Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/551

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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Edwin Ivanhoe Ford. Edwin Ivanhoe Ford, is a scion of an old \'irginia family, located for many generations in Goochland county. The name of Ford appears very frequently in the early colonial records of the Old Dominion. In 1633 John Ford was residing in Accomac county, and in 1687 Joseph Ford was a member of a company of horse in Surry county. In 1730 William Ford, in association with Michael Holland, received a grant of four hundred acres in Goochland county. The will of John Ford, probated in Richmond county, March 6, 1699. mentions wife Patience and son John. John Ford, a planter of Goochland county, proba- bly the John (2) above mentioned, sold land. May 12, 1729. He had a wife Mary and chil- dren : John, Elizabeth and Mary. The revo- lutionary records show that several mem- bers of the Ford family were soldiers of that struggle, and received land bounties under the king's proclamation of 1763. After the battle of Great Meadows, in 1754, Colonel A\'ashington"s list of wounded soldiers in his service included James Ford, a member of Captain Hogg's company. Members of this family received grants of land at Wil- liamsburg, in .\ugusta county and Amelia county. William Ford was a sergeant from the latter county in the colonial forces in September, 1758. William Ford, undoubt- edly a descendant of John and Marv Ford, of Goochland county, previously mentioned, was a native of that county, and a prosper- our farmer. The records of Orange county show that William Ford married there, De- cember 12, 1775, Ann Moore. Rev. Reuben Ford, born 1776, son of William Ford, was a farmer in Goochland county, and organ- ized the First Baptist Church in Virginia He was very energetic and traveled exten- sively over the state, preaching the Gospel. He resided in Hanover county, where was born to him Augustus Royal Ford, who was a planter in Powhatan county, where he be- came wealthy. He was a large land holder, owned many slaves, and was county engi- neer. He m.arried Caroline Woolridge, and they were the parents of James Edward Ford, born 1827, in Goochland county, died 1908, and was an extensive planter. He volunteered for service in the war between the states, and after spending some time in Camp Lee returned to his home in Gooch- land, without getting into active service. Subsequently he was captain of the Home

Guards. In religion he was a Baptist, in politics a Democrat. He married, January 25, 1855, .Ann Bedford Taylor, daughter of Samuel Truman and Martha Haines (Wood- fin) Taylor, the last named a daughter of Rev. Samuel Woodfin, a Baptist clergy- man of Powhatan county. Children: i. James Chesley, born 1853. 2. Mary Carrie, born 1859; married in 1883, Captain Thomas Dunn Adams, born 1837, died 191 1, a direct descendant of the Adams family of Massa- chusetts ; Mrs. .\dams is now hostess of the house of representatives and a member and active worker in the Woman's National Democratic League of Washington, D. C. 3. \'irginia Courtney, born 1862 ; married, in 1888, Thomas Mears, who died in 1890, leaving a son, Bedford Mears, born 1889. 4. Minnie Stuart, born 1865 ; married James Withers, and has children, James E. and T^ucy. 3. Mattie Truman, born 1S67; mar- ried, in 1892, Norris J. Krone, and has sons, Julian E. and Norris J. (2). 6. Josephine Gertrude, born 1868, is the wife of Stephen Johnson, and the mother of Aubrey Nelson, Stephen, Fred Read and Edwin Ivanhoe Ford. 7. Edwin Ivanhoe, of further men- tion. 8. Julian Harrison, born 1874; mar- ried, in 1899, Juliet Litchford, and has a daughter, Juliet Litchford Ford.

Edwni Ivanhoe Ford, second son of James Edward and Ann B. (Taylor) Ford, was born .\pril 18, 1871, in Goochland county, \'irginia. He attended the public schools until fifteen years old, at which age he en- tered the service of the Chesapeake <S: Ohio Railroad Company at Newport News, as water boy. Tn the following year he was made messenger and a year later flagman. In 1888-90 he was a switchman, and from 1890 to 1893 yard clerk. For four years following this he served as assistant yard- master, and was general yardmaster for six years. 1897 *o ^9^3- From 1905 to 1908 he was trainmaster, and for five years there- after terminal superintendent. In 1913 he removed to Richmond, but two years later returned to Newport News, as superin- tendent of terminals. The steadv rise achieved by Air. Ford testifies to his faith- fulness, ability and integrity, and he is to- day recognized as one of the leading citi- zens of his home city, in all of whose in- terests he is much interested. He is a past master of Bremond Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, a member of St. John's