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Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy (November 25, 1846 – January 28, 1904) was an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
lawyer, politician, and businessperson in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
. Flournoy served as a
state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
representing the 12th Senatorial District in the
West Virginia Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in the ...
(1885–1890) and served three terms as mayor of Romney, West Virginia. Flournoy unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for the
West Virginia Democratic Party The West Virginia Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of West Virginia. History The state of West Virginia granted itself statehood after its people, through a state const ...
gubernatorial A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...
nomination Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to a public office, or the bestowing of an honor or award. A collection of nominees narrowed from the full list of candidates is a short list. Political office In the ...
in 1900. Flournoy was born in 1846 in Chesterfield County,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. In 1863, during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, he
enlisted Enlisted may refer to: * Enlisted rank An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or ...
as a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
in the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
and served until the war's end in 1865. After graduating from
Hampden–Sydney College gr, Ye Shall Know the Truth , established = , type = Private liberal arts men's college , religious_affiliation = Presbyterian Church (USA) , endowment = $258 million (2021) , president = Larry Stimpert , city = Hampden Sydney, Virginia , cou ...
in 1868, Flournoy taught school for four years while studying law. In 1870 he relocated to Romney, West Virginia, where he served as principal of the Potomac Academy. He was admitted to the bar in 1873, and afterward served on the Board of Regents for the
West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB) were established by an Act of the Legislature on March 3, 1870. The School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind offer comprehensive educational programs for hearing impaired and vi ...
(1876–1880). During his second term in the West Virginia Senate, Flournoy relocated to Charleston to practice law. He also engaged in several business ventures and was an incorporator of the Bank of Romney, the Tug and Guyandotte Railroad Company, the Bradford Building Company, the White Oak Mining Company, and the West Construction Company. Flournoy served on the Board of Trustees of Hampden–Sydney College from 1892 until his death in 1904. Through his marriage to Frances "Fannie" Ann Armstrong White, Flournoy was a brother-in-law of
West Virginia Attorney General West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
Robert White and West Virginia Fish Commission President
Christian Streit White Christian Streit White (March 10, 1839 – January 28, 1917) was an American military officer, lawyer, court clerk, pisciculturist, and politician in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. During the American Civil War, White served ...
, and the son-in-law of Hampshire County Clerk of Court John Baker White. Through his father, Flournoy was a relative of
Thomas Flournoy Thomas Stanhope Flournoy (December 15, 1811 – March 12, 1883) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia and a cavalry officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Biography Born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Fl ...
,
United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Virginia. Flournoy was the father of prominent Charleston lawyer Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy.


Early life and military career

Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy was born on November 25, 1846, in Chesterfield County,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, from
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
, and was the son of Richard W. Flournoy and his wife, Sarah Parke Poindexter Flournoy. He had four siblings, two brothers and two sisters: Reverend Parke Poindexter Flournoy, Eliza Flournoy Ayler, Richard W. Flournoy, and Ellen Flournoy Thornton. Flournoy was of
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and French
ancestry An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder or a forebear, is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from whom ...
. He was a relative of
Thomas Flournoy Thomas Stanhope Flournoy (December 15, 1811 – March 12, 1883) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia and a cavalry officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Biography Born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Fl ...
,
United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Virginia. The majority of Flournoy's youth and early adulthood were spent in Richmond, where he attended the city's public schools. In 1863, during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, Flournoy
enlisted Enlisted may refer to: * Enlisted rank An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or ...
as a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
in the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
at the age of 17. He served the entirety of his enlistment in Company A, Otey Battery, 13th Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery in Richmond, throughout the course of the war until its end in 1865.


Education and teaching career

Following the war, Flournoy entered
Hampden–Sydney College gr, Ye Shall Know the Truth , established = , type = Private liberal arts men's college , religious_affiliation = Presbyterian Church (USA) , endowment = $258 million (2021) , president = Larry Stimpert , city = Hampden Sydney, Virginia , cou ...
in
Hampden Sydney Hampden Sydney is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. Hampden Sydney is the home of Hampden–Sydney College, a private all-male college that is the tenth ...
, Virginia, to pursue an education in
classical studies Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
. His elder brother Parke Poindexter Flournoy had been an assistant professor at the college during the war. Flournoy graduated with honors and a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
from Hampden–Sydney College in 1868 and received the Speaker's Medal from the institution's Philanthropic Debating Society. While attending Hampden–Sydney College, he was a member of the
Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi (), commonly known as Beta, is a North American social fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. One of North America's oldest fraternities, as of 2022 it consists of 144 active chapters in the Unite ...
fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
. Following graduation, Flournoy taught school for four years while studying
law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
. Around 1870 he relocated to Romney,
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
, where he took charge as principal and taught at the Potomac Academy with "considerable success" and continued his law studies. Flournoy was
admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
in Romney in January 1873.


