Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/130

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

battle of Manassas, and after the war he was professor of engineering at the Virginia Military Institute. Thomas H. and Hen- rietta Louisa (Garnett) Williamson had several children, namely : William G., Anna Maria Mercer, Thomas, Ann Walke, Olym- pia, of whom above. Issue of John Barry and Olympia (Williamson) Purcell. name- ly: I. Martha Webb. 2. Louisa Garnett, who married Dr. William Allan, and has issue : Elizabeth Randolph and Preston Al- lan. ^. Thorn? s Williamson, who graduated at the University of Virginia ; is assistant secretary of the Old Dominion Trust Com- pany ; married Elizabeth M. Bosher, and has issue : Charlotte Mercer and Robert Bosher Purcell. 4. Anna Brooke. 5. John Barry Jr.

Rev. Matthew Branch Porter. A descend- ant of the famous Porter family of Hugue- not ancestry, and of the equally famous Gordons of Scotland through maternal lines. Rev. Mr. Porter also traces from several generations of Virginia blood. He is a grandson of Peter Porter, of Powhatan county, Virginia, a farmer and member of the Christian church. His wife, Dorothy (Woodson) Porter, born in 1803, bore him: William Woodson, Charlotte J., Stephen, Magdalene, Thomas, Ann Scott, Peter D., Matthew I'ranch, of further mention ; George.

(II) Matthew Branch Porter, son of Peter and Dorothy (Woodson) Porter, born in Powhatan county, Virginia, in 1818, died 1904. He was a farmer, a member of the Presbyterian church and a Democrat. Dur- ing the war between the states he served as second lieutenant of reserves. He married, in Powhatan county, February 21, 1849, Susan Lewis -Matthews, born in that county in 1819, died 1899, daughter of Gregory and Frances (Gordon) Matthews, who were married April 21, 1810. Frances Gordon was the daughter of Robert Gordon and his second wife, Ann (Shackleton) Gordon. Children of Matthew Branch Porter : A son, born in January, 1850, died in infancy; Frances Jane, born in 1850; Robert Greg- ory, 1852; Bettie W^oodson, 1854; a daugh- ter, born and died in 1855 J William George, 1856; Drucilla Matthews, 1859; Matthew Branch, of further mention.

(III) Rev. Matthew Branch (2) Porter, son of Matthew Branch (i) and Susan

Lewis (Matthews) Porter, was born in Powhatan county, Virginia, December 5, 1861. His early and preparatory study was in public and private schools, after which he entered Hampden-Sidney College, and pursued courses of elective studies for four years. He then began his studies in divin- ity, attending Union Theological Seminary two and a half years, and then for three years did post-graduate work at the Presby- terian Seminary at Louisville, Kentucky. He was ordained a minister of the Presby- terian church by the Presbytery of Louis- ville, and began his ministerial career as pastor of the Presbyterian church, Green- ville, Kentucky. Since 1907 he has been agency secretary for the American Bible Society. His home is at 617 Hawthorne avenue, Richmond. In politics he is an In- dependent Democrat.

Rev. M. B. Porter married, April i, 1891, at Greenville, Kentucky, Lucy Reno, born at Greenville, Kentucky, daughter of Lewis Reno, a capitalist of Greenville, and his wife. May (Short) Reno. Children: Lewis Gordon, born 1891, a graduate of Richmond College; Matthew Branch (3), 1893; Mary Reno, 1895 ; Lucy Virginia, 1908; Reno Rus- sell, 1910.

Lucius Falkland Cary. The Carys, a family prominent in Virginia colonial his- tory, are descended from the ancient Devon- shire family of Cary, of which collateral branches have been conspicuous in Eng- land as Earls of Hunsdon, Monmouth and Dover, and as Barons of Falkland. Branches are still seated at Tor Abbey and Follaton. The earliest mention of the name is in the case of Adam De Kari, who in 1198 is men- tioned as Lord of Castle Cary, in Somer- set county, whither he probably migrated from Devon, who married Amy, daughter of Sir \\'illiani Trewit, Knight. The Devon- shire "Herald's Visitation" of 1620 gives fourteen generations of his descendants. His grandson's grandson was Sir John Cary, Knight, chief baron of exchequer in the reign of King Henry IV., who was banished into Ireland for political offences. Prior to his time the spelling of the name De Kari seems to have prevailed. His son. Sir Rob- ert Cary, was a favorite of King Henry V.

In his time came out of Aragon a lusty gentle- man into England, and challenged to do feites of arms with any English gentleman, without excep-