Wood County, West Virginia Biography of LEWIS N. TAVENNER 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 II, pg. 604-605 Wood LEWIS N. TAVENNER was admitted to the bar in 1876, and from that year to the present his name has been as- sociated with the best abilities of a lawyer, with public service on the bench, and with the highest attainments of good citizenship. Judge Tavenner is still in the vigor of manhood and in active practice as a lawyer. He has been deeply interested in the history of his sec- tion of West Virginia, and has rendered much valuable service in connection with the present history as an advisory editor. His grandfather was one of the most distinguished men in the pioneer citizenship of the country around Parkers- burg. His grandfather, Thomas Tavenner, was born April 18, 1776, in Loudoun County, Virginia. As a young man he visited Kentucky for the purpose of settlement, but eventu- ally took up land in what is now West Virginia. A survey was made for him in what is now Wood County in November, 1798. His first home, however, was on the property known as Lake Farm, on Elizabeth Turnpike. During the next half century he became one of the largest land owners, his home estate consisting of about two and a half square miles of land extending from the mouth of Neal's Run, and he owned much other property in Wirt County and elsewhere in the state. Thomas Tavenner was a man of upright and kindly character. His personal magnetism drew to him many friends and admirers, and his active interest in public affairs resulted in his holding numerous public offices. In the first organization of militia of Wood County he was elected ensign, and was promoted from time to time until he retired as colonel of the 113th Regiment. At this time, it must be remembered, militia service was not a mere formality, but frequently involved real warfare. In April, 1794, the Armstrong family were attacked just below Parkersburg near the head of Blennerhasset Island, and it was such events as this and the subsequent treaties with the Indians of the Northwest Territory, just across the Ohio River, that required active service on the part of the militia. During the Burr-Blennerhasset excitement, when there were no orders from the President of the United States nor from the Governor of Virginia, and when the affair seemed threatening to the true welfare of the nation, the citizens assembled on October 6, 1806, adopted resolutions, for- warded to the President and to the Governor, and enlisted volunteers for the suppression of any treasonable enterprise. Among those who served on the committee that recommended the adoption of resolutions and the enrollment of volunteers were Colonel Tavenner and William Beauchamp, and Colonel Tavenner was one of those selected to "hand around the subscription papers." Some modern writers have stated that these volunteers were a mob, as they were not under official orders, but the truth of this statement is contro- verted by the fact that they placed themselves under the direction of Col. Hugh Phelps, who was at that time in command of the Virginia militia. At all events, they ren- dered their country valuable service at a time when it needed action rather than formalities. Colonel Tavenner served as deputy for Sheriff Hugh Phelps as early as 1802; as presiding justice of the County Court, 1819-21; as high sheriff, commissioned by the gover- nor of Virginia, 1821-23; and as deputy marshal of the Fourth Chancery Circuit, 1816. He was a member of the House of Delegates in the Virginia Asembly in 1805-6-7-8-9 and 1811-12. When the County of Wirt was formed Colonel Tavenner gave the square of ground where the public buildings now stand. He was active in securing for the county Elizabeth Turnpike, the Staunton Pike and the Northwestern Turnpike. He contributed $1,000 toward secur- ing the Northwestern Virginia Railroad and, though then a man advanced in years, he rode about the county describing the benefits to be derived from the railroad and urging other citizens to subscribe. His will records the emancipation of eighteen slaves, or "servants," as he called them. As he lived near the underground railroad, some of his slaves de- serted, but these he made no attempt to recover. He said that if they could find a better home than he gave them they could go, and he would prosecute anyone who tried to bring them back. Colonel Tavenner was a liberal, warmhearted and hospitable man, and his useful and public spirited life caused him to be held in great confidence and esteem by his fellow citizens. It was one of his peculiarities never to lift his hat to a man, though he was scrupulously polite to women. He was a stanch upholder of justice and strongly defended his rights. If compelled to go to law he fought to the end. The case of Tavenner vs. Emerick, found in Ninth Gratt, in which he was appellant, established a precedent in regard to the rights of the landlord and the tenant that has been followed many years. Thomas Tavenner, who died May 23, 1857, married Feb- ruary 22, 1807, Elizabeth Beauchamp, daughter of William Beauchamp, who moved with his family from Delaware about 1794, becoming a large land owner at what is now Elizabeth, West Virginia. His son William, a brother of Elizabeth Tavenner, was a pioneer minister and church builder of the Methodist denomination throughout several eastern and west- ern states. He was also a teacher, civil engineer, lawyer and master mechanic. Elizabeth Beauchamp was a devout Meth- odist. Colonel Tavenner had been brought up a Quaker, and though he never allied himself with any church ministers were frequently entertained at the Tavenner