Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/221

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY


705


Agnes, born in Keysville in 1865, married Archibald Osborne Van Ness, of New York City : Rosalie, born in 1866. in Keysville, married Lucius Gregory, of Chase City, \'ir- ginia, her cousin ; Alice W'ootten, born in Keysville, in 1868, married Thomas Wil- liams, of Richmond, ^'irginia ; Edward Tay- lor, born at Keysville. in 1871 ; Flavanus Hammatt, born at Keysville, April i"/, 1873, married Lucy Jackson ; Floyd Jackson, of further mention.

Dr. Floyd Jackson Gregory, of Keysville, Virginia, was born there April 25, 1875. son of Dr. Flavanus Josephus and Ellen Etta (^^'ootten) Gregory. He obtained his early and preparatory education in Keysville pub- lic schools and "Shortwell Academy." at- tending until 1909. He then took a course at ^^irginia Agricultural and INIechanical College, followed by an elective course at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, including Latin, Greek, pjotany. Chemistry and Eng- lish. After leaving college he engaged for two years in the drug business in Keysville, but in 1907 decided to adopt the profession of his honored father. He entered Vander- bilt University, medical department, and in 1910 was graduated Doctor of Medicine. He was president of the senior class of that year and finished his course with honors. On obtaining his degree. Dr. Gregory located in Keysville. where for half a cen- tury his father had practiced and labored. With this prestige. Dr. Gregory began his m.edical career, and in the few intervening years has established himself firmly in pub- lic reg-ard and in the "young doctor," the "old doctor" has given to Keysville a worthy successor. He is a member of various med- ical societies and has contributed able articles to the journals of the profession and read others before the Keysville board of health and Keysville town council. He is a member of the Junior Order of .\merican Mechanics and Woodmen of the World, active and useful in all. In political faith he is a Democrat, and in religious belief is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Marvin Smithey. The founder of this branch of the family in the United .States was Joshua Smithey, of Scotland, great- grandfather of Marvin Smithey. of Law- renceville, Virginia, a twentieth century rep- resentative.

Marvin Smithey is a grandson of Royal viR-45


Beverly and Mary Ann Elizabeth (Hub- bard ) .Smithey, the former a farmer of Amelia county, Virginia. He is a son of Rev. ^\'illiam Rosser Smithey, born in .Amelia county, \'irginia, in 1848, died Janu- ary 19, 1899, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. William R. Smithey married Nanny J. Green, born in 1848. who yet survives him. She is a daughter of Ed- ward and Mary Ann (Blanton) Green, of Amelia county, the former a veteran of the Confederacy and a descendant of Edward Green, of Maysville. Kentucky, of the Gen- eral Nathaniel Green family. Children of Rev. \\'illiam R. Smithey : William Royal, vice-principal of the Harrisonburg State Normal School; Louis Philippe, instructor in the Polytechnic Institute at Blacksburg; Marvin, of further mention ; Nelly Carson, graduate of Columbia University (Barnard), New York City, now a teacher in the Nor- mal School at Farmville, \'^irginia.

Marvin Smithey, son of Rev. W^illiam Rosser and Nanny J. (Green) Smithey, was born in Virginia, March 19, 1879. The itinerant system of the Methodist Episcopal church in locating its ministers calls for fre- quent changes of residence, hence the vouth of Marvin Smithey was spent in different places and his early education obtained in the schools of the towns in which his hon- ored father was stationed as pastor. .After preparatory courses in public schools of Mecklenburg. Amelia and Cumberland coun- ties and in Chase City schools, he entered in 1893 Randolph-Macon College, .Ashland, Virginia, whence he was graduated Bach- elor of .Arts, 1896, Master of Arts, 1898. He began professional life as a teacher, was instructor in mathematics at Randolph- ^Tacon .Academy at Bedford City. Virginia, for four vears, was principal of the Rich- mond . Virginia, high school one year and pursuing a course of legal study during these years. In T903 he was admitted to the \'irginia bar and until 1906 was connected with the lesral department of the ^irginia Railroad and also during the year 1905 main- tained a private law ofifice in Richmond. In IQ06 he located in Lawrenceville, the capital of Brunswick county. \irginia, where he has since been continuouslv engaged in the prac- tice of law. He is a member of the district and state bar associations, has been admitted to the state and Federal courts of the dis- trict and has a satisfactory practice in all.