WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 108 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: THOMAS E. POWNALL, Hampshire [Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000412230209.0088fc10@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: THOMAS E. POWNALL, Hampshire County WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 400-401 THOMAS E. POWNALL, who for nine years was postmaster of Romney, is one of the active business men of the county seat of Hampshire County, and is a member of one of the older families of this section. He was born at Rio in Hampshire County, April 10, 1875. His parents were Frank and Virginia (Baker) Pownall, his mother being a daughter of James Baker. Frank Pown- all was born at Three Churches in Hampshire County in 1839, and as a boy on the farm had little opportunity to attend school beyond two terms in the country district. At the beginning of the Civil war he joined the Confederate Army, with the regiment attached to Gen, Stonewall Jack- son's command, and saw some of the very heavy fighting before he was taken prisoner. For about a year he was confined at Camp Chase, Ohio. When the war was over and when he was released he returned to -the farm, and that remained his business the rest of his life. He died in 1906. He was an active democrat and a member of local conven- tions, but his only elective office was in his school district. He was a Presbyterian. He survived his wife eleven years, and their children were: Bettie E., the wife of Stewart Zeiler, of Romney; Rebacca, wife of Charles Howard, liv- ing near Martinsburg; and Thomas Edwin. Thomas Edwin Pownall spent the first twenty-one years of his life on the old farm, attended country schools, the Normal School at Basic City, Virginia, and at Fairmont, West Virginia, and for six years he taught school during the winter months in Hampshire County. Mr. Pownall is a lawyer by profession, having graduated from the law school of the West Virginia University in 1900. He carried on an active law practice at Eomney for five years, until he was appointed postmaster, under the administration of President Roosevelt. He was reappointed by President Taft, and finally, after nine years, retired early in the ad- ministration of President Wilson. During this period the business of the Romney Post Office more than doubled. When he left the office there were five routes radiating from Romney, one to Moorefield, one to Glebe, one to Higgins- ville, one to Capon Bridge and one to Rio, so that Eomney has been an important distributing center for mail. When he entered the post office all this mail from the outside of- fices was brought in by horseback, but the method of trans- portation now is entirely by auto. Since his administration of the post office Mr. Pownall has been engaged in the re- tail meat business at Romney. He has been active in other business interests, and was one of the original stockholders and is a director of the First National Bank. Mr. Pownall did not follow his father's example in the choice of a political party, and has been a republican since casting his first vote for Major McKinley for president. He has attended local and congressional conventions, and helped nominate George Sturgiss for Congress. He has been chairman and is the present secretary of the Hampshire County Republican Committee. Fraternally he is a past noble grand of Eomney Lodge of Odd Fellows, and a past district deputy grand, and Mrs. Pownall and their oldest daughter are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. At Romney, June 29, 1904, Mr. Pownall married Miss Grace Virginia Parker, daughter of William C. and Fannie (Mytinger) Parker. Her father, a native son of Hamp- shire County, was successively a railroad man, in the livery business and finally a farmer. Mrs. Pownall was born at Romney, January 14, 1881, was educated in the local pub- lic schools and for six years taught school in Eomney. She is one of a family of four daughters and one son, the others being Mrs. Belle Griffin, Mrs. Maude Frye Miss Frances and William Earl. Her brother is an ex-service man, went overseas with the Sixth Division and was in the fighting in the Argonne Forest. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Pow- nall are: Virginia Hopkins, a student in the Romney High School, Marion Parker, Thomas E., Jr., and William "Fran- cis Bill" Frank. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 04:19:51 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000413041951.0088d5d0@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: HENRY PAYNE BRYARLY, Berkeley County WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 399 HENRY PAYNE BRYARLY. Nothing lends more dignity to the social life of a community than to find a record of suc- cessive occupation from father to son extending over a pe- riod of several generations, so that the family home and industry become a landmark, a steady influence, a symbol of human continuity. One of the oldest families in the his- tory of Berkeley County is Bryarly. A home seat is close to the Village of Darkesville, on Winchester Pike, where Henry Payne Bryarly is keeping up the home and farm that came down from his father and grandfather. His grandfather was Robert Bryarly, who owned a large tract of land in Arden District, including the present site of Tabler Station, and also a tract on Mill