University of Virginia Library

WARWICK COUNTY.

COL. L. BREMOND.

The subject of this sketch was born at Norfolk, Virginia, January 1,
1827, a son of Dr. Dennis Bremond and Eliza Bremond, nee Johnson,
both now deceased. He married, at Charlotteville, Virginia, November
18, 1852, Martha Sheperd, who was born in Richmond, Virginia, the
daughter of the late Samuel Sheperd, long an honored resident of Richmond,
State printer there.

Colonel Bremond attended school in Norfolk until fifteen years of age,
when he left the Norfolk Academy to begin a business life. He clerked
for W. H. Garnett & Co. for about eighteen months, then for a time
was with Thos. G. Broughton & Co., of the Norfolk Herald. After
that he was in the drug business with John A. Ludlow and Ludlow &
Gomley. He then was with the Virginia Central Railroad, which he left
to accept position with the Covington & Ohio Railroad. In 1861 he
was appointed collector of tax in kind for the Confederate States Government,
so serving till the close of the war. Since that time he has
been in the employ of the Chesapeake & Ohio R. R., with which he still
continues, agent at Newport News.

COLONEL HENRY DE B. CLAY,

Resident of Newport News, and clerk of county and circuit courts, Warwick
county, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 22, 1843. He went to
school in Cincinnati, then to the Mt. Pleasant Military Academy, Sing
Sing, New York, where he was graduated in 1860. On May 14, 1861,
he was appointed captain, 14th U. S. Infantry; in 1866 was transferred
as senior captain 23d U. S. Infantry. He served through the
war between the States in the Army of the Potomac, and was wounded
at battle of the Wilderness. In the fall of 1865 accompanied his regiment
to the Pacific coast, and served in Arizona, California, Oregon
and Washington Territory. He resigned from the army in 1870, and
in 1871 settled at Jamestown, James City county, Virginia. In 1876
he was chief of the Department of Protection, and colonel commanding
Centennial Guard of the International Exhibition held at Philadelphia.
In 1883 he was appointed collector of customs at Newport News, Virginia.
Elected to his present position in 1886, for the term of six
years. Colonel Clay is Past Master Bemond Lodge 241, A. F. & A. M.;

an Odd Fellow, Past Department Commander, Department of Virginia,
Grand Army of the Republic, is a member of the Military Order of the
Loyal Legion, also of Society of the Army of the Potomac.

He is a son of Ralph A. Clay, who was born at Newark, New Jersey,
August 7, 1816, and died July 29, 1860; is grandson of Ralph Clay,
of Georgia, whose father was Joseph Clay, paymaster general of
Georgia in the Revolutionary war, coming from England. The mother
of Colonel Clay, was born July 16, 1816, died July 5, 1873; she was
Lucy Ann Gassaway, born in Baltimore, Maryland, daughter of Henry
and Rachel Gassaway, of Maryland, whose parents came from England
and Wales. Colonel Clay has been twice married, his first wife Hattie
Fields, of New York City, whom he wedded in 1871, who bore him two
children, a son, Ralph, born in New York April 5, 1872, and a daughter,
Ethel, who was born in New York October 2d, 1873. He married again
in 1887, Miss F. A. Eager, of Montgomery, New York.

ENOCH CLAYTON,

Son of Joseph and Mary (Smith) Clayton, both now deceased, was
born in the State of New Jersey, on March 4, 1832. He married in that
State, January 16, 1858, Hannah A. Scull, born in New Jersey, and
their children are two daughters, Mary M. and Susanna B. Mrs. Clayton's
parents were Abel Scull, now deceased, and Annie W. (Idell) Scull,
now living in Philadelphia.

Mr. Clayton went to school in his native State until ten years of age,
when he went to sea. He served in all positions on board a vessel, and
at the age of twenty-one years was made Captain of the schooner
"Wicsicken." His last service at sea was as captain of the schooner
"J. V. Clayton." His business has always been connected with shipping
interests. He came to Richmond, Virginia, in September, 1870, to
Newport News in May, 1882. He has followed the occupation of stevedore
for many years, in the employ of the C. & O. R. R. at Newport
News. Since July 1, 1887, he has been sheriff of Warwick county, and
is still serving.

DR. A. C. JONES,

Was born April 9, 1857, in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia. His
wife's maiden name was Annie New, and she was born in Lexington,
Missouri. They were married at Hampton, Virginia, December 22,
1885, and have one son, A. C. Jones, jr., born February 2, 1887.

