Greenbrier County, West Virginia Biography of WILLIAM MASTERS. 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. 199-201 WILLIAM MASTERS. William Masters was one of the leading business men of Greenbrier county, a good Christian and one whom the church has greatly missed since he passed to his reward above, on February 25, 1914, at his winter home near St. Petersburg, Fla. He was born in Greenbrier county July 11, 1834, and was reared a farmer, and died owning considerable real estate, both in West Virginia and in Florida, where he was accustomed to spend his winter months for four years. He married Martha J. Piercy, March 1, 1860. She was a Greenbrier lady, born in this county December 25, 1833. She was a loving, faithful wife, mother and neighbor. She died in 1892. The fruit of this union was: Augustus C., born December 7, 1860, a farmer and a coal operator, living at Lewisburg; Luella, who was horn May 3, 1862, and died when eleven years old; Alice, born March 15, 1869. She married L. M. Peck, a depot agent in Hinton, and now for many years a coal operator; Samuel J., born August 27, 1863, now living in Washington, D. C.: Mary Catherine, born August 31, 1872. She married Capt. J. J. Duffy, now mayor of Passa Grille, Fla., of considerable means in Florida and West Virginia. Mr. Masters married Martha Jane Massie Jones for his second wife, at her parents' home in Meadow Fork neighborhood, in Fayette county, on April 8, i896. She was a daughter of Llewellyn W. Jones (a descendant of Capt. Porter Jones, who fought under Washington, and was of Welch descent) and Mrs. Martha Jane (Massie) Jones, of Virginia, who were united in marriage in 1840. Their children were Sarah Frances, 'Martha Jane Massie, Mary Elizabeth, Mildred Ann, Charles Tandy, Joseph Samuel, Virginia Lucy, George Washington and Emma Llewellyn. In the year 1849 her parents moved to Fayette county, Virginia, where her father farmed. While on his way home fr6m Texas, where he had gone to buy a farm, he lost his life on the Mississippi, when the steamboat, "Emma No.3" was burned. His wife died on March 15, 1900. She was born April 22, 1818. Five of their children are still living. Two, J. S. and C. T., died in Jacksonville, Fla. Mr. Masters moved to Greenbrier county in 1898, where the present homestead was purchased at Lewisburg. Mr. Masters had stock farms near his home, which he operated successfully until 1910, when he commenced spending his winters in Florida. Mr. Masters was a lovable Christian character, and herein was the great legacy he left behind him. He professed religion during a Methodist prayer meeting, in 1854, and in August, 1856, he united with the Jennette Baptist Church, composed then of thirteen members. He was baptized in Meadow river at Russellville by Rev. Allen Wood, together with Miss Mary Rodgers, afterward Mrs. Peters. Later, Mr. Masters became very active in church work. When the war broke out he served the South as a Confederate soldier. He was always to be found in every church movement, and always became identified with the church wherever he was. At Ansted he deeded a parsonage to the church and gave the land on which the present church building stands, besides giving much money to church expenses. He was not ashamed of his Maker nor afraid to pray for the sick, whom he visited in time of need and distress. He was a great believer in prayer and early in his life erected the family altar, which he maintained to the last. His father was George Masters, born in Greenbrier county; his mother, Catherine Deitz, born in Augusta county, Virginia, died at the age of ninety-two years. Mrs. Master's mother's ancestors are traceable to Charles Massie, a Cromwellite, who, to save his head when Charles II. succeeded to the throne of England, fled to America, landing at Portsmouth, Va. Being a ship-builder, he went to work at Gasport Navy Yard. He was a widower with one child, Tommie. The story goes that Tommie coveted a beautiful black, among a herd of wild horses, in that section of Virginia. He secured it by perching himself upon a low outstretched limb of a large chestnut, with lasso in hand, and dropped upon the back of the animal when it passed under the tree.