Preston County, WV
Biographies
Preston County, WV
Biographies
Hon. James A. Brown
James A. Brown, one of the able attorneys of Kingwood, Preston County, and son of Thomas Brown, was born June 11, 1836. He was educated liberally, graduated at Washington College, Pennsylvania, and subsequently attended the University of Virginia. He read law with his father and the Hon. John A. Dille, and was admitted to the Bar in 1859; was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Preston County, and filled the office with general satisfaction from 1861 to 1863. In 1880 he was chosen as the Republican candidate for Judge of the Third Circuit, receiving a flattering majority in his own, but was defeated by the Democratic majorities of the other counties. He was a man of irreproachable personal character and was a successful practitioner.
[Bench and Bar of West Virginia by George Wesley Atkinson, 1919 - Transcribed by AFOFG]
Hon. William G. Brown
The ancestry of this branch of the Brown family was Scotch. From Edinburgh, James Brown came to Virginia, in 1790, and located in Monongalia County. William G., his fourth son, was born September 25, 1800. He studied law with Oliver Phelps and J. H. Samuels, of Parkersburg, Virginia; was admitted to the Bar of Preston County, Virginia, in 1828; served as Prosecuting Attorney of Preston County for several terms, until 1832; supported Andrew Jackson for the Presidency every time he was a candidate; was a member of the Legislature of Virginia in 1832, 1840-1-2-3; was elected a member of Congress in 1845, and was re-elected in 1847; was a member of the Constitutional Convention of Virginia in 1850; was a delegate to the Richmond Convention of 1861, which adopted the Ordinance of Secession, but he voted against its adoption. He participated in the Wheeling Convention that organized "The Restored Government Virginia," and saved Western Virginia to the Union, and was elected to the 37th Congress as a Representative of the Restored Government of Virginia, and was the first Representative from the 2d Congressional District of West 'Virginia, after she was admitted to statehood. He was a member of the Convention of 1872 that framed the second Constitution for West Virginia. He was also elected to the Legislature of 1872-3. He was a man of the highest character, and always had the implicit confidence of all his fellow citizens. He was also known and recognized as one of the ablest and most successful lawyers of his period.
Mr. Brown died at Kingwood at an advanced age, and left a widow and one son William G. Brown, Jr.— who was also a very successful lawyer and a resident of Preston County all of his life. He was serving his third term in Congress, from his father's old district, when in 1916, death took him in his prime of strength, usefulness and success in life.
Both of them were Democrats of the strictest sect, although the elder Brown, who was a staunch Union man, acted with the Republicans until after the close of the Civil War, when he returned to his first love — the Democratic Party. "Junior " Brown, as he was always called, from his boyhood, adhered to the Democratic party. Both of them were men of wealth, as well as of influence and high standing in the State.
[Bench and Bar of West Virginia by George Wesley Atkinson, 1919 - Transcribed by AFOFG]
William G. Conley
Conley, William G., attorney-general of West Virginia, was born Jan. 8, 1866, in Kingwood, W. Va., of Scotch-Irish parentage. He received a thorough education and graduated from West Virginia University with the degree of LL.B. For many years he was engaged in educational work, and has been county superintendent of the free schools of Preston County, W. Va. He was also mayor of Parsons for one term. He is one of the rising lawyers of his state, and for two terms was states attorney for Tucker County, W. Va. He is also the editor of the Parsons City Advocate, and contributes extensively to current literature. Mr. Conley was a member of the congressional committee of the second West Virginia district; chairman of the republican executive committe of his county; and one of the assistant secretaries of the St. Louis convention that nominated McKinley for president in 1896. Since 1908 he has been attorney-general of West Virginia for term ending in 1913; and resides in Charleston, W. Va.
