James Wesley Orr

I am going to go back to the Orr side of the family in this post. Earlier you were introduced to my grandfather, Price Orr. I had mentioned that Price and his twin brother, James, were both named after their grandfathers (Price-mother's, James-father's). Here is the man that great-uncle James was named after.

James Wesley Orr was born on July 19, 1841 in Lee County, Virginia. He was the tenth child (of thirteen) born to David and Rhoda (Ely) Orr. James served in the Civil War and was a First Lieutenant in the 37th Virginia Infantry Regiment Co. E. During the war he suffered an injury to his shoulder, which resulted in the loss of his arm. That did not slow James down after the war was over. He served one term as a sheriff in Lee County, was county clerk in 1871, became a county judge in 1889, served as a representative of Lee County in the Virginia Assembly for eight years, (by special appointment) a county judge of Scott County, Virginia for two years, and also representing Lee County in the Constitutional Convention for Virginia in 1901. In the article written on the event of his death it was said of James, "He was one of the best known and highly respected men in Southwest Virginia, and his span of life reached across almost a century of progress for Lee County." James also wrote Recollections of the War between the States, which all proceeds were to go to a fund to erect a memorial to the men who fought and died as Confederates from Lee County.

James was married twice. First to Martha Pattie Vermillion on November 9, 1865. After living as a widower for three years he married again to Olivia "Ollie" (Johnson) Morison in 1910. The picture to the left is of James and Ollie.

Generation No. 1

1. JAMES WESLEY² ORR (DAVID¹) was born 19 Jul 1841 in Sugar Run, Lee County, Virginia, and died 08 May 1931 in Jonesville, Lee County, Virginia. He married (1) MARTHA PATTIE VERMILLION 09 Nov 1865, daughter of WILSON VERMILLION and SALLY MATLOCK. She was born 14 May 1840 in Virginia, and died 26 Feb 1907 in Jonesville, Lee County, Virginia. He married (2) OLIVIA OLLIE JOHNSON 10 Jun 1910 in Bristol, Virginia.

Children of JAMES ORR and MARTHA VERMILLION are:

i. (daughter) ORR³, born and died 26 Aug 1866.

ii. WILLIAM EMMET ORR, b. 15 Jun 1868; d. 15 May 1946; m. (1) ANNA LOUISE CROWELL; b. 1874; d. 1907; m. (2) MARY VIRGINIA SHELBURNE; b. 1878; d. 1939.

iii. ELIZABETH VERMILLION ORR, b. 14 Aug 1870; d. Mar 1948; m. BENJAMIN HOUSTON SEWELL.

iv. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ORR, b. 23 Jan 1873, Sugar Run, Lee County, Virginia; d. 05 Dec 1959, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee; m. (1) MARY PRICE, 17 Oct 1905, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee; b. 20 Sep 1885, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee; d. 26 Sep 1965, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee; m. (2) CAROLYN FRENCH, Aft. 1940; b. 27 Dec 1889; d. 13 Jul 1969, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.

More About BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ORR:

Burial: 09 Dec 1959, Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Prince George County, Maryland

More About MARY PRICE:

Burial: 28 Sep 1965, Old Grey Cemetery, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee

More About CAROLYN FRENCH:

Burial: Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Prince George County, Maryland

v. GEORGE W. ORR, b. 01 Aug 1875; d. 21 Nov 1955; m. (1) GOLDEN BARTON; m. (2) MAUD PET MORGAN, 14 Jun 1905; b. 16 Jun 1882; d. 04 Nov 1912.

vi. HENRY ORR, b. 15 Jan 1878; d. Abt. 1888.