Law and political careers


Romney law practice

Following his admission to the bar, Flournoy immediately began
practicing law In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...
in Romney and "won merited distinction" in his field. He became a prominent leader in the community and was elected as a member of the
Romney Literary Society The Romney Literary Society (also known as the Literary Society of Romney) existed from January 30, 1819, to February 15, 1886, in Romney, West Virginia. Established as the Polemic Society of Romney, it became the first organization of its kind ...
. Flournoy served on the fourth Board of Regents of the
West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB) were established by an Act of the Legislature on March 3, 1870. The School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind offer comprehensive educational programs for hearing impaired and vi ...
from 1876 to 1880. He served three terms as
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Romney. As his law career prospered, Flournoy was active in the establishment of The Society of the Ex-Confederate Soldiers in Hampshire County. The society's missions were to obtain an accurate roster of Confederate veterans and to collect and preserve materials to maintain a "truthful" history of the American Civil War. Flournoy and a group of Confederate veterans met at the Hampshire County Courthouse in Romney on July 31, 1883, where he was appointed secretary of the society. The society's constitution was presented at its first annual reunion on September 5, 1883, at which time Flournoy was officially titled as the society's corresponding secretary. Alexander W. Monroe was among the society's three concurrently-serving vice presidents.


West Virginia Senate

Flournoy was elected to represent the 12th Senatorial District, consisting of
Grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...
,
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, Hardy,
Mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...
, and Pendleton counties, in the
West Virginia Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in the ...
in 1885 and was re-elected to the seat in 1889. In the West Virginia state senatorial election on November 6, 1888, Flournoy defeated his
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
challenger S. G. Pownall with 5,578 votes to Pownall's 4,028 votes. Following his election, Flournoy was selected as part of West Virginia's attending delegation to the inauguration of President
Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...
. In his first term in the West Virginia Senate, Flournoy served as
chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of the Judiciary Committee, and in his second term he served as chairman of the Committee on Counties and Municipal Corporations. Throughout his two terms, Flournoy served on the committees of Privileges and Elections, Federal Relations, Immigration and Agriculture, and Public Printing. In 1890, during his second term in the West Virginia Senate, Flournoy relocated from Romney to Charleston and continued practicing law there. He resigned from his senate seat in 1890.


Charleston law practice

In Charleston, in 1891, Flournoy founded the
law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to r ...
Couch, Flournoy and Price with former West Virginia Senate President, George Edmund Price. The firm would later become Flournoy, Price, and Smith with the addition of Harrison Brooks Smith in 1894. On March 7, 1892, Flournoy and his partner Price were admitted to practice before the
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
. Flournoy and Price continued to expand their law practice into
Southern West Virginia Southern West Virginia is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Southern West Virginia is known for its coal mining heritage and Southern affinity. The region is also closely identified with southwe ...
when they were admitted to the bar of
Summers County Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,959. Its county seat is Hinton. The county was created by an act of the West Virginia Legislature on February 27, 1871, from pa ...
in 1894. In April 1897, while practicing law in Charleston, Flournoy became qualified to practice law at the bar of
Tazewell County, Virginia Tazewell County () is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,429. Its county seat is Tazewell. Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA Micropolitan S ...
. As a Charleston lawyer, Flournoy represented both plaintiffs and defendants involved in suits over coalfield land titles in Southern West Virginia and
Southwest Virginia Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Located within the broader region of western Virginia, Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Vir ...
. From 1900 to 1901, Flournoy represented the defendant Henry C. King in a widely publicized case involving claim to a land title of spanning counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia in the
United States Circuit Court of Appeals The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal judiciary. The courts of appeals are divided into 11 numbered circuits that cover geographic areas of the United States and hear appeals fr ...
. In 1901, Flournoy represented S. J. Ritchie of
Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...
, in the Tazewell County Court, where his client claimed a large land tract of valuable coalfields spanning Tazewell County and
McDowell County, West Virginia McDowell County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,111. Its county seat is Welch. McDowell County is the southernmost county in the state. It was created in 1858 by the Virginia Genera ...
.