home. Mrs. Elizabeth Tavenner died September 30, 1844. Her oldset [sic] child, Cabell Tavenner, gained distinction in the profession of law at Weston and married a daughter of Col. Alexander Withers, author of "Chronicles of Border Warfare." Isaac Tavenner, father of Judge Tavenner, gave his life to the farm. From 1837 to 1865 he lived on a farm adjoin- ing the Town of Elizabeth and thereafter on a farm at what is now Warthmore Station in Wood County. During the Civil war he declined to take an oath binding him to the support of either the Federal or Confederate government. He based his objection on the fact that he would stay where he was and would support which ever side was victorious, and such was his reputation as a citizen that he was allowed to abide by his resolution by the troops of both armies. Both he and his wife were devout Methodists. He died March 13, 1892, and his wife, on January 20, 1891. Her maiden name was Priscilla Harriet Warth, whose grandfather, George Warth, was a soldier in the Dunmore campaign of 1774, and after- ward fought on the Colonial side in the Revolution. After the war for independence he came into the Ohio Valley. His son, John Warth, father of Priscilla Harriet Tavenner, was born in 1771 and became famous as a scout and frontiers- man, being at one time a companion of Daniel Boone, and he was also entrusted with the dangerous duty of carrying mail and dispatches from Marietta down the Ohio River in a canoe. He became a large land owner along the Ohio River, and in his home the County of Jackson was organized in May, 1831. He was elected presiding justice and was commissioned first sheriff of the county, afterward justice, an office he held until his death on October 27, 1837. One of his sons, John Warth, served on the bench and compiled three codes of West Virginia, and a grandson was Judge John Warth English, for twelve years a member of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Lewis N. Tavenner, youngest child of Isaac and Priscilla Tavenner, was born at Elizabeth, in Wirt County, February 17, 1855. He was educated in the public schools and con- tinued his preparatory work in the John C. Nash Academy of Parkersburg, concluding his course there at the age of eighteen. He then taught school for two years, studied law under Judge George Loomis and was admitted to the bar in April, 1876. For sixteen years he practiced law with his preceptor in the firm of Loomis & Tavenner, until 1892. The honors of his professional activity have been constantly accumulating since then, but it is worthy of note that former Governor Atkinson as early as 1891 wrote of him: "He en- joys to an unlimited extent the confidence of his fellow citi- zens, practices law in an honorable way and has always maintained an upright life." For a period of over forty years Judge Tavenner has been a leader in public affairs and in politics. He was a demo- cratic committeeman from 1878 to 1884, and he has cam- paigned on the stomp every year since then except while on the bench. He was city attorney of Parkersburg in 1881-82, was commissioner of the United States Circuit Court from 1883 to 1896 when he resigned, and in April, 1896, was ap- pointed by Gov. W. A. MacCorkle as successor of Hon. Ar- thur I. Boreman to the bench of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, comprising Wood, Wirt and Pleasant counties. While serving the unexpired term he was unanimously nominated by the democratic party, and overcame an adverse majority in the circuit and was elected by over 400 votes. Judge Tavenner was on the bench until January 1, 1905. In 1910 he came within twenty votes of being nominated for governor. He was a delegate to the national convention at Baltimore in 1912 and supported the late Champ dark for the nomination. He was an instructed dark delegate, and it was also a matter of personal choice, since he was distantly related to Mr. Clark through the Beauchamps of Kentucky. Judge Tavenner has served as counsel for the board of education of Parhersburg, and during the World war he served without pay as permanent member of the legal advisory board. He has been active in the membership of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church since 1871, more than half a century. His membership in the Masonic Order has been an oppor- tunity for important service to that fraternity. He became affiliated with Mount Olivet Lodge No. 3, F. and A. M., in 1883, served two terms as master, grand master from 1891 to 1892, as grand commander of Knights Templars in 1897-98, and was crowned honorary inspector general, 33rd degree, of the Southern Jurisdiction of Ancient and Accepted Scot- tish Rite in October, 1897. He was the first illustrious poten- tate of Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He has served on the committee on ways and means for the Masonic Home for West Virginia as chairman, as chairman of the committee that visited other Masonic homes in other states, as chair- man of the committee to select a site for the home, and since 1918 has been president of the board of governors of the West Virginia Masonic Home. At Parkersburg October 27, 1886, Judge Tavenner mar- ried Carrie Moore Kraft, daughter of William and Ann Eliza (Moore) Kraft. Her father was a native resident of Wheeling. Judge and Mrs. Tavenner have two children. The daughter, Helen Louise, was married October 24, 1921, to William George Mundinger, formerly of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, now a sugar refiner at Central Lugareno, Cama- guey, Cuba. The son, Lewis N. Tavenner, Jr., is unmarried and is an employe in the Laboratory at Parkersburg of the Standard Oil Company.