University of Virginia Library

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

JAMES B. WOOD

James B. Wood, son of Colonel Fleming Wood and Lucy
Tompkins, was born near St. Margaret's Church in Caroline
county about 1850. His father and mother and his grandparents,
both paternal and maternal, were active in the life of St. Margaret's.

Mr. Wood's first public service was in the capacity of deputy
Sheriff of Caroline county, under Sheriff T. D. Coghill. He later
removed to Richmond where he became prominent in the life
of the city, serving on the Board of Alderman for ten years.
During this period Mr. Wood was Chairman of the Finance
Committee and also President of the City Council. He was
connected with the Virginia State Penitentiary nearly twenty
years, much of this time as Superintendent of the institution.
His son, Jesse F. Wood, is a prominent banker of Richmond.

NICHOLAS WARE

Nicholas Ware was born in Caroline county, Va., in 1769.
He received a classical education, and afterward studied law and
was admitted to the bar. After a few years of practice he entered
the political arena and became United States Senator from
Georgia. He was elected and served from December 11, 1821
to September 7, 1824. He died in New York City in 1824. For
fuller biography see the Biographical Congressional Dictionary.

FRANCIS JOHNSON

Francis Johnson was born in Caroline county, Va., during the
latter years of the eighteenth century. He removed to Kentucky
in early manhood, settled in Bowling Green, which had been
named for the county-seat of his native county, and practiced law.
He was delegate to the Kentucky Legislature, and was afterward
elected a member of the Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth
Congresses of the United States. He died in Louisville, Ky.,
December 14, 1851.

ANTHONY THORNTON

Anthony Thornton was born November 9, 1819 in Bourbon
county, Ky., whither his parents had gone from "Ormesby"
in Caroline. He graduated from Miama College in Ohio and

settled at Shelbyville, Illinois, where he engaged in the practice
of law. He was a Delegate to the Illinois Constitutional Conventions
of 1847 and 1862, a member of the State Legislature in
1850, and a member of the Thirty-Ninth United States Congress.

RICHARD HAWES

Richard Hawes was born in Caroline county on February 6,
1797, and, with his parents, removed to Kentucky when he was
fifteen years of age. He was educated in Transylvania University
and about the time he reached his majority was admitted to the
bar. He began to practice law in Winchester and represented
the State in the legislature for several years. He represented
Kentucky in the Twenty-Fifth and Twenty-Sixth Congresses of
the United States as a Whig. He afterward became a member
of the Democratic party and an advocate of the Southern Cause.
He was installed Provisional Governor of Kentucky on October
4, 1862. He was elected County Judge in 1866 and served until
his death, which occurred in Bourbon County May 25, 1877.
For more complete biography see Biographical Congressional
Dictionary.

SAMUEL AMERY SWANN

The Swann Arms

Colonel Samuel A. Swann

Samuel Swann was born in Caroline county about 1828. He
was educated in old Concord Academy and in the University of
Virginia. His first work was that of teaching. To him belongs

the distinction of having taught the first "free school" ever
established in Caroline county.

When the Civil War broke out Mr. Swann became a lieutenant
in Company B, Ninth Virginia Cavalry, and in 1862 was promoted
to a captaincy. Shortly afterward he was made Colonel
of the regiment and served in this capacity to the close of the war.

After the war Colonel Swann became Sheriff of Caroline and
representative in the House of Delegates. He was later Superintendent
of the Virginia State Penitentiary. He died while
attending the marriage of his niece, Miss Shelton, in Goochland
county, and was buried there.

Colonel Swann was never married. One of his sisters, Lydia
A. Swann, married Cyrus Carson and had issue several children,
one of whom, Carrie Lee Swann, married Lewis Dudley George,
of Penola, Caroline county, Va.

COLONEL ARCHIBALD SAMUEL

Colonel Samuel was one of the most prominent men of Caroline
in his time. He served as adjutant in the War of 1812 and also
represented his county in the House of Delegates. He married
Nancy Woolfolk and lived at "Bath" his beautiful estate nine
miles north of Bowling Green. His descendants are in Caroline
county, Va., Tennessee and elsewhere.

L. HAZELWOOD KEMP

L. Hazelwood Kemp was born at "Greenwood" in Caroline
county, Va., on September 20, 1851. He was the son of Leroy
Hazelwood Kemp. He served as Sheriff of Henrico country for
several years and Treasurer of the same county for a longer
period probably than any other man. He died in 1924, leaving a
son, L. H., Jr., a daughter, Mrs. Miles Selden, and a brother,
Walter L. Kemp. He was buried in Hollywood, Richmond.

J. B. LIGHTFOOT

John Bernard Lightfoot was born at Port Royal in Caroline
March 29, 1851. He was the son of John Bernard Lightfoot.
He removed to Richmond in 1871 and shortly afterward entered
upon the tobacco business. He founded the firm of J. B. Lightfoot
and Company from which he retired in 1917. He died in
1924 leaving a widow, Mary Washington Minor Lightfoot, two
brothers William B., and Lewis H., and one nephew, J. B.
Lightfoot, Jr. He was buried in Hollywood.