Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/222

Boydton, Virginia, October 9. 1854. After preparatory courses, he entered Virginia Military Institute, in August, 1872, as a cadet from Mecklenburg county, continuing three years until graduation, class of 1875 Deciding upon the profession honored by his father, he prepared at the University College of Medicine, Baltimore, receiving his degree M. D., class of 1879. He began professional practice the same year at Boydton, but has not been in continuous practice there. He was for a period physician at the celebrated Buffalo Lithia Springs of Virginia. Later he located at Asheville, North Carolina, where he established a large and select practice. He then removed to Haw River, North Carolina, where he has large business interests. He has a large practice in Boydton, the home of his mother, and is practically a resident of both Boydton and Haw River. Mrs. Laird, mother of Dr. Laird, resides at the fine old homestead in Boydton, a highly respected and beloved lady. Dr. Laird divides his time between his professional and business interests in Haw River and Boydton. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and in politics is a Democrat.

He married. June 9, 1880. Cora May, daughter of Governor Thomas May Holt, of North Carolina. Children: 1. Thomas Holt. born at Haw River, North Carolina. Au- gust 5, 1881; educated at Danville Military Institute and Trinity College. Durham. North Carolina; now engaged as a cotton broker at Greensboro, North Carolina; married Margaret Keene Goode, daughter of Edward Chambers Goode, and has a daughter Louisa Holt Laird, born in Greensboro, August 18, 1913. 2. Charles Chambers, born at Haw River. North Carolina. August 31. 1895; was educated at Bingham School. Asheville, North Carolina, and Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia; was associated with his older brother in cotton brokerage business in Greensboro; died at Sao Paulo, Brazil, November 15, 1914. David Frank Laird, a brother of Dr. Alexander T. Laird, was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, July 8, 1822, died December 17, 1801; was a farmer.

Ceorge Faul La Roque, M. D. An ancient family of France, the La Roques, on coming to America in the seventeenth century, settled in Louisiana. From there the branch which Dr. George Paul La Roque, of Richmond, Virginia. descends, passed to the state of North Carolina, settling in Lenoir county, which has been the family home for considerably over a century. One of the well known, old time physicians of that county, Frederick La Roque, universally known as "Old Doctor Fred." practiced in the county until his sixtieth year. His wife was a Dunn, whose family came from England, settling first in eastern Virginia, and later going to North Carolina. The Mewborns with whom Walter Dunn La Roque intermarried, were also an English family that settled first in Virginia before going farther south.

(1) Dr. Frederick La Roque ("Old Doctor Fred") was born in Lenoir county. North Carolina, there lived, and died at the age of sixty years. He was a regular medical practitioner, and was well known over that section as a skillful and reliable physician. He married a Miss Dunn, and reared a family of five children, one of whom was Mrs. Sue Hardy, yet living, a resident of Lenoir county.

(II) Walter Dunn La Roque, son of Dr. Frederick La Roque, was born in Lenoir county, North Carolina. February 12, 1850. died July 1, 1911, in Kinston in the same county. He began business life as a farmer, but later became a merchant of Kinston. and for twenty-five years preceding his death was in business there. He married. in 1871, Annie, daughter of Levy Mewborn. also of an old Lenoir county family. She was born in Lenoir county in October, 1850. and is now a resident of Kinston in that county. Children: Mark Heber, died in 1881, aged nine years; Frederick Mabson,. born July 1, 1874, now a merchant of Kinston George Paul, of further mention; Walter Dunn, born December 30, 1878, now in the real estate and insurance business in Kinston, and active in public affairs, having just completed his third term of two years each as mayor and is now postmaster of that city: Oscar Kent, born March 20, 1883. a wealthy, influential tobacco dealer, requiring two warehouses to conduct his business; J. Frank, born January 18, 1888, a tobacco buyer and warehouseman of Kinston.

(III) Dr. George Paul La Roque, second son of Walter Dunn and Annie (Mewborn) La Roque, was born in Kinston, Lenoir