Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/91

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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ness. He was a devoted follower and ad- mirer of the great English statesman, Glad- stone, and a man of strong, upright char- acter. He married Elizabeth Ball, also born in Somersetshire, who died in 1853, aged thirty-one years. Children : Frederick George, succeeded his father as contractor • and is yet in business at the old home in England ; Elizabeth, deceased ; Henry, came to the United States and is now a prosper- ous contractor of Chicago, Illinois; Charles, of further mention; Julia, married Charles Kane, whom she survives, a resident of As- bury Park, New Jersey; William, died in England, aged twenty-one years.

Charles Orchard, son of George (2) and Elizabeth (Ball) Orchard, was born in Som- eisetshire, England, November 27, 1S50. He attended private schools, and was his father's assistant from the age of twelve years until he was twenty, obtaining an education and learning his trade of plasterer during these years. In 1870 he bade his English home and friends adieu, and came to the United States, working at his trade in New York City for two years. He then came to Virginia, locating in Manchester (Richmondj, where he established a con- tracting business and remained three years. In 1875 lis located in Danville, Virginia, in the same business, where he has prospered and where he still continues. He is a con- tractor of plastering, concrete and cement works, and deals in mantles, tiles, grates and interior marble work, with show room and office in the Pythian building, 121 South Union street, and residence at 910 Col- quhoun street. He is master of every de- tail of his business, having followed it since a lad of twelve years, and is highly regarded as a man of business probity. He is deeply- interested in the vital questions of the day, is exceedingly well read and informed, and an easy, forcible, fluent, public speaker. He is a member of Roman Eagle Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; Phoenix Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and a member of Mt. Vernon Methodist Episcopal Church, which he has served as steward twenty years, being for two terms chairman and one term treasurer of the board of trustees. In polit- ical faith he is a Democrat. He served his city in 1883 as member of the council, and ii> 1909 was elected alderman. Public- spirited and energetic he has been of service

officially and as a citizen of his adopted city has borne well his part.

Mr. Orchard returned to England in 1874 for his bride, Jane Elizabeth Pope, whom he married on January 14, of that year. She (lied in Danville, October 18, 1896. He married (second) Laura Ferrell, born in Halifax county, Virginia, daughter of Alex- ander Ferrell, deceased, a farmer of Hali- fax county. Children by first marriage : (•eorge Herbert, born July 8, 1875, now a druggist of Lynchburg, \'irginia ; Harry Edwin, born July 25, 1876, also a druggist ot Lynchburg; Minnie Laura, born Septem- ber 8, 1878, married W. T. Wright, of Dan- ville. Children of second marriage : Charles, born October 18, 1900, now a student at Danville School for Boys ; Alexandria Mary, born September 6, 1902.

William Claiborne Powell, M. D. Trac- ing in paternal line to a revolutionary an- cestor, IJr. William Claiborne Powell, prom- inent in medical circles in the city of Peters- Inirg, through the marriage of his grand- father. William Cole Powell, to Harriet .Vdeline Edmunds Claiborne, is a descend- ant of Colonel William Claiborne, of the famous Virginia familj- of Claiborne. Dr. William Claiborne Powell's great-great- grandfather was Dr. Thomas Powell, a sur- geon in the Continental army during the war for independence. Dr. Thomas Powell married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Digges. granddaughter of Cole Digges, and great-granddaughter of Edward Digges, governor of the colony of Virginia in 1655. The Powell family is of Welsh and English lineage, the early ancestors being among the first settlers at Jamestown and on the Peninsula.

I'rom Dr. Thomas Powell the line de- scends through Cole Powell, born 1782, who died December 11, 1813, and his wife, Eliz- abeth Ann (Digges) Powell, who died in 1867; to William Cole Powell, born April 8, 1810, died August 21, 1889. William Cole Powell was a resident of Dinwiddle ccunty, Virginia, a farmer, and married Harriet Adeline Edmunds Claiborne, of Brunswick county, Virginia, born in 1821, died in 1844, daughter of Dr. Devereau J. Claiborne, and seventh in descent from Colonel William Claiborne.

The line of Claiborne, traced to its union