Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/157

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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but in the restoration of old Colonial man- sions to their original condition, including furniture and decoration. Two such may be mentioned from their prominence in his- tory, "W'estover" and the old "Coles Home." Mr. Biggs married Jennie Marie Brewster, daughter of Captain George W. Brewster. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Biggs: Lewis Harding, educated at Charlotte Hall, and Maryland Military Academy ; Norma Franklin, a student at Miss I'"lliott's School, Richmnml.

Lewis Betts. A descendant of an old Delaware family and a resident of W'ilming- ton in that state until his sixteenth year, Lewis Betts spent the remainder of his j'ears, seventy-four, engaged in business in the state of Virginia. The quiet, even tenor of his life was broken by the war period, 1861-1865, and during those years he stood shoulder to shoulder with his Virginia neighbors in the battlefield of the Confed- eracy and did all that one man could do in support of the Southern cause. He was an able, capable business man and during the years of his active life conducted a large, successful contracting business in house painting and decorating. He served his church with fidelity and zeal, bore his full share of the responsibilities of good citizen- ship, reared and maintained a home and left to his posterity an honored name.

Lewis Betts was born in Wilmington, Delaware, January 17, 1826, died January 21, 1900, son of Charles and Hannah Betts, both of Delaware families. His father, a brass moulder, gave him the advantage of such jniblic school education as the city at that date afl'orded, but at the age of sixteen years he began making his own way in the world. He located in Petersburg, Virginia, in 1842, a lad of sixteen years, and began his business life as painter's apprentice, his previous occupation having been farming. He finished his years of instruction in paint- ing and decorating and became a finished workman. He followed his trade until the outbreak of the war between the states, then enlisted in Company H, Fifteenth Regi- ment Virginia Infantry. Confederate States army, and from 1861 until the surrender at Appomattox shared the varying fortunes of his regiment in camp and field, advance and retreat, victory and defeat. He escaped the many perils of war, and at the close of the

unhappy conflict returned to Richmond and resumed his trade. He became well known in the building trade and as a contractor was highly rated for honorable dealings. He was a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Lewis Betts married, December 15, 1853, f'rances A. Wilson, who survives him, a resident of Richmond, Virginia, daughter of John and Sarah Wilson. Forty-seven years Mr. and Mrs. Betts passed in congenial married companionship ere the ties that bound were broken by the death of Mr. Betts. Children: Lewis L. ; Mary M., wife of Thomas LIudspeth, deceased, of Rich- mond, Virginia, and Charles B., who was killed at the burning of the bridge at Pe- tersburg, Virginia.

Tarlton Fleming Heath, of Petersburg, president of The National Bank of that city, is a native of Goochland county, Virgmia, born November 30, i860. His grandfather, Hartwell Peebles Heath, was born in Prince George county, Virginia, was a mer- chant in Petersburg, where he died about 1845, less than forty years of age. He mar- ried Eliza Cureton Rives, a native of Sussex county. Virginia, and a sister of Francis E. Rives, a noted statesman of Virginia. They had children: Virginia, John Francis, Ros- coe Briggs, Jesse Hartwell, Anna Rives, all now deceased.

Jesse Hartwell Heath, third son of Hart- well Peebles and Eliza C. (Rives) Heath, was liorn in 1832, in Petersburg, and was a planter in Goochland, where he died in Au- gust, 1866, at the age of thirty-four years. He served through the civil war, rising from private to captain, and was with Fitz- hugh Lee at Lynchburg, and in other severe engagements, in one of which he was wounded. He married Sarah Eleanor Flem- ing, born 1832, in Goochland county, and r.ow living in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a daughter of Tarlton Fleming, a native of ( loochland county, and a wealthy planter, who died there in i860. His wife, Rebecca (Coles) Fleming, was a native of Albemarle county. Virginia, and they were the parents of four children: Thomas Mann, Elizabeth, William Randolph, and Sarah Eleanor. The last named is the only one of these now living. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Heath : Eliza Cureton. died unmarried at the age of twenty-five years : Maunsell White, now