Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/773

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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Lewis, of Sweet Springs, Monroe county, Virginia. Major John Lewis was a descend- ant of John Lewis, "Esquire," the founder, "the first white settler of Augusta County." John Lewis was a native of the North of Ireland, of Huguenot descent. He was for some time in Pennsylvania, living in Phila- delphia and Lancaster, moving in the sum- mer of 1732 to Augusta county, Virginia, near Staunton, now called "Bellefonte," where he settled (the county not then formed), conquered the country from the Indians, amassed a large fortune, and reared his family. He married Margaret Lynn, daughter of the Laird of Loch Lynn, who was a descendant of a chieftain of a once powerful clan of the Scottish Highlands.

Hon. John Howe Peyton, of "Montgom- ery Hall," Augusta county, Virginia, was born in Stafford county, Virginia, April 29, 1778, died at Staunton, Virginia, April 27, 1847, son of John Rowzee Peyton, the son of John Peyton (both of Stony Hill, Staf- ford county), the son of Henry (3) Peyton, of Aquia Creek, Stafford county, son of Henry (2) Peyton, who styled himself in his will "Henry Peyton of Aquia in the county of Westmoreland, Gentleman," born in London, England, 1630-31, died in West- moreland county, Virginia, in May, 1659, son of Henry (i) Peyton, of "Lincoln Inn, Middlesex county, England." John Howe (originally Howison) Peyton was a gradu- ate of the College of New Jersey (Prince- ton University), Bachelor of Arts, 1797, Master of Arts, 1800, a member of the Vir- ginia Bar, prominent as a lawyer, pleader, scholar, member of the Virginia legislature from Stafford county, 1806 until 18 10, com- monwealth's attorney in 1810, major in the War of 1812, mayor of Staunton, deputy United States attorney, commonwealth's attorney thirty years until 1844, one of the founders of the Protestant Episcopal church of Staunton in 181 1, vestryman for years, deputy to the diocesan council many times, state senator, 1836, reelected in 1840, visitor to the L'uited States Military Academy at West Point, 1840, and wrote the report for that year, trustee of Washington College from 1832 until 1846, president of the board of directors of the Western Lunatic Asylum for ten years, and magistrate for many years, declining a congressional nomination ill 1820 and a judgeship in 1824. Major Pey- ton was a tall, large and erect man, always

neatly dressed. He was of handsome face and figure, with large piercing blue eyes, most benevolent of countenance. His man- sion at "Montgomery Hall." near Staunton, was a roomy structure, and there he dis- jjcnsed generous hospitality. As a prose- cuting attorney he had no rival, was com- plete in mental and educational equipment and won a brilliant reputation at the bar. In 1830 he freed fifty of his slaves from his "Wilderness" plantation, Bath county, Vir- ginia, on condition that they should move to Liberia, Africa, furnishing them clothing and food, with sufficient money to meet their needs for twelve months in Liberia. He accompanied them to Norfolk and saw them all on shipboard. For two years he heard from them regularly by letter. At the end of that time thirty-four had died from dissipation or climatic effects, the other six- teen scattering, some of them relapsing into barbarism. He died at "Montgomery Hall." in 1847. Margaret Lynn was the eighth child of his second marriage. Children of George M. Cochran: Susan. Maria. George M.. Ann, John. Margaret and Peyton.

George Mofifett Cochran, son of George Moflfett and Margaret L. (Peyton) Cochran, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, at "Elk Meadows," his ancestral home. Febru- ary 26, 1832, and died in Staunton. Vir- ginia. April 7. 1900. all of his life having been passed in his native county, and the greater part of it in the city of Staunton. After attendance at the best schools of his home during the period of his primary edu- cation, he entered the University of \'ir- ginia, where his academic education was completed and where he studied law. Like so many of his contemporaries at the bar he was a pupil of John B. Minor, from 1849 to 1832. Locating in Staunton after he left the university, he devoted himself to the prac- tice of his profession until the outbreak of the war between the states, and during the four years of that conflict served the Con- federate cause with fidelity and efficiency. He held the rank of captain in the quarter- ma.ster's department for several years, being all the time on duty in the field, serving with the fifty-second Virginia Regiment, having previously held a position in the ordnance department under the state organization. His nearsightedness disqualified him for service at the front.

After the war he resumed the practice of