Creek, where he developed the. power and built a flour and saw mill, an institution of great value in the early days and which he operated in connection with his farming. He was a slave owner, and most of the labor employed in the mill and in the fields were slaves. He also built a commodious frame house near the mill, and it was in that home that he spent his last days. His son, Richard Henry Bryarly, inherited some of this land, including the homestead and the mills, and he in- creased the inheritance by purchase and good management. The homestead is pleasantly located east of and near the Winchester Pike and adjoins the Village of Darkesville. During his active career he enjoyed the congenial labor of farming and mill operation, and died there at the age of sixty-eight. He married Mary Payne, who was born in the same locality as her husband, a daughter of Nathan Payne. She died at the age of-seventy. The family con- sisted of six sons and one daughter. Henry Payne Bryarly was born at the old homestead and was eight years old when his father died. He remained with his mother, getting his education in the rural schools, assisted in the labor of the farm and finally succeeded to the ownership of the homestead and is still active in its re- sponsibility. At the age of twenty-four Mr. Bryarly married Mary Evans, who has been in the Village of Middleway, Jeffer- son County, West Virginia. Her father, Alexander Mason Evans, was born near Hedgesville, in Berkeley County, son of Howell and Evelyn Evans. Alexander M. Evans was a graduate of Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, and practiced medicine at Middleway until his death at the age of fifty-five. He married Harriet Scollay, who was born at Middleway. Her father, Dr. Samuel Scullay, was a na- tive of Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of an old family whose memory is perpetuated by Scullay Square in the heart of the City of Boston. Samuel Scullay studied medicine, and on coming South located at Middleway, where he engaged in practice for many years. His wife was Sally Nelson, a sister of Dr. Marion Page Nelson, and a daughter of Gen. Thomas Nelson, who was a distinguished American officer in the Revolution. Mr. and Mrs. Bryarly have four children, named Harriet Seullay, Mary Payne, Harry Mason and Robert Pressley. ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 04:19:53 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000413041953.00859100@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: TOM F. KENNY, Mineral County WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 400 TOM F. KENNY, dean of the insurance agents at Pied- mont, and ex-postmaster of the city, is one of the most rep- resentative men of Mineral County, and one who holds the confidence of everyone who knows him. Practically his entire life has been spent in this locality, and no man has its interests closer at heart than he. He was born on Bac- coon Creek, near the Village of Newburg, Preston County, West Virginia, December 25, 1853, a son of Thomas and Mary (0'Connor) Kenny, both from County Galway, Ire- land, where they were married. Coming to the United States in 1847, they first established their home at Cum- berland, Maryland, but later leaving that city for Preston County, West Virginia, making the trip by stage. On the present site of Newburg they bought an acre of ground, as they had learned the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, then in process of construction, was to have a station at that point, and realizing that the investment was likely to be profitable. Thomas Kenny was a member of the surveying party, and carried the surveyor's chain almost the whole way from Cumberland to Grafton in the work of locating the line of the road. When the location work was completed he was employed by one of the contractors on the construc- tion work, Jacob Humbard, and was connected with the ac- tual building of the road as far west as Grafton. He then wont with the track department of the road, and continued with it until his death, which occurred in 1867, his widow surviving him until 1886, when she died at the age of sev- enty-eight years, and both are interred in the Grafton Cem- etery. The children born to Thomas Kenny and his wife were as follows: John, Timothy, Mary, Patrick, Julia, Tom Francis and Michael. Of these children John Kenny spent his life at Grafton and was track superintendent of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and died in that city. Timothy entered the railroad service and was a conductor on the Third Division of the Baltimore & Ohio until 1866, when he left the railroad, and, coming to Piedmont, built the Kenny House, which still bears his name. This became one of the most famous hostelries along the road, and he con- ducted it until he reached an advanced age, when he re- tired, and he died at Baltimore, Maryland, at the home of his son, Rev. Father T. B. Kenny, of that city, and is buried in Maryland. Mary never married, but spent the greater part of her life at the Kenny House with her brother Tim- othy. She died at Piedmont, and is buried in the cemetery by the side of her parents. Patrick was also a railroad man, and for about forty years was a conductor with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and then retired from its serv- ice. He died in 1916, and he, too, is buried at