Upshur County, West Virginia Biography of H. ROY WAUGH 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. 607 H. ROY WAUGH, who is presiding on the bench of the Circuit Court of the Twentieth Judicial District of West Virginia, was elected to this office in November, 1920, and the preferment came as a consistent recognition of his ability as a lawyer and his high standing as a citizen. He maintains his home at Buckhannon, county seat of his native county. Judge Waugh was born in the southern part of Upshur County, on the 4th of January, 1879, and is a son of Homer M. and Melissa J. (Morrison) Waugh, the former of whom was born May 19, 1854, and the latter August 14, 1858. Homer M. Waugh was born in Pocahontas County, this state, a son of James Waugh, whose father, James Waugh, Sr., immigrated from Scotland to America in 1739 and established his residence in Virginia. His son James married Miss Sarah McGuire, and the son Samuel married Ann McGuire. The son James was a patriot soldier in the War of the Revolution. Jacob Waugh, another of the sons, was born in 1809, married Mary Brown and they became the parents of thirteen children. Homer M. Waugh was reared in Upshur County, received the advantages of the common schools of the locality and period and became a prosperous farmer and rural merchant. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in which Jacob Waugh was a local preacher, besides which he served twenty years as clerk of the Circuit Court for Upshur County. Homer M. and Melissa J. Waugh became the parents of three children who attained to years of ma- turity, and of the number Judge Waugh of this sketch is the eldest; Ica remains at the parental home; and Jay is engaged in business activities at Clearfield, Pennsylvania. Like other farmer boys. Judge Waugh had his character founded on the fundamental of life, and his alert mentality has enabled him to supplement most effectively the training given by the realism of the farm. His early education was obtained in the public schools of his native county, and after a period of successful service as a teacher he entered West Virginia Wesleyan College, in which institution he continued his studies until he received therefrom his degree of Bachelor of Arts. Thereafter he attended the law de- partment of the University of West Virginia, in which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, with virtually coincident admission to the bar of his native state. He engaged in the practice of his profession at Buckhannon, and under the administration of President Taft he was ap- pointed United States district attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, during his four years' incum- bency of which office he maintained his residence at Parkers- burg. He then returned to Buckhannon, where he continued to give his attention to his substantial and representative law business until his election to the bench of the Circuit Court in November, 1920, his assumption of the duties of this important judicial office having occurred on the 1st of January, 1921. Judge Waugh had previously served four years as prosecuting attorney of his native county, besides which he was for one term a member of the State Legisla- ture, in which he made a characteristically excellent record of loyal and progressive service. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, he and his wife hold mem- bership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, he is a past master of the local lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, is a past chancellor of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias, is a member of the Buckhannon Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club, and is a di- rector of the Peoples Bank of Buckhannon. On the 17th of October, 1905, was solemnized the marriage of Judge Waugh and Miss Louisa P. Newlon, who likewise was born and reared in West Virginia and who was gradu- ated in both the musical and elocutionary departments of Keymeyer College. Judge and Mrs. Waugh have three children: Mary, John and Helen.