Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/638

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

Hampton Commandery, Knights Templar; Khedive Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Alystic Shrine. He is a mem- ber of Wyoming Tribe, No. 49, Improved Order of Red Men ; a charter member of Hampton Lodge, No. 366, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; a member of Aerie No. 674, Fraternal Order of Eagles ; Kecoughtan Lodge, No. 29, Knights of Py- thias ; Hampton Lodge, No. 125, Junior Or- der United American Mechanics, and Live Oak Camp, Woodmen of the World.

He married (first) in January, 1899. Kath- erine W'est Tabb, born 1876, died August 30, 1904, daughter of William K. and Cath- erine (West) Tabb, of Baltimore. He mar- ried (second) 1908, Helen Rutherford, daughter of William and Ann Page (West) Rutherford, of Baltimore. There is a son of the first marriage, James Van Allen, Jr., born July 30, 1904, and a daughter of "the second, Ann Page, 1908.

Samuel C. Neff, V. S. Samuel C. NefT, V. S., a prominent citizen of Staunton, Virginia, was born in Augusta county, Vir- ginia, the son of a prosperous farmer of that region. Dr. Neff was educated in the local schools and later, in 1898, enter- ed the Ontario Veterinary College, from which he graduated with the class of 1901. taking the degree of V. S. Upon the com- pletion of his studies, he returned to Staun- ton, Virginia, and there established him- self in his profession and since practiced it with a high degree of success. In 1903 he was appointed by Governor Montague, of Virginia, to be president of the State Board of \'eterinary Examiners, a position which he still holds through the subsequent ap- pointments of Governors' Claude Swanson and W. H. Mann. Pie stands at the head of his profession in the state and is promi- nent in the State Veterinary Association, having held all the offices in connection with it Besides his professional affiliations, Dr Neff has important business connections, and is a director and member of the execu- tive committee of the Pliner Shade and Spe- cialty Company, and a partner in the W. J. NefT Implement Company of Staunton, Virginia. Dr. Neft"s interest in the horse is not confined to the sick animal, however, but he is, on the contrary, greatly interested in racing, and when the Staunton Fair As- sociation organized in 191 3, he was chosen

vice-president, director, secretary and super- intendent of its racing department.

Dr. Neff was married in 1903, to Gertrude B. Haller, a native of .Augusta county, Vir- ginia, and to them have been born three children, two sons and a daughter.

Henry Thompson Douglas. Henry Thomp- son Douglas, civil engineer, colonel of engi- neers. Confederate States army, and briga- dier-general, United States army, was born at "Cherry Hall," James City county, Vir- ginia, September 15, 1838. His father was \Villiam Robert Christian Douglas, of Kaimes, New Kent county, who was grad- uated with the degree of M. A. from Wil- liam and Mary College, Virginia. His mother was Lucy Ann (Hankins) Doug- las, who was born at "Cherry Hall," James City county, \^irginia, the daughter of Wil- liam Hankins of "Cherry Hall." The grand- father of General Henry Thompson Doug- las was William Douglas of Kaimes, and his great-grandfather, Robert Christian, of Providence Forge and Cedar Grove in New Kent county, Virginia. Beverly Brown Douglas, an uncle of General Douglas, was graduated from William and jMary College uind attended Harvard College, and with his brothers William and John were students at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Virginia Douglases spring from the Scot- tish family of Douglas, which is described by its historians as the most powerful and widely celebrated clan that Scotland ever produced. The name of the family was as- sumed from lands on the small river Doug- las, in Lanarkshire, where William of Douglas was established as early as 1175 As in the case of several other Scottish fami- lies, an attempt has been made to ascribe the family a Norman-French origin, but there is no question that the name, like the family, is Gaelic, being derived from the words "duf-glas" or "du-glas," meaning "(lark grey" from the color of the waters. The race of Douglas, greatly celebrated for its romantic career, may well be accounted an historic family, for as Hume, the annal- ist of the house, has it :

So many, so good, as of the Douglases have been, Of one surname was ne'er in Scotland seen.

The family rose into power under King Robert Bruce, of whom "the good lord James of Douglas" was the most distin-