Encyclopedia of Virginia biography, Volume V, Part 64

Author: Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, 1853-1935, ed. cn
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 848

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the West Point of the South. His useful life was cut short in his fifty-ninth year, the four years of privation and exposure when a "boy in gray" no doubt shortening his days.

Mr. Doyle married, December 9, 1880, Virginia Barron Camp, daughter of George Washington and Elizabeth Barron (Armi- stead) Camp, granddaughter of George Washington and Frances (Willoughby) Camp, and great-granddaughter of William Camp. These were all old Virginia families of prominence in colonial and revolutionary days, and through her sires, Mrs. Doyle, who survives her husband, gained admission to the Colonial Dames of America and to the Patriotic Order Daughters of the Amer- ican Revolution. Children: Elizabeth Armi- stead, married Joseph Virginius Bidgood ; Edward Fitz Gerald, now a partner of Doyle, Gillam & Company ; Walter Herron, a civil engineer in the service of the city of Norfolk ; John Edward, connected with the United States Tire Company.

Mrs. Doyle is descended from Samuel Barron, of Bristol, England, who came to Virginia about 1609 with his wife and sev- eral children. He commanded Fort George, now Fortress Monroe, Virginia. One of his descendants, James Barron, was in com- mand of vessels in the Virginia navy dur- ing the revolution. His commission was signed by Thomas Jefferson, afterward president of the United States. A photo- graphic copy of this commission is preserved by Mrs. Boyle. She also has portraits of Walter Herron, Sir Thomas Doyle, of coun- ty Wexford, Ireland, John Edward Doyle, Purser Edward Fitz Gerald, and his wife and sons, also a portrait of Major Edward Fitz Gerald, and a sword presented to him by the citizens of Norfolk for gallant con- duct during the war with Mexico. She also has miniature portraits of the immigrant, Samuel Barron, and his descendant, James Barron, as well as of General George W. Camp, her grandfather. She also has the coats-of-arms of the Barron and Willoughby families. Her grandmother, Frances Camp, was a daughter of Thomas Willoughby, who was a son of John Willoughby, the original patentee of Willoughby Point, now known as Willoughby Beach. He was a son of Thomas Willoughby, who came to Virginia in the ship "Prosperous" in 1610, being then forty years old, and became a merchant in

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Virginia. His original home was in Lincoln- shire, England, and all of the name in Vir- ginia are descended from him. The succes- sive generations of Willoughbys in Virginia were large land owners in the borough of Norfolk, Virginia. George Washington Camp (2) graduated in law at William and Mary College, and was cashier of the Old State Bank of Virginia until the Civil war.

Joseph Virginius Bidgood. Born in Rich- mond, Virginia, and educated in the best schools of the state, Mr. Bidgood, after a few years in business in Richmond, located in the city of Norfolk, where, as district manager of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, of Philadelphia, he has won high standing in that city. He is a son of Joseph Virginius and Sarah (Maupin) Bidgood, of Richmond, fourth of their five children: 1. Charles W., who died at age of thirty-seven years : was a lawyer by profession ; he mar- ried Minnie Young, of Lewisburg, West Virginia, and left a son, Charles W. (2). 2. Florence Travis. 3. Kate Cole, married Everard Meade. 4. Joseph Virginius (2), of further mention. 5. Richard Maupin, of Richmond, Virginia.

Joseph Virginius (2) Bidgood was born in Richmond, in July, 1878. After a course of preparatory study in the public schools and McGuire's private school, he entered William and Mary College. He was a stu- dent at the institution during the years 1896 and 1897, but in 1898 he entered Virginia Polytechnic Institute. After completing his college study he returned to Richmond, where until 1902 he was engaged in the rail- road and mill supply business. Closing out in Richmond in 1902, he located in Norfolk, where he engaged in the insurance business, rising to his present responsible position of district manager of the Penn Mutual of Philadelphia. This old, solid and prosper- ous company does not promote weaklings and the positions he holds is the only evi- dence needed to prove his worth as a busi- ness man. He is an Independent in politics, a member of the Protestant Episcopal church, and belongs to the college fratern- ity, Kappa Sigma.

Mr. Bidgood married, October 25, 1913, Elizabeth Armistead Doyle, born in Nor- folk. Virginia, only daughter of Walter Herron and Virginia Barron (Camp) Doyle. Walter Herron Doyle was for twenty-three

years president of the Citizens' Bank of Nor- folk, and is survived by his widow, Virginia Barron (Camp) Doyle, a descendant of colo- nial and revolutionary Virginia families.