Grafton. Michael was killed in the shaft explosion at Newburg in 1889, while engaged in coal mining. Patrick was a team- ster during the war of the '60s, for the Federal Govern- ment, and John was assistant to the roadmaster of the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad, having charge of the reconstruction of bridges from the Ohio River to Martinsburg, destroyed by the Confederate forces. Julia, the younger daughter, married James Talbott, a resident of Mononga, West Vir- ginia. Tom F. Kenny spent his boyhood and youth at Newburg, and there received his preliminary education, his boyhood friends being the Crogan lads, one of whom has since be- come a distinguished lawyer of Kingwood, Preston County. The year his father died Tom F. Kenny came to Piedmont, and while completing his education lived with his brother at the Kenny House. Beginning his business career, he conducted a news stand, corner of Second Street and Childs Avenue, and occupied that spot for eighteen years, acquir- ing there his start in life. In 1893 he sold this business and was appointed postmaster by President Cleveland, suc- ceeding William B. Heskett in that office, in which he con- tinued until 1898, when he was succeeded by the republican nominee. Upon leaving the postoffice Mr. Kenny embarked in the life and fire insurance business, in which he has since con- tinued, and he represents many of the most reliable com- panies, including the Hartford, the Home of New York, the Continental, the Royal, the Commercial Union, the Na- tional Union, the Atlas Assurance, and the Camden Fire In- surance Company. He also represents the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company of Baltimore. Of late years he has confined his operations to the fire insurance and bonding business. Before he was appointed postmaster Mr. Kenny had made his influence felt in democratic circles, and during a period of thirty years he was a delegate to the state and congres- sional conventions, and was a member of the one which, after a siege of four days, nominated Governor Wilson. He also gave his support to William L. Wilson for Con- gress. The latter was nominated the first time at Pied- mont by Col. John T. McGraw, of Grafton, in one of his first public speeches. In the democratic contest for presi- dent in 1912 Mr. Kenny was a supporter of the late Champ dark, and did his best to nominate his candidate, but after Woodrow Wilson became his party's candidate he loyally supported him. In fact, Mr. Kenny has always been the advocate of the scholar in politics. He says, "If democracy was run in its purity as handed down to us by the framers of the constitution, we would have different conditions in our country now." He is a Roman Catholic in his religious faith. Tom F. Kenny married at Newburg, West Virginia, Jan- uary 17, 1881, Catherine D. Daily, a daughter of Dennis and Anna (McArthur) Daily, natives of Scotland, who lo- cated at Newburg about 1854, and Mrs. Kenny was born in that village June 8, 1855. There were seven daughters in the family of her parents, namely: Mrs. M. A. Moran, Mrs. Elizabeth Kenny, wife of Patrick Kenny, Mrs. Mar- garet Doonan, Mrs. Tom F. Kenny, Mrs. Esther Barrett, Mrs. Isabel Templeton and Miss Bridget Daily. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Tom F. Kenny were as follows: T. Daily Kenny, who is assistant to President William B. Cornwell on the Winchester & Western Bail- road, with hearquarters and residence at Winchester, Vir- ginia; Stanley A., who is assistant auditor in the revenue department of the Federal Government, with headquarters at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; John Sheridan, who repre- sents the American Can Company of Chicago at Cumber- land, Maryland; and Ada Maria, who is a stenographer in the Department of the Interior, Washington, District of Columbia, where she has been since the beginning of the World war. Stanley A. and John Sheridan Kenny volunteered for service during the World war. John Sheridan Kenny was the first to enlist from Piedmont, and was in the Second West Virginia Infantry. He was trained at Camp Hum- phreys, mobilizing first in Fairmont, and went overseas from Humphreys. He was sergeant of his company and was made purchasing agent for the camp while in France. After the signing of the armistice he was returned home without injury, and returned to civil life. Stanley A. Kenny went overseas after his brother, and was sergeant- major of his company, but did not get to the front before the signing of the armistice. He was returned home in 1919. also without injury. Taking the internal revenue depart- ment examination, he entered its service, where he has since remained. ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 04:19:59 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000413041959.0088fc00@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: ELBERT WILSON PEARMAN, McDowell County WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 399 ELBERT WILSON PEARMAN, the efficient store-manager and purchasing agent for the Pocahontas Fuel Company, Incorporated, Norfolk and Lick Branch Collieries, was born at Wytheville, Virginia, February 5, 1880, and is the son of Thomas Monroe and Mary Gallimore Pearman, also of Wytheville. Virginia. His father died January 22, 1920, at Ashland, West Virginia. The public schools of Virginia and West Virginia afforded E. W. Pearman his early education, and at the age of eight years he began to work during his vacations as errand boy in the old Shamokin Coal and Coke Company store, which was later purchased by the Pocahontas Fuel Company, his father at that time being a resident of Maybeury, West Virginia. After leaving high school at Princeton, West Virginia, he supplemented his scholastic discipline by at- tending the West Virginia State Normal School at Athens, West Virginia. He began his work as store-manager at the age of twenty- one, after having served as errand boy, janitor and clerk. He is now manager of stores for the Pocahontas Fuel Com- pany at Maybeury and Lick Branch on the Norfolk & Western Railroad, the name of the local post office being Switchback. He has made a splendid record as manager of these stores of this important industrial corporation, in which service he has continued twenty-two years. He is a progressive business man and has a secure place in the confidence and esteem of all who know him. Mr. Pearman is affiliated with the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife are zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of which he is chairman of the board of stewards. In 1901, at Crockett Springs, Virginia, Mr. Pearman mar- ried Miss Lavinia Conner, daughter of the Rev. Giles A. and Lucy A. Showalter Conner, both natives of the Old Domin- ion State. To Mr. and Mrs. Pearman have been born eight children, five of whom are living, namely: John Watson, Merle Conner, Jean Louise, Elbert Wilson, Jr., and Thomas Monroe. The names of the deceased children are: Nelle Lavinia, Ruth Corinne and Virginia Elizabeth. ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 04:34:59 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000413043459.00845ea0@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: FRANK C. BURDETTE, Kanawha County WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 401 FRANK C. BURDETTE. The public profession of the law has been a matter of practice as well as a theoretical ideal with Frank C. Burdette. He has been a member of the Charleston bar nearly thirty years, and whether in office or in private practice he has seriously conformed his efforts and influence in line with the principle that he was the servant of a great and noble profession, and not merely engaged in a vocation to earn a livelihood. Mr. Burdette, who is the present prosecuting attorney of Kanawha County, was born on a farm in Lawrence County, Ohio, October 19, 1870. Shortly after his birth his parents, S. C. and Mollie (Taylor) Burdette, moved to Charleston, West Virginia. His mother was a native of Louisiana. S. C. Burdette was a first cousin of the famous humorist, the late Bob Burdette. S. C. Burdette was a sign painter by trade, but after removing to Charleston, read law, was admitted to the bar, and gained a high place in the profes- sion. He served as prosecuting attorney, and for eight years was judge of the Circuit Court, retiring from the bench in 1914. He is now about seventy-six years of age, and in the past has been an active campaigner for the republican party. Frank C. Burdette attended high school at Charleston, did some post-graduate work, and studied law in the office of his father and also in the office of George C. Sturgis, then United States district attorney. S. C. Burdette was assist- ant to Mr. Sturgis at the same time. Admitted to the bar in 1893, Frank C. Burdette entered at once into the work of his profession and also into republican politics. In 1894 he organized a republican club, with a membership of over 1,000. He was first elected to the office of prosecuting attorney in 1896, and served four years, after which he resumed private practice. Later he was called as assistant prosecutor to S. B. Avis and his successor, T. C. Townsend, for four years, and continued as assistant prosecuting attor- ney under B. Kemp Littlepage for four years. Mr. Little- page was a democrat, while Mr. Burdette is a republican. In 1920 he was accorded the republican nomination for prosecuting attorney, and he carried the county by 6,200 majority, running 2,000 votes ahead of his ticket. He entered upon the office January 1, 1921. Mr. Burdette organized and is president of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of the State. His hobby is flowers, and he is a lover of nature in all her phases. For a number of years he has been a student of botany, and has gone into the more obscure relations be- tween beauty as manifested in flowers and other environment and human behavior, particularly as human behavior is perverted into criminal acts under the influence of ugly environment. He has studied all the works of prominent psychologists who have covered this ground, and has had in his own experience as an attorney and public official the opportunity to study at first hand the reactions of abnormal individuals to the influences of color, forms and tone. At his country home at Edgewood, Mr. Burdette finds his recreation and practices his amateur art as a landscape gardener and grower of old fashioned flowers. He is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Burdette married Nellie Ault. Her grandfather, Major Ault, was a pioneer of the Cabin Creek District of the Kanawha Valley. Mrs. Burdette was born at Eastbank, West Virginia. They have two children, Mary Frances and Dorothy Perkins.