Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/238

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

legal, medical and surgical, and engineering circles knowing well the name through the careers ol the present day representatives ol the family whose records follow, i'rom Ricliard Ooswell Gwathmey the line de- scends through Temple Gwathmey and his wife, Ann. i emple Gwathmey moved from the vicmity of Norfolk to King and yueen county, there acquired title to a large tract u( land, and conducted planting operations durnig his active years. Among his sons was \\ illiam \\ atts Gwathmey.

William W atts Gwathmey, son of Temple and Ann Gwathmey, was born in 1820, and died in 1869. After the completion of his education he went to Texas and there re- mained for four years, upon his return em- barking in tobacco dealing, later establish- ing in cotton dealing in Alabama. Once more returning to his native state he be- came a cotton commission merchant in Norfolk, thus passing his remaining years. His business ventures were uniformly suc- cessful, and he became the possessor of a considerable fortune. He yielded allegi- ance to the Democratic party all his lile, and took an active part in public affairs, serving at one time as president of the Nor- folk council. He was a vestryman of Lhrist Protestant Episcopal Church, closely con- nected with its good works, and was an honored and respected citizen. William W'atts Gwathmey married Alary, daughter of George P. and Alary (Langhorn) Tayloe, a descendant of William Tayloe, who came to Virginia about 1650 and married Ann, daughter of Henry Corbin. Children of Wil- liam Watts Gwathmey: Mary, died in in- fancy ; Temple, a graduate of the Virginia Medical College, died in active practice aged forty-five years; William Watts (2), of whom further ; James Tayloe, AI. D., a prac- ticing physician of New York City, married and has three children ; Caroline, died in 1885; George Tayloe, of whom further; Lomax, of whom further ; Edward Thorn- ten ; Brooks.

William Watts (2) Gwathmey, eldest sur- viving son of W'illiam Watts (i) and Mary (Tayloe) Gwathmey. was born in Rich- mond, Virginia, in i860, and was educated in the \'irginia Military Institute, whence he was graduated in the class of 1880. After thorough preparation in civil engineering, with specialized study in railroad work, he became active in his profession, and in 1883 became engineer in charge of the construc-

tion of the Norfolk 6i; Carolina Railroad, atteiward accepting a position on the engi- neering corps of the Seaboard Air Line. He retained his uftice with this road until 1905, when he resigned from its service and opened offices in Norfolk as a consulting en- gineer. Mr. Gwathmey's present standing m engineering circles speaks plainly of the success that has attended him in the decade that has passed since his independent es- tablishment, and the record of his profes- sional achievements is a proud one. Posi- tive knowledge, skill and ability are the foundation of his attainment, while habits of precision and industry have contributed no little to his success. Air. Gwathmey holds membership in the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, and is a communicant of Christ Church. Politically, he is a Democrat, with which party he has been allied all of his life.

A subject upon which Mr. Gwathmey holds the most advanced views is that of education, and his children have been fav- ored with the best of educational oppor- tunities, one of his sons now a clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal church, the other pursuing Air. Gwathmej-'s own pro- fession, civil engineering, while his daugh- ters are students in institutions of high grade and reputation.

William Watts (2) Gwathmey married, in 1885, Alary P., daughter of John D. and

( Potter) Langhorn. of Kentucky, and

has children : Duval, born in 1886, edu- cated in Washington-Lee L'niversity and the A'irginia Theological Seminary, now rector of the Protestant Episcopal parish at Waynesboro, Virginia; William Watts, Jr., educated in \\'ashington-Lee University, now a civil engineer in the employ of the Baltimore iS: Ohio Railroad ; Caroline, born in i8go, a student in Sweet Briar Institute: Alary, born in 1892, also a student at Sweet Briar Institute: Elizabeth, born in i8g8.

George Tayloe Gwathmey, fourth son and sixth child of William Watts ( i ) and Alary (Tayloe) (jwathmey, was born in Alabama in 1867. Like his brother. \\'illiam W. Gwathmey, he was educated in the Virginia Alilitary Institute, and was graduated C. E. in the class of 1887. He followed profes- sional work until 1895. in which year he took up the study of law at the University of Virginia, attending the university in 1895 and 1896, having previously prepared him- self for entrance bv solitarv studv. At the