Gubernatorial candidacy

In early April 1900, a movement among prominent
West Virginia Democratic Party The West Virginia Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of West Virginia. History The state of West Virginia granted itself statehood after its people, through a state const ...
members in Charleston began to coalesce around Flournoy in support of his candidacy for West Virginia governor. Flournoy was considered a
William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...
Democrat with conservative positions, and Charleston Democrats felt he would receive wide support and would not antagonize corporations. Flournoy took the matter under advisement and on April 25, 1900, he announced his candidacy for West Virginia governor. In his announcement, Flournoy stated that he was unwilling to engage in a heated contest for the nomination and that he would be content with the outcome of the Democratic Party state convention, no matter the decision. He further stated that he trusted the state convention would craft a ticket that would command the support of the people of West Virginia. Following his announcement, the ''Spirit of Jefferson'' newspaper in Charles Town stated of Flournoy on May 1, 1900: "Mr. Flournoy is a most estimable gentleman, well and favorably known here, would doubtless make an excellent governor, and as the nominee of the Democratic party would receive a hearty support in the Eastern panhandle." Flournoy also received the support of the Democratic Party in Mineral County in May 1900. At the West Virginia Democratic Party State Convention held in
Parkersburg Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metro ...
on June 6, 1900, Flournoy competed for the party's nomination for gubernatorial candidacy against Lewis N. Tavenner of Parkersburg, John H. Holt of Huntington, and Virgil G. Lewis of Mason City. Prior to the convention, Daniel B. Lucas of Jefferson County had been a candidate for nomination. Holt won the Democratic Party's nomination on the first ballot, but lost in the
general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
to
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
candidate Albert B. White. Flournoy and Lewis each received just one vote while Holt received 483 and Tavenner received 450 votes.


West Virginia Bar Association

Flournoy was present at the first meeting of the West Virginia Bar Association held on the date of its organization on July 8, 1886, in Grafton. As a member, Flournoy was appointed to draft the association's
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...
and
by-law A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...
s and served on its executive committee. In addition to serving as a vice president of the association, Flournoy also represented the 12th Judicial Circuit on the association's Committee on Judicial Administration and Legal Reform and later served on the Committee of Admissions. On January 7, 1892, Flournoy was elected as the association's vice president for
West Virginia's 3rd congressional district West Virginia's 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in southern West Virginia. The district covers the state's second-largest city, Huntington; includes Bluefield, Princeton, and Beckley; and has a long history of coa ...
.


Business pursuits

In addition to his law practice and political pursuits, Flournoy also engaged in several business ventures. On August 4, 1888, he purchased five shares priced at $100 each in order to invest in and provide
capital stock A corporation's share capital, commonly referred to as capital stock in the United States, is the portion of a corporation's equity that has been derived by the issue of shares in the corporation to a shareholder, usually for cash. "Share capi ...
for the incorporation of the Bank of Romney. Along with Harrison B. Smith and fellow state senator George E. Price, Flournoy again served as an incorporator on April 25, 1901, when the Tug and Guyandotte Railroad Company was granted its charter with $100,000 in capital. The Tug and Guyandotte Railroad was constructed between the
Norfolk and Western Railway The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisio ...
at
Davy Davy may refer to: * Davy (given name) * Davy (surname) * Davy lamp, a type of safety lamp with its flame encased inside a mesh screen * Davy, West Virginia, United States, a town * Davy Sound, Greenland * Davy (crater), a crater on the moon ...
and Baileysville to facilitate the transportation of coal. Flournoy, Price, and Flournoy's son Richard Parke Flournoy were incorporators of the Bradford Building Company which was chartered with capital of $20,000 on September 25, 1901, with the purpose of engaging in general building and construction projects. The following year, on December 20, 1902, Flournoy, Price, and their law partner Smith were also incorporators of the White Oak Mining Company and of the West Construction Company. With an authorized capital stock of $100,000, the White Oak Mining Company, that was engaged in the mining, shipment, and sale of coal, the cutting and sawing of timber, and the operations and sales of railway, telephone, and telegraph lines and networks. The West Construction Company, based in
Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
,
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, was a general contracting and construction firm also involved in the operation and maintenance of railway, telephone, and telegraph lines.


