Biography of W. A. C. Sayle - Conway Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Cathy Barnes Date: 21 Jun 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas. Goodspeed Publishers, 1891. page 111 Dr. W. A. C. Sayle. Among those who are deserving of creditable mention in this work, none are more worthy than the subject of this sketch. Dr. Sayle was born in Robertson Co., Tenn., in September, 1835, being a son of Dr. Cornelius W. and Lucinda M. (Adams) Sayle, who were also natives of Tennessee, the father having been born in 1810 and the mother in 1813. After their marriage they lived in Robertson County till our subject was quite a lad, when they removed to DeKalb County, where they lived till 1850, when they removed to Platt County, Missouri, where Mr. Sayle died in 1866. His wife is still living, now with our subject. The senior Dr. Sayle was a selfmade man. In early life he studied medicine in Nashville, Tenn., and made the practice of medicine his profession the remainder of his life with marked success. He was a prominent member of the I. O. O. F. and of the F. and A. M. He also had two brothers who were successful physicians. Their father was William Sayle, a North Carolinian by birth, but a pioneer of Robertson County, Tenn., where he became a well o-do farmer and spent the latter years of his life, dying there over 80 years of age. He was of Irish ancestry and his wife of [p.111] Welsh. She also died in Robertson County, Tennessee. The Doctor's grandfather, James Adams, was also a native of Robertson County, Tennessee, where he lived till about 1844, when he removed to Missouri, where he and his wife both died. He was a farmer by occupation and was of Irish and Scotch descent. But to return to our subject. He was the second of a family of two sons and two daughters, himself the only one living in Arkansas. He attended the country schools in Tennessee, and after the removal of the family to Missouri he attended William Jewel College, at Liberty, Mo., after which he studied medicine with his father for some time, when he entered the Kentucky School of Medicine, at Louisville, Ky, from which institution he graduated with honor in 1859, and after spending a few days at his home in Missouri he sought for greener fields, and was soon located in Conway County at Old Lewisburg, and when he saw that Morrilton was to be the metropolis of Conway County, he removed to that place, where he has a beautiful home, situated on the bluff in the south part of the city, where it has a commanding view. He also owns a fine farm of 338 acres in the Arkansas river bottoms and considerable business property in Morrilton. In 1879 he erected the first brick building in Conway County. He is now the oldest and most prominent practicing physician of Morrilton, having practiced in this vicinity for over thirty years, although for the past few years he has been somewhat retired from active practice. He has quite recently established himself in the drug business, under the firm name of Sayle, Metzger & Company. In 1861 he joined Col. McIntosh's command of Confederate troops as assistant surgeon, in which capacity he served till after the fall of Vicksburg, when he spent about nine months at home. He was then made surgeon of Col. Hill's regiment and served in that command till the close of the war, having operated in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. Politically he was reared a Whig, but cast his lot with the Democratic party on reaching his majority. Since about 1859 he has been an influential member of the Lewisburg Lodge, A. F. and A. M., No. 105, having held nearly all the offices. For about ten years, at different periods, was Worshipful Master. He is also a member of the Lewisburg Chapter No 56. In that order he has served as High Priest, Captain of the Host, etc. He is Medical Examiner in the Morning Star Lodge, K. of H., No. 2197, at Morrilton. He has been twice married. First in January, 1861, to Sophronia, daughter of Col. Benjamin T. Howard, who came from Tennessee to Conway County in 1827. Here he spent the remainder of his life as a prominent farmer and merchant, dying in 1865. From 1833 to 1835 he served as Sheriff of Conway County. Mrs. Sayle was born in Conway County, where she spent all her life. Her death occurred January, 1874. She was a lady of good Christian disposition and was the mother of three children, one of whom (a son) survives. In December, 1875, the doctor married Mrs. Emma M. Murray, nee Jefcott. She was born in Missouri, where her parents, who were natives of England, died when she was a little girl. She was soon after taken to Austin, Tex., where she was reared and educated. The Dr. and Mrs. Sayle are both devout members of the Missionary Baptist Church, the former for thirty years.