Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/664

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

captain saw him he was in the front line and the last words he spoke to him were orders to get back into his proper place in the line.

Captain Bosang was at once confronted with the problem of how to support his mother and five younger children on noth- ing. He found a way out of the difficulty by borrowing thirty-five dollars of an uncle, with which he bought shoemaker's tools and leather. He soon had plenty of work at good prices and kept the family in com- fort until able to care for themselves. He prospered, was county clerk of Pulaski for a number of years, and is now living in honorable retirement in his native county. He married Mary Frances Cecil, born in Pulaski county, September 25, 1846, daugh- ter of Thomas K. and Priscilla Ann Buck- ingham Grayson Cecil, the former named a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. Children : Jesse Nicolas, of further men- tion ; James Gilmer ; Viola May ; Callie Frances, married John F. Davies ; Ella ; Margaret.

Jesse Nicolas Bosang, son of Captain James N. and Mary Francis (Cecil) Bosang (both still residents of Pulaski county), was born at Big Lick, Virginia, August 6, 1872. He was educated in the public schools of Pulaski county. Virginia, and at sixteen years of age began business life as clerk in a mercantile house, continuing there five years. On arriving at legal age he entered the employ of his father, who was then clerk of Pulaski county, November 18, 1893, ^s deputy county clerk. He continued deputy until his father's term expired, then was elected to succeed him as county clerk, which office he yet holds, first elected in November, 1905, his father having held the office for twelve years. Mr. Bosang is prom- inent in the religious and fraternal life of Pulaski, the capital of the county. He is a member and commander of Pulaski Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, was secre- tary of Pythagoras Lodge, No. 239, for six years, and is an honored past master of that lodge, belongs to the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, Knights of Pythias, Junior Order of American Mechanics, is a member of the Pulaski Methodist Episcopal church and for ten years has been superin- tendent of the Sunday school. Mr. Bosang married, June 10, 1903. Sarah Margaret Stone, born near Bristol, Tennessee, June 12, 1881, daughter of William R. Stone.

Thomas Henry Scales, D. D. S. Among those who have obtained distinct prestige in the practice of dentistry in the city of Rich- mond, Virginia, and whose success has come as the logical sequence of thorough tech- nical information, is Dr. Thomas Henry Scales. He comes of a family whose vari- ous members have been distinguished as soldiers, in the professions and in literature. The history of the origin of the family name is an unusually interesting one.

The Scales family in England dates from the landing of William the Conqueror in 1066. The origin of the name came from the commander of that division of King William's army, which came with him to England from Normandy, whose duty it was to scale the walls of a besieged city when the proper time came to make such an assault. The general in command of this division was named Hugh, and in the history of the time he is called Hugh de Eschalers, that is, Hugh, commander of the Scalers of city walls and fortifications. In the course of years the spelling became Hugh de Scales, and after two or three cen- turies the de was dropped. Burke's "Ex- tinct Peerage" has the following: By Vv^rit of summons dated 6th February, 1299 — 2'] Edward I, Lineage. Of this name and fam- ily (anciently written Eschalers and Scales) the first recorded is Hugh de Scales, who in the time of King Stephen was Lord of Berk- hampstead, in the county of Essex. This feudal lord gave to the Monks of Lewes the churches of Withial, Wadone, Ruthwall and Berkhampstead. by a deed sealed with the impression of an armed man, standing on his left foot, and putting his right on the step of a ladder with his hands on the same, as if he were climbing, around which was the inscription: Sig'illum hiigonls de scaleriis. And following this is the account of many other members of the noble family of Scales, who were distinguished in both peace and war. This family resided for many genera- tions in great splendor and power at the Castle of Middleton. near Lynn Regis, in the county of Norfolk, about one hundred miles north from London. The Scales fam- ily, other than the barons, lived in the coun- ties on the east side of England and north of London, in the counties of Hertford, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Norfolk and York.

Nathaniel Scales, grandfather of Dr. Scales, was born in North Carolina in 1818,