Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/417

 MINOR

MINOR

(Taylor) Minor, of Spottsylvania county, and of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Aldridge) Blake, and great-grandson of Thonuus and Alice (Thojnas) Minor. These Minors probably came to Massa- chusetts with Governor Winthrop in 1630, and Thomas Minor removed to Virginia, where he married Alice Thomas in March, 1741. Benjamin Blake Minor attended Bristol college. Pa., 1833- 34 ; the University of Virginia, 1834-37, gradua- ting in several of its schools, and was graduated in moral and political srrience and law at the College of William and Mary, in 1839. He prac- tised law in Petersburg, Va., 1840-41 ; in Rich- mond, 1841-43 ; owned and edited the Southern Literal']/ Messenger, 1843-47 ; was principal of the Virginia Female Institute, Staunton, 1847-48, and founded the Home School for Young Ladies, Richmond, 1848. He was married. May 26, 1842, to Virginia Maury, daughter of the Rt. Rev. James Hervey Otey (q.v.). In 1845 he originated the historical department of the Society of Alumni of the University of Virginia ; the same year was vice-president of the commercial convention at Memphis ; in 1847 was a chief factor in the revival of the Historical society of Virginia of which he was made a life member ; and was made a cor- responding member of the historical societies of New York and Wisconsin ; and secretary of the African Colonization society of Virginia and of the Virginia Bible society, which antedates the American Bible society. He resumed the prac- tice of law in Richmond in 1848 and the same year was the mover and author of the memorial to the Virginia legislature that led to tlie erec- tion of the Washington moimment on Capitol square. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 19th Virginia militia ; was a warden, re- gister and diocesan delegate of St. James's church, and one of the founders of the Richmond Male Orphan asylum. On July 4, 1860, he was elected president of the State University of Missouri, serving until the curators suspended the work of the university during the civil war. He was principal of a Female seminary in St. Louis, 1865-69 ; life insurance state agent and superin- tendent, and public lecturer, 1869-89, and in 1889 rejoined his family in Richmond, Va., and en- gaged in literary work. He received the honor- ary degree of LL.D. from the State University of Missouri in 1894, and in 1896 was made secretary of the Virginia Society of the Sons of the Ameri- can Revolution. He edited a compJete edition of Reports of Cliancellor Oeorge Wythe, with a Me- moir of the Author ; a new edition of Henning & Munford's Virginia Reports, and contributed to law journals in New York city.

MINOR, Edward Sloman, representative, was born at Point Peninsula. Jefferson county, N.Y., Dec. 13, 1840 ; son of Martin and Abigail (St.

Ores) Minor. His parents removed to Wisconsin in 1845 and settled in Greenfield, Milwaukee county, where he attended the public schools. In 1852 they removed to Shebijygan county, where he worked on the farm and completed a common school education. He served in the 2d Wisconsin cavalry, gaining the rank of Ist lieu- tenant, 1861-65. He was married in 1867 to Tillie E., daughter of O. P. Graham, of Door county. Wis. He was sui>erintendent of the Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan ship canal, 1884-91. He was a representative in the state assembly, 1879, 1881 and 1882 ; state senator, 1882-86 ; and president 7>rofem/)ore of the senate 1886. He was a member of the Wisconsin fish commission for four years ; was mayor of Stur- geon Bay, 1894, and was a Republican represent- ative from the eighth congressional district of Wisconsin in the 51th, 55th, 56th, 5Tth and 58th congresses, 1895-1905,

MINOR, John Barbee, educator, was born in Louisa county, Va., June 2, 1813 ; son of Launce- lot and Mary O. (Tompkins) Minor ; grandson of John of " Topping Castle," Caroline county, and Elizabeth (Cosby) Minor, and a descendant of Doodes Maindort, a sea captain from Holland who was naturalized by the Virgieiia house of burgesses, together with his son Doodes the Less. They were re-naturalized in October, 1675, and Doodes the Less adopted the family name Minor» John Barbee Minor attended Kenyon college, Ohio, and was graduated from the University of Virginia in 1833. He practised law in Botetourt county, Va., but in 1840 removed to Charlottes- ville to be a partner of his brother Lucian (q.v.^. He wjis professor of law at the University of Virginia, 1845-95, and for several years had entire charge of the law school. On June 12, 1895, the fiftieth anniversary of his incumbency of the chair of law, a life-sige marble bust of Mr. Minor was presented to the University library by the law alumni, inscribed : " He Taught the Law and the Reason Thereof, 1845-1895." The College of William and Mary conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. He married first, Martha Macon Davis : secondly, Annie Fisher Colston, and thiid- ly, Ellen T. Hill, and had children by the first two marriages. He was editor of Madison's Resolu- tions and Report of 1798-99, (new ed. 1850): author of Synopsis of tJie Late of Crimes and Punishments (1869), and Institutes of Common and Statute Laic (4 vols., 1875). He died at the University of Virginia, July 29, 1895.

MINOR, Lucian, educator, was born in Louisa, county, Va.. in 1802 : son of Launcelot and Mary C. (Tompkins) Minor. He was graduated from the law department of the College of William and Mary, Virginia, in 1823; was commonwealth's attorney for Louisa county, 1828-52, but removed