Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/51

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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Manchester, an office which he still holds. In politics he is a Democrat, and in religion an Episcopalian.

James Winston Watts, Richard Thomas Watts. Brothers in blood, brothers in arms, and brothers in spirit, James Winston and Richard Thomas Watts, eminent citizens of Lynchburg, Virginia, and loyal self-sacri- ficing sons of Virginia, after lives of honor and usefulness passed from earthly scenes, leaving to posterity the rich legacy of un- tarnished names.

The Watts family of Virginia are of Eng- lish or Scotch ancestry, the family being one of the ancient and honorable names of the Kingdom. Arms : Argent an oak tree grow- ing out of a mount in base vert. Over all on a bar azure, a crescent between two mul- letts of the first. Crest: A cubit arm erect issuing from a cloud, in the hand a branch of olive, all ppr.

John Watt, of Scotland, was the direct an- cestor of the Watts family in America. He was known as a "deacon Covenanter." He took part in the political and military agita- tion in Scotland in the late sixteenth cen- tury, and died in 1601, probably through foul play from his enemies. His wife was Euphame (Porteous) Watt, the daughter of a wealthy Scotch merchant. There is every reason to believe that John Watt, born in 1650, was his grandson. This John Watt inherited the ancestral manor known as "Rose Hill," which was located near the city of Edinburgh. He had issue: i. Margaret, born about 1672 ; married Sir Walter Rid- dell, the fourth baronet of Nova Scotia. 2. Alice, married (first) a Mr. Scott, of Fife, and (second) Lord Galtown. 3. Adam, born in 1678. 4. Robert. 5. John, born in 1682; came to America and died unmarried in Philadelphia in 1707.

Robert Watt came to this country about 1710 and settled in Manhattan, and was the founder of the northern branch of the Watts family. That he was the father of Jacob Watts, of Virginia, is not likely, as his chil- dren are recorded, and the name of Jacob does not appear among them. It is, how- ever, possible that his brother, Adam, may have come to Virginia, and was the father of Jacob Watts.

(I) Descent is traced from Jacob Watts, the first of the family in Virginia of whom there is record in this branch. He was the

owner of a large estate containing over eleven hundred acres located on the north fork of the Rivanna, near Piney mountain, Albemarle county, Virginia. He was a prosperous planter and a minister of the early Methodist church of Albemarle county, born in 1 731, his long and useful life of ninetv years terminating in 182 1. He mar- ried Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Rich- ard Durrett, of Priddy's creek, Albemarle county; children: William, of further men- tion ; John, Elijah, Eielding, Mildred, mar- ried a Mr. Bruce ; Mary, married Hezekiah Rodes ; Frances, married Joseph Edmond- son ; Nancy, married Flenry Austin ; Agnes, married John Huckstep.

(H) William Watts, eldest son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Durrett) Watts, by his first wife, Jane, had issue : James, of further men- tion ; Fannie, born October 26, 1769. By his second wife, Lucy, he had issue : Eliza- beth, born December 15, 1775 ; Patsey, April 4 1776; W^ashington, September 2, 1777; A\'illiam, March 25, 1779.

(HI) James Watts, son of William and Jane W^atts, was born January 25, 1767, died near Liberty, now Bedford City, Virginia, January 25, 1828. He married Elizabeth Hamilton, and had issue : Richard D., of further mention ; Sally W.. born December zy, 1795; Jane H., May 19, 1798; Eliza M., March 15, 1801, died January 8, 1865, mar- ried, September 9, 1819, Dabney Poindexter ; James, born October 2. 1807; Frances T., Januarv 17, 1813; Paulina Ann, July 31, 1815.

(IV) Richard D. Watts, eldest son of James and Elizabeth (Hamilton) Watts, was born December 28, 1793. He was a resi- dent of Bedford county, Virginia, and a sol- dier of the war of 1812. He married Isabelle Newell, and had issue: Mary Frances, mar- ried George Morgan Jones (whose biog- raphy appears elsewhere in this work) ; Colonel James Winston, of further mention ; John Harvey Newell, married Rebecca Hurt, and had issue ; Charles R., married Eliza- beth McKinney, children : Blair and Charles ; Mary Elizabeth, married Harry P. Burks, child, Martha; Richard Thomas, of further mention.

(V) Colonel James Winston Watts, eld- est son of Richard D. and Isabelle (Newell) Watts, was born in Bedford county, Vir- ginia, April 19, 1833, died in Lynchburg, Virginia, December 3, 1906. He was well