Berkeley County, West Virginia Biography of Richard Fairfax WHITING This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 393 RICHARD FAIRFAX WHITING. The Village of Inwood, Berkeley County, derives its commercial importance and activities largely from the enterprise of Richard Fairfax Whiting, who handles the merchandise and produce going in or out, is postmaster and concerned in other functions of the community. Mr. Whiting is member of an old and prominent family of Virginia and West Virginia. His great-grandfather was George Braxton Whiting, who was born at Rock Hall in what is now Jefferson County, West Virginia, but moved to Loudoun County, Virginia, where he was a planter and slave owner. He married Eliza- beth Horner, a native of Fauquier County. Their son, Frances Henry Whiting, who was born in Loudoun County, became a farmer and owned and occupied the estate known as Ingleside in Clark County. He was a slave owner, but at the beginning of the war freed his slaves. He lived at his farm, Ingleside, until his death. He married Rebecca Huyett, a native of Clark County. George Carlyle Whiting, father of the Inwood business man, was born at Long Branch in Clark County March 23, 1843, and finished his education in the Berryville Academy. At the age of eighteen he accompanied his uncle, Fenten B. Whiting, to California, and was employed by his uncle in tlie transportation and freighting business. They oper- ated a freighting line between Quincy and Marysville, using horses and mules, and George C. Whiting also prospected in the mineral district of Austin, Nevada. After an absence of six years he returned home and engaged in farming at Roseville in Clark County, but three years later settled at Long Meadow in Jefferson County, West Virginia, on a portion of his wife's family estate. Here he erected a commodious home, barn and out buildings, and continued general farming until his death in April, 1918. His wife was Belinda Albina Throckmorton, who was born on the Long Meadow farm, daughter of Warner Washington and Susan Ann (Llewellyn) Throckmorton. Her father was born in 1792, son of Albion and Mildred (Washington) Throckmorton, and a grandson of John and Elizabeth (Cooke) Throckmorton. Mildred Washington was a daugh- ter of Warner and Hannah (Fairfax) Washington, of Fair- field, Virginia. It was Warner Washington Throckmorton who purchased the estate known as Long Meadow in the Kable Town District of Jefferson County, and he developed one of the complete plantation institutions so familiar in ante-bellum days, one of his slaves being a blacksmith and capable of making all the horse shoes and nails, while an- other was a shoemaker and still others were trained to other trades. Warner Washington Throckmorton became a soldier in the Mexican war, and for his service received from the Government a tract of 160 acres of land in Iowa. He died April 11, 1855. His wife, Susan Ann Llewellyn, was born April 28, 1828, in Jefferson County, daughter of John Llewellyn, and she died June 23, 1870. Mrs. George C. Whiting died April 2, 1898. Her seven children were: Warner F., Richard Fairfax, Lawrence Washington, George B. (who died at the age of twenty- three years), Lucy Elizabeth, Susan L. and Henry Wilmer. The son Henry Wilmer became manager of the homestead farm, but enlisted in August, 1918, and was stationed at Camp Greenleaf, Georgia, then transferred to Port Ontario Base Hospital No. 138 in New York and assigned to the Medical Department, and subsequently was on duty at Hos- pital No. 5, until his honorable discharge July 17, 1919. He was a sergeant. After the war he returned home, and his sister presides over the household. All the family were reared in the faith of the Episcopal Church. Richard Fairfax Whiting, of Inwood, was born at Long Meadow in Jefferson County, and acquired his early educa- tion in the public schools at Summit Point. Practically his entire experience has been along commercial lines. After leaving school he clerked in a store at Riverton, Virginia, then in stores at Front Royal, Milldale, Charles Town, Mount Jackson, and in 1902 came to Inwood and for five years was a clerk for the firm of Kellering Sons & Company. He then engaged in business for himself, and his interests have taken on a wide scope. Besides operating a general store he buys and ships grain, produce, fruit and poultry, is agent for the C. V. Telephone Company, and has held the office of postmaster since February, 1914. In February, 1901, Mr. Whiting married Mary Catherine Shewbridge, who was born at Summit Point in Jefferson County, daughter of John H. and Margaret Shewbridge. Mr. Whiting is a member of the Order of Patriotic Sons of America and Junior Order United American Mechanics. He cast his first presidential vote for W. J. Bryan.