Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/233

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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speaker. Mr. McCorkle is hapi)y in his home life, as well as among his associates abroad, because of the charm of his personal character. He has a handsome residence in West Seventy-fourth street. New York.

He married, in November, 1888, Margaret, (laughter of Charles A. Chesebrough. A son born to this marriage in Bronxville, West- chester county. New York, was christened Robert Chesebrough, and is now a member of the senior class in the school of electrical and mechanical engineering, at Lafayette College.

Christopher Browne Garnett is a member of the distinguished Virginia family of that name, his forebears on both sides of the house having been prominent in county and state, while he, himself, worthily continues their traditions and associations. In the possession of his mother's family, the Brownes of Mathews county, there has been for many years an old plantation typical of "Old Dominion" days. "Poplar Grove." as it is called, is situated at Mathews. Mathews county, Virginia, near Chesapeake bay. so that the Federal gunboats passing down that body of water during the civil war destroyed every building on the place and captured Christopher Browne, our subject's grand- father, who was a member of the secession convention and subsequently a member of the Virginia legislature. It was in this his- toric and romantic spot that Christopher Browne Garnett was born July 30, 1875, the son of Griffin Taylor and Ellen Douglas (Browne) Garnett. The elder Mr. Garnett was a native of Kalamazoo. Essex county, Virginia, where he was born October 2, 1846. He was a cadet at Newmarket and was there desperately wounded. He later became commonwealth's attorney for Math- ews county, was judge of Alathews and Middlesex counties for fifteen years and circuit judge of the thirteenth judicial cir- cuit from 1904 to 1906. To him and his wife were born seven children, of whom six are still living. His death occurred in Feb- ruary. 1910. and his wife now resides in Ginter Park. Richmond.

Christopher Browne Garnett obtained the elementary part of his education at home and at private schools, and later went to the University of \'irginia at Charlottesville, from which he graduated in 1898 with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of

Arts, having in the meanwhile been pro- fessor of mathematics for two years at Marion Military Institute, Marion, Alabama. After the completion of his course at the university, he taught until 1900 at the Belle- vue high school, Bellevue, Virginia, and 190T became dean of the Woman's College of Richmond. In 1902, he took up the prac- tice of law in Richmond and was appointed lecturer in law at the Richmond College Law School. Mr. Garnett now holds the position of assistant attorney-general of Vir- ginia and is also town attorney for the town of Ginter Park, a position which he has occupied ever since its incorporation. He is also a member of the law firm of Cabell, Garnett & Cabell. Mr. Garnett was for two \ears associate editor of the "Virginia Law Register" and was co-editor of Waddey's "Guide to Magistrates." He was the anno- tator of the criminal code of Virginia (1904). He is a Democrat in politics and is a member of the Lewis Ginter Lodge. No. 317. Free and Accepted Masons, in which organization he held the office of mas- ter in 1913. He is a member of the Church of the Disciples of Christ.

Mr. Garnett was married. September 7,

1905, at St. Stephens. King and Queen county, \irginia, to Katherine Ryland. a native of that place, and daughter of John and Lavinia (Brown) Ryland (both de- ceased). To Mr. and Mrs. Garnett have been born two children : Christopher Browne Garnett Jr.. born December 23,

1906, and Griffin Taylor Garnett HI., born May 29. 1909.

William M. Murrell. Prominent among the old and highly esteemed families of Vir- ginia is the Murrell family, its connection with the state dating back to its early his- tory, and during the intervening years the members in the various generations have aided in every worthy project calculated to advance the interests of the communities in which they have resided.

(II) Thomas Murrell. son of William Murrell. was one of the first settlers of Vir- ginia, and endured bravely the hardships incident to pioneer life. He married Eliza- beth Oliver, who bore him seven children : Mary, Jeffrey, Thomas. Elizabeth, William, of whom further ; Drury, Cornelius.

(HI) William (2) Murrell, third son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Oliver) Murrell,