Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/225

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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Mr. Southgate's father (Thomas Muse) left school at an early age and spent his life following the water until his retirement sev- eral years prior to his death, serving in all capacities to master for fifty years, thirty- six years under the flag of the Old Dominion Steamship Company, and four years under the flag of the Confederate States of Amer- ica in the transport and naval service. His career in war and peace was an honored one, marked with distinctive ability, courage and fidelity. He married, in i860, Mary Eliza- beth, daughter of Edward E. and Mary Elizabeth (Griflfeth) Portlock, Thomas S. being the second oldest of six children, and to the love and devotion of his Godly mother Mr. Southgate freely states is due any contribution he has been able to make to his day and generation.

Norfolk and \'irginia honor Thomas S. Southgate, and regard him as in every sense representative of the young men of the new South. His steady, consistent and tmusual life has been an inspiration to many, the influence of which is invariably exerted for those things which make for the public good. One of Mr. Southgate's strongest written statements, which we copy from a Northern periodical, will make a fitting close to this sketch :

I count material business success but an incident in a man's life. I believe in a God-fearing country such as ours a man's success in life should no longer be judged by the amount of money he has made, but rather by the degree of service he has been able, under the providence of God, to render his fellow- men.

Legh Richmond Watts. From earliest colonial days the Watts family, of which Legh Richmond Watts, of Portsmouth, is representative, has been prominent in the public and social life of Norfolk county, Vir- ginia. Colonel Dempsey Watts, an officer of the war of 1812, was a man of prominence, owning plantations cultivated by slaves. He married Mary Moore. He died in 1841, aged sixty-seven years.

Dr. Edward M. Watts, son of Colonel Dempsey Watts and his wife, Mary (Moore) Watts, was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and after attending school in his native state entered the University of Pennsylvania. Re- ceiving the degree of Doctor of Medicine he entered practice and rose to success and emi- nence in his profession. He married Ann Eliza Maupin, daughter of Dr. George

\\'ashington Maupin, a surgeon in the United States army, and his wife, Ann (Mof- fatt) Maupin. The Maupin family was founded in America in 1700 by Gabriel Mau- pin, who fled from France, his native land, to England in 1699, the following year set- tling in Williamsburg, Virginia. His grand- son, Gabriel Maupin. was born February 12, 1737, and married Dorcas Allen. He was in command of the powder magazine at Wil- liamsburg during the revolution and re- ceived an autographed letter from Patrick Henry, when that statesman was the occu- pant of the governor's chair in Virginia, commending him for faithful and efficient service. Gabriel Maupin was the father of Dr. George Washington Maupin and grand- father of Ann Eliza (Maupin) Watts. Chil- dren of Dr. Edward M. and Ann Eliza (Maupin) Watts: Georgianna, married James G. Holladay ; Edward M. (2). a phy- sician, married Laura Peters ; Legh Rich- mond, of whom further.

Legh Richmond Watts, second son and youngest child of Dr. Edward M. and Ann Eliza (Maupin) Watts, was born in Ports- mouth, \'irginia, in 1843. He obtained pre- paratory training in the Virginia Collegiate Institute, at Portsmouth, Norfolk Male In- stitute, and Norfolk Academy, and on Oc- tober 18, 1865, entered the University of Virginia. In 1866 he was graduated in chemistry, moral philosophy, and political economy, and at the close of 1867 completed the law course, receiving the degree of LL. P.. In October, 1868, Mr. Watts became a member of the Portsmouth law firm. Holla- day, Gayle & Watts, and engaged in private j)ractice until elevated to the bench as judge of the Norfolk county court, a position he occupied until 1880. In that year he returned to the private practice of his profession, and later formed a partnership with Goodrich Hatton under the firm name of Watts & Hatton, an association that continues to the present time. Mr. Watts in 1884 accepted the office of counsel for the Seaboard & Roa- noke Railroad Company, six years later be- came general counsel for the Seaboard Air Line, and in 1901 assumed his present duties a.*^. counsel general for the entire Seaboard system. This responsible jjosition, requir- ing profound knowledge of corporation law, unfailing tact, fine judgment, and reliable executive powers, he has filled most accept- ably, and through important litigation in connection with the road has gained a wide