Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/278

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MARR


MARSH


MARR, Jane Barron Hope, author, was born in Hampton, Va., May 26, 1859; daughter of James Barron and Annie Beverly (Whiting) Hope; granddaughter of Wilton and Jane (Bar- ron) Hope and of Kennon and Anne (Wythe) Whiting, and a descendant of James Whitinge, who came to Virginia in the George in 1607. Kennon Whiting was the grandson of Col. Thomas Whiting, president of the Virginia naval board, who held George Washington in his arms at the child's baptism. Jane Barron Hope was educated at home and by private tutors, and at the Leache- Wood seminary, Norfolk, Va., and became well known as a writer of short stories. She was married at Norfolk, Va., April 13, 1887, to Robert Athelstan Marr, Jr. (q.v.). She became a member of the Pennsylvania Historical society in 1882. Her ])ubrished works include: The Res- rue, a Story of Colonial Virginia (1883); Stones and Papers (1884); A Wreath of Virginia Bay Leaves (poems of her father selected and edited, 1895); and numerous short stories, sketches of her father's life and work,* sketches of travel, and Dther contributions to pt^riodicals.

MARR, John Quincy, soldier, was born at Warrenton, Fauquier county, Va.,in 1825; son of John and Catherine Inman (Horner) Marr. He was graduated with distinction from the Virginia Military institute, Lexington, Va., in 1846, and remained there for a time as assistant professor. He was mayor of Warrenton, chief justice of Fauquier county and a member of the Virginia secession convention of 1861. He had been ap- pointed lieutenant-colonel by Governor Letcher, but was acting as captain of the *' Warrenton Rifles " when he met the enemy at Fairfax Court House, and fell, " the first blood of the war," as is set forth by the monument erected to him at IVarrenton, Va. He died June 1, 1861.

MARR, Robert Athelstan, Jr., educator, was wrn at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 29, 1856; son of ^Villiam Jackson and Jane (Nelson) Marr, and grandson of John and Catherine Inman (Homer) Marr. His ancestry on the Marr side was French, the original name being de la Mar; and on the maternal .side was Scotch and English. He was s^raduated from the Virginia Military institute in 1877; entered the U.S. coast and geodetic sur- rey in 1878; engaged in triangulation in Ten- nessee, 1878-79, and in main triangulation in California and Nevada, 1878-81, and in 1881 i'isited the Siberian coast, the Aleutian Isles and the Arctic region for magnetic and i>endulum abservations. In 1882-85 he was again in Califor- nia engaged in triangulation and magnetic ob- servations, and in 1885 engaged in geographical positions and magnetics in South Alaska. He was engaged in triangulation on the eastern shore of Virginia and in Massachusetts, 1887; in


telegraphic longitude in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and California, 1888-89; in the gulf of Mexico triangulation, 1889; and in lati- tude, telegraphic longitude and magnetics in Nevada, Utah and the Dakotahs and Minnesota, 1890. In the fall of 1890 he accepted the chair of engineering at the Virginia Military institute. Lexington. Va. He was married, April 13, 1887, to Jane Barron, eldest daughter of James Barron and Annie (Whiting) Hope.

MARSH, Benjamin Franklin, representative, was born in Wythe township, Hancock county, 111., in 1839. He prepared for college in private schools, was a student at Jubilee college. 111., 1854-58; studied law with his brother Judge J. W. Marsh of Warsaw, 111., 1858-60, and was admitted to the bar in 1860. In 1861 he raised a company of cavalry for service in the civil war, but it was not accepted at once and he enlisted as a private in the 10th Illinois volun- teers. In July, 1861, the cavalry company was accepted, and he was commissioned its captain and assigned to the 2d Illinois cavalry. He served 1861-65, rising to the rank of colonel. He practised law in Warsaw. 1866-77; in 1869 he was a Republican candidate for delegate to the state constitutional convention; was a representative in the 45th, 46th and 47th congresses, 1877-83; was defeated for the 48th congress, and after the expiration of his term engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was railroad and ware- liouse commissioner by appointment of Governor Oglesby, 1889-93; was a delegate to the Republi- can national convention in 1888; and was a representative in the 53d, 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th congresses, 1893-1903. He was chairman of the committee on militia in the 54th, 55th, 56th and 57th congresses.

MARSH, Charles, representative, was born in Lebanon, Conn., July 10, 1765; son of Lieut. -Gov. Joseph and Dorothy (Mason) Marsh. He removed to Vermont, then known as the New Hampshire Grants, with his parents in 1774, and was grad- uated from Dartmouth college in 1786. He studied law in Litchfield, Conn., under Tapping Reeve, and was admitted to the bar in 1788. He practised successfully in Woodstock, Vt.; was U.S. district-attorney for Vermont, 1797-1801; a Federalist representative in the 14th congress, 1815-17, and while in Washington was one of the founders of the American Colonization society. He was one of the founders and for manj' years president of the Vermont Bible society and vice-president of the American Bible society and of the American Educational society. He was a trustee of Dartmouth college, 1809-49, and received the degree LL.D. from there in 1828. He was also president of the trustees of Kimball Union academy. He was married in 1789 to