John James Roberts. The Roberts family dates from revolutionary and colonial days in Virginia, the family seat having been for many generations in Rappahannock county. Major John Roberts, grandfather of John James Roberts, cashier of the Second Na- tional Bank of Culpeper, Virginia, was an officer of the revolution, and a man of in- fluence in his county.

John James Roberts is a son of Robert Pollard Roberts, who was born in Rappa- hannock county, in 1822, died 1891. During the war between the states he served in the Confederacy for three years, his term of service ending with the surrender at Appo- mattox. He was a farmer and settled in Rockingham county. He married Mary Jane Eastham, born in 1833, died on Christ- mas Day, 1864, daughter of George East- ham, of Rappahannock county. Children : George Edward, born in Rappahannock county, April 17, 1854, married Mattie Cross, of Richmond, now deceased; Lucy Ellen, born January 7, 1857, married Alfred W. Pulliam, of Culpeper county, and has Rob- erts, Jane Mary, Lucy Russell, and Bird Pulliam ; John James, of further mention.

John James Roberts was born in Rock- ingham county. Virginia, November 22, 1858. He was educated in the public schools of Rockingham and Culpeper counties, and in private schools, becoming his father's farm assistant after his years of study were finished. He engaged in the mercantile busi- ness at Raccoon Ford, Culpeper county, Virginia, first engaging as clerk, and later became a member of the firm of Roberts & Company. In 1907 he formed a connection with the Second National Bank of Culpeper as assistant cashier, continuing in that posi- tion until 1911, when he was advanced to his present responsible office-cashier. He is well qualified for the position he fills, by virtue of a thorough knowledge of the laws governing national banking, finance, and is popular with the patrons of the bank, cour- tesy and willingness to serve others being qualities that distinguish his every day intercourse both in and out of banking hours. He is a member and past master of Fairfax Lodge, No. 43, Ancient Free and

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Accepted Masons, a companion of Culpeper Chapter. No. 59. Royal Arch Masons, and enjoys the highest esteem of his Masonic brethren. He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal church, and in politics is a Demo- crat. His club is the Catalpa of Culpeper, and he holds membership in the different social societies of his town.

Mr. Roberts married. June 5, 1895, Minnie Boggs, daughter of Julian and Margaret (Boggs) Anderson, of Franklin, West Vir- ginia. Children: Margaret Anderson and Lucy Chapman.

David Embrey Croushorn. Although born and educated in Augusta county, Vir- ginia, Mr. Croushorn has held official posi- tion in Rockingham county, Virginia, for the past six years, in fact his adult years have been largely spent in the latter county. He is a grandson of David B. Croushorn, a veteran soldier of the Confederacy, and a nephew of David M. Byerly, who also served in the Confederate army. His mater- nal grandfather, Benjamin Byerly, of An- gusta county. Virginia, was born in 1802, died in 1896. Howard Vanlear Croushorn, son of David B. Croushorn, was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, in 1849, mar- ried Mattie Ann Byerly and had three sons : David E., of further mention; Benjamin Glenn, a farmer ; Worth Whitmore, now en- gaged in the lumber business in North Carolina.

David Embrey Croushorn, eldest son of Howard Vanlear and Mattie Ann (Byerly) Croushorn, was born in Augusta county. Virginia. July 10, 1881. He attended public schools in Augusta county until seventeen years of age, finishing his school years in the military school at Blackstone, Virginia. In 1908 he was appointed deputy sheriff of Rockingham. serving from January I of that year until January 26, 1914, when he was appointed sheriff of the county, to fill out the unexpired term of his predecessor. His record as a public official has been clean and creditable, his administration of the sheriff's office meeting with the approval of all having business with that department of county government. Mr. Croushorn has served for two years in the Virginia Na- tional Guard, Company H. Seventy-second Regiment, that company being located at Harrisonburg. He is a member of Valley Lodge, No. 40, Independent Order of Odd

Fellows, and the Royal Arcanum, a com- municant of the Presbyterian church of Harrisonburg, and in political faith is a Democrat.

He married, September 27, 1904, Fannie Elizabeth Hammen, born at McGaheysville, Virginia, daughter of Joseph A. and Dora V. (Argabridght) Hammen. Child, Frank Howard, born in Harrisonburg, Virginia. the county seat of Rockingham county, September 30, 1907.

