Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Barham, Dr. William B., 1934 

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WILLIAM BLOUNT BARHAM

   Dr. W.B. Barham, one of Southampton’s most honored and beloved citizens, 
died early Wednesday morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Jas. A. 
Grizzard, in Drewryville, in his 82nd year after an illness of many months. 
William Blount Barham was born at Newsoms, the son of the late John and Mrs. 
Louisa Pope Barham, and had spent most of his life in that community except 
for a few years as a boy when he resided in Courtland.  He was educated at 
Randolph-Macon College and the University of Virginia and received his medical 
training at the University of Pennsylvania.  To a thorough education he had 
added an unusual store of knowledge as an indefatigable reader, and was one 
of the best informed men of our acquaintance.

   For 50 years or more he practiced medicine in the Newsoms community where 
he was highly esteemed, and was a fine type of the old-time country doctor who 
spent himself untiringly for his people and ministered to their needs without 
overmuch thought of pecuniary reward.  At Randolph-Macon he was a member of 
the Sigma Chi fraternity and of the famous Franklin Literary Society of that 
institution.  Endeavoring at all times to keep abreast with the new 
discoveries and developments in the field of medicine, he held membership in 
the American Medical Association, the Medical Society of Virginia, Seaboard 
Medical Society, Southside Virginia Medical Society, the county organization 
and the Wise County Medical Society where he had in later years spent much 
time with his daughter, Mrs. James M. Smith of Big Stone Gap.

   Always a public-spirited citizen, he served his party acceptably for 
several terms as Democratic County Chairman, and was for many years a member 
of his local school board.  A Democrat of the old school, he held 
unflinchingly to the tenets of the party of Jefferson, and loyalty to his 
party was one of his best-known characteristics.  During the World War he 
served as a member of the county Draft Exemption Board and as Food 
Administrator for the County.  He was a communicant of the Episcopal Church, 
holding his membership at Big Stone Gap, and was an outstanding Mason in 
Southampton, a member of the Newsoms Masonic Lodge.

   Dr. Barham was exceptionally well versed in Southampton history, and our 
readers will remember with pleasure a number of articles from his pen 
appearing in these columns within the last few years, including "The Ancient 
Town of Monroe in Southampton," "The Impressions of a Boy in Jerusalem (the 
present town of Courtland) During Civil War Days," "The Nat Turner 
Insurrection," and "Recollections of the Family of General George H. Thomas."

   He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Jas. A. Grizzard of Drewryville, and 
Mrs. James M. Smith of Big Stone Gap, and by five grandchildren, Jas. A., Jr., 
Berkeley and Fannie Latane Grizzard of Drewryville, and James Miller Smith, 
Jr. and Marion Wright Smith of Big Stone Gap.  He was a brother of the late 
J.L. Barham, well-known Southampton citizen, and of Mrs. Rufus Darden and Mrs. 
Fanny Barham Little, and leaves several nieces and nephews and a large and 
prominent family connection.

   Funeral rites were conducted in Drewryville form the Methodist Church 
yesterday afternoon at two o’clock in the presence of an unusually large 
assemblage.  The service was read by the Rev. Hill Sloane, rector of Christ 
Episcopal Church, Emporia, assisted by the Rev. A.W. Coates of the Drewryville 
Baptist Church.  Burial was made in the Drewryville cemetery with the rites of 
the Masonic order at the grave.  The pallbearers were: Wm. L. Darden, Jno. B. 
Darden, Jr. and Harvey Picot of Newsoms, B.W. Sebrell, Jr., of Lawrenceville, 
Prof. S.J. Townes of Drewryville and R. Archer Hardy of Blackstone.  The 
following physicians acted as honorary bearers: Doctors - E.F. Reese, W.T. 
McLemore, J.M. Bland, P.P. Causey, B.A. Pope, B.F. Babb, R.L. Raiford, E.A. 
de Bordenave, and R.H. Cobb of the Southampton medical faculty, Dr. Southgate 
Leigh of Norfolk, Dr. J.E. Rawls and Dr. Lewis Rawls of Suffolk.


Dr. William Blount BARHAM, 
Newsoms physician, Democratic leader & local historian, 
b. Newsoms, d. 25 Apr 1934, Drewryville, age 82, 
interred in Thomas Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery*, Drewryville, 
   26 Apr 1934, 
"The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Apr. 27, 1934 

*Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, 
   Drewryville list (D-1): 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/drewryvl.txt 

His wife's obit ("Tidewater News," May 27, 1927, p. 8) is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/b650f2ob.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
William J. DelMonte (JazzyBill@aol.com) 
& Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/b650w2ob.txt