Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/536

 926

VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

scendant of the early Baker family of Vir- ginia. Children of Captain Oscar E. and Sarah Ann (Baker) Edwards: i. Baker E., born in Norfolk in 1869. educated in the public schools, and is now secretary to John S. Wise, in New York ; he is a member of the Alasonic order, is a Knight of Pythias and an Elk ; he married Sophia Harrison, a sister of Carter Harrison, mayor of Chicago. 2. Mary A., married J. W. Hunt. 3. Oscar T., born 1874, educated at William and Mary College and University of Pennsylvania, now connected with the auditing depart- ment of the Southern Railway Company ; he

married Elliott and has children, Oscar

(3) and Elliott D. 4. William Howard, born 1879, educated in private schools; he is a member of the Masonic order. Knights of Pythias, being a past chancellor, and a mem- ber of the Grand Lodge, Knights of the Golden Eagle; he married. February 15, 1903, Margaret Topping and has a daugh- ter, Sarah Baker, born in 1904. Mrs. Sarah Ann (Baker) Edwards survives her hus- band, and continues her residence in Nor- folk, her lifelong home.

Frank Eugene Skinner. Major Frank Eu- gene Skinner, treasurer of the Soldiers' Home at Hampton. Virginia, is a descend- ant of old New England ancestors, and comes of a pioneer family of Jefferson coun- ty. New York. The family of Skinner came from Westmoreland, New Hampshire, to Brownville, New York, about the close of the eighteenth century, and was conspicu- ously identified with that town. Another honorable representative of the family was located in the town of Adams, same county.

AN'illiam E. Skinner, father of Major Skin- ner, was born June 14, 1840, in Jefferson county. New York, son of Amasa Skinner. He received a high school education at Ant- werp, New York, and in young manhood removed to the state of Wisconsin, locating in Calumet county, where he engaged in farming, but being of an energetic and am- bitious nature, he soon engaged in business as a contractor and builder, many buildings in Calumet county being erected by him. Sub- sequently he removed to Washington, D. C, where he continued in the same line of busi- ness, with gratifying success, principally at Takoma Park, a suburb of Washington. He was honest and straightforward in business methods, industrious and capable, and was

highly esteemed by all who knew him. He was a faithful member of the Presbyterian church. He married, September 9, 1869, Alary A. Knickerbocker, born September 25. 1848. daughter of Adam and Catherine ( Blakeman ) Knickerbocker, of Dutchess county, New York, and of Calumet county, Wisconsin. Children: i. Frank Eugene, born July 5, 1870, of whom further. 2. Cora Lovina, born February 24, 1873, married Hildreth Taltamus. and has children: Mary, Naomi, Paul. 3. Laura Amanda, born Feb- ruary 22, 1877. 4. Arthur William, born April 8, 1883, now a student at George Washington University, and at the same time the proprietor of a prosperous printing establishment. Mr. Skinner died Septem- ber 28. 1898, mourned by family and friends.

The Knickerbocker family, of which Mrs. Skinner is a scion, is a very old one in New York, descended from Godfrey Van Gun- baghen. of Holland, whose third son, Jan \'an Beighen Knickerbocker, was a captain in the Dutch navy. He saw service in Bra- zil and in the army of the Netherlands, and in 1650 fought at Antwerp, under Count William Frederick. After the death of W'il- liam 11., Prince of Orange, he removed to America, where he died. He married, in Holland. Julianna. daughter of Rutger Van Marmier, Lord of Bostelaer. They had two sons, Garrit Jansen Knickerbocker, who died in Antwerp in 1655, and Hermon Jan- sen, mentioned below.

Hermon Jansen Knickerjjocker was born March 18, 1648, at V'ielen, was an officer in the Dutch navy, and at the battle of Sole- by, fought with the English and French fleets in 1672, receiving a wound in the knee which incapacitated him. He came to America shortly after his father came, and died at Albany, New York, April 2, 1721. He purchased land in Albany and also at Half Moon, in Dutchess county. He mar- ried. January 3, 1675, at .Ylbany, Elizabeth, daughter of Mynbert Van de Bogaart. Chil- dren : John, born March 16, 1679; Law- rence, mentioned below ; Cornelius, born about 1683; Evert, 1687; Peter; Joanna and Cornelia.

Lawrence Knickerbocker was born in 1681, and lived at Red Hook, Dutchess county. New York, where he died in 1766. He married Catherine \'an Horn, and they were the parents of Peter, mentioned be- low.