Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/623

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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4. IQ13, when he was elected commonwealth attorney of the city of Clifton Forge, enter- ing upon the duties of that office, January 1. 1914, for a term of four years. He is one of the youngest men who have ever held that office, but his lack of years is counter- balanced b\ unusual ability, legal knowl- edge and a natural legal mind that has quickly developed under study and experi- ence. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar Association, a member of the Greek letter fraternity. Kappa Alpha, and in poli- tical faith a Rei)ublican. ]\Ir. Wilson is un- married.

Major Christopher Valentine Winfree.

The Winfree family of Virginia, worthily represented for many years by the late Maior Christopher \'alentine \Wnfree, is an old and honored one, its members in the various generations performing well their parts in the different spheres, exhibiting traits of character which have been trans- mitted in large degree to their descendants, and which have aided materially in their success in life. Major \\^infree is directly de- scended (on his mother's side) from the Pells and Van Tuyls. of New York, and MacCalmonts and Chambers, of Pennsyl- vania, all of which lines may be traced back many years in their respective countries, England, Holland, and North Ireland.

(I) Valentine W^infree, who died July 22, 1796, was a resident of Chesterfield county, X'irginia, where he was a planter and land- holder. He married Martha Johnson, who bore him four sons : \''alentine, see forward ; Reuben. Major, James.

(II) Valentine (2) Winfree. son of Val- entine (i) and Martha (Johnson) Winfree, was born July 15. 1762. He resided in Ches- terfield county. Mrginia. and was a planter, which occui)ation he followed throughout his active career, achieving a large degree of success. He married, Jantiary 3, 1783, Lucy Cheatham; eleven children: i. Nel- son, born October 24. 1783; married a Miss Vairden ; four sons and four daughters. 2. Christopher, see forward. 3. \'alentine, born October 2"/, 1787; married a Miss Lafon ; four sons and two daughters. 4. Martha Johnson, born February 11, 1790. 5. Lucy Hobson, born November 18, 1791. 6. Polly Cheatham, born January 7, 1794. 7. Thomas, born November 23, 1796. 8. Margaret, born March 7, 1798. 9. Robert Burton, born

March 2, 1800. 10. Elizabeth Owen, born January 2"], 1803; married, January, 1824, John Dance. 1 1. William Washington, born October 15, 1806.

(IIIj Christopher Winfree, son of Val- entine (2) and Lucy (Cheatham) Winfree, was born in Chesterfield county, Virginia, October 2^,, 1785, died December 12, 1858. He was reared and educated in his native county, residing on the old plantation until 1803, in which year he went to Lynchburg, X'irginia, where he engaged in the tobacco lousiness and continued in the manufacture of tobacco throughout the active years of his life. He conducted an extensive business in this country and exported largely to Europe. He was one of the pioneer business men of Lynchburg, and he took an active interest in the early enterprises of that city. He married (lirst) Polly Warwick, daughter of William \\'arwick. w'ho bore him three daughters: Louisa Ann, Lucy Adeline, Martha Caroline. He married (second) No- vember 19, 1817. Cornelia Meyer Tilden (see Tilden), who bore him seven children: I. Mary Cornelia, born January 30, 1819; married. July. 1842. Thaddeus H. Ivey ; one son, William Christopher, born April 22, 1843, married, December 20, 1871, Emma A\'alton ^Moorman, who bore him two chil- dren : Lillian, born September i, 1873, died December 20, 1881, and Edwin Clark, born December 30, 1874. 2. Jane Margaret, born July 18, 1821 ; married. May, 1845. Edward S. Brown (see Brown). 3. Catherine \*ir- ginia, born 1824. 4. Christopher \"alentine, see forward. 5. John Bell Tilden, born May 8, 1829; married, December 16, 1857, Ann E. Pennington. 6. Virginia Elizabeth, born November 19. 1831. 7. Robert Nelson, born February 29, 1835. died February, 1844.

( I\M Major Christopher Valentine \Mn- free. son of Christopher and Cornelia !Meyer ( Tilden ) A\'infree, was born in Lynchburg, \'irginia. November 14. 1826, died June 18, 1902. After passing a bright and happy youth on the old home place just outside the city of Lynchburg, on the Campbell Court House Road, ]\Iajor Winfree went to the \^irginia Military Institute to complete his education and was there graduated in the year 1848. Adopting civil engineering as a profession, he secured his first employment in connection with the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad, now the Norfolk & West- ern. He assisted in the construction of that