Leighton Hartwell Peebles. Leighton Hartwell Peebles, is descended from ances- tors who participated in the colonial, revo- lutionary and Civil wars, and have been noted for their patriotism and fidelity. His great-great-grandfather. Joseph Peebles, was a resident of Sussex county, Virginia, and captain of a company during the revo- lutionary war. He was the father of Hart- well Peebles, who married a Miss Heath and lived in Sussex. Their son William married Jane Harrison, daughter of Rob- ert Harrison, who owned large estates on the James river. They lived at Rose Cot- tage, Prince George county, Virginia, on the James river. Their children were: John H. Peebles, of Nashville, Tennessee, superin- tendent of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad ; Julian R. Peebles, of Nelson county, Virginia, three years a Confederate soldier, now deceased; Hartwell Peebles, killed in a skirmish near Richmond, Vir- ginia, while a soldier of the Confederate army : Emma Peebles. who married J. H. Blanton, of Tennessee, and William Lemuel Peebles, mentioned below.

William Lemuel Peebles was born at Rose Cottage, and now resides in Dinwiddie county, Virginia, near Petersburg, where he is engaged in farming. He was a member of the Twelfth Virginia Regiment of the Confederate army, and subsequently served in a cavalry regiment, his service extending through the entire period of the Civil war. He was in General Longstreet's division at the battle of Gettysburg. He received three wounds during the four years, in the shoulder, scalp and hand. He married, about 1880, Annie Leighton Bradbury, born September 7, 1856, in Petersburg, Virginia, descended from Captain William Leighton, who was born about 1625, in England, and settled in Kittery, Maine, about 1650. He was a shipmaster, and may have made

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voyages previous to that which brought him to the New World for permanent settlement. His home was in what was known as "Fore- side," now known as Crooked Lane. He had a grant of nineteen acres, June 13, 1659, and soon settled in that part of Kittery which is now Eliot. He married, in 1659, Catherine, daughter of Nicholas Frost, born in 1633. They had two sons and two daugh- ters. The eldest son died in childhood. John, son of Captain William and Catherine (Frost) Leighton, born in May, 1661, died November 10, 1724, in Eliot. He was en- sign and later captain in the Indian wars; a large land-holder, and held many offices in what was then Kittery. He married, June 13, 1686, Oner, daughter of Tobias and Eliza (Sherburne) Langdon, and they had four sons and two daughters. William, son of John and Oner (Langdon) Leighton, was born September 17, 1696, and died August 20, 1749, in Eliot. He was a merchant and dealer in lumber and ship timbers; active in the establishment of schools; selectman of the town, and prominent in other ways. He married, in November, 1720, Sarah, daughter of Major John and Mary (Frost) Hill, born December 6, 1695. They had three sons and one daughter. William (2), son of William (1) and Sarah (Hill) Leigh- ton, born September 17, 1723, died January II, 1793, in Eliot. He was the owner of vessels trading with the West Indies and making occasional trips to Europe. A patriot, he helped raise and equip troops for the revolutionary army, being himself too old for service in the field. He served as sheriff, justice of the peace, and deacon of the church. He married (second) August 6, 1750, Mary, daughter of Captain Jonathan Bane, and they had three sons and six daughters. William (3), eldest child of William (2) and Mary (Bane) Leighton, was born April 29, 1751, died December 22, 1811. He was a large landholder and farmer, and had mills and timber lands in various sections of Maine, and also engaged in business as a tanner and currier. He kept a large number of oxen and transported goods to the interior of Maine, which were ferried across the river at Portsmouth in his own boats. He married. January 5, 1778, Miriam, daughter of Captain Dennis and Sarah (Frost) Fernald, of Kittery, born December 12, 1760. They had six sons and six daughters. One of these daughters,

Sarah, born August 13, 1782, died Decem- ber 15, 1863; married (first) Captain Wil- liam Harrold, who died without issue; and (second) March 15, 1815, Samuel Bradbury.

Samuel Bradbury was a descendant of a very old English family, which had a rep- resentative among the pioneers of New Eng- land. This family has been traced to Robert Bradbury, who was probably born as early as 1400, and resided in Ollerset, Derbyshire, England. He married a daughter of Robert Davenport, of Bramhall, county Chester, England. Their son, William Bradbury, was the father of Robert (2) Bradbury, whose son, William (2) Bradbury, was born in 1480. He succeeded to the Manor of Mancendem, and acquired the Manor of Cat- mere Hall, in Littlebury, county Essex, where he was buried in 1646. His son, Mat- thew Bradbury, was the father of William (3) Bradbury, whose son, Wymond Brad- bury. resided at Wicken Bonant, and was afterward of the parish of Whitechapel, county Middlesex. He was baptized May 16, 1574, at Newport Pond; was of London in 1628, and died in 1650. His wife Eliza- beth was a daughter of William Whitgift, and sister of the wife of his brother, Mat- thew. Thomas Bradbury, son of Wymond, was baptized February 28, 1611, at Wicken Bonant, and appeared at what is now York, Maine, early in 1634, as the agent or steward of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, proprietor of 'the province of Maine. Thomas Bradbury was an original proprietor of Salisbury, Massa- chusetts, for more than half a century ; one of its foremost citizens, filling nearly every civil office, including associate judge, and was captain of a militia company. He was an educated man, wrote a clear hand, and was appointed first clerk of the writs in Salisbury. He died March 16, 1695. His wife Mary was a daughter of John and Judith Perkins, of Ipswich, Massachusetts, and was accused as a witch at the age of about eighty years, in 1692, during the ter- rible delusion on the subject of witchcraft. One hundred and eighteen of her neighbors and her pastor testified to her high char- acter, pure life, and sincere religion. She died December 20, 1700. Wymond (2) Bradbury, son of Thomas and Mary (Per- kins) Bradbury, born 1637, died 1669 on the island of Nevis, in the West Indies. He married Sarah Pike, and they had two daughters and a son. Wymond (3) Brad-

