Three Forks of the Kentucky River Historical Association

Biography

Green Berry Angel

A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians: The Leaders and Representative Men in Commerce,
Industry and Modern Activities, Volume 2 , Page 856, by E. Polk Johnson. Published in 1912

Submitted by Betty Thomas Finger

Green B. Angel.—The present able and popular incumbent of the office of county judge of Laurel county, Kentucky, is Hon. Green B. Angel, who was born at Elvira, Laurel county, Kentucky, on the 18th of December, 1875, and who is a son of James A. and Rebecca (Mays) Angel, the former of whom is deceased and the latter of whom is now living at Elvira, Kentucky. The father was a native of Clay county, Kentucky, his birth having occurred just above the present site of Booneville, on the 25th of November, 1827. He was summoned to the life eternal on the 26th of January, 1908, in Laurel county, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits during the major portion of his active business career. He was a decidedly successful business man and in the early days he ran rafts and built boats on the river. At one time he owned as much as seven hundred acres of most arable land in Laurel county. In his political convictions he was aligned as a stalwart supporter of the principles and policies for which the Democratic party stands sponsor, and while he never participated actively in public affairs he was ever ready to do all in his power to advance the general welfare. In his religious faith he was a consistent member of the Missionary Baptist Church. His father, Ephraim Angel, was born in the same locality of the old Blue Grass commonwealth as was his son, and he lived to attain to the patriarchal age of ninety years, his demise having occurred in the year 1884. Ephraim Angel was a farmer by vocation and he reared to maturity a family of nine sons and seven daughters, the outcome of two marriages. Of the above children three sons and six daughters are living, in 1911, James having been the eldest child in the entire family. James Angel, father of Ephraim and great-grandfather of him to whom this sketch is dedicated, was a native of Buncombe county, North Carolina, whence he emigrated to Kentucky at a very early age. He was a gallant soldier in the war of the Revolution and was with General Washington at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. James Angel lived to the age of past ninety years, was a farmer by occupation and in politics was a stanch advocate of the cause of the Democratic party.

Green B. Angel's mother, whose maiden name was Rebecca Mays, was born near Booneville, in what is now Owsley county, Kentucky, in the year 1838. She was a daughter of Andrew and Margaret (Barrett) Mays, who emigrated to Kentucky from Virginia in an early day. Mrs. James A. Angel had two brothers, Isham and Jackson Mays, who were soldiers in the Federal army in the war between the states. Jackson Mays died in service and Isham Mays is now a resident of Owsley county, Kentucky. The latter had volunteered for service in the Mexican war but was rejected on account of his extreme youth. At this point it is interesting to note that James A. Angel had two brothers who served as faithful soldiers in the Civil war, one Henderson Angel, in the Federal army and the other, Andrew Jackson Angel, in the Confederate army. The latter was a prisoner of war for a period of three years at Fort Delaware. Mrs. Rebecca (Mays) Angel is a gracious lady of seventy-three years of age and she is residing at Elvira, Kentucky, as previously noted. Of the twelve children born to Mr. and Mrs. Angel seven grew to maturity and six are living at the present time, in 1911, namely: Jane, who is the widow of John L. Estridge, and who maintains her home in Garrard county, Kentucky; Elvira, who is now Mrs. J. W. Hibbard, of Garrard county; Josephine, who is the wife of A. T. Bowling, of McWhorter, Kentucky; Judge Green B., the immediate subject of this review; and Misses Helen and Annie, both of whom reside at the Judge's home. One brother, Andrus J. Angel, died in 1906.

Judge Green B. Angel was reared to the invigorating discipline of the homestead farm in Laurel county and his early education consisted of such advantages as were afforded in the common schools. He began to assist his father in the work and management of the home farm as a youth and has been more or less interested in farming and stock-raising during the intervening years to the present time. Most of his attention, however, has been given to the various public offices to which he has been elected. He was twice appointed and once elected justice of the peace of Laurel county, at which time he overcame a normal two-thirds plurality of one hundred and seventy-five Republican votes, and was elected by eighty-six majority. He served in that capacity for some six years. He was first elected to his present office-that of county judge-in 1909, at which time he overcame a normal two-thirds plurality of fourteen hundred Republican votes and was elected by six hundred seventy-three majority, carrying fifteen out of eighteen precincts. He is discharging the duties connected with the office of county judge with the utmost discrimination and satisfaction to all parties concerned and it is gratifying-to note that very few of his cases have ever been appealed.

In October, 1906, Judge Angel was united in marriage to Miss Mary Warnie Cornett, who was born in Clay county, Kentucky, but who was reared and educated in Marion county, this state, where was solemnized her marriage. She is a daughