 | A history of Caroline county, Virginia |  |
THE GRAVATT FAMILY
The Gravatts are lineally descended from Colonel Miles Cary,
of Warwick county, Va., who came over from England about
1645, and who, during Berkeley's administration, was escheator-general
of Virginia.
John James Gravatt, M. D., was born at Port Royal, Caroline
county, November 27, 1817. His grandfathers, Col. Larkin
Smith, of King and Queen and Col. John Ambler, of Jamestown,
were both distinguished soldiers in the War of the Revolution.
Doctor Gravatt graduated with distinction from William and
Mary College in 1838 and won the degree of M. D. from the
University of Pennsylvania in 1842. Upon graduation he married
Eliza Ambler Smith and settled in his home town and entered
upon the practice of medicine. He so devoted himself to his
profession that he soon secured the confidence of all classes of
people and built up a large practice.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War he gave up his
practice in Caroline and assumed the responsible position of
head of the large receiving hospital at Richmond, and here, as
in Caroline, he soon distinguished himself as one of the most
skilful surgeons in the service. Amid the trying scences of that
eventful period, his skill and Christian kindness won for him
not only the confidence and love of the many thousands of
sufferers under his medical care, but of every subaltern and
dependent under his command. At the close of the war the
surgeon-general said, "I have never known Dr. Gravatt to make
a mistake in diagnosis."
John James Gravatt II, son of Dr. John James Gravatt and
Eliza Ambler Smith, was born at Port Royal, Caroline county,
May 14, 1853. He attended schools at Port Royal conducted
by George Fitzhugh and Carter Page and later went to the
preparatory school conducted in connection with the Protestant
Episcopal Theological Seminary at Alexandria, Va. He graduated
from the Theological Seminary in 1876, and upon receiving his
degree, went to Hampton as rector of St. John's, the oldest parish
While at Hampton the Rev. Dr. Gravatt, m. Miss India Wray
Jones by whom he had issue: J. J. Gravatt, III, now rector of
Trinity church, Staunton, Va., and Mrs. R. A. Goodwyn, whose
husband was at one time rector of St. John's, Richmond, and
afterward missionary to China.
The Rev. Dr. J. J. Gravatt, II, came from Hampton to Moore
Memorial Episcopal church, Richmond, on October 1, 1893.
Work had just been started on a new church edifice, but under
the leadership of Dr. Gravatt a new architect was called in,
new plans were drawn, and a building was erected wholly different
from that originally planned. When completed it was called
Holy Trinity instead of Moore Memorial, but was a memorial to
Bishop Moore.
On September 30, 1923, J. Mark Lutz, writing in the Times-Dispatch,
Richmond, said in part as follows: "With the close of
services in Holy Trinity today will come the conclusion of thirty
years of work in that church by the Rev. J. J. Gravatt, D. D.
During this period the church has grown from a membership of
150 to 1,289. A new church and parish house have been built,
and the building which Dr. Gravatt saw begun in 1894 he saw
completed in 1901, and consecrated in 1907, on the day before
the General Convention opened in the building, at which opening
service the Bishop of London preached. Dr. Gravatt has been
identified with a number of civic and fraternal organizations of
Richmond, having served as president of the Richmond Ministerial
Union, Richmond Clericus, Richmond Convocation, Deputy to
General Convention, Trustee of Stuart Hall, Member of Council
of Defense in World War, Chairman of Richmond Vice Commission,
Chaplain of Travelers Protective Association, Master of
Strict Observance Lodge of Masons, and Orator in the Scottish
Rite Bodies of Richmond of which he is a Thirty-Third Degree
member."
Charles Urquhart Gravatt, son of Dr. John James Gravatt I,
and Eliza Ambler Smith, was born at Port Royal, June, 1849.
After attending the preparatory schools of Port Royal he entered
medical college in Baltimore from which he was graduated with
high honors. He at once entered the U. S. Navy as Assistant
Surgeon where his unusual talents were quickly recognized and
rewarded. He became Full Surgeon, Fleet Surgeon and at last
Medical Director. After the Spanish-American War his eyes
become blind unless he entered upon some mode of life which
would remove him from artificial light, and so he retired; but
the Navy Department, recognizing his splendid services, retired
and pensioned him. He then returned to Port Royal, settled at
the old home place, and after a few years was elected to represent
Caroline, Hanover, and King William counties in the State Senate.
He was serving in this office at the time of his death in 1921. He
left one son, Marshall Gravatt who resides in North Carolina.
At a mass meeting held in Bowling Green on January 8, 1923,
for the purpose of electing delegates to a convention to be held
in Ashland, Va., on January 18th for nominating a successor to
Dr. Gravatt, the Hon. J. W. Guerrant, formerly a member of the
House, offered the following resolutions which were unanimously
adopted, and published in The Caroline Progress and The Free Lance:
"Whereas, Dr. Charles U. Gravatt, a noble and honorable
son of this county, has departed this life, and
"Whereas, he did faithfully, and with honor, represent us
for nearly sixteen years in the Senate of Virginia, and
"Whereas, we meet today in connection with choosing his
successor with the memories of his fine qualities of mind and
heart fresh in our thoughts, now therefore be it,
"Resolved, by the Democrats of Caroline in mass meeting
assembled, that we express our admiration for his integrity and
intellect, gratitude for his valiant services, sorrow for his departure,
and sympathy for his son who survives him."
William Loyall Gravatt, son of J. J. Gravatt, I, and Eliza
Ambler Smith, was born at Port Royal, December 15, 1857.
After attending the local schools he entered Virginia Polytechnic
Institute. He taught school a few years and then entered the
Theological Seminary at Alexandria. Upon graduation he became
assistant rector to Dr. Minnigerode at St. Paul's church,
Richmond. After a year or two he accepted St. Peter's church,
Norfolk, from which he went to Zion's church, Charleston, W.
Va. While rector here he was elected Bishop Coadjuator of
West Virginia—1899—and became Bishop of the diocese upon
the death of Bishop Peterkin.
He m. Miss Sidney Peyton, of Richmond, and has three children,
one son and two daughters, William Loyall, Jr., Cary and Mary.
The Gravatt arms are thus described:
Az. a fesse embattled erm. betw. three wolves heads erased ar.
Crest:A wolf pass. per pale erminois and ar.
| A history of Caroline county, Virginia | |