USA > Virginia > Virginia and Virginians; eminent Virginians, executives of the colony of Virginia, Vol. II > Part 28
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Hle is a son of Leonard Henley, who was born in James City county, Virginia, and died in 1831, aged forty-two years, and Harriet T. (Coke) Henley, also now deceased. The paternal grandfather of Dr. Henley was also named Leonard, and hisgreat grandfather bore the same name. The latter came from England to Virginia. The wife of Dr. Henley is Rebecca, daughter of Henry Harrison, Commodore United States Navy. and Elizabeth ( Ruffin) Cocke, both now deceased. She was born in Prince George county, Virginia, and they were married in that county on
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November 29, 1855. They have one daughter, Elizabeth R., and one son, Leonard. Dr. Henley is a member of the Masonic fraternity.
Dr. Leonard Henley is a direct descendant of the old and honored family of Cokes, of Trusley, Derbyshire, England, which estate is now in their possession. The family history goes back to 1343. Among the representatives of this family were Lord Chesterfield; Lord Palmerston. Premier; Lord Melbourne, Premier; Lord Cowper, late of Ireland.
H. T. JONES
Was born in JJames City county, Virginia, on April 10, 1842. He . attended a private school in Williamsburg, and then took a collegiate course at William and Mary College. On his nineteenth birthday, April 10, 1861, he entered military service, in a company which later became Company C, 32d Virginia Infantry. He was promoted sergeant in 1862. second lieutenant in 1863, and served until the surrender at Appomat- tox, taking part in battles of Seven Pines. the seven days fighting around Richmond, Harpers Ferry, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, Howlett Line, Sailor's Creek and others. Returning home he engaged in farming until 1872, then established himself in his present business, druggist. He has held public office as member of the city council, justice of the peace and school trustee. The parents of Mr. Jones were H. T. Jones, sr., who was born in James City county, in 1814, and died May 12, 1872, and Mary A. H. Jones, died in January, 1881. The father was a son of Allan Jones, of York county, Virginia. whose father was Daniel Jones, of James City county, Virginia.
The subject of this sketch married in Williamsburg, June 10. 1867. Mary Southall, of Williamsburg. Their children are two sons, Marion Ambler and Hugh W. Mrs. Jones is the daughter of Albert G. South- all, who died August, 1862. Her mother, whose maiden name was Vir- ginia F. Travis, died in August, 1880. Her family are of English des- cent, early settlers in Tidewater Virginia.
LEVEN W. LANE
Was born in Matthews county, Virginia, January 6, 1839, and was educated in his native county. He is a son of John H. Lane, who was born in Matthews county, and died in 1884, and Nancy ( Ransome) Lane, who died in 1843. His wife is Mattie S., daughter of William L. Spencer, now deceased, and Martha G. ( Richardson) Spencer. She was born in James City county, Virginia, and they were married in that county, on JJuly 26, 1860. Their children were born in the order named : 1 .. W., Martha L., Carrie D., Cora, Mary G., Susie (now deceased),
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Mattie (now deceased), Oscar, Henry G. (now deceased), Spencer, Walter G.
Mr. Lane has been a farmer and merchant all his life, and is still on- gaged .in those avocations. He has served as county treasurer and as sheriff. He entered the Confederate States Army at the beginning of the war, and served until its close. Entering service as a private in Company H, 5th Virginia Cavalry, he was promoted second lieutenant. then captain of that company; was wounded at Kelleys Ford, again at Cedar Creek; was made prisoner at Hanover C. H., but paroled same day.
JOHN LEYBOURNE MERCER.
Hugh Mercer, of Scotland, came to America in colonial days. He en- tered the Continental army in the war for Independence, received rank of general, and was killed in that war, battle of Princeton, New Jersey. His son, Colonel Hugh Mercer, was the father of John C. Mercer, who was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and died in March, 1884, aged seventy-two years. John C. Mercer married Mary Waller, who survives him, living now in North Carolina. Their son, John Leybourne Mercer, was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, August 2, 1849. He went to school to various teachers in Williamsburg about five years, then at- tended William and Mary College two sessions. After that clerked in mercantile establishments until 1868, when he was appointed to his present position, which he has held ever since, except for two years from March, 1882 to March. 1884. He is clerk and steward of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, Williamsburg.
He married at Williamsburg, March 31, 1875, Jean Sinclair Bright. They have two daughters, Jean C., Mary W., and one son, T. Hugh Mercer. Mrs. Mercer was born in Williamsburg, and is a daughter of Samuel F. and Elizabeth Bright. Her father died in 1868, her mother in 1872.
Mr. Mercer had two brothers in the Confederate States army, Thomas Hugh Mercer, first lientenant in artillery, severely wounded at Seven Pines, and C. W. Mercer, a private in Col. Mosby's command. captured and held prisoner at Fort Delaware fourteen months.
Mr. Mercer is a member of Williamsburg Lodge, No. 6, A. F. & A. M.
JAMES DUNLAP MONCURE: M. D.,
Present superintendent of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, Williamsburg. was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1842. After attending the Abbott school, in Fauquier county, Virginia, he was sent abroad, and studied at Bernhardts Austallt, Meiningen, Germany ; College Rollin, Paris, France: the Heidelberg University, Germany, where he began his medical studies.
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Returning to Virginia, he entered the Virginia Military Institute, where he was at the breaking out of the war between the States. He served through the war, first in the corps of cadets, as drill master at Camp Lee; then in the field in a Virginia cavalry regiment. Resuming his medical studies, he attended the University of Virginia and the University of Maryland, graduating from the latter. He practiced medicine in Baltimore; in Fanquier county, Virginia ; in Richmond; in Huntington : again in Richmond. A profound student of the great profession to which he devotes his life, Dr. Moncure has made a special study of mental and nervous diseases. He has filled the chair of adjunct professor at the Medical College of Virginia ; he founded, in 1876, the " Pinel Hospital," near Richmond, and was its first superintendent; in 1884 was elected to his present position, which he has filled continuously since that time. He has received from the College de France degree of Bachelier es Lettres et es Science ; is a member of the Medico Legal Society, and chairman of its Committee on Naturalization for Virginia.
At St. Pauls (Episcopal) Church, Richmond, Virginia, October 11, 1871, Dr. Moncure married Annie. Patterson Mccaw, of Richmond. Their living children are three: Gabriella Brooke, James Dunlap, William Anderson Patterson, and they have buried three: Richard Cary Ambler, died in 1873, aged ten days; Delia Ann, died in 1876, aged eight months; James Dunlap, died in 1878, aged a few hours.
The genealogy of Dr. Moncure's family in America is thus traced : Gerard Fowlke (or Ffolk) of Gunston Hall, England, settled near Port Tobacco, Maryland, in 1680. His daughter Frances married Dr. Gustavus Brown, and their daughter Frances married, in 1738, Rev. John Moncure. The latter came to America, in 1710, as a physician, later became a minister of the Episcopal Church. The name Moncure was originally Moncoeur, changed in Scotland to Moneur and Monkur, later in America to Moncure. William, son of Rev. John Moncure and wife. married Sarah Elizabeth Henry. Their son, Henry Wood Moncure, was born in Richmond, and died in 1866, aged sixty-six years. He married Katharine Cary Ambler, and Dr. James Dimlap Moncure is their son.
Annie Patterson, wife of Dr. Moncure, is a daughter of Dr. James Brown MeCaw and his wife, Delia Am, noe Patterson. Dr. MeCaw is a son of Dr. William McCaw, who was a son of Dr. James Drew MeCaw, whose father was Surgeon MeCaw, of Lord Dunmore's staff.
CAPT. CHARLES B. TREVILLAN.
John Trovilian, a Huguenot refugee from France, came to the colony of Virginia and founded the family in the Old Commonwealth. His son John was the father of Col. John M. Trevilian, who was born in Gooch- land county, Virginia, and who died in 1873, aged seventy-three years.
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Colonel Trevilian married Mary C. Argyle, who died in 1878, aged seventy years. Capt. Charles B. Trevilian is their son, and was born in Goochland county, September 15, 1838.
He received his education in Hampden-Sidney College and in the University of Virginia. He entered the Confederate States army in 1861, Company F, 4th Virginia Cavalry, and was promoted captain of the company. At Gettysburg he was wounded and made prisoner, and was held twenty-two months on Johnsons Island, Lake Erie. After release he rejoined his command, and was again wounded, at High Bridge, in the retreat to Appomattox. Captain Trevilian held the office of collector of revenue in New Kent county, Virginia, one year. and for the last two years has filled the position he is now holding in the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, Williamsburg, that of supervisor.
He married in Rockbridge county, Virginia, March 1, 1865, Mary S. Houston, who was born in that county, the daughter of Dr. David S. Houston, who died in 1864, and Nancy (Dix) Houston, who died in 1887. Nannie H., eldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Trevilian, is now de- ceased; their living children are three: Mary R., Blanche E. and Gardner H.
LYON GARDINER TYLER,
Was born at his father's residence, "Sherwood Forest," in Charles City county, Virginia, in August, 1853. He is a son of President John Ty- ler, by his second marriage, with Julia Gardiner of Gardiners Island, New York. The founder of the Tyler family in Virginia was Henry Tyler, who came from England and settled at Middle Plantation in 1653. Further records of this eminent family will be found on many of the preceding pages of Virginia and Virginians, more especially in Vohime 1, pp. 103-108.
The wife of Lyon Gardiner Tyler, whom he married in Pulaski county, Virginia, November 14, 1878, was born in Charlottsville, Virginia. Annie, daughter of Col. St. George Tucker, son of Judge St. George Tucker, whose father was JJudge St. George Theker, who came from Island of Bermuda to Virginia. Her mother is Lizzie, daughter of Thomas W. Gilmer, former Secretary of the Navy, whose wife was Anne Baker. Mr. and Mrs. Tyler have three children : Julia Gardiner, Lizzie Gilmer and John.
Mr. Tyler finished his education at the I'niversity of Virginia, which he entered in February, 1870, gradnating in July, 1875, with Degrees of Bachelor and Master of Arts. During his University career he was twice elected orator of the Jefferson Society, and obtained ascholarship as best editor of the University magazine. The year following his graduation he studied law with John B. Minor, Esq. In January;
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1877, he was elected Professor of Belles Lettres in William and Mary College, which position he ably filled until, in November, 1878, he went to Memphis, Tennessee, where he was head of a high school for fon years. In September, 1882, he returned to Virginia, settled in Rich- mond, practiced law, and took an active interest in politics. In 1885 he ran for the House of Delegates, one of seven candidates, but was not elected. In 1887 he was again nominated for Representative and was elected. In the House of Delegates he rendered distinguished ser- vice to Virginia, successfully championing the labor bureau, child labor. and William and Mary College bills, all of which he argued were neces- sary for the education of the people and the best interests of the State. Mr. Tyler is the author of " The Letters and Times of the Tylers," spoken of on page 107 of this work, a work not only of value as a biography of his grandfather, Governor Tyler, and his father, the President, but also as an authentic and interesting history of events from 1776 to 1861. On August, 22, 1888, Mr. Tyler received merited recognition as a scholar, a literateur, and a Virginian, in his election to the position he now fills, as President of William and Mary College.
REV. LYMAN BROWN WHARTON.
In colonial days William Wharton came from England to Virginia. settling in Culpeper County. His son John settled in Albemarle county, Virginia, and had a son also named John, who was the father of John Austin Wharton, who was born in Bedford county, and who died June 20, 1888, aged eighty-five years. John Austin Wharton married Isa- bella Brown, who survives him, living now in Liberty, Virginia. Their son is the subject of this sketch, Lyman Brown Wharton, born in Liberty, Virginia.
After the usual preliminary education, he entered the University of Virginia, which he attended sessions of two years, and graduated in the schools of ancient and modern languages. He took orders in the Pro- testant Episcopal Church and had charge of Cornwell Parish, Charlotte county, Virginia, until he became chaplain of the 59th Virginia Infantry, C. S. A., with which he remained until its surrender at Appomattox. He then took charge of a church in Abingdon, Virginia ; in 1870 became professor of Greek and German, at William and Mary College, where he remained until 1881, becoming then associate principal of Norwood High School, Nelson county, Virginia. Subsequently he was professor of languages in Hanover Academy, Virginia, and in Bellevue High School, Bedford county, Virginia. In 1886 he was professor of Ancient. Languages in the Maryland Military and Naval Academy, Oxford, Maryland. In 1888 he returned to Williamsburg and became pro-
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fessor of languages in college of William and Mary, which position he still fills.
Mr. Wharton married in Richmond, Virginia, December 27, 1877. Martha Paulina Taylor. She was born in Henrico county, near Rich- mond, and is the daughter of the late Henry Porterfield Taylor and Cornelia Taylor, noe Storrs. Her mother still lives in Richmond; her father died there, November 19, 1887, aged seventy years. He was a son of Col. Edmund Taylor, who served in the war of 1812, and at a later period was the first captain of the old military organization in Richmond, the "Richmond Blues." The father of Colonel Taylor was Edmund Taylor, Esq., of Taylorsville, Hanover county, Virginia.
Mr. Wharton had one brother in service in the late war, John, a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute, who participated in the service of the cadets in the field, including that in Newmarket battle.
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
DR. CHRISTOPHER ALDERSON.
Dr. Alderson was born on the 15th of December, 1816, near Union, Monroe county, (then) Virginia. He was a son of Davis Alderson, who was born near Alderson, Monroe county, and came to Washington county in 1823, and a grandson of Thomas Alderson, who was born in Greenbrier county. His mother was also of a Virginia family, Miss Catherine Thrasher, of Botetourt county.
At Lebanon, Russell county, Virginia, in 1841. Dr. Alderson married Mary P. Gibson, the Rev. Samuel Gibson uniting them. The record of their children is: Joseph, now a physician at Meadow View, Virginia : Franklin M., killed on the Gettysburg campaign ; Charles W., a farmer: Henry C., an attorney-at-law of Tazewell C. H., Virginia ; Mary C., now Mrs. Buchanan; Martha A., now Mrs. Preston. The four sons were all soldiers of Virginia in the late war, entering service at the respective ages of fifteen, sixteen, seventeen and eighteen years. One gave his hie to the cause; three were with Lee at the surrender.
Mrs. Alderson was born at Copper Creek, Russell county, on March 19, 1821, the daughter of William Gibson, Esq., whose father was Rev. Samuel Gibson, of the M. E. Church. Her mother was a daughter of George Peery, a prominent citizen of Tazewell county.
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Dr. Alderson has been a successful practitioner of medicine for forty- eight years; nineteen years in Russell county, twenty-nine years in Washington county. He has had ten medical students, all of whom have become successful practitioners, some distinguished in their chosen profession.
CAPT. GEORGE W. ALDERSON
Is a son of Davis Alderson and Catharine Alderson, nee Thrasher. whose family line is given in the record preceding this. He was born near Union, Monroe county, (then) Virginia, January 7, 1820. Captain Alderson has been twice married. and the father of nineteen children. His first marriage was with Lydia, daughter of Rev. Andrew Patterson, Baptist clergyman of Washington county, whose wife was Elizabeth Cole, from Smyth county. Lydia Patterson was born December 17, 1824, became the wife of Captain Alderson, December 24, 1840. and died on April 1, 1866. Secondly, Captain Alderson married Mary, daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth Reed, of Washington county, and widow of John Ketron. This marriage was solemnized JJuly 7, 1868, at the home and birthplace of Mrs. Alderson, near Abingdon. The Reed family are among the oldest in Washington county, Hugh Reed the son of John Reed.
The children of Captain Alderson's first marriage are: Elizabeth K., now Mrs. S. P. Edmondson, of Friendship, Virginia; Davis, twice wounded at Cedar Run, near Culpeper C. H., died of wounds at Flint Hill, Virginia, September 17, 1864; two infants, died unnamed: Andrew. who was also a soldier in the Confederate army at age of fourteen years. and in battle of Saltville, now living in Texas; Ann E., now Mrs. T. J. Tilson, of Hunt county, Texas: Thomas R., now a merchant at Camp- bell, Hunt county, Texas: Virginia C., now Mrs. Henry Swift, of Hunt county, Texas; Miriam M., now Mrs. John Minich, of Wood county. Texas; George, deceased ; Lydia J., now Mrs. John Roberts, of Wash- ington county; William K. H .. now in Hunt county, Texas; Christo- pher Dayton, now of Washington Territory. The children of the second marriage are: Mary A .; Davis, deceased; Maggie, John J., Martha and George.
Captain Alderson filled the office of magistrate two years in Wash- ington county. He was some time captain of militia previous to the war, and captain and commissary of subsistance at Abingdon during the entire four years of that war. He had eight nephews in active service, two of whom were killed, one falling on the Gettysburg campaign, the other in battle at Winchester, fall of 1864. Captain Alderson resides on the farm he cultivates, near Moab.
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JOHN A. P. BAKER : M. D.
The subject of this sketch was born near Abingdon, March 4, 1841, his family, both on paternal and maternal side, having been residents of the county of Washington from its first settlement. His father was John Baker, who lived four miles west of Abingdon, and his father's father was Isaac Baker, also a farmer of the county. His mother was Susannah, daughter of Abram Hortenstine, of Washington county. His wife was born at Pleasant Hill, Smyth county, November 16, 1845, and they were married near Abingdon, October 25, 1867. She is Sue C., daughter of Hon. Joseph W. Davis and his wife Lucy, nee Armstrong. Her father's residence was six miles north of Abingdon. He served in the Virginia legislature a number of terms, both branches, Senate and Lower House.
Nine children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Baker: Joseph H., Lucy S., Betsy, Charles A., Alexander D. ( now deceased), Mary MI., (deceased). Pancost, John, Henry Hortenstine.
Dr. Baker volunteered his services to Virginia at the opening of the war between the States, and served as assistant surgeon of the 1st Vir- ginia Cavalry through that war, taking part in all the engagements of Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry. He had two brothers in service, Joseph H., killed at Spotsylvania C. H., and Isaac, wounded and lost arm at Vieks- burg.
Dr. Baker is settled in practice in Abingdon.
REV. GEORGE R. BARR: D. D.
The subject of this sketch is the oldest son of Dr. William Barr, who was born in Greenbrier county, (then) Virginia, and raised in Halifax county, Virginia. The father of Dr. Wm. Barr was Isaac Barr, who was born in Fairfax county, Virginia. When sixteen years of age, he (Isaac Barr) volunteered as a private in the Revolutionary Army, and continued in the service of his country till the war closed, and then re- coived an honorable discharge. He soon thereafter married a Miss Foster, and removed to Greenbrier county. Dr. William Barr removed from Halifax county, Virginia, to Stokes county, North Carolina, where he married Rebecca Ray. The son, George R., was born in that county, July 25, 1810. In November, 1823, the family made their home in Ab- ingdon, where Dr. William Barr died in 1858.
Rev. George R. Barr has been twice married, his first wife Sarah, daughter of JJacob Rodefer, of Shenandoah county, Virginia. She was born in that county, became the wife of Dr. Barr in Abingdon, October 25, 1831, and died on March 12, 1874. Eight living children are the issue of this marriage: Mary E. C., Ann Maria, John W., Margaret J.,
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William F., David, Lizzie P. and Henry C. John, David and Henry gallantly represented this honored family in the army of the South. during the late war. John now resides in Abingdon, David at Smith- field, Virginia ; Henry in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Barr married secondly in New York, on June 7, 1877, Rev. Mr. Bailey officiating clergyman, Martha J., daughter of Col. Augustine Sackett, of New York, born in Canandaigua, that State, June 10, 1830.
The record of the public services of Dr. Barr shows a life devoted to the service of humanity. He was ordained a minister in the Methodist Protestant Church in 1842, was several years president of the Virginia Conference of that church, a number of times representative to the General Conference and to various conventions of the church. From September 1, 1841, to February 13, 1873, he was associate editor and proprietor of the Abingdon Virginian, Charles B. Cole associated with him as senior editor. He has been twenty-two years consecutively sec- retary of Waterman Lodge, No. 219, 1. F. & A. M., and for the last five years secretary of MeCabe Lodge, I. O. O. F., No. 56.
GEORGE M. BRIGHT,
Was born in Franklin county, Virginia, on February 20, 1852. He at- tended school at Rocky Mount, Virginia, under the instructions of his uncle, Judge Thomas H. Bernard, and later went to Philadelphia. From that city he came to Abingdon December 1, 1886, and with his brother-in-law, Robert M. Brice, established his present business, under the firm name and style of "The Washington Hardware Co.," the largest hardware establishment in the county, carrying on a general hardware business. His father was Samuel G. Bright, who served through the late war in Early's command, C. S. A., and was a prisoner at Fort Delaware, the last nine months of the war. Michael Bright, uncle of George M., was two years in service. Another uncle is Jesse D. Bright, of Indiana, at one time governor of that State. The Hon. John M. Bright, distinguished statesman of England, is another uncle of George M.
MATHEW HAY BUCHANAN
Is a life-long resident of Washington county, where his ancestors settled more than one hundred years ago, coming from Augusta county, Vir- ginia. He was born on March 9, 1817, on the family estate, about twelve miles.east of Abingdon, the son of William Buchanan, who was the son of Mathew Buchanan ( whose wife was Miss Elizabeth Edmond- son), who was the son of Andrew Buchanan ( who married Joanna Hay ). His mother was Jean, daughter of Benjamin Keys, of this county, who married Elizabeth Stuart.
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At Saltville, October 31, 1851, M. H. Buchanan was married by Rev. Joseph Haskew to Miss Elizabeth Goode, who was born in this county, near the old Iron Works, December 1, 1824. The issue of this marriage is two sons, Robert G., Thomas F., and three daughters, Bettie H., Margaret K., Rachel B. Mrs. Buchanan is the daughter of John Goode, who was a son of William Goode, of Chesterfield county, Virginia. Her mother was Ann, daughter of Conley Finley of Abingdon, who came to Virginia from Ireland, about 1797.
Mr. Buchanan was exempted, on account of age, from field service in the late war, but was an active member of the County Advisory Board. He had one brother in service in the Reserve Troops, and one who served in the 37th Virginia Regiment, and was severely wounded. Mr. Bu- chanan has always followed farming as an occupation, and has ably filled the office of sheriff four years, deputy sheriff twelve years.
JAMES H. BUTT.
The subject of this sketch, a farmer four miles north of Abingdon on the Lebanon pike, was born on the 16th of October, 1828, in Franklin county, Virginia. On the 29th of September, 1853, near Abingdon, he was united in marriage to Mary E. G. Price, who was born in Abingdon, on October 24, 1834. They have two daughters, Sarah Jane, now Mrs. Wm. S. Fleenor, and Emma A. C.
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