| Life fact | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Floridus S. Crosby |
| Born | January 15, 1893, in Staunton, Virginia |
| Parents | John Crosby and Janet (Burnett) Crosby |
| Spouse | Martha Virginia Bell |
| Sibling | Dr. Ralph B. Crosby |
| Primary residence and career center | Staunton, Virginia |
| Principal roles | Lawyer and judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit of Virginia |
| Religious affiliation | Episcopal Church |
Genealogy of Hon. Floridus S. Crosby
This genealogical account was constructed from the family information contained in the biography below. No relationships or life facts have been added from outside sources.
Floridus S. Crosby was born January 15, 1893, in Staunton, Virginia. He was a son of John Crosby and Janet Burnett Crosby. His father, a native of Augusta County, served in public offices in Staunton and Augusta County. Floridus had one brother, Dr. Ralph B. Crosby, a Staunton dentist who died November 12, 1936.
On June 3, 1925, Floridus S. Crosby married Martha Virginia Bell of Staunton. She was a daughter of Henderson M. Bell and Mary Waddel Bell. The biography does not state that the couple had children.
Family outline
- Floridus S. Crosby
- Father: John Crosby
- Mother: Janet (Burnett) Crosby
- Brother: Dr. Ralph B. Crosby
- Wife: Martha Virginia Bell
- Father: Henderson M. Bell
- Mother: Mary Waddel Bell
Source
This biography appeared in History of the Shenandoah Valley: Family and Personal Records, Volume III (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1952), pages 25-26.
Verbatim biography
The following is a faithful transcription of the original biography. OCR errors have been corrected against the printed page images, but the original wording, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and factual claims have not been rewritten.
HON. FLORIDUS S. CROSBY—As a professional and community leader, the Hon. Floridus S. Crosby holds a position of prominence in Staunton affairs. He has held a number of public posts, including that of judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit of Virginia, an office that has been his since 1942.
Judge Crosby was born January 15, 1893, in Staunton, Virginia, son of John and Janet (Burnett) Crosby and member of an old family. His father was auditor-statistician for thirty years of the Virginia State Board of Education. He was a native of Augusta County, this state, and also served in numerous public offices, including that of president of the Staunton Common Council. He was father of the City Manager Plan of Government initiated here in 1908 and deputy clerk of the Circuit Court of Augusta County. He and his wife were the parents of two children: 1. Floridus S., of further mention. 2. Dr. Ralph B., a dentist in Staunton until his death, November 12, 1936.
Floridus S. Crosby attended Staunton schools through the first year of high school, then entered Staunton Military Academy in 1908 and graduated in 1911. He graduated from Dunsmore Business College in 1912, and from early 1913 until the autumn of 1914—eighteen months in all—was attached to the auditor’s office of the Life Insurance Company of Virginia. It was after that experience in insurance work that Mr. Crosby became a student at the Law School of the University of Virginia, where he received the Bachelor of Laws degree in 1917. He was secretary-treasurer of the class of 1917. At the university he also became a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity, Phi Delta Phi (Law), of T. I. L. K. A., The Raven Society and the Jefferson Literary Society. Immediately upon completing his law course, he became associated with the firm of Mumford, Hunton, Williams and Anderson, in Richmond, and proceeded to engage actively in his professional practice.
After returning to Staunton in January, 1919, he was intensely active in public affairs and in the whole broad life of his community and district, In November, 1922, he became Commonwealth Attorney for the City of Staunton, serving until February 1, 1928. He was trust officer of the National Valley Bank from May, 1927, to February 1, 1937. On January 18, that year, he was appointed judge of the Corporation Court by Governor George C. Peery and thereafter elected by the General Assembly, serving in that capacity for five years, until he was elected judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit for the unexpired term of his predecessor commencing on February 1, 1942, He continues in this post down to the time of writing, and has earned the admiration which others have accorded him for his dignity, fairness and impartiality on the bench.
Along with his judicial work, Judge Crosby takes a deep interest in community affairs in Staunton. He is a trustee of the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Foundation Inc. He also is a trustee of Stuart Hall, a college preparatory school for girls. Active for years in the Episcopal Church, he is one of the trustees of the Funds for the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. He was senior warden for two terms and vestryman for twenty-five years of his own parish (Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church) in Staunton. On the professional side, he is a member of the Committee of Judges to fix salaries for trial justices, and he formerly served as a member of the Judicial Council of Virginia, the American Bar Association and the Virginia State Bar Association. In the State Bar Association he is an honorary member of the group as a whole and was chairman of its judicial section. From 1945 to 1948 Judge Crosby was a member of the board of managers of the Alumni Association of the University of Virginia. He was at one time president of the Kiwanis Club. In the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons he was formerly master of Lodge No. 13 and a member of the Royal Arch chapter.
Judge Floridus S. Crosby married, June 3, 1925, Martha Virginia Bell, of Staunton, daughter of Henderson M. and Mary Waddel Bell, whose families are among the oldest and most prominent in this part of Virginia.