Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/479

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

361

had issue: i. ]\Iordecai, of further mention. 2. Thomas, surveyor, 1702-17, of Gloucester and Middlesex counties, appointed by Miles Carey, surveyor-general for William and Mary College ; in his contract he agrees to give one-sixth of his receipts to said college ; Thomas married and founded the "Ware- ham" branch. 3. Giles, was tobacco agent in Gloucester in 1714, a tradition being that he was one of the "Knights of the Golden Horse Shoe," who, in 1714, crossed the mountains imder Governor Spottswood and descended to the banks of the Shenandoah ; he is the founder of the "Willow Brook" branch. 4. John, was twic^; married and founded the "Beechly" branch. 5. Mary, married Thomas Booth, the founder of the Booth family of Virginia. 6. Frances, mar- ried, in 1690, Gabriel Throckmorton, of Ware parish, Gloucester county, Virginia. 7. Susannah, married Henry Fitzhugh, son of William Fitzhugh, the founder of the Fitzhugh family of King George county, \ irginia.

(III) Mordecai (2) Cooke, son of Alor- decai (i) Cooke, and grandson of John Cooke, "the founder," was sheriiT of Glou- cester county in 1698, justice and burgess in 1702 and 1 7 14. He is believed to have mar- ried a Miss Buckner and left at least one son.

(IV) Mordecai (3) Cooke, son of Mor- decai (2) Cooke, and of the fourth Amer- ican generation, was a student at William and Mary College in 1738. He married a Miss Booth and left issue: Mordecai, of fur- ther mention ; Giles ; Dr. Thomas and Eliz- abeth.

(V) Mordecai (4) Cooke, son of Mor- decai (3) Cooke and his wife, who was Miss Booth, married (first) in 1781, Elizabeth Scrosby ; married (second) in 1798, Sarah Smith Cooke and had issue by both. Chil- dren of first marriage: John, born 1782, died 1798; Mordecai, born in 1784, died in 1845, leaving issue; T'aomas Booth, born in 1786, moved to Kentucky in early life; Giles Buckner, of further mention ; Elizabeth Throckmorton, born 1790, died 1792; Ann Mathews, born 1791, died 1796; Elizabeth Scrosby, born 1794, died in 1865, married De'Arcy Paul, of Petersburg, Virginia, and left issue.

(A'l) Giles Buckner Cooke, son of Mor- decai (4) Cooke and his first wife, Elizabeth (Scrosby) Cooke, was born in 1788, died

in 1855. He married (first) Sarah Wil- loughby Talbot, of Norfolk, Virginia, (sec- ond) Lucy Brooke, of Essex county, Vir- ginia. Children by his first wife, Mordecai: Alargaret, married Thomas Baylor, of Jef- ferson county, Virginia; she died in 1888, leaving issue.

(VII) Mordecai (5) Cooke, son of Giles Ikickner Cooke and his first wife, Sarah Willoughby (Talbotj Cooke, was born in 1818. died in 1855; was a lawyer. He mar- ried Sarah Colgate Klein, of Norfolk, Vir- ginia, and had issue.

Albert Murray Edwards. While heredity must of necessity furnish the ground work of character, neither heredity nor environ- ment accounts fully for the rapid rise Mr. Edwards has made in a few years from the farm to association wath the leading lawyers of the state. Ambition was the propelling force, while mind and body, a legacy from his distinguished forbears, were fully equal to the demands the energy and determina- tion of the young man placed upon them. To obtain even a good English education in the hours supposed to be needed for rest and sleep is worthy of special mention, but to acquire in addition legal knowledge sufH- cient to gain admission to the Virginia bar, entirely by night study, requires powers of mind and body possessed by few.

Mr. Edwards is a grandson of John Alonzo Edwards, who moved from Norfolk to a plantation along the Nansemond river and cultivated his many acres. He then oper- ated a ship yard and was the owner of Sleep Hole Ferry. During the war between the states he served in the Confederate army, in the Richmond Guards and in the com- missary department. He died in 1892 at an advanced age. He married Indiana Pris- cilla Murray and had issue: John Alonzo (2), of further mention; Isaac W., now liv- ing in Richmond; Indiana Priscilla; Annie.

John Alonzo (2) Edwards was born Au- gust 6, 1848. He spent his earlier years in Nansemond and Norfolk counties, but later purchased a farm in (Gloucester county upon which he yet resides. He is a Democrat in politics, and an Episcopalian in religious faith. He married, in 1874, Mary Countess Seawell. They had nine children, five sons and four daughters: John, died aged two years ; Albert Murray, of further mention ; Tazewell Floyd, Rob Roy, \"irginia Gar-