U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Peyton, Thomas West (1860-1912) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 715-716 CAPT. THOMAS WEST PEYTON, a prominent citizen of Huntington, West Virginia, senior member of the law firm of Peyton & Perkinson and member of the insurance firm of Gordon, Peyton & Perkinson, was born in 1860 in Cabell County, West Virginia, his family being one of the early ones of the State. He is the only son of Capt. Thomas West. The Peytons are of English descent and the name is a very prominent one all through Virginia. The grandfather of Captain Peyton, also named Capt. Thomas West Peyton, was born in Virginia and served as captain in the Revolutionary Army, and also as consul at Matanzas, Cuba, dying on the way home from that country, and being buried at sea. Our subject's grandmother was a Miss Dundas, of an equally prominent family of Pennsylvania, coming originally from Scotland. Members of this family were distinguished in their own country, one of them being Lord Chancellor of Scotland. James Dundas died at Philadelphia, a millionaire, and one of the grandmother's brothers was Assistant Postmaster General for some years prior to the Civil War. Capt. Thomas West Peyton (2) was born at Mantanzas, Cuba, in 1820, and served in many public positions, at the outbreak of the Civil War being a customs official at New Orleans, Louisiana. He entered the Confederate Army, from Louisiana, gained his title there and was killed in 1863 at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In New Orleans he married a Miss O'Dowd. who was born in Ireland and came to this country in childhood. She died in 1893, leaving one son, — the subject of this sketch, — and four daughters, the latter being: Ann Virginia (Mrs. Charles Ricketts.) of Huntington; Mrs. Lizzie Ora Benhring, of Fayette County, West Virginia: Alice who is married and lives in Fayette County; and Sally, who is principal of the Buffington school at Huntington. Capt. Thomas West Peyton, the third of the name in succession, graduated at Marshall College, Huntington, in 1877, prior to completing his 17th year. He then entered the law office of Gibson & Lane, where he studied until he reached his majority and successfully passed the examination of the judges and was admitted to the bar in 1881. Captain Peyton commenced practice at once, and during his first partnership with Captain Gibson in 1884 was elected by the Democrats to a six-years term as Circuit clerk of Cabell County. In 1891, he formed a partnership with James Marcum, which continued until 1894 and in 1899 he entered into his present partnership with A. V. Perkinson. The insurance partnership, which includes Mayor H. C. Gordon, was formed later and is one of the leading business enterprises in that line in the city. In 1889 Captain Peyton entered the West Virginia National Guards, was captain of Company I, 2nd Regiment, West Virginia National Guards, but resigned in 1894. Captain Peyton married a daughter of M. Hovey and a granddaughter of Thomas Thornburg, the latter of whom was a pioneer and prominent resident of Cabell County, served in the Virginia Legislature and was a member of the Secession Convention of 1861. Mrs. Peyton died in 1902, and the four children of this union, three sons and one daughter, reside with their grandparents at Barboursville, the eldest son bearing the name of Thomas West. Captain Peyton is a Mason of high degree and is past master, past high priest, and past eminent commander in the order. ------------------------------------------------------------------- REGISTER OF DEATHS, Cabell County, WV (Page 131) FULL-NAME: Thos. West Peyton BIRTH-PLACE: Cabell Co., W.Va. DEATH-DATE: June 10, 1912 AGE-AT-DEATH: 51y-10m MARITAL-STATUS: widower OCCUPATION: Atty at law CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Myocarditis INFORMANT: T. W. Peyton, Jr. (son) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tombstone in Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, Cabell County, WV Thomas West Peyton (1860-1912) ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Cabell County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/cabell/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------