Greenbrier County, West Virginia Biography of HENRY H. GEORGE This biography was submitted by Sandy Spradling, E-mail address: 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 History of Greenbrier County J. R. Cole Lewisburg, WV 1917 p. 161-163 HENRY H. GEORGE. Thomas George, the ancestor of the George family, was of Welch descent. He was born October 24, 1767, in Augusta county, Virginia. His father died when he was a small boy. He was brought to Greenbrier county by a married sister and grew to manhood on the farm afterward known as the Huffman farm, on Muddy creek. His wife was Katherine McCoy George, a daughter of William McCoy. She was born July 11, 1765, and died November 11, 1853. Thomas George, her husband, died January 4, 1844. This pioneer couple was among the first settlers in Greenbrier county. Before they were married, Katherine McCoy was with her father's family, William McCoy, in Ft. Donnally when besieged by Indians. She moulded bullets all day for the men to shoot. Thomas George was one of the men that caine to the rescue of Ft. Donnally under Col. John Stewart. (See Border War fare). The fort stood where Bub Rader now lives in Rader's Valley. The fort was a log structure, where the neighbors gathered to fight off the Indians. There were seventeen Indians killed around the fort. Subsequently Thomas George and his wife moved to a farm in Grassy Meadows, known by that name today, but then it was a wilderness. They cleared land and made a home, and had plenty of bear and deer meat diet. They also had wild turkey and smaller game. Mr. George reared a family of eleven children, three sons and eight daughters. All grew to be men and women. They all married and reared large families and never had a doctoi to see or treat any of the family. Doctors were few and far between in those times. Castor oil, turpentine and catnip tea filled the bill. The names of his three sons are: Col. William, born August 18, 1801, died in his seventy-sixth year. His wife was Ruth Conner George, daughter of John Conner. She was horn May 3, 1803, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. She died at the age of ninety-two years. She was married October 5, 1831. To this union were born five boys and one daughter. John George also lived in Grassy Meadows. He was killed by a horse at the age of sixty-five years. He died in the sixties. His wife was Margaret Miller, of Summers county. To this union three boys and six daughters were born, but only two of this family are now living. Thoms Lewis George lived his lifetime in Grassy Meadows. He died at the age of eighty-five years. His wife was Sarah Vinceht, also of Greenbrier county. To this union were horn two boys and three daughters. Two of this family are still liv-ing, John F. George, of Huntington, W. Va., and Mrs. James Alderson, of near Hinton, Summers county. West Virginia. The daughters: Jane, wife of Enos Huffman. They reared a family of six boys and three daughters and one of this familv onlv still living, Mrs. Fannie Hunt. Sally married John Gwinn. To this union were born ten children. They lived in Summers county, West Virginia. Malinda, wife of Andrew Boggess, of Fayette county, West Virginia, reared a large family. Betsie Frazier, wife of Joseph Frazier, lived in Ohio. Polly, wife of Peter Shaver, lived in Ohio. Catherine Sumner lived in Calhoun county. in the northern part of West Virginia. She reared one daughter. She married John Mann and lived in Missouri. There was one other daughter also. Henry Hunter George, son of Col. William George, born March 21, 1848, married Margaret Victoria Jarrett, April 2, 1870. She was the daughter of James Jarrett IV, high sheriff for two terms of Greenbrier county, of French Hugenot stock. (See sketch of the Jarretts). To this union were born: Elizabeth Ruth George, February 9, 1872, and now the wife of Rev. H. A. Murrill. (See sketch). James Aaron, born October 2, 1873, married Lucy A. Handley in 1895 and lives in Raders Valley. They have seven children. Henry Ernest George, born March 12, i880. On June 1, 1916, he married Miss June Livesay. Margaret Jarrett George, wife of Jesse Hutchinson, born August 9, 1890, married November 28, 1911, and lives near Lewisburg on a part of the old George home. They have two children. Henry Hunter George is known as having been a successful farmer and stock raiser during all the years of his active life. For thirty years he lived on the large farm now operated by Rev. H. A. Murrill and others, having moved to his present place in 1910. This house was built 107 years ago by his grandfather on his mother's side. Mr. and Mrs. George still have the houyancy of youth and are highly regarded as very useful citizens of the community in which they live.