George D. Wise received his education at the Indiana university and at William and Mary college, beginning the study of the law at the latter institution and fined himself to the practice of his profes- continuing the study thereof after leav-
chant marine and fisheries, and in the forty-ninth congress was chairman of the committee on manufactures. Since his retirement from public life he has con- | sion, in which he has no successful rival.
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RICHARD HOSKINS WRIGHT.
The name of Richard Hoskins Wright is familiar in the business public of Nor- folk, as he is a man of great financial ability and executive talent. He was born in Norfolk, September 17, 1854, and educated in the Norfolk academy. From
From 1886 to 1890 he was chairman of the committe of street, sewer and drain- age commissioners, and for two years was treasurer of the Norfolk board of water commissioners.
Mr. Wright was married in 1886 to Mary Morrison Hobson, daughter of his earliest years he developed qualities Capt. John D. Hobson, of Goochland of accuracy and promptness wnich in- county - one son, Richard Hobson spired him to make the choice of a strictly Wright, being the only issue of the union. Mr. Wright is the son of Richard Baker Wright, an old and honored resident of Norfolk, who was born in that city in mercantile vocation. His first experience was obtained in a dry goods store in his native city, but this field proving too nar- row for the development of his broader 1816. His wife, with whom he contracted views of life, he sought, after a couple of marriage in 1840, was Martha Howard years, employment as a bookkeeper in the Shields, daughter of Henry Howard National bank of Norfolk, where he re- Shields, of York county, Va. To this mained ten years, during which time he union were born seven children, of whom acquired valuable information both of the Martha L. Wright and Richard H. system of banking and a knowledge of Wright survive. Richard B. Wright was men and events so essential to a success- principally engaged in farming all his life, but at the time of his death, in 1867, was ful business career. After this, his pro- motion was both rapid and lucrative, treasurer of the city of Norfolk. The being elected to the position of cashier of grandfather of Richard H. Wright was William Wright, also a native of Norfolk county, being born in 1786. He was a farmer, a man of wealth, and for many the Merchants & Miners' Transportation company, and in 1890 was thought worthy to be made the general agent of the large and important corporation, which position years held the honorable position of pre- he holds at present, both with credit to siding magistrate of Norfolk county. himself and satisfaction to the company. He died, full of years and honors, in 1841.
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