[Herringshaw's American blue-book of Biography: Prominent Americans of 1912- An Accurate Biographical Record of Prominent Citizens of All Walks of Life]
Lucie A. M. Elmore ELMORE, Mrs. Lucie Ann Morrison, temperance reformer, born in Brandonville, Preston county, W. Va., 29th March, 1829. Her father was a Methodist clergyman, and she is an Episcopalian and a radical Woman's Christian Temperance Union woman. She is a pronounced friend of all oppressed people, and especially of the colored race in the United States. She is patriotic in the extreme. Her husband, who served as an officer in the Union Army through the Civil War, died in 1868, and her only child died in infancy. Mrs. Elmore is widely known as a philanthropist. She is an eloquent and convincing speaker on temperance, social purity and the evils of the tobacco habit. She has suffered financial reverses, but she has never given up her charitable work. Her home is in Englewood, N. J. Her chief literary works are her poems, one volume of which has passed through a large edition, and the popular story "Billy's Mother." She has held several important editorial positions, and her poems have been published in the leading magazines. A story now ready for the press is thought to bear in it promise of a great success, as it is the product of a ripe experience and close study of neighborhood influences for good and evil.
(American Women, Frances Elizabeth Willard, Mary Ashton Rice Livermore, Volume 1 Copyright 1897. Transcribed by Marla Snow.)
Henry Amos Hartley Family
The Hartleys are of Quaker origin. They came from the Mother Country, England, to America probably about 1682 or 1683. They are English on the father's side and Welsh-Irish on the mother's. Prior to 1702, Anthony, James, Edward and Henry Hartley, probably brothers, came to this country. Edward and Henry, known to be brothers, settled in Solebury township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Edward had a deed of land consisting of 300 acres made to him, May 28, 1702, and on which he lived until he died in 1745. The land was located near the line of Buckingham township, and less than a mile from Buckingham Meeting House, where the Friends of both townships worshiped until 1810, when a meeting house was erected.
Edward Hartley made his will June 13, 1744, devising his estate to his daughter Jenet Hughes, his son Thomas Hartley, his son Roger's seven children, Thomas and John Hartley.
Thomas Hartley, son of Edward, born about 1700, died in 1787, made application for membership in Buckingham Meeting of the Society of Friends, October 1, 1724, and was admitted a couple of months later. In February, 1725, or 1726, he declared his intention of marrying, before this meeting, Elizabeth Paxson, daughter of John Paxson of Solebury, and on March 1, 1725, or 1726, they were granted permission according to the good order maintained among Friends. On June 19, 1725, his father conveyed to him 100 acres of land, a part of the old homestead, and to this he had at his death added about 500 acres more of land. His will, dated January 27, 1787, devised to his sons, Anthony, Benjamin and William, and daughter Letitia Rice and to son Joseph, one hundred pounds.
The children of Thomas and Elizabeth (Paxson) Hartley, married March 1, 1725 or 1726, were: (1) Sarah, born 1725; Mary, 1727, died 1746; Thomas, Jr., 1729, died 1746; Anthony, born 1730, twice married; William, 1732, married Katherine Fisher in 1757, died without issue in 1805. Elizabeth, born in 1753, married in 1774, to John Fell; Martha, born 1735, married Luke William; Anne, 1758, married James Hill; Rachaerl, 1740, married Ephraim Smith; Joseph, October 18, 1742, married May 27, 1765, (1) Sarah Richards, (2) November 8, 1767, Elizabeth Wasson; Benjamin, born 1745, married in 1760 (?) to Elizabeth Sincook; Mahlon, born in 1749, married 1773, Hannah Moon.
Joseph Hartley's second wife, Elizabeth, married November 8, 1767, daughter of John and Ann Wasson, was born October 12, 1747, and died December 6, 1834. Their children were: (a) Benjamin, born June 8, 1766; (b) Camelia. born August 28, 1768, died June 2, 1838; (c) Ulysses, -born October 31, 1770, died August 5, 1793; (d) Joseph, born February 10, 1773, died June 28, 1868; (e) Polly, born September 31, 17755 (*) Horatio Gates, born December 6, 1777, died February 1, 1851; (g) Elisha. born July 28, 1781, died February 12, 1785; (h) Edward, born October 19, 1783, died February 27, 1863; (i) Elijah, born August !9. 1785. died December 24, 1864; (j) Elizabeth, born July 7, 1789, died August 25, 1793; (k) Amos Garrett, born March 20, 1792, died August 28, 1837. The house of John Hartley, now standing on Pricket, Marion county, West Virginia, was built about 1760 or 1770.
