Randolph County, West Virginia         Biography of WILSON BONNIFIELD MAXWELL

This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook,
E-mail address:  <vfcrook@earthlink.net>

The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch.

This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit
organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved.

Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval
system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other
means requires the written approval of the file's author.

This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside
a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 559
Randolph

WILSON BONNIFIELD MAXWELL was admitted to the bar
in 1874, soon after the adoption of the new constitution,
and he has practiced and performed the varied service of
an attorney for nearly half a century. The two counties
which have been the scene of his professional achievement
have been Tucker and Randolph, and his time has been
quite equally divided between the two. His home for many
years has been at Elkins, county seat of Randolph County.

He is a native of that county, born at the home of his
maternal grandfather, April 17, 1853. He represents some
old and honest families of the state, and a number of them
were distinguished in the professions and in public affairs.
At the time of his birth his parents, Rufus and Sarah Jane
(Bonnifield) Maxwell, lived in Lewis County. Rufus Max-
well was born in that county, son of Levi and Sarah (Hay-
mond) Maxwell. Levi Maxwell was also a native of Lewis
County. His parents, Thomas and Jane (Lewis) Maxwell,
came to West Virginia from Pennsylvania and were pioneers
in Lewis County. The Maxwells were of Scotch and the
Lewis family of Welsh lineage. The children of Thomas
Maxwell and wife were Abner, Levi, Lewis, Robert, Amy
and Mary. Levi Maxwell had the following children: An-
gelina, Edwin, John, Rufus, Semira and Mary Jane.

Rufus Maxwell was a lawyer by profession, and had the
distinction of serving as the first prosecuting attorney of
Tucker County, entering that office in 1857. Tucker County
was organized in 1856. He had located at the original
county seat. Saint George, and he practiced law there for
many years. He made the record of a thorough lawyer
and a very capable citizen. Rufus Maxwell died at the
age of seventy-nine, and his wife at sixty-nine. Sarah
Jane Bonnifield, his wife, was born in Randolph County,
daughter of Dr. Arnold Bonnifleld, granddaughter of Sam-
uel Bonnifield and was of Holland Dutch ancestry. Samuel
Bonnifield was one of the very early sheriffs of Randolph
County. Dr. Arnold Bonnifield is recalled as one of the
prominent country physicians of Randolph County. The
children of Rufus Maxwell and wife were: Wilson B.,
Mary Angelina, Dorcas Angelica, Hugh, Cyrus H., Thomas
E., John Franklin, Levi Hendron, Charles J. and Robert R.

When Wilson B. Maxwell was a child his parents moved
from Lewis to Tucker County, and he grew up at Saint
George. At the age of sixteen he again lived at Weston in
Lewis County. A good common school education was sup-
plemented by courses in West Virginia University and he
began the study of law under his uncle, the late Edwin
Maxwell, one of the prominent lawyers of the state. He
was admitted to the bar in 1874, and for twenty-five years
practiced in Tucker County. Then, in 1899, he removed to
Elkins, which about that time became the county seat of
Randolph County. Mr. Maxwell has made a success as a
lawyer, and has never sought the aid of the handmaid of
the law, politics. He has done his duty as a voter in the
democratic ranks. Mr. Maxwell has been affiliated with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1876, and has
always carried a card of good standing in that order. He
is also a member of the Knights of Pythias.

In 1876 he married Miss Carrie H. Lindsay. They reared
the following children: Claude W., Bessie Jane, deceased,
John Hugh, deceased, Mary Eugenia, John Franklin, de-
ceased, Earl L., Joseph H., Lena E. and Norman. The
mother of these children died in 1917. In 1919 Mr. Maxwell
married Mrs. Lydia A. (Coberly) Taylor. While one of
the honored members of the state bar, Mr. Maxwell prob-
ably derives his greatest satisfaction in life from the fine
family of children who grew up in his home, and several of
whom have made successful careers on their own account.

His son Claude W. Maxwell was born at Saint George,
July 28, 1877, graduated from Saint George Academy in
1894, from the Pairmont State Normal School in 1895, pur-
sued both literary and law courses in West Virginia Uni-
versity, graduating LL. B. in 1897, and for two years
practiced at Parsons in his native county, but since 1899
has been one of the able lawyers of the Elkins bar. In
1903 he married Miss Nell M. White, and they have seven
children, May, Charles, Dorothy, Wilson, Margaret, James
and Grace.

The second son, John Hugh Maxwell, recently deceased,
was a soldier in three wars. He was in the Spanish-
American war, then in the Philippine insurrection, and was
a volunteer at the time of the World war, though he did
not go overseas.

The oldest living daughter, Mary Eugenia, is the wife of
W. E. Alcott. The third son, John Franklin Maxwell,
now deceased, was a civil engineer.

Earl L. Maxwell, who was born at Saint George, Sep-
tember 7, 1887, was educated in public schools, the Davis
and Elkins College and West Virginia University, gradu-
ating in law at the university in 1909. Since then he has
practiced with his father. He was county prosecuting at-
torney in 1917-20, is a democrat and Odd Fellow, and in
1919 married Nellie E. Rexstrew.

Another son, Joseph H. Maxwell, was with the colors at
the time of the war, but was held in home camp. The
daughter Lena E. is at home. Norman E. Maxwell, the
youngest son, is a doctor of dental surgery in McDowell
County.