Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/701

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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general of the United States army. Follow- ing this he was chief clerk in headquarters' office of the National Soldiers' Home, New York City. He was next appointed as com- missary of subsistence in the Soldiers' Home, near Hampton, Virginia, and Febru- ary I, 191 2, was made quartermaster, with the rank of captain. Captain Spencer has made his own way in the world, conquering promotion by true merit, and can truly sym- pathize with any who are struggling to ad- vance themselves in life. He is a man of most democratic habits, of genial and affa- ble manners, straightforward in action, and appreciated and esteemed by all who are privileged to know him. He married, Feb- ruary 16, 1893, Emma Maud Mulligan, daughter of William Mulligan and his wife, who was a Miss Creamer, of Montgomery county, Maryland, and they are the parents of two children: i. Charles Herbert, born in Georgetown, D. C, April 7, 1894; educated in the public schools of New York City, Brooklyn, New York, was the honor gradu- ate of the Hampton high school, Hampton, Virginia, class of 191 1 ; he is also a graduate of the College of Agriculture and Mechan- ical Arts, at West Raleigh, North Carolina, in agriculture, class of 191 5. 2. Jessie May, Ijorn in Georgetown, D. C, May 17, 1896; and who, November 16, 1914, became the wife of Dr. George Corwin Beach, Jr., senior assistant surgeon National Soldiers' Home, A^irginia, in the chapel of the home.

Marcellus Eugene Wright. Several per- sons by the name of Wright emigrated to America in colonial times, and became founders of as many families in this coun- try. Among those early settlers were the ^^'rights of Connecticut, ^Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Oyster Bay, Long Island, and of Savannah, Georgia. It is probable that Virginia also had her complement of settlers by that name, one of whom was the ante- cedent of Anthony Westley Wright, who was born in King William county, Virginia, about 1840, died June 28, 1904, at Richmond, Virginia. He was a Confederate soldier who served throughout the war, 1861-65, and was in many battles including the battle of Cold Harbor, June 2j, 1862. After the war was over, he settled down to farming and lived in Hanover county, Virginia. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Disciples of Christ Church. He married Isabella

(Granger, and had several children, among them a son whose history follows.

Marcellus Eugene Wright, son of An- thony Westley and Isabella (Granger) \\>ight, was born April 5, 1881, in Hanover county, Virginia. He attended the local schools of his native county until he was eleven years old, when his parents moved to Richmond, where he continued in school until he was about sixteen years old. He then secured employment with Noland & Baskerville, architects, as office boy, and continued there five and one-half years. During this employment he began the study of architecture in connection with his prac- tical work as draftsman, and followed it with one year in the employment of Cope & Stewardson, at Philadelphia. He then attended the School of Architecture, Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, where he com- pleted a special course in 1905. He con- tinued his architectural work in New Jersey and elsewhere until 1909, when he returned to Richmond and set up in business for him- self. Mr. W'right is a Democrat who takes an active interest in local politics. In 1912 he was a candidate for building inspector of Richmond, though he failed of election. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, Blue Lodge and Chapter degrees ; a Knights Templar, and member of the Mystic Shrine.

Air. ^^^right married Ritta Brink Stovall, daughter of Thomas H. and Ida J. (Penton) Stovall, January 31, 1906, at Highland Springs, Henrico county, Virginia. She was born August 15. 1885. in Richmond, Vir- ginia, and is the mother of two children, namely : Marcellus Eugene, born February 16, 1907, at Richmond, Virginia; Francis Stovall, born April 29, 1913, at Richmond. Mr. and Mrs. Wright are members of the Christian Science church.

Augustine Royall. The earliest mention of Royall in Virginia is in a land patent granted by Harvey, August 15. 1637, in which Joseph Royall is granted three hun- dred acres of land in the county of Henrico on the southeast side of Turkey Island creek, and extending to the mouth of said creek. It is recited in the patent that said land is due : fifty acres for his own personal adven- ture ; fifty acres for the transportation of his first wife, Thomasin ; fifty acres for the transportation of Ann, now his wife ; fifty