Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/561

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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past master of Bremond Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and a past chan- cellor of Warwick Lodge, No. 72, Knights of Pjthias. He is also a member of the Heptasophs, and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. He is a member of the Orcott Avenue Baptist Church, a Demo- crat politically, and a man of fine character, with genial and affable manners, respected and esteemed by the entire community. He married, October 11, 189S, Mattie T. Daniel, daughter of Dr. William B. and ^lartha (Tucker) Daniel, of Prince George county, Virginia. Children : Ashton Daniel, born July 9, 1899; Timothy Russell, May 29, 1908; Dorothy, December 9, 1914.

Christopher Columbus Curtis. One of the best safeguards -which a community can have against corruption in politics is for its best citizens to mingle freely in the local party organizations and take an active part in the conduct of public affairs. There is a surprising reluctance on the part of the upper strata of society to do this in many parts of the country with a result that the most important of public functions is left in the hands of those the least capable of properly performing it. Such is not the case in Virginia, however, where the traditions of a splendid past possess a vitality suffi- cient to urge all men to do their duty by their fellows in this respect, and from a spur to the ambitions of youth in a direction so well worth while. The distinguished gentle- man whose name heads this sketch is not therefore an exception to the rule, but merely serves to typify the happy custom of his native region in a political career already most honorable and which seems to promise a still more successful future. He is a scion of a family that has lived uninterruptedly in the "Old Dominion" from the time that its founder in this country came from Eng- land and settled in York county in the years just preceding the revolutionary war. Ed- mund Curtis, the immigrant ancestor, m.ade his first home on a large tract of land grant- ed him by the King bounded by Cheese- man's creek, the coast and York river, at Fishneck, York county, \'irginia. He was married to Ann Carey and by her had five children, two sons, Edmund and Miles, and three daughters. Patsy. Diana and Nancy. Edmund Curtis, the eldest son, took part in the war of 1812, serving under General

Howe, and to him descended, on his father's death, all the latter's valuable estate. Miles Curtis, the second son and the grandfather of the present Mr. Curtis, born February 9, 1791, also served in the war of 1812. He made his home in \\'arwick county, near the site of the present reservoir at Lee's Mills. He married, December 25, 1816, Sarah Har- wood, born November 29, 1800, near Lee- Hall. Virginia, and by her had children, as follows : Martha K. ; Edmond ; Robert, de- ceased ; Nancy ; Humphrey H., deceased ; Miles Carey: Thomas, of whom further; Humphrey H. ; Christopher ; Sarah ; John, died in infancy; Mary H.; Frances C. ; Rob- ert ; \\'illiam H. ; John L.

Thomas Curtis, the father of Christopher Columbus Curtis, was born in 1826, at the Lee's Mills Homestead. He received his education at the local public schools. After completing his schooling he entered busi- ness on his own account and built up a large trade in fish and oysters in his native region. He also engaged in farming and was suc- cessful in this as well. He was a man of the greatest energy who never seemed to tire of work. He was a Democrat and took an active part in the politics of his neighbor- hood and altogether made himself promi- nent place in the community. He was twice married, the first time to Frances Randall, and by her had twenty-one chil- dren, the second time to Sarah Moss, and had by her nine children. The youngest of these now makes his home at the Clements farm, near Halstead's Point, where he is familiarly known as "Number Thirty." Of all the twenty-one children born to him by his first wife, only four reached the age of maturity. The eldest of these was his daughter Cora, who married (first) Wil- liam T. Simmons, of Maryland, to whom she bore three children, as follows: William A. ; Natalie, now Mrs. W. H. Daughtrey ; and Mary F.. married (first) M. F. Dial, and (second) W. W. Bland, of Crewa, Virginia. .After the death of her first husband Mrs. Simmons married (second) George W. Ged- dy. and the}- are the parents of two children, Mattie Louise, and Maud E., now Mrs. Thomas Lee, of Newport News. The sec- ond of the children of Thomas and Frances (Randall) Curtis to grow to maturity was Christo])her Columbus Curtis, of whom fur- ther. The third was Irene Powers, now Mrs. William Kirby, and the mother of four