Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/139

 VI-HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ayer, Richard Small, born at Montville, Waldo county, Alaine, October 9, 1829; edu- cated in the common schools ; enlisted in the Union army as a private in Fourth Maine Volunteers in 1861, and was mus- tered out as a captain ; settled in Virginia in 1865; elected a delegate to Virginia con- stitutional convention in 1867; elected as a Republican to the forty-first congress, and took his seat January 31, 1870, and served until March 2, 1871 ; died at Liberty, Maine, December 14, 1896.

Barbour, John S., Jr. (q. v.).

Beale, R. L. T., (q. v.)-

Blair, Jacob Beeson, born at Parkersburg, Wood county, Virginia, April 11, 1821 ; he was educated in the public schools, studied law, engaged in practice ; was for several years prosecuting attorney for Ritchie county; was elected from Ritchie county as a Unionist, to the thirty-seventh con- gress, serving from March 4, 1861, to March 3, 1863 ; was elected to the succeeding con- gress from the new state of West Virginia, took his seat December 7, 1863, ^"d served until March 3, 1865 ; was surveyor-general of Utah ; from 1868 to 1873 was minister to Costa Rica ; for twelve years was a member of the supreme court of Wyoming, and for a number of years occupied the same posi- tion in Utah; died at Salt Lake City, Utah, February 12, 1901.

Booker, George William, born in Patrick county, Virginia, December 5, 1821. He

received a common school education, taught school, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. He served some years as a justice of the peace, and was subsequently presiding justice of the county court for ten years, lie sympathized with the North during the war between the states. He was elected to the state legislature in 1865. In 1868 he was the Republican candidate for attorney gen- eral, was elected, but resigned the follow- ing year, being elected to congress as a Conservative, and was re-elected. In 1873 he was elected to the state legislature, after two years retiring from public life and re- suming the practice of his profession. He died at Martinsville, Virginia, June 4, 1883.

Bowden, George Edwin, born in Wil- liamsburg, \'irginia, July 6, 1852; attended a" private school ; studied law ; admitted to the bar, but never practiced ; elected bank president in 1874; collector of customs for port of Norfolk from September, 1879, until May, 1885 ; elected as a Republican to the fiftieth and fifty-first congresses (March 4. 1887-March 3, 1891) ; again collector of cus- toms for port of Norfolk; clerk of the United States court for the eastern district of Virginia; died at Norfolk, Virginia, Jan- uary 22, 1908.

Bowen, Henry, born at Maiden Springs. Tazewell county, Virginia, December 26, 1841; attended private school and college; entered the Confederate army in 1861 as a cpptain of cavalry and served until 1865 r member of state legislature 1869-71 ; elected