Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/79

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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L ary. l)orn in Gloucester county. \ irginia, liaughter of Dr. Samuel B. Gary, who prac- ticed through his active life in Gloucester, and died in retirement at Petersburg, at the age of eighty-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Reckwith are the parents of five children, all living, as follows: Rev. Samuel Gary Beckwith, pastor of St. Peter's Church, Charleston, South Carolina : Julian Ruffin, of further mention ; Thomas Stanley and P'mma Cary (twins), both residing on the i>ld homestead on Market street ; Anna I'isher, also residing there, unmarried.

Dr. Julian Ruffin Reckwith, son of Thomas Stanley (2) and Emma (Cary) r>eckwith, was born January 10, 1873, in Petersburg, where he has always resided. After preparing for college in excellent schools near his home, he entered the Uni- versity of \'irginia, from whose medical de- partment he was graduated with the de- gree of M. D. in 1899. Following this he spent nearly a year and a half in the Has- kins Hospital at Wheeling, West Virginia, as an interne, and was subsequently nearly two years in the House of Relief in New York City, as interne. He began his pri- vate practice in Petersburg, and has met with the success due to careful preparation and excellent judgment in the practice of his art. Dr. Beckwith has continued to keep in touch with the progress of medical sc ience. and his membership in the State. County and City Medical associations tes- tifies to his standing in the profession. With his family he is affiliated with the Protes- tant Episcopal church. He married, in An- niston, Alabama, June 11. 1908, Louise Cameron, a native of Texas, daughter of John Cameron, of Scotch ancestry. Chil- dren: John Cameron, born March 25, 1910; Julian Ruffin, December 28, 1912; Louise Eraser, Jul}' 18, 1914.

Elisha Keen Jones. Connected with the tobacco interests of Danville for many years, Mr. Jones as head of E. K. Jones & Company, dealers in leaf tobacco, occupies a prominent position in the trade. His for- bears have for many generations been prominent in \'irginia, his great-grand- father. Dr. Benjamin Jones, and his grand- father, Thomas Jones, operating a farm in Henry county. Thomas Jones, a prosper- ous farmer, married Miss Lyle, of Scotch ancestry, who bore him eight children in-

cluding a son, Bartlett Washington Jones, father of Elisha Keen Jones, of Danville, \ irginia.

Dr. Bartlett Washington Jones was born at the Jones Creek homestead, Henry county, \'irginia, and there died in 1858. aged forty-four years. .Mthough a graduate of a Philadelphia Medical College he only practiced a short time, then became a farmer and tobacco manufacturer. He mar- ried ( first) Elizabeth Ann Keen, born in Pittsylvania county, \'irginia, died in 1854, aged thirty-nine years. He married (sec- ond) Pauline Henr}-, a granddaughter of Patrick Henry, the famous Virginia states- man and orator, who bore him a child, Cabell Henry Jones, now residing in San I'Vancisco. Children by first marriage : Gus- tavus and .\dolphus, twins, died in infancy; Elisha Keen, of whom further; Witcher, Rartlett. Thomas and Keen, deceased; John, died in infancy ; .Anna Maria, wife of Dr. John James, of Danville, she and her brother, Elisha Keen, being the only living children of their parents.

Elisha Keen Jones was born near Stonv Mills, Pittsylvania county, \'irginia. Janu- ary 18. 1849, on his father's farm known as "Aspen Grove." He was left an orphan at an early age, was taken by his uncle. Colo- nel E. F. Keen, and grew to manhood at the latter's farm at Cottage Hill. He was edu- cated in the public schools, and until i86g worked on his uncle's farm. In that year he went to southwestern Georgia and for four years worked on a cotton plantation. He then went to Texas on a cattle ranch. He was with the cowbo}- outfit that col- lected the herds and later with them drove the cattle north to Kansas and Nebraska shipping points. In 1874 he located in Dan- ville. Mrginia. where he was manager of a tobacco warehouse four years, then ob- tained an interest with his brother. Witcher Jones, and also had an interest in the Bur- ton Tobacco Company. In 1881 he organ- ized the leaf tobacco firm of E. K. Jones iK Company, later taking Mr. A. D. Keen into the company, and as dealers in leaf ti.bacco this cotnpany is well known and prominent in the trade. The warehouse of the company is at Craghead and Newton streets. Danville, where they handle about five million pounds of tobacco annually. The firm buy tobacco at public warehouse sides and sell to manufacturers throusjhout