Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/525

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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Chemical Company, all of Roanoke, and adding greatly to the business importance of the town.

Since becoming a citizen of Roanoke, the Hon. E. L. Keyser has been very acti\c in political matters in behalf of the interests of the Democratic party. He has served on a number of occasions as chairman of the various committees ; has been delegate to state conventions ; delegate to the national convention at Denver, Colorado, in 1908; also to one held at Baltimore, Maryland, in 191 2. He is well known in state and national councils, and has the confidence of the leaders. ' In 191 o he was elected to the Vir- ginia house of delegates, and served on more committees than any other member. He was assigned to the most important com- mittees, among them being: Privileges and elections, roads and internal navigation, counties and cities, labor and poor, and en- I oiled bills. He drafted and secured the passage of the bill creation the law and chan- cery court in Roanoke, also an appropria- tion bill for the relief and support of Con- federate veterans. He introduced several other meritorious measures. His service as a member of the legislature was character- ized by undaunted courage, honesty of pur- pose and tireless efifort, looking not only to the good of his particular district, but to that of the entire state. He declined to serve longer, although assured of election without opposition. Fraternally he is a member of the Royal Arch Masons, Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks, Improved Order of Eagles, and several other organi- zations. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church.

Hon. E. L. Keyser married, in 1889, Lillie, a daughter of M. H. Dickens, of Bee county, Texas, and they have one child, Linwood Dickens, born at Victoria. Texas, Septem- ber 26. 1893. He was graduated from the high school at Roanoke in 1910, the Uni- versity of Virginia with the degree of Bach- elor of Ants in the class of 1914. At present he is a student at Johns Hopkins Medical College, Baltimore, Maryland. He is a member of the Raven Society of the Univer- sity of Virginia, and Psi Chi at Johns Hop- kins.

Edward Randolph Turnbull, M. D.. The

A'irginia history of the family of Turnbull, numerous in that state, has its genesis in

the immigration to the American shore and Virginia of Robert Turnbull, a native of Scotland. Since that time honor and repu- tation has come to the name in its Ameri- can home, prominent position in the profes- 'sions has been accorded it, and Virginia and the nation have received from those bearing it devotion, loyalty and service. This chron- icle is of the line of Dr. Edward Randolph Turnbull, of Lawrenceville, Virginia, for twenty-eight years a medical practitioner of Lawrenceville. X'irginia.

Edward Randolph Turnbull, son of Rob- ert Turnbull. the immigrant, was born in Lawrenceville, Brunswick county, Virginia, in 1820. He became a practicing lawyer of that county and in the United States court at Richmond, Virginia, and was elected clerk of Brunswick county, at age of twenty and held that oi^lice until his death in 1886. For a short time he was a soldier in the Con- federate States army. He married Eliza- beth Harrison, of Petersburg, Virginia. His children were: i. Robert, a member of the United States House of Representatives, having held a seat in the Sixty-first and Sixty-second Congresses, senior partner of the law firm of R. Turnbull & Son, of Boyd- ton. Virginia. 2. Nathaniel Harrison, died aged twenty-one years ; was a mining en- gineer, having been for four years a student in the University of Virginia. 3. Edward Randolph, of whom further. 4. Mary. 5. Frances, married Charles Edward May. 6. Sarah Jane, married (first) Dr. Irby Hardy, deceased, (second) Nicholas L. Claiburne. 7. Annie, deceased.

Dr. Edward Randolph (2) Turnbull, son of Edward Randolph (i) and Elizabeth (Harrison) Turnbull, was born in Law- renceville, Virginia, December 9, 1856. His early boyhood was passed amid the troubled scenes of the civil war, in which his father was a participant, while an uncle, William Turnbull, placed his home in Petersburg at the disposal of General Robert E. Lee, that gallant general making his headquarters there during his stay in Petersburg. Ed- ward Randolph attended the private schools at Lawrenceville. Virginia, and for three years was a student in the Rock Spring Academy, then entering the office of the clerk of Brunswick county. Later becom- ing deputy clerk, he was then made clerk of the circuit court of Brunswick county, an office he held for six vears. While the in-