Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/313

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
MAYO
MAYORGA

1717 and 1721. His map is now on file in King's college library at Oxford. He went to Virginia in 1723, and in 1728, with Prof. Alexander Irvin, he ran the dividing-line between Virginia and North Carolina. Col. William Byrd, in his manuscript on this subject, says that a chaplain, the Rev. Peter Fountain, accompanied the surveying party, '• that the people on the frontier of North Carolina might have an opportunity to have themselves and their children baptized." One of the rivers intersecting the line was named in honor of Maj. Mayo, and still retains the name, while the North Carolina commissioners presented him with a large tract of land. In 1737 he was appointed one of the surveyors to lay off the northern neck of Vir- ginia in order to settle disputed boundaries be- tween Lord Fairfax and the crown. The same year he laid out the city of Richmond. At the time of his death he was the chief civil engineer in Vir- ginia. — His son, John, legislator, b. in Virginia, 17 July, 1737 ; d. in Richmond, Va., 15 Feb., 1780, was a member of the house of burgesses from Chesterfield county, Va., in 1769, 1770, and 1771, and from Henrico county in 1775. In 1775-'6 he was a member of the Virginia state convention. — John's son, John, soldier, b. in Richmond, Va., 21 Oct., 1760 ; d. in Belleville, near Richmond, 28 May, 1818, was colonel of Virginia state troops during the war of 1812, and represented Henrico county in the legislature. In 1785 he obtained a charter for the Mayo bridge, which is situated just below the falls of James river at Richmond. The bridge is more than a quarter of a mile in length, and was built by Col. Mayo from his own design and at his individual expense. From frequent de- struction of the bridge by floods, once within twenty-four hours after its complete restoration. Col. Mayo's patrimony was exhausted, and he was twice imprisoned within bounds for debt, but his indefatigable resolution overcame all obstacles, and success at last proved the practicability of his efforts. In the midst of his difficulties, Patrick Henry voluntarily submitted an unsuccessful propo- sition to the Virginia legislature to make a loan of public money to the " spirited proprietor." Col. JIayo married Abigail De Hart, daughter of John De Hart, of Elizabethtown, who was a member of the first Continental congress that assembled at Philadelphia in 1774. Their eldest daughter, Maria, married Gen. Winfield Scott. — William's grandson, Robert, author, b. in Powhatan countv, Va., 25' April, 1784 ; d. in Washington. D. C, 31 Oct., 1864. was graduated at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1808, and practised in Richmond, Va. During the presidential canvass of 1828 he edited at Richmond the "Jackson Demo- crat." In 1830 he entered the civil service of the government in Washington, where he remained till his death. He published "View of Ancient Geog- raphy and History " (Philadelphia, 1813) ; " New System of Mythology " (4 vols., 1815-'19) ; " Pension Laws of the United States, 1776-1833" (Washing- ton, 1833 ; 2d ed., with F. Moulton, 1852) ; " Synop- sis of the Commercial and Revenue Svstem of the United States " (2 vols., 1847) ; and " The Treasury Department, its Origin, Organization, and Opera- tions " (1847). He left uncompleted a genealogical history of the Mayo family of Virginia. — William's great-grandson, Joseph, lawyer, b. in Fine Creek Mills, Powhatan co.. Va., 16 Nov., 1795; d. in Rich- mond, Va., 9 Aug., 1872, studied medicine in Phila- delphia, but left it for law. attaining high rank in his profession. He was commonwealth attorney in Richmond from 1823 till 1853, a member of the legislature, and mayor of Richmond from 1853 till the occupation of the city by the U. S. forces in April, 1865. Mr. Mayo was the author of a "Guide to Magistrates," a standard authoritv (Richmond ; 2d ed., revised, 1860).


MAYO, William Starbuck, author, b. in Og- densburg. N. V., 20 April, 1812 ; d. in New York city, 22 Nov., 1895. His family removed to Ogdens- burg in the year of his birth. He studied in his native place and in Potsdam academy, and in 1833 was graduated at the College of physicians and surgeons. New York city. After practising his profession for several years he made a tour in the Barbary states and Spain and then took up his residence in New York city, where he devoted him- self to literature. He published " Flood and Field, or Tales of Battles on Sea and Land " (New York, 1844) ; " Kaloolah, or Journeyings to the Djebel Kumri," purporting to be the autobiography of Jonathan Romer, and describing his adventures in Africa (1849); "The Berber, or the Mountaineer of the Atlas," similar to the preceding (1850) ; " Romance Dust from the Historic Placer," a col- lection of short tales, founded on historical inci- dents (1851) ; and " Never Again," a novel (1873). MA YOB AN EX (mah-yo-ban-ex'), cacique of the Ciguaneyes of Hayti ; d. in 1498. In 1493 a party of Columbus's men tried to make a landing in the dominions of Mayooanex, but were attacked by the Indians. The natives were put to flight and several were wounded. " This was," says Washington Irving, " the first contest and the first time that native blood was shed by the white men in this New World." In 1498 Mayobanex received with open arms the fugitive cacique Guarionex {q. v.), and engaged to stand by him, to defend his cause and share his desperate fortunes. He began a war- fare against the Spaniards, destroying the villages of the natives that had remained loyal to the in- vaders of their country. Bartholomew Columbus, the adelantado, demanded the surrender of Gua- rionex, but Mayobanex refused to deliver his guest. His village and several others were set on fire by the Spanish soldiery. At their approach his sub- jects fled, and, finding himself deserted, Mayobanex took refuge with his family in the mountains, where at last he was surprised, taken in chains to Fort Concepcion, and executed.


MAYORGA, Martin de (mah-yor'-gah), viceroy of Mexico, b. in Catalonia early in the 18th century ; d. at sea in 1783. In 1773 he was appointed governor and captain-general of Central America, and after the earthquakes of that year removed the capital from La Antigua to the present site of Guatemala, notwithstanding the strenuous opposition of the bishop and clergy. After the death of Bucareli, viceroy of Mexico, in 1779, the sealed royal order, always provided for such a case, appointed the captain-general of Guatemala as provisional viceroy. The appointment was intended for Matias de Gsdvez {q. v.), who was on his way to Guatemala, by his brother, the prime minister, but the notice arrived before Galvez had made his appearance, and Mayorga was installed viceroy on 23 Aug., 1779. After the declaration of war against England in June of that year, he became permanent viceroy, and took active measures to protect the Spanish colonies in the Atlantic against an English attack. He strengthened the fortifications of Vera Cruz, sent money, ammunition, and provisions to Cuba, Yucatan, and Louisiana, and an auxiliary force to Bernardo de Galvez (q. v.) for his attack on Mobile and Pensacola. He also assisted the captain-general of Guatemala to recover the port of Omoa from the British, and, when they threatened Cuba, sent two Mexican regiments to