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bury, the youngest child, born May 13, 1669, lived in York, Maine, and married Maria Cotton, daughter of Rev. John Cotton. Elder John Bradbury, third son of Wymond (3) and Maria (Cotton) Bradbury, born September 9, 1697, was founder of the York branch of the Bradbury family, and died there, December 3, 1778. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church ; a man of much energy ; several times a member of the colo- nial legislature; ten years a member of the executive council, and judge of the probate court. An ardent patriot in the time of the revolution, when he had attained a great age, he rebuked his minister in open meet- ing for disloyal sentiments expressed in a sermon. He married Abigail, daughter of Lieutenant Joseph and Abigail (Donnell) Young, of York. John (2) Bradbury, son of John (I) and Abigail (Young) Bradbury, was born September 18, 1736, in York, and was lieutenant in Captain Moulton's com- pany of provincial troops at Lake George, in 1760-61. He kept a journal during this cam- paign, and continued his journal many years thereafter. He was a deacon of Christ Church, of York, where he died July 1I, 1821. He married, January 26, 1764, Eliza- beth, daughter of Edward and Lydia (Holt) Ingraham, born August 6, 1743, in York. They had seven sons and five daughters. Samuel, son of John (2) and Elizabeth (In- graham) Bradbury, was born February 9, 1771, in York, and died November 10, 1849. He married (second) March 15, 1815, Sally (or Sarah) widow of William Harrold, and daughter of William (3) and Miriam (Fer- nold) Leighton, born August 13, 1782, as above noted. They had four sons and one daughter. The youngest son, John William Bradbury, was born in December, 1827, in York, and settled in Petersburg, Virginia. He married, November 22, 1855, Annie Eliza Wells, and their eldest child, Annie Leighton Bradbury, born September 7, 1856, became the wife of William Lemuel Peebles, as previously noted.

Children of Mr. and Mrs. Peebles : I. John Bradbury Peebles, born October 1, 1881 ; is professor of engineering at Emory College, Oxford, Georgia. He married Elizabeth Copeland, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and has a son, John Bradbury Peebles, Jr. 2. Leighton Hartwell Peebles, mentioned below. 3. Annie Bradbury Peebles, born September 17, 1886, in Peters-

burg ; is unmarried. 4. Mary Blanche, born June 29, 1889, in Chattanooga, Tennessee ; is unmarried. 5. William Berkeley Peebles, born January 17, 1892, in Dinwiddie county, Virginia ; is a student of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. 6. Julian Hughlett Peebles, born Oc- tober 14, 1894. 7. Walworth Lemuel Peebles, born February 4, 1898, in Din- widdie county, Virginia.

Leighton Hartwell Peebles, second son of William Lemuel and Annie Leighton ( Brad- bury) Peebles, was born August 22, 1883, in Petersburg, and in boyhood he attended the public schools of that city. He entered Union University, of Schenectady, New York, in 1902, and was graduated B. E. and Electrical Engineer in 1906. After leaving college, he spent one year in the employ of the General Electric Company at Schenec- tady, and since that time has been connected with the J. G. White Engineering Company of New York, in its engineering department. He is a member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers; the New York Electrical Society, and The Virginians. Although a young man, Mr. Peebles has already gained a desirable position in the engineering world, and is doing honor to a worthy ancestry in his "daily walk and con- versation."

Channing Moore Bolton, civil engineer, born in Richmond, Virginia, January 24, 1843, is the son of James and Anna Maria (Harrison) Bolton. His father was a prominent physician of Richmond, served as a surgeon in the Confederate army (1861- 65), and was for some time president of the Virginia Medical Society. He was a man of great strength of character and well known for his philanthropy. Mrs. Anna Maria Bol- ton was a woman of more than ordinary intelligence, and wielded a profound in- fluence over her son. She sprang from a branch of the well known Harrison family of Virginia.

