Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/344

 MAYO

MAYO

and became identified with this character of a typical Aiuerican backwoodsman. He appeared in it more than 2,000 times in Great Britain and the United States, and played the part almost exclusively until 1884. His last appearance was in the original dramatization of Mark Twain's " Pudd'n-head Wilson," which was first presented in New York city, April 15, 1895. He wrote Noi-deck with John G. Wilson, and played the title role. He died on a railroad train, near Grand Island, Neb.. June 8, 1890.

MAYO, Robert, author, was born in Pow- hatan county, Va., April 25, 1784; grandson of William Mayo, pioneer surveyor, who was born in England, 168 — ; was a surveyor in the Barbadoes, 1717-31, and in Virginia, 1723-44; ran the boundary line between Virginia and North Carolina, in connection with Alexander Irvin, 1728 ; surveyed the disputed land claimed by Lord Fairfax and the crown on the northern neck of Virginia, 1737 ; laid out tjie city of Rich- mond, 1737 ; became chief civil engineer of Vir- ginia, and died in Richmond, Oct. 20, 1744. Robert Mayo was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania. M.D., 1808, and practised in Rich- mond, 1808-30. He edited the Jackson Democrat in the presidential canvass of 1828 ; and was in the treasury department, Washington, D.C., 1860- 64. He is the author of : View of Ancient Geog- raphy and History (1813); New System of Myth- ology (4 vols., 1815-19); Pension Laics of the United States, 1775-1S3S (1833); Commercial and Revenue System of the United States (2 vols., 1847); TJie Treasury Department : its Origin, Or- ganization and Operations (1847). He was pre- paring a genealogical history of the Mayo family of Virginia at the time of his death. He died in Washington, D.C., Oct. 31, 1864.

MAYO, Sarah Carter Edgarton, author, was born in Shirley, Mass., March 17, 1819. She was educated in«the district schools of Shirley and at Westford academy, Mass., and began to write for publication in 1835, contributing to the Ladies^ Repository, Universalist and other papers. She established in 1840, and edited, 1840-48, the Rose of Sharon, a religious annual, and also edited The Ladies' Repository, 1840-48. She was mar- ried, July 28, 1846, to the Rev. Amory Dwight Mayo (q.v.). She edited 77ie Poems of Mrs. Julia W. Scott, with a memoir (1843), anil is the author of : TJie Palfreys (1840) ; Ellen Clifford (1842) ; TJie Flower Vase (1845) ; Spring Floioers (1846) ; Tlie Floral Fortune Teller Jil8i7) ; Fables of Flora (1848). She died in Gloucester, Mass., July 9, 1848.

MAYO, William Kennon, naval officer, was born at Drummondtown, Va., May 29, 1829. He was appointed a midshipman from Virginia in the U.S. navy, Oct. 18. 1841 ; had charge of the boats of the landing party at the capitulation of

U,S3 HARTrORO.

Monterey ; was on the sloop St. Mary's in Texas waters, 1844-47, and took part in the blockade of Tampico and Vera Cruz. He was promoted passed midshipman, Aug. 10, 1847 ; served on the Dolphin in the North Atlantic surveys, 1851-52, where he was commended as an accurate and critical naviga- tor ; served as an instructor.^ at the Naval '*- academy, 1854; was promoted master, Sept. 14, 1855, lieuten- ant, Sept, 15, 1855, and served on the Min- nesota when on a special diplomatic mission to Asia, 1857-59. He was instructor in ethics in the U.S. Naval academy, 1859-60 ; served on the Pennsylvania at Norfolk, Va., and on the St. Mary's of the Pacific fleet, 1860-62 ; was executive officer of the Housatonic, 1862, and participated in the blockade of Charles- ton, S.C. He was promoted lieutenant-com- mander, July 16, 1862 ;* commanded the gunboat Kanawha of the Western Gulf squadron. 1862-63; and had an engagement with riflemen and field- batteries at Mobile Point and a fight with Fort Morgan, Oct. 12, 1863, where he was commended for gallantry, having captured six schooners and directed the capture of three steamers. He com- manded the monitor Nahant in front of Charles- ton, S.C, from July, 1864, until the close of the war. He was ordnance officer of the South Atlantic blockading fleet and commanded the Bay Point depot, 1865-66 ; was promoted commander, July 25, 1866 ; served on navigation duty at Bos- ton, Mass., 1866-69, and commanded the Tusca- rora of the North Atlantic fleet in 1870 ; the Con- gress, 1870-71, and the Omaha on the North Pacific station, 1872-74. He was promoted captain, Dec. 12, 1873 ; commanded the Hartford on the South Atlantic station, 1877-79, and the navy yard at Norfolk, Va., 1881-85. He was promoted com- modore, July 2, 1882, and was retired at his own request after forty j^ears' service, May 18, 1886. Because of his loyalty to the U.S. government in 1861 he was declared by vote of the Virginia con- vention of July, 1861, an alien enemy, and ban- ished from his native state. He died in Wash- ington. D.C., April 9, 1900.

MAYO, William Starbuck, author, was born in Ogdensburg, N.Y"., April 20, 1812 ; a descend- ant of the Rev. John Mayo, who immigrated tc New England in 1630 and was the first minister of the Second church, Boston, 1655. He attended Potsdam academy ; was graduated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York city in 1833, and practised medicine in Ogdensburg for several years, but was forced to abandon it owing