University of Virginia Library

GARRETT.

The name of Garrett must always awaken interest in Albemarle,
because of its long official connection with its affairs.
William Garrett appeared on the scene in 1764, when he purchased
from Francis Jerdone, the same person who bought
the Farmington lands and sold them to George Divers, two
thousand acres along the northern base of Tom's Mountain,
in North Garden. In the course of the next ten years he
disposed of this property to different parties, but far the
greater portion of it to John Jones. Garrett as well as Jerdone
belonged to Louisa. It is thought he was the grandfather
of Alexander Garrett. The father of Alexander was
Henry, who in 1810 removed from Louisa to Kentucky, and
in passing through Charlottesville constituted his son his
attorney to settle up his business. He departed this life in
his new home in 1815.

Alexander came to the county as early as 1794. In 1799
he was a deputy of Samuel Murrell, who at that time was
Sheriff. A year or two after he married Elizabeth, daughter
of James Minor, who resided on the north fork of the Rivanna,
near Stony Point; and from the mention of his name
among those assigned to work the roads, Mr. Garrett evidently
lived for a time in the same vicinity. In 1806 he
received the appointment of deputy Clerk under John Nicholas.
About that time his wife died, and in 1808 he married
Evalina, daughter of John Bolling, of North Garden. In
1815 he succeeded Mr. Nicholas as County Clerk, and in

1819 was appointed Clerk of the Circuit Court upon the resignation
of John Carr, who had occupied that office since the
Circuit Court superseded the District Court in 1809. Both
of these offices he held until 1831, when his brother Ira was
made County Clerk. Besides his official duties, he was assiduous
and successful in many lines of business. He was a
large dealer in real estate, owning at different times fine tracts
of land in various neighborhoods of the county, Meadow
Creek, Birdwood, North Garden, North Blenheim, Ivy Cottage
and Greenwood. About 1815 his home was on the south
side of University Street, and during the decade of 1820 he
erected the large brick mansion at the foot of Second Street.
In 1825 he laid out and brought into market the lots on Ridge
Street, and in 1828 built Midway as a hotel, of which J. A.
Xaupi was the first occupant. During his latter years, owing
no doubt to the constant and long continued strain on his
powers, he was afflicted with softening of the brain. He
died in 1860. By his first marriage he had a daughter, Elizabeth,
the first wife of V. W. Southall, and by his second,
Dr. John Bolling Garrett, Susan, the wife of Dr. Thomas
Johnson, Eliza K., the wife of Alexander Duke, and Clarissa,
the wife of Dr. Thomas J. Pretlow.

Ira Garrett, like his brother, commenced his business life
by riding Sheriff. He was a deputy under Benjamin Harris
in 1815, and Robert Davis in 1817. Soon after he became
deputy County Clerk under his brother, and in 1831 succeeded
him as principal. When the office became elective,
he was chosen both to it and the Circuit Court Clerkship,
term after term, as long as the people had a voice; and even
when another was appointed by military authority, it was
demanded by an overwhelming public sentiment that the
faithful old man should act as deputy. In 1818 he bought
from Jonathan B. Carr the place at the east end of Main
Street, which he made his home the rest of his life. He always
had a strong inclination to rural pursuits, and in 1836
purchased a plantation south of Charlottesville, afterwards
the farm of W. P. Farish; but with him the lack of a close
hand marred the knack of accumulation, and the project soon

failed. Just before the war he bought Sunnyside, the late
residence of Colonel Duke, but the outbreak of hostilities interfered
with his enjoyment there. After the war however he
indulged this fancy at Hobby Hill, a cottage with a few acres
east of James D. Goodman's, where he and his wife, who
shared in his taste for horticulture, spent a part of every
summer. He died full of years in 1870. His wife was
Eliza, daughter of John Watson, and his children Dr. Henry,
of Southwest Virginia, John Alexander, George, Jane, the
wife of Benjamin Winn, Ann, the wife of Thomas M. Smyth,
Isaetta, the wife of K. Kemper, and Ellen, the wife of—
Watkins, who emigrated to Mississippi.