Personal life


Marriage and children

On April 10, 1875, in Hampshire County, Flournoy married Frances "Fannie" Ann Armstrong White (April 10, 1844 – February 25, 1922), the daughter of Hampshire County Clerk of Court John Baker White and his wife Frances Ann Streit White. Frances White's brother, Robert White, served as
West Virginia Attorney General West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
, and her brother
Christian Streit White Christian Streit White (March 10, 1839 – January 28, 1917) was an American military officer, lawyer, court clerk, pisciculturist, and politician in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. During the American Civil War, White served ...
served as President of the West Virginia Fish Commission. Flournoy and his wife Frances had six children (five sons and one daughter): * Richard Parke Flournoy (December 29, 1875 – May 5, 1959) * Harry Lightfoot Flournoy (March 4, 1878 – December 31, 1954) * Frances T. Flournoy Preston, married James M. Preston of Lewisburg, West Virginia * Robert Baker Flournoy (October 10, 1882 – July 25, 1883) * Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy (January 7, 1886 – May 17, 1961), married Sarah Katharine Cotton * Alexander White Flournoy (March 15, 1887 – March 16, 1958), married Anne Cary Gravatt


Religious activities

Flournoy was active in the
Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
in Hampshire County and served as a
trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...
for the Presbytery of Winchester, along with
Henry Bell Gilkeson Henry Bell Gilkeson (June 6, 1850 – September 29, 1921) was an American lawyer, politician, school administrator, and banker in West Virginia. Gilkeson was born in Moorefield, Virginia (now West Virginia), the eldest child of a dry good ...
. In 1881, Flournoy and his fellow trustees were instrumental in securing from Amos L. and Allie G. Pugh a house and a large partially
wooded A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
lot Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to: Common meanings Areas * Land lot, an area of land * Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *Lot number, in batch production *Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...
in Capon Bridge for use by the Presbytery as a centrally located
manse A manse () is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions. Ultimately derived from the Latin ''mansus'', "dwelling", from '' ...
in Hampshire County. Flournoy was elected as a
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
in the Presbyterian Church in 1879 and remained a trustee of the Presbytery of Winchester until 1891 when he relocated to Charleston. Following his move to Charleston, Flournoy became a member of the First Presbyterian Church and served as one of seven church elders there.


Later life and death

Flounoy died as a result of throat and pulmonary illnesses on January 28, 1904, at 2:40 a.m. in
Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, where he had traveled to restore his failing health. His wife and his physician Dr. Henry were at his side at the time of his death. Flournoy was survived by his wife, and five of his children. He served on the
Board of Trustees A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
of Hampden–Sydney College from 1892 until his death. A tribute to Flournoy was rendered by college president Richard McIlwaine at a meeting of the Hampden–Sydney College trustees on June 13, 1904. Following his death, ''The Weekly Register'' newspaper in Point Pleasant remarked that Flournoy "was one of the prominent emocraticleaders of the state, and occupied a high place in the estimation fthe party followers". ''
The Times-Dispatch The ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (''RTD'' or ''TD'' for short) is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, the capital of Virginia, and the primary newspaper of record for the state of Virginia. Circulation The ''Times-Dispatc ...
'' of Richmond stated that Flournoy "was one of the best known members of the bar" of Charleston and described his service during the American Civil War as gallant.


References


Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flournoy, Samuel Lightfoot 1846 births 1904 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American legislators 19th-century Presbyterians 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century Presbyterians American investors American people of English descent American people of French descent American school administrators Beta Theta Pi Burials at Spring Hill Cemetery (Charleston, West Virginia) Businesspeople from West Virginia Confederate States Army soldiers Education in Hampshire County, West Virginia Hampden–Sydney College alumni Hampden–Sydney College trustees Lawyers from Charleston, West Virginia Lawyers from Richmond, Virginia Mayors of places in West Virginia Members of the Romney Literary Society People from Chesterfield County, Virginia People from Romney, West Virginia People of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind People of Virginia in the American Civil War Politicians from Charleston, West Virginia Politicians from Richmond, Virginia Presbyterians from Virginia Presbyterians from West Virginia Robert White family of Virginia and West Virginia Schoolteachers from West Virginia Virginia lawyers West Virginia lawyers Democratic Party West Virginia state senators