Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/381

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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Tyler, of the revolution, married Lucinda Coleman.

(V) George Tyler, son of Henry and Lucinda (Coleman) Tyler, was born in 1817, died 1889. He was for many years a mem- ber of the Virginia house of delegates, from Caroline county, that county for several generations the seat of that branch of the Tyler family. He married Eliza, daughter of Colonel James Hoge. a planter of Pulaski county, Virginia, from whom his grandson, Ciovernor J. H. Tyler, inherited "Belle Hampton."

(VI) James Hoge Tyler, fortieth gov- ernor of Virginia (1897-1902), was born in Caroline county, Virginia, August 11, 1846, son of George and Eliza (Hoge) Tyler. His mother dying soon after his birth, he was reared by his maternal grandparents, Gen- eral James Hoge and wife, at their Pulaski county farm, and later inherited the Hoge homestead, later known as "Belle Hampton." He attended the old field schools during the winter months and was also a student at the celebrated "Minor's School" in Albe- marle county. He enlisted in the Confed- erate army when sixteen years of age and served as a private until the war ended. He then began the management and cultivation of his farm, entered public life and became prominent as a progressive, public-spirited citizen, devoted to the interests and ad- vancement of his state. He was elected state senator in 1877 and took prominent position in the senate as an advocate of retrench- ment and reform. He was a member of the building committee that erected the South- western State Hospital at Marion, which in completeness is unsurpassed, considering the amount expended. He was for years a member of the board of visitors and rector of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechani- cal College, now Virginia Polytechnic In- stitute, and also for a long period was con- nected with nearly all of the agricultural societies of the state. He was a member of the state debt commission and was firm in his stand to secure an extension of the two per cent, interest period from five to ten years. In 18S9 he was the Democratic can- didate of Southwest Virginia for the govern- orship, but P. W. McKinney securing the nomination, Mr. Tyler gave him his loyal support and accepted the second place on the ticket. In 1893 he was again defeated for the nomination by Charles T. O. Eer-

rall, but he strongly supported the ticket and campaigned many of the counties of the state. In 1897 he was the party candidate and was elected governor by the largest plurality ever given a gubernatorial candi- date in the state, making the third Tyler to hold the high office of governor of Virginia. Governor Tyler's administration was marked by the settlement of the long vexed oyster question, for it was largely through his efiforts that the Cato bill was made ef- fective and the oyster beds of the state made to yield an income to the state instead of an annual deficit. He was a wise and capable executive and retired from office full of honors. He retired to his Virginia estate after the expiration of his term and resumed its management.

Governor Tyler married. November 16. 1868, Sue, daughter of Colonel Edward Hammett. of Montgomerv county, Vir- ginia. Children : Edward Hammett, James Hoge, Stockton Heth, Belle Norwood, Sue Hampton, Henry (Hal) Clement, of further mention, and Eliza. Colonel Edward Ham- mett married Clementine Craig, of Craig county. Their daughter Sue was born on, the old homestead "Norwood," in Mont- gomery county, in 1846.

(A^IT) Henry Clement Tyler, son of Gov- ernor James Hoge and Sue (Hammett) Tyler, was born in Pulaski county, at the Hoge homestead, "Belle Hampton," De- cember 10, 1878, the old homestead so named in honor of the two daughters of Governor Tyler, Belle and Sue Hampton, parts of the names of each. He was educated in private schools, St. Albans Academy (Colonel Miles principal) and the law de- partment of the University of Virginia, en- tering the latter in 1899. He was admitted to the bar in July, 1901, and the same year located in Radford, an independent city of Virginia, in Montgomery county, on the Norfolk & Western Railroad. He is well established in general practice and has risen to positions of professional trust and honor. He was appointed in 1906 commonwealth attorney of the city of Radford, to fill out an unexpired term, and in 1908 was elected by the people to fill the same office for a term of four years. In 1912 he was given another evidence of the high esteem in which he is held by a re-election for another four years. In 1909 he was elected city at- torney of Radford by the city council, has