After attending good schools in Rich- mond, Channing M. Bolton entered the Uni- versity of Virginia to prepare himself for engineering. Mathematics was his prin- cipal study, and he was applying himself to it with great zeal and earnestness when the war tocsin sounded, and called all able- bodied young Virginians to the field of battle. Young Bolton responded, and for

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four years followed the banners of the Southern Confederacy. The first year he spent in helping to lay out the fortifications around Richmond, that masterly line of de- fences which helped to make General Lee famous as an engineer before he achieved his world-wide distinction as a soldier. From 1862 to 1865, Mr. Bolton filled var- ious positions in the engineering department of the Confederate army, holding a com- mission as lieutenant in the First Regiment of engineer troops. After the war he took up his residence in Richmond, surveyed, located and constructed the Clover Hill Railroad; built a long and difficult tunnel under the city of Richmond ; also one under Gambles Hill, the same city ; located a large portion of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad through Virginia and West Virginia; was resident engineer of the Louisville, Cincin- nati & Lexington Railroad; then division engineer of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company and chief engineer of the Southern Railroad Company. He located and planned the canal around the cascades of the Colum- bia river, Oregon. More recently he has helped to build various railroads in Virginia and other states. At this writing he is president of the Charlottesville & Albemarle Railway Company, and of the Charlottes- ville Canning Company ; chief engineer, de- signing and constructing additional water supply for the city of Charlottesville; was formerly a director of the Jefferson National Bank, now director of the People's National Bank, of the same city. Mr. Bolton is a public-spirited man and devotes some of his time to serving on boards of trust, such as the school board of Charlottesville and the board of the Miller Manual School. Some of his leisure hours he devotes to writing for engineering journals.

Mr. Bolton is an Episcopalian both by birth and from preference. He has served on vestries in Richmond, Virginia; Green- ville, Mississippi; and Washington, District of Columbia; and is now a vestryman in Christ Church, Charlottesville, Virginia. His advice to young Americans is to be honest, sober, persevering; to have faith in divine Providence, and to regard duty as the watchword of life.

Mr. Bolton has been married twice. His first wife was Lizzie C. Campbell; his sec- ond, Alma A. Baldwin. He has four chil- dren, all of whom are now living. Two

children by first marriage : 1. Belle Cambell, married J. Thompson Brown, professor in Winthrop College, Rock Hill, South Caro- lina; children: Channing B., Lizzie C., J. Thompson, Jr., and Belle C. 2. Lizzie Hazle- hurst, married W. Allan Perkins, an attor- ney of Charlottesville, Virginia ; one child, Lizzie Hazlehurst. Two children by sec- ond marriage: 3. Cecile B., single. 4. Channing Moore, Jr.

Matthew Overbey Nelson. Danville, Vir- ginia, is the largest "bright" loose leaf tobacco market in the world, as it is the original market for this grade of tobacco, there being ten warehouses in the city de- voted to its sale at public auction. Of these Acree's Warehouse is the largest, not only in the city, but in the world, fifty-six thou- sand feet of floor space being devoted to the handling of the vast stores of wealth con- signed to Acree's for sale. At the head of this mammoth establishment is Matthew Overbey Nelson, chief manager. He is not only an expert judge of leaf tobacco but a thorough-going efficient business man, well versed in every detail of tobacco warehouse management. Mr. Nelson is a son of Howell Stephen Nelson, grandson of Matthew Nel- son and descendant of a prominent Virginia family.

Matthew Nelson was born in Prince Ed- ward county, Virginia, in 1763, died in 1840. He moved to North Carolina late in life. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, and a man of strong character. He married Mar- garet Stevens, also born in Prince Edward county, Virginia, who bore him children : Thomas, Matthew, Ruffin, Major, Howell Stephens, all deceased.

Captain Howell Stevens Nelson, son of Matthew and Margaret (Stevens) Nelson, was born in Person county, North Carolina, May 31. 1832, died in Mecklenburg county, Virginia, November 27, 1911. He became a landowner of Person county, remaining there until twenty-one years of age, then returned to the family home in Virginia, Mecklenburg county. He there purchased land and prospered, becoming one of the largest farmers of the county, also taking active part in political affairs, as chairman of the Democratic county committee; a railroad station and post-office, Nelson, near his home, being named in his honor. He was a captain of state militia, and when the

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Encyclopedia of Virginia biography, Volume V, Part 64

Author: Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, 1853-1935, ed. cn Publication date: 1915 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 848

Author: Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, 1853-1935, ed. cn
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 848