Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/549

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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tends to better public health, in short the modern title "a soldier of the common good" would seem to have been coined expressly for John Patteson Branch, late of Richmond, Virginia.

A glance at the Branch ancestry shows English and Welsh forbears. Paternally he descended from Christopher and Mary Branch, who came from England to Vir- ginia in the ship, "London Alerchant," in the year 1619 or 1620. His maternal grand- father, John Blythe Read, was born in Wales. Christopher Branch, the founder, known as Christopher Branch, of "Arrow- hattocks" and "Kingsland," traces in direct male line to Richard Branch, of Abingdon, in Berkshire, England, who was born prior to 1500, died in 1544. The family is of Nor- man origin and was brought to England by a knight in the train of William the Con- queror.

Christopher Branch, the founder, son of Lionel Branch, was born in England, in 1602, married, September 2, 1619, at the age of seventeen years, Mary, daughter of Francis Addie, of Darton, in Yorkshire. In March, 1620, they sailed for Virginia, and when the first census of Virginia was taken four years later, they were living in Hen- rico. In 1634 he patented one hundred acres at "Arrowhattocks," in Henrico county, now Chesterfield. This he added to by purchase and patent, until he acquired a large estate, surrounding his original 'patent. In 1632 he returned to England to contest for the possession of the Bull Inn estate in Abingdon, but an adverse decision of the court of chancery caused his return to Virginia. He died in December, 1681, or January, 1682. The line of descent from Christopher to John Patteson Branch is through Christopher (2), youngest son of the founder, born 1627, died 1665 ; Benjamin Branch of Henrico, third son of Christopher (2) Branch ; Benjamin (2) Branch, of Ches- terfield, only son of Benjamin (i) Branch; Captain Benjamin (3) Branch, eldest son of Benjamin (2) Branch, of Chesterfield, a cap- tain of the revolution, justice of the peace and sheriff, died 1786; Thomas Branch, of Willow Hill, youngest son of Captain Ben- jamin (3) Branch, born April 4, 1767, died September 10, 1818, married Mary, daugh- ter of Colonel David Patteson, of Chester- field ; Thomas (2) Branch, of Petersburg

and Richmond, the latter father of John Patteson Branch.

Thomas (2) Branch was born at Willow Hill, his father's mansion in Chesterfield county, Virginia, December 23, 1802, died in Richmond, Virginia, November 15, 1888. He grew to manhood at Willow Hill, ob- tained a good education in well-known schools, and began business life in early manhood in Petersburg as a commission merchant, later becoming a banker. He suc- cessively founded and conducted the firms of Thomas Branch & Brother, of Thomas Branch & Sons, of Branch Sons & Com- pany, and of Thomas Branch & Company, the latter firm established in Richmond dur- ing the civil war period. He was a mem- ber of the convention of 1861, and voted against Virginia leaving the Union, assent- ing only when desired to do so by those who had appointed him their representative, but when once the die was cast, he signed the ordinance of secession, and in the de- fense of his native state devoted alike his five sons and his not inconsiderable fortune. After the war ended he made his permanent home in Richmond, where he resided until his death. In 1871 he founded the Mer- chants" National Bank of Richmond, was its president until 1880, when he resigned and was succeeded by his son, John P. Branch. During his Petersburg residence, Thomas Branch w^as a member of common council, sheriff, and several times mayor. While his business career w^as a successful one, and he died possessed of a considerable fortune, there was a period (1848) when he met with serious reverses, but he quickly recovered and met all obligations in full. Later he was noted for his conservation as a mer- chant and banker, so fortifying himself against adverse fortune that the firm of which he was the head safely passed through the great panics of 1857 and 1873.

In 183 1 Mr. Branch joined the Methodist Episcopal church, and until his death, fifty- seven years later, he was one of its most devoted and useful members. He was con- spicuous in fifty annual conferences of the church ; contributed to the Methodist cause very large sums ; was treasurer of the Vir- ginia Bible Society ; for many years treas- urer of the Magdalen Association of Rich- mond ; president of the board of trustees of Randolph-AIacon College, and for long