CHARLES GRICE ELLIOTT,
A resident and honored citizen of Norfolk since 1867, was born in North
Carolina, at Elizabeth City, March 8, 1840. His father, who died May
20, 1852, at age of thirty-eight years, was Gilbert, son of Peter Elliott,
of North Carolina. His mother is Sarah A. Elliott, nee Grice, still living
at Oxford, North Carolina. His wife, whom he married at Oxford, North
Carolina, in March, 1867, was born in Franklin county, that State, Jeannette
Tunstall Cooper, daughter of James Crawford Cooper, of Oxford,
and Lucy (Williams) Cooper.
Mr. Elliott went to school in Elizabeth City to Rev. E. M. Forbes, a
Protestant Episcopal Church school. At the age of fourteen years he
began clerking in a mercantile store, at the age of seventeen years was
deputy clerk of the county court, and so served until, at age of twenty-one
years, he entered the Confederate States Army. In 1866 he was a
farmer. From 1867 to 1887 was a merchant at Norfolk, member of the
firm of William W. Gwathmay & Co., cotton factors, and at one time
president of the N. & P. Cotton Exchange. Since 1887 he has been connected
with the railroad that is now the Chowan & Southern, as its
treasurer. He has been a member of the Norfolk common council for
twelve years, and president of the same two years, and is now president
of the Board of Harbor Commissioners of Norfolk and Portsmouth.
He volunteered in 1861, for service in the 17th North Carolina regiment,
C. S. A., and was appointed assistant adjutant-general in Martin's
Brigade, Hoke's Division. He was captured at Roanoke Island, paroled
in two weeks, and served until the close of the war.
