Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/322

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\"IRr.lXIA BIOCiRATHY

erected a theological seminary. He estab- lished missions at Wytheville, Summers- ville, Kingwood, and Lynchburg. Jn 1846 hf went to Wheeling, and labored as a l-riest on this mission. Feeling that his supervision was needed in building up the church in western Virginia, he removed there, and never returned. He built a cathedral at Wheeling, founded schools, and opened an ecclesiastical seminary in his own house, in which he trained young men for the priesthood. He attended the seventh provincial council of Baltimore in 1849. In 1850 the bishopric of Wheeling was created, and he was made its first bishop. His efforts brought upon him a heavy debt, and in 1857 he sought assistance in Europe, and obtained the necessary aid. He began a college at Wheeling in 1866, and opened several academies. He was present at the Vatican council in 1869-70, and opposed the dogma of papal infallibility, but submitted to the decision of the council, declaring that his opposition did not arise from disbelief in its truth, but that he believed its definition iiiopportune at that time. At the beginning of the administration of Bishop Whelan, the dit)cese of Wheeling contained two churches and two priests, and was without Roman Catholic schools or institutions of any kind. .\t his death there were forty-eight cluirches, forty stations where religious ser- vices were held, and twenty-nine priests. It contained six academies for girls, four con- vents, a hospital, an orphan asylum, and a college. The Roman Catholic population had increased from less than one thou.^and to eighteen thousand. He died in I'.alti- more, Maryland. July 7. 1874.

Woods, John Rodes, horn in .Mbemarlc county, Virginia, January 13, 1815; son of

Micajah Woods, and Sarah, his wife, daughter of John Rodes; graduated in medicine at the University of Virginia in 1835, I"->t abandoned practice in 1837, to give his attention to scientific agriculture, and brought large importations of English stock to his estate, "Holkham." He was an old- line Whig, a personal friend of Henry Clay, and attended many Whig conventions. He was a director of the Virginia Central (now Chesapeake and Ohio) Railway Company. He was a supporter of the University of Virginia, and a member of its board of visi- tors from 1S67 till 1872. He died in Albe- marle county, Virginia, July 9, i88v Micajah A\'oods lately deceased in Albe- marle county, for a long time common- wealth's attorney, was his son.

Wingfield, John Henry Ducachet, born in Portsmouth, Virginia, September 24, 1833. He entered St. Timothy's College, Mary- land, at the age of thirteen, graduated in 1850, and was a tutor there two years. He entered the senior class of William and Mary College, Virginia, in 1852, and grad- uated in 1853. Returning to St. Timothy's, he taught for another year, and in 1854 went to New York and became a tutor in the Churchill Military Academy at Sing Sing. In 1855 he entered the Theological Semi- nary of \'irginia, where he remained a year, then removing to Arkansas, and becoming principal of Ashley Institute, at Little Rock. He was ordained priest in the Protestant Episcopal church, in tlie chaiiel nf the Theo- logical Seminary of \'irginia. Julv 1. 1859. by Bishop Johns. In July, 1858, he became assistant to his father, who was rector of Trinity Church, Portsmouth, Virginia. He was rector of Christ Church, Rock Spring, Harford county. Maryland, in 1864, but re-