My Genealogy Hound

Capt. Charles E. Royston is one of the sturdy sons of the soil of Hempstead County, Ark., and was born in Washington March 8, 1843, being a son of Gen. Grandison D. and Mary C. (Bates) Royston, the former born in Carter County, East Tenn., December 14, 1809, and the latter in Herculaneum, Mo., in 1819. Mr. Royston, after residing on a farm in East Tennessee, and receiving the advantages of the common schools, came to Washington, Ark., in 1832 or 1833, and for a short time was engaged in teaching school here. He was married in Little Rock in 1835, but made his home in Washington until his death, which occurred August 14, 1889. He was admitted to the bar while a resident of Tennessee, and law continued to be his profession throughout life. He became very able, and for some years was prosecuting attorney of his district, being also a member of the first Constitutional Convention, which was held in 1830, and was president of the convention held in 1874. He served in both Houses of the State Legislature, and was a member of the Confederate Congress, and in early times frequently served on the bench as special judge, a position he filled with ability and dignity. Throughout all his public career he maintained his honesty and the esteem of all, and his death at the ripe age of eighty years was lamented by all. He was a Democrat all his life, was a member of the Presbyterian Church for fifty years, and became one of the wealthiest men in this section of the country, owning 10,000 acres of land in Southwestern Arkansas, and a large number of slaves, all of which was acquired by industry and close attention to business. He established an enviable reputation for himself, not only in Southwestern Arkansas, but throughout the entire State, and all selfish and personal considerations were laid aside when the question of duty was presented. His father, Joshua Royston, died in Carter County, Tenn., over ninety years of age, having been a worthy tiller of the soil. Mrs. Mary C. (Bates) Royston, the mother of the subject of this sketch, is still living, and at an early date came with her father, William Bates, of Connecticut, to Missouri, in which State he died when Mrs. Royston was an infant, after which event his family soon moved to Little Rock, and from there to Washington, Ark., where the mother spent the rest of her days. Capt. Charles E. Royston is the third of five sons and three daughters, three now living, the other two members of the family being Irene (wife of E. D. Jett), and William A., a prominent merchant of Little Rock. Charles E. was reared in Hempstead County, and attended the schools of Washington. In the latter part of the war he became an aid-de-camp of Gen. Churchill in the Trans-Mississippi Department, and operated in Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas, surrendering at Shreveport, La., April 7, 1865, having taken part in the engagements of Pleasant Hill, La., and Jenkins’ Ferry, Ark., and rose to the rank of captain. Capt. Royston returned home to turn his sword into a plow share, and has devoted his attention to farming up to the present date, being now the owner of about 2,000 acres of land in different tracts. His marriage to Miss Mary M. Andrews took place in 1809, she being a daughter of William W. and Elizabeth (Jones) Andrews, natives, respectively, of Connecticut and Texas. When a boy Mr. Andrews left home and came to Arkansas, married and spent the rest of his life in Washington, becoming a wealthy merchant and land speculator. He was the only one of his family who came to Arkansas, and here died in 1875. He was married twice, his first wife, Mrs. Royston’s mother, dying in the latter’s childhood. His second wife was a sister of Maj. John D. Adams, of Little Rock, and she is still living. Mrs. Royston was born in the same house as her husband, and their union has resulted in the birth of six children—one son and five daughters. Capt. Royston is a Democrat, Seymour receiving his first vote in 1868, and in 1882 was chosen to fill the unexpired term of James W. Williams as county sheriff. He and Mrs. Royston have been members of the Presbyterian Church since 1869.