Smyrna times., 1933-01-04

4
respected citizens has passed away.
The ancestors of Mr.. Stockly came
to Virginia from England among
the first settlers. One of them, &C
companying Capt. John Smith in
his exploration of Chesapeake Bay,
visited Accomac county on the
Eastern Shore of Virginia, and was
so pleased with the country that he
determined to make it his future
home. Here the family continued
for several generations and here in
the year 1857 was born Col. Char
les Stockly, the father of the sub
country with faithfulness and dis
tinction throughout the Revolution,
and after the end of the war oc-
cupied several offices of trust and
responsibility in his native county.
In 1888 Col. Stockly was married
(for the second time) to Annie
| Taylor, who became the mother of
nine children, of whom the subject
I L.
Ayres Stockly was born at Phar-
salia, Accomac County Va, on the
second day of March, 1900. When
he was four years of age he was
left an orphan, and was taken
charge of by his maternal grand
mother, with whom he remained
until the marriage of his eldest
sister to DR.. Holmes, in 1905 DR..
Holmes then became his guardian,
and took him to his home Here
he remained, loved and cherished
by sister and brother-in-law, until
/ his eighteenth year. He was sent
to the road side school, as he was
wont to call it when his health
would permit, he being very deli
cate in his childhood, until his
fourteenth year when he was sent
to an academy at Snow Hill, Md,
where he remained a few months
He then returned home and re-
mained there until his sixteenth
year when he was again sent for
a few months to the Snow Hill
Academy. In August, 1918, he
with the consent of his guardian
entered himself as an apprentice in
the mercantile business with Mr.
John w CoWell of Philadelphia.
/ With Mr. CoweH of Philadelphia,
/ he remained until he attained his
majority, faithfully discharging
the duties of his station. He re-
mained in Philadelphia as a clerk
until 1923 when he determined to
settle in Smyrna Here he began
a small mercantile business with
Mr.. S. /. Rowland as his partner.
This business proving improbable
it was after 3 years trial, aband-
oned In 1926 Mr. Stockly COM
menced new course of business,
and by dint Of close application
and proper frugality soon began
to be prosperous In 1928 he as
sociated with him his brother,
Charles. They then enlarged their
operations and were proceeding
much to their satisfaction, when
in 1880 his brother died Mr.
Stockly continued to prosecute the
business alone In 1881 he was
elected a member of the Legisla-
ture In 1882 he was married to
Miss Margaret Offley In 1888 he
was a member of the Levy Court
He afterwards on several occa-
sions, refused public office In
1886 he was elected Cashier of the
Bank of Smyrna He then relin-
quished his mercantile business,
devoting the time, not occupied
with bank affairs to agriculture
for which he had strong partial
ity. In 1855 he was made Presi-
dent of the bank which he had
served so long and so faithfully as
cashier. In 1877 he retired from
the presidency of the bank, and
thenceforward gave his attention
to his own private affairs until his
death which occurred on Saturday
morning last, December 30, about
4 o'clock. Mr.. Stockly took a deep
interest in everything that was
likely to improve his section or
benefit his fellow citizens. He was
prominent mover in establishing
stage and steamboat communica-
ton with Philadelphia, which de-
veloped into the Delaware and con-
Meeting Rail Roads. He brought
into Duck Creek the first boat load
of lime for agricultural purposes,
thus stimulating improvement
among our farmers. He improved
our town by erecting quite a num-
ber of buildings. He was one of
the founders of the Kent County
Insurance Company. He took a
prominent part in the movement
for connecting Delaware and Ches-
apeake Bays by railroad, which
road now gives daily communica-
tion between this place and Ches-
tertoWn, Md He also took great
interest in the movement to i'm
nrOVe OiIr lOW lands nv draining