Doddridge County, West Virginia Biography of George William PARR This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the sketch subject. 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. 263 Doddridge County GEORGE WILLIAM PARR, who began the practice of law in West Union more than forty years ago, has served the profession with all his abilities and character, has earned those things that constitute success, and among other honors was for some time judge of the circuit including Doddridge County. Judge Parr was born on a farm in Fayette County, West Virginia, December 18, 1857; son of Wesley J. and Elizabeth (McCue) Parr. His father was born February 6, 1824, in Vermont, son of Artemus and Chloe Farr. Artemus Farr was born and reared on the south coast of Wales, and on coming to America settled in Vermont. He was accompanied by three brothers to this country. Wesley J. Farr was thirteen years of age when his father died in 1837, and he was soon bound out to a New York man, but on account of cruel treatment ran away and walked to New York City and from there traveled by steamboat to Richmond, Virginia. In Virginia he sought work, and was variously employed for several years and in the meantime added to his education by private study. He finally moved to what is now Pocahontas County, West Virginia, and a few years later to Nicholas County, where he met and married Elizabeth McCue. She was born in Nicholas County, daughter of John and Malinda (Mc- Clung) McCue, natives of Nicholas County, where they spent their lives. After his marriage Wesley Farr re- mained in Nicholas County farming until 1856, and then established his home on another farm in Fayette County, where he lived until his death, on May 29, 1900. His wife, Elizabeth, died in 1866, the mother of five children, two of whom died in infancy. The other three were: Chloe M., Mrs. Charles Judy, of Lansing, West Virginia; George W.; and James C., of Fayetteville. For his second wife Wesley Farr married Mary E. Legg, who was born and reared in Fayette County, and is still living. She became the mother of nine children, named Ellen, Leonard, Grant, Rosa, Walter, Arthur, Susan, John and Lud. Wesley Farr was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a man of intellectual power and force of character, and in spite of the fact that he was largely self educated he was regarded as one of the best informed men in his county. He held several positions of honor and trust, being a member of the County Court and justice of the peace. He was a strong Union man in the Civil war. In politics he was a democrat up to the war, but ever after was a republican. Judge George W. Parr attended rural schools, and after exhausting these advantages he became in turn a teacher and taught for six terms. In the meantime he was study- ing law, and in April, 1881, he wag admitted to the bar and on the twenty-fifth of the same month he established his office at West Union. During all the busy years of a professional career he has looked after an extensive private practice, has served as county prosecuting attorney, as mayor of West Union, for eight years was a state senator, and resigned that office to become judge of the Circuit Court by appointment from Governor Atkinson to fill a vacancy. He was on the bench for twenty months, and then resumed private practice. Judge Farr has farm in- terests and has prospered in his business affairs as well as in his profession. He is a republican and a member of the Methodist Church. On April 15, 1886, Judge Farr married Miss Agnes V. Stuart. Her father, Chapman J. Stuart, one of the able lawyers and prominent citizens of West Virginia, was born in Highland County, Virginia, January 8, 1820, and died at West Union, April 20, 1888, a son of Edward and Margaret A. Stuart, who removed to Harrison County, West Virginia, in 1822. The first wife of Chapman 3. Stuart was Elizabeth E. Little, a native of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, who died in 1855. In 1858 he married Mary A. Stuart, who was born in Bath County, Virginia. Chapman J. Stuart served as county prosecutor from 1852 to 1861. He was an opponent of secession, and sat as a member of the First Wheeling Convention of 1861, was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1862, and in 1863 was elected judge of the Circuit Court and was on the bench for ten years, until 1873. His public service to the state continued after leaving the bench, and in 1874-75 and again in 1878-79 he represented Doddridge County in the Legislature. During the Civil war he did some valuable work as a lieutenant of the Fourteenth West Virginia Infantry in recruiting Union soldiers, raising Company A of that regiment. He was a democrat and a member of the Methodist Church. Judge and Mrs. Farr have two children: Mary and Ruby T. Mary is the deceased wife of Ed. Maxwell, and her only child, Mary Agnes, is now being reared in the home of her grandparents, Judge and Mrs. Farr. Ruby is the wife of Everet W. Maxwell.