GEORGE P. WATKINS
Son of William and Mary (Wharton) Watkins, and grandson of Thomas
Watkins, was born in Halifax county, Virginia, March 10th, 1852.
His father was born in Virginia, where the family has been long seated,
and his mother was born in the State of Maine. His wife is Jimmie
Lelia, daughter of Col. James W. and Mary Elizabeth (Jones) Watts,
whose family record appears in this volume. She was born in Bedford
county, Virginia, and they were married by Dr. W. E. Edwards, at the
Court Street M. E. Church, Lynchburg, December 22, 1880. Their children
are Florence, Lucile, Lelia. Robert W. Watkins, brother of George
P. served in the late war. His mother died in 1857, when he was five
years old, and his father died in 1864, when he was twelve years old.
After that he attended boarding school for two years, then entered on
a business life in 1868 as clerk in a retail store in Halifax county, Virginia.
In 1871 he went to Richmond as traveling salesman for the
wholesale notion house of Yancey & Franklin; in 1875 went to Baltimore,
traveling for a wholesale house. On July 1, 1878, became a
partner in the wholesale boot and shoe firm of Witt & Watkins, in
which he still continues at 808 Main street (see record of Geo. D. Witt).
Mr. Watkins is also a director in the National Exchange Bank of
Lynchburg, and has been since its organization.