Dr. Jones started to school at the age of nine years, to a teacher
named John C. King, having been previously pretty well prepared at
home by an older sister. After going to King one session he went to

the Grammar and Matty school, preparatory department of William
and Mary College, where he continued until the age of fifteen years and
a few months, when he entered William and Mary College, where he continued
studying until the College Commencement of 1875. He then left
that college with many regrets, as in one year more he would have
taken his degree. But, his father having died when he was only fifteen
years old, and his estate having been consumed by security debts for
other people, he was forced by that stern necessity which knows no law
and shows no leniency to any, to hasten to that calling by which he
hoped to make an honest and comfortable living.

In the fall of 1875 he commenced a regular course of medicine at the
Virginia Medical College, at Richmond, which he attended three sessions.
At the close of the second session he took the degree of Ph. G.,
and at close of third session, full degree of Doctor of Medicine. Immediately
in March, 1878, he began the practice of his profession at his
home in Williamsburg. Beginning practice at such an early age, he
would not have chosen to follow his profession in his native place,
where he had been known as a mischievous boy but a few years before,
and naturally was still so remembered, but it was there his aged and
infirm mother was living, there her life had been spent, what little property
remained to her was there, and Dr. Jones was the only son left to
look after her and his younger sister, the other children having married.

Under these circumstances he remained in Williamsburg until his
mother's death. In January, 1884, he removed to Newport News; in
the following year served in the Government Quarantine at Biloxi, Mississippi,
and at Cape Charles, Virginia. In the fall of the same year he
left this service, and returned to Newport News, to resume practice. In
that same fall the Democratic party succeeded in regaining the control
of the State, and in the following spring Dr. Jones was appointed Quarantine
officer of the port of Newport News, which position he has held
ever since. Residence, Newport News.

THEODORE LIVEZEY,

Superintendent of the Old Dominion Land Company, at Newport News,
Virginia, was born at Lumberville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. He
is a son of Allen and Mary A. (Gordon) Livezey, now of Yardley, Pennsylvania,
and a grandson of Robert Livezey, formerly of Pennsylvania.
His paternal ancestor, Jonathan Livezey, came from England and
settled in Pennsylvania in 1682. His maternal ancestor, James Paxson,
of Bycot House, Oxfordshire, England, settled in Bucks county,
Pennsylvania, in 1682. He married at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

November 15, 1865, a union blessed with three sons: Harry C., now
residing in New York city; Walter B., living at Newport News; Herbert
S., now in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Livezey's school days were passed in his native town. At the
age of fifteen years he went into a retail drug store in the city of Philadelphia.
He entered the United States Army on his twenty-second
birth-day, August 20, 1862, and received honorable discharge from
service in April, 1865. He was a building contractor from that time
until 1877; then had charge of a lumber and coal yard for Alex. B.
Green, Greensburg, New Jersey, until March, 1881, at which time he
received appointment as superintendent of construction for the Old
Dominion Land Company, which position he held until appointed, in
1885, to the office he now holds for this company. Mr. Livezey is a
member of the Society of Friends.

EDWIN PHILLIPS.

The Phillips family have long been seated in Virginia. Joseph Phillips,
of Hampton, was the father of Joseph Phillips, the last named Joseph
Phillips, a soldier of the Confederate States Army, colonel commanding
the 3d Texas Cavalry, killed in service at Donaldsville, Louisiana. Col.
Joseph Phillips married Mary T. Morrow, who survives him, now living
at Hampton, and their son Edwin was born in Hampton, in 1860.

Edwin Phillips attended school at Morrison, Warwick county, and at
Hampton. He began business in Hampton as clerk for D. G. Morrow,
with whom he remained for six years, then clerked for S. C. Bickford, of
Hampton, fifteen months. Removing to Newport News, he began business
for himself, in 1886, as merchant, in which he still continues. He
is also post-master at Newport News.

GEORGE B. WEST,

Born at Newport News, January 10, 1839, was educated at the Hampton
Academy, and in the University of Virginia. During the war between
the States he served in the quartermaster's department, C. S. A.,
stationed at Richmond. Returning to Newport News at the close of
the war, he engaged in farming and merchandising, following the latter
occupation continuously, and carrying on a stove store at the present
time.

He is a son of Parker West, who died December, 1871, and a grandson
of Benjamin West, whose father was an English gentleman settling
in Virginia. The mother of Mr. West, whose maiden name was Mary
Bell, and who was of Scotch extraction, died in February, 1865.