VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
935
Edwin Ivanhoe Ford. Edwin Ivanhoe
Ford, is a scion of an old \'irginia family,
located for many generations in Goochland
county. The name of Ford appears very
frequently in the early colonial records of
the Old Dominion. In 1633 John Ford was
residing in Accomac county, and in 1687
Joseph Ford was a member of a company of
horse in Surry county. In 1730 William
Ford, in association with Michael Holland,
received a grant of four hundred acres in
Goochland county. The will of John Ford,
probated in Richmond county, March 6, 1699.
mentions wife Patience and son John. John
Ford, a planter of Goochland county, proba-
bly the John (2) above mentioned, sold land.
May 12, 1729. He had a wife Mary and chil-
dren : John, Elizabeth and Mary. The revo-
lutionary records show that several mem-
bers of the Ford family were soldiers of that
struggle, and received land bounties under
the king's proclamation of 1763. After the
battle of Great Meadows, in 1754, Colonel
A\'ashington"s list of wounded soldiers in
his service included James Ford, a member
of Captain Hogg's company. Members of
this family received grants of land at Wil-
liamsburg, in .\ugusta county and Amelia
county. William Ford was a sergeant from
the latter county in the colonial forces in
September, 1758. William Ford, undoubt-
edly a descendant of John and Marv Ford,
of Goochland county, previously mentioned,
was a native of that county, and a prosper-
our farmer. The records of Orange county
show that William Ford married there, De-
cember 12, 1775, Ann Moore. Rev. Reuben
Ford, born 1776, son of William Ford, was
a farmer in Goochland county, and organ-
ized the First Baptist Church in Virginia
He was very energetic and traveled exten-
sively over the state, preaching the Gospel.
He resided in Hanover county, where was
born to him Augustus Royal Ford, who was
a planter in Powhatan county, where he be-
came wealthy. He was a large land holder,
owned many slaves, and was county engi-
neer. He m.arried Caroline Woolridge, and
they were the parents of James Edward
Ford, born 1827, in Goochland county, died
1908, and was an extensive planter. He
volunteered for service in the war between
the states, and after spending some time in
Camp Lee returned to his home in Gooch-
land, without getting into active service.
Subsequently he was captain of the Home
Guards. In religion he was a Baptist, in
politics a Democrat. He married, January
25, 1855, .Ann Bedford Taylor, daughter of
Samuel Truman and Martha Haines (Wood-
fin) Taylor, the last named a daughter of
Rev. Samuel Woodfin, a Baptist clergy-
man of Powhatan county. Children: i.
James Chesley, born 1853. 2. Mary Carrie,
born 1859; married in 1883, Captain Thomas
Dunn Adams, born 1837, died 191 1, a direct
descendant of the Adams family of Massa-
chusetts ; Mrs. .\dams is now hostess of
the house of representatives and a member
and active worker in the Woman's National
Democratic League of Washington, D. C.
3. \'irginia Courtney, born 1862 ; married,
in 1888, Thomas Mears, who died in 1890,
leaving a son, Bedford Mears, born 1889. 4.
Minnie Stuart, born 1865 ; married James
Withers, and has children, James E. and
T^ucy. 3. Mattie Truman, born 1S67; mar-
ried, in 1892, Norris J. Krone, and has sons,
Julian E. and Norris J. (2). 6. Josephine
Gertrude, born 1868, is the wife of Stephen
Johnson, and the mother of Aubrey Nelson,
Stephen, Fred Read and Edwin Ivanhoe
Ford. 7. Edwin Ivanhoe, of further men-
tion. 8. Julian Harrison, born 1874; mar-
ried, in 1899, Juliet Litchford, and has a
daughter, Juliet Litchford Ford.
Edwni Ivanhoe Ford, second son of James Edward and Ann B. (Taylor) Ford, was born .\pril 18, 1871, in Goochland county, \'irginia. He attended the public schools until fifteen years old, at which age he en- tered the service of the Chesapeake <S: Ohio Railroad Company at Newport News, as water boy. Tn the following year he was made messenger and a year later flagman. In 1888-90 he was a switchman, and from 1890 to 1893 yard clerk. For four years following this he served as assistant yard- master, and was general yardmaster for six years. 1897 *o ^9^3- From 1905 to 1908 he was trainmaster, and for five years there- after terminal superintendent. In 1913 he removed to Richmond, but two years later returned to Newport News, as superin- tendent of terminals. The steadv rise achieved by Air. Ford testifies to his faith- fulness, ability and integrity, and he is to- day recognized as one of the leading citi- zens of his home city, in all of whose in- terests he is much interested. He is a past master of Bremond Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, a member of St. John's
