James Keith

James Keith N E M V B K Y Photo: Have two: one of him with his brother and nephew; one of him with Erasmus Helm and A. D. P. Neither is scanned. Both are in the Photos Binder. One we don’t have is in Helm, Defend, 150. His source: Keith family. A photograph of Alexander Dixon Payne [BH], Erasmus Helm, Jr., [BH] and James Keith appears at reference.[2284] Born: 7 September 1839 at Woodbourne, Virgina.[2285] 7 September 1839 in Fauquier County.[2286] 7 September 1839.[2287] 1839.[2288] Married: Lillius Gordon Keith; she died in 1877. A death notice reads, “Keith—July 22d, in Warrenton, Va., Lillius Gordon Keith, wife of Hon. James Keith, and daughter of the late Arthur A. Morson, of Richmond.”[2289]

“Judge James Keith … [married first] Lilias Gordon Morson [in] 1873…”. Her father was “Arthur Morson.” They had no children. He married second “her younger sister Frances B. Morson [in] 1887 and had [two] children.”[2290] According to his obituary, he married Lilias in 1872, and she passed away about 1877.[2291] “He was married, February 16, 1887, to Frances Barksdale Morson, of Warrenton, Virginia.”[2292] He married first Lilas Gordon (Morson) (11 November 1848–22 July 1877). He married second Frances (Morson) (18 September 1856–9 June 1903). His wives were sisters, both daughters of Maria Scott Morson, of Fauquier, and Arthur Alexander Morson,[2293] of Richmond.[2294] Died: Wednesday, 2 January 1918. Buried in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, on Friday the 4th.[2295] Late December/ early January 1918, in Richmond.[2296]

See[2297] 1918.[2298] His cemetery marker is inscribed: “To the Memory/ of/ James Keith/ son of/ Isham & Juliet Chilton/ Keith/ of Fauquier/ Born Sept. 7, 1839/ Died Jan. 2, 1918.”[2299] Obituary: “He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1860 and a year later followed the flag of the Confederacy as a private in the famous Black Horse cavalry. … His merits were recognized in Richmond and in 1870 he became Judge of the Eleventh circuit.” See Obituary Chapter. Children: Son Lieut. A. A. Morsen Keith; daughter Mrs. Juliet Chilton Keith.[2300] Miss Juliet Chilton Keith and Arthur Alexander Morson Keith.[2301] Parents and Siblings: Juliet Chilton (1800–1887) and Isham Keith ( –6 August 1863) of “Woodbourne,” Fauquier, who wed on 13 February 1823. A brother was Isham Keith (BH).[2302] “Isham and Juliet (Chilton) Keith…”[2303] ; a brother was Isham Keith (BH). Other Family: See his brother Isham Keith’s entry. Judge James Keith’s wives, Lilas and Frances, were double first cousins to the wife of Alexander Dixon Payne [BH]. See the entry of their maternal uncle, John Scott [BH], for the genealogy of their mother. Also see John Scott’s entry for their royal lineage through their father. [NOTE:probably cut highlighted]Judge James’ s wives’ father was Arthur [A. [2304]] Morson.[2305] One Arthur Alexander Morson was the brother of Ann Casson (Morson) who married Robert Eden Scott—their daughter wed Alexander Dixon Payne [BH].[2306] If these two Arthurs were the same person, then the two cavalrymen’s wives were first cousins. A close familial tie could solidify the reasoning for James to have written an obituary for A. D. Payne, although their both being prominent figures in the community and their having served together in this unit would have been reason enough. Arthur Alexander Morson’s wife was “Maria Martin Scott (1814–1894).” They married in 1833. Her parents were John Scott and Elizabeth Blackwell Pickett.[2307] ***She was sister of John Scott [BH]. 1833 is same year as dod of AAM’s mother. Isham’s son James lived in Alabama, and Katherine Isham was Isham’s, not James’s, daughter; therefore, the following article must be about the family of a different James Keith. “Mrs. James Keith, of Mont Clair, N. J., announces the engagement and approaching marriage of her daughter, Katherine Isham, to Mr. Blaine McChord, of Mont Clair. The wedding will take place October the 18th. Miss Keith has many relatives and friends here.”[2308] Delete if no connection turns up by printing. ***or keep to dispel misinformation Stories, Letters & Biographies: “…James and Isham Keith instituted suit to reclaim the land…”[2309] See Stories Chapter under Isham Keith. “An Interesting War Incident During the ’60’s.”[2310] See Stories Chapter under Channing Meade Smith. “One… duel… was to be engaged… between Colonel Mosby and Captain Alexander Payne….”[2311] See Stories Chapter. An biographical sketch of him appears at reference.[2312] [NOTE:check—use any, maybe a few sentences or a pph? in Source Binder under Keith.] “May this member of Fauquier’s sons who had so much to do through a long period in holding up the fame of the Warrenton Bar, have many years with us to wear his well earned honors.”[2313] See Biographies Chapter. “On the 18th of May, 1861,”… “soldiers in the Spartan sense”… “observed a Masonic sign”… “always counted on the Black Horse in emergencies”… “a gem of eloquence”… “an old Black Horseman… said the other day”….[2314] See Stories Chapter under The Black Horse Troop. Quoted: Years of Anguish, p.62, coming home from Appomattox. [is this the Armstrong excerpt?] See letters in Vi.Hi. # Source footnote &refer to following (looks like Keith Papers) |Manuscripts | |Mss1 K2694 b | |Author |   |Keith family. | |Title |   |Papers, 1831–1916. | |Description |   |46 items. | |Summary Note |   |The collection primarily consists | | | |of letters written by James Keith | | | |(1839–1918) while a law student at| | | |the University of Virginia and | | | |while serving with the 4th | | | |Virginia Cavalry Regiment (Black | | | |Horse Troop), Confederate States | | | |Army, in Virginia and at the | | | |battles of Fair Oaks, Va., and | | | |Gettysburg, Pa.; along with other | | | |scattered letters written by | | | |members of the Keith family of | | | |Fauquier County, Va. | |Loc. Assoc. Mat. |   |Keith family (of Woodburn, | | | |Fauquier County, Va.) papers | | | |(Mss1K2694a,c), Virginia | | | |Historical Society. | |Provenance Note |   |Gift of John A. C. Keith in 1959. |

CSR: Companies H, F; 6’1”, red hair, blue eyes; enlisted 25 April 1861; 2nd cpl; appointed Adjutant [of the 4th Virginia Cavalry] 7 December 1863; paroled 30 May 1865 Winchester; Virginia Judge, Court of Appeals. Additional Information: Appointed Adjutant of the Fourth Virginia Regiment Cavalry, December, 1863. Member Virginia Legislature, and now [1874–1878] Judge Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Virginia.[2315] Judge, Court of Appeals, 1895–1906.[2316] Provided a deposition for Henry C. Fones’s [BH] Texas pension application. See Fones’s entry. More might be found at reference.[2317] [See bio. in Fauquier Hist. Soc. Papers. early 1920s.] Author of collection of essays, mentioned in book on VA. lawyers.