Edward Hartley, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch above mentioned, married Margaret Miller, December 20, 1808, and moved to West Virginia, settling near Fairmont, this state. She was born October 3, 1788, and died May 5, 1843. From a record left by Edward Hartley himself we copy the following: "Peter M. Hartley (his oldest son) was born January 9, 1810; Elizabeth, January 27. 1812; Charlotte, May 13, 1813; Mary, March 22, 1815; Calder, November 6, 1817; Joseph, December 5, 1819; Emily, February 21, 1823; Henry, May 29, 1825; Nancy, January 23, 1826 (1827?); Amos, May 20, 1829; Margaret, June 29, 1832."
The grandfather, Edward Hartley, was called into the War of 1812, but hired a substitute, and soon afterwards moved with his family to Masontown, locating first in a little log house below where the bank now stands. This land was deeded by Samuel Hanway to Joseph Hartley, father of Edward, in 1805, deed acknowledged May 16th of that year. The farm, consisting of 640 acres, preempted by John Pierpont and Samuel Hanway in 1788. Peter Hartley inherited part of this land, erected his house on the lot now occupied by the residence of Amos Hartley, which the latter built in 1880.
He was an extensive farmer, a large stock raiser- a justice of the peace for twenty years, county supervisor, and a member of the county board also for a long time. He was chairman of the County Convention which declared, "We are for the Union Unquestionably."
Peter Hartley married Susan Swindler, January 8, 1835. She died in 1872. He died September 22, 1882. Her father and a little girl erected a grist mill on Bull Run and operated it about twenty-five years.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hartley were as follows: (1) Edgar M., born February 28, 1836, died November 10, 1912. He was a merchant in Masontown for about thirty years and left considerable property. He was also a stock raiser and farmer. (2) Henry Amos, born December 3, 1837. (3) Katie, born April 24, 1840, married Sanford Watson. (4) Joseph M., president of the First National Bank fifteen years, now president of the Brownsville Woolen Mills, was born October 20, 1842. He is a merchant in Fairmont. (5) Samuel W., born June 5, 1845, now a resident of Morgantown. He is a retired farmer and interested in street railways. (6) S. Calvin Hartley was born April 17, 1848, married Mary Elizabeth Smoot, June 6, 1878. They had four children: Charles H., Pearl S., Earl S.. and J. Ray. He located in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, in 1873, and embarked in the mercantile business; was a member of the town council; a member of the school board twelve years; superintendent of the M. E. Sunday school for twenty years; director of the Citizens' National Bank; director of Pittsburgh & Connellsville Railroad, Union Cemetery, and Cooperative Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He was prominent in his church, town and community. (7) Luther E. Hartley, born November 29, 1850. He was educated at the West Virginia University, spent several years in the retail drygoods business in partnership with his brothers, and finally drifted to New York where he engaged in manufacturing. He is at present secretary of the Chemical Refining Company of New York, but spends much of his time at Wildwood, his country place in western Massachusetts. In 1900, he married Elizabeth Pierce Towns, daughter of the late Ora Pierce, first cousin to President Frankhn Pierce.
Homer P. Hartley was born November 3, 1853. He attended school at the West Virginia University and Mount Union College. On September 5, 1882, he was married to Lulu Collins, daughter of Johnson Collins. Two children were born to them: Frank C, born December 2, 1891, died June 20, 1893; Nelly Katherine, born June 11, 1897. He resides at Beaver, Pennsylvania, and is in the shoe business at Beaver and Rochester. He is vice-president of the First National Bank of Rochester and president and treasurer of the Rochester Realty Company.
With the exception of his three years of military service in the Civil War, Henry Amos Hartley has spent his whole life on the farm where he was born and now lives. He received a common school education, is a man of business, an agriculturist and raiser of fine stock. He is known as a successful farmer and has been a member of the State Board of Agriculture since the year 1904. During the war he was commissary sergeant of the 14th W. Va. Inf.. and served in the 8th Corps. His regiment took part in the Shenandoah campaign. He served two terms in the legislature. He was elected delegate in 1890 and again in 1892.
On November 16, 1865, Mr. Hartley was married to Martha Vandervort, daughter of William and Margaret (Jenkins) Vandervort of Monongalia county. She died March 11, 1910. No issue.
[A History of Preston County, West Virginia, Part 2 By Oren Frederic Morton, J. R. Cole, 1914 - Transcribed by Therman Kellar]
