Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/767

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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ot ambulance surgeon, and has since been a member of the staff of the Sara Leigh Hos- pital, of Norfolk. Dr. Collier is a member of the Norfolk Medical Association, and the Seaboard and American Medical associa- tions, and stands high in the medical world of Norfolk, the opening years of his profes- sional career filled with early attainment that promises much for future success and achievement. Dr. Collier is a Democratic sympathizer and holds membership in the Baptist church. His club is the Country, his medical fraternity the Phi Beta Phi, and his fraternal society the Masonic order, in which he holds the Knights Templar de- gree, belonging to Ruth Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, St. John Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and Grice Commandery, Knights Templar. He is also a member of Khedive Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He married, April 3, 191 1, his cousm, Elsie, born July 29, 1S90, daughter of George Anton and Georgia (Hickman) Schmelz, and has one daughter, Elsie Schmelz. born October i-j, 1912.

Willijim Roane Aylett. William Roane A}-lett, of Newport News, descends from one of the pioneer settlers of \'irginia, and from a very old family in England. The name originally appeared in the latter county as Ayloffe, and is found in Braxted Magna, in Essex. In 1612, Sir William Ay- Icffe, of Braxted Magna, was knighted by King James I., and later created a baronet. He married Catherine Sterne, had three sons and four daughters, and was succeeded by his eldest son. Sir Benjamin Aylofife. About this time the spelling of the name is found in many forms, including: Ayliffe, Ailett, Aylett and Ayloff. Sir Benjamin Ayloffe was a "high minded, grand old English gentleman, of great nobilitie of soul, tend- erness of heart in all things and times, an unswerved Royalist to the last." He mar- ried three times, and had issue only by the second wife. Margaret F"anshame, who died in 1662. They were : William, Benjamin, Henry, Captain John and Catherine.

The youngest son. Captain John Aylett, came to Virginia in 1656. He had a wife Anne, and had three sons: Philip, men- tioned below; Benjamin, born 1660; Wil- liam. 1662; and two daughters. Philip Ay- lett, son of Captain John and Anne Aylett, moved to King \\'illiam county, Virginia,

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in 1686, and founded the family seat at Fairfield. His only known child. Colonel \\'illiani Aylett. of Fairfield, who bore the arms of Aylett of Braxted Magna, England, was clerk of the county court from 1702 to 1 7 14, member of the house of burgesses, 1723 to 1726, and a vestryman of St. John's j)arish in 1731. He married Sibylla Hubard, and they had children: Philip, William, Benjamin, John, Elizabeth, Judith and Anne. The second son. Captain William Aylett, born 1700, died 1744; his will proved August 28; his executors were: Major Law- rence Washington, Augustine Washington, Philip Aylett. Anne, youngest daughter of Colonel \\'illiam Aylett, married Augustine Washington, brother of George Washing- ton. Their portraits are now in the posses- sion of \\'illiam Roane Aylett. The eldest son, Philip Aylett, resided at Fairfield, mar- ried Martha Dandridge, and had children: L'nity, William, Anne, and John. Colonel William Aylett, senior son of Philip and Martha (Dandridge) Aylett, was born 1743, and was a very prominent man of King Wil- liam county, vestryman of St. John's parish ; a member of the house of burgesses ; mem- ber of the Virginia conventions of 1775-76, and a warm personal friend of General Washington. He resigned his seat in the legislature. May 22, 1776, to accept a com- mission from the American congress as de- puty commissary general of the forces in Virginia. He died at Yorktown in 1781. He married, in 1766, Mary Macon, and their son. Colonel Philip Aylett married Eliza- beth Henry, daughter of Patrick Henry. Colonel Philip Aylett held a general's com- mission in the war of 1812, and possessed a very large plantation at Montville, the ancestral home in King William county, on which multitudes of slaves were employed in the cultivation of cotton, corn and to- bacco. Like all of his family, he adhered to the Episcopal church, and was a stanch Democrat in political principle. Colonel Philip Aylett married Judith Page Waller, and had children : Patrick Henrv, William Roane, Patty Waller and Rosalie.

William Roane .Aylett, junior son of Gen- eral Philip and Judith P. (Waller) Aylett, was born in 1832, on the paternal plantation in Montville, and was educated under pri- vate tutors and at Rumford .\cademy and the University of Virginia, graduating from the latter institution in both academic and