GRIGSBY, William L.
William L. Grigsby, clerk and master of the Dickson County Chancery Court, was born March 25, 1854, in Dickson County. He was the youngest child born to the marriage of Thomas K. Grigsby and Sarah E. Priestley. The father’s sketch appears above. William L. was reared in Charlotte and received a good early education in Tracy Academy and also attended commercial college at Nashville. His education did not stop with his schooling, he has been a close student all his major life and is fine scholar. He was employed as deputy in county court clerk’s office, of which his father was the incumbent, to the age of twenty-one years. He also read law which thus engaged. On the day of attaining his majority he made his first law speech in a suit of $10,000 and since then he has been engaged in the practice of his profession, being now recognized as the leading member of the Dickson County bar. He was appointed to the office which he now holds in 1880, to fill an unexpired term. In 1884 he was reappointed. He deals very extensively in real estate and now owns about 4,000 acres of land. May 26, 1874, at the age of twenty he was united in marriage to Rosa McNeilly, a native of this county and daughter of John McNeilly, a prominent pioneer of the county. This union has been blessed in the birth of five children, one of whom (Annie) died in infancy. The others are Allie, Virgil, Homer and Clide. Mr. Grigsby and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Mr. Grigsby is steward in the church. He is also a member of K. & L. of H., K. of H. and Masonic fraternities. In the first named order he was honored with the commission as the State delegate to the Supreme National Convention in 1885 at Chicago. Politically he is a firm Democrat. He was delegate to the National Democratic Convention at Chicago in 1882. In this county and in this section of the State he is thoroughly known and highly respected, and he is one of the prominent men of the State, although he has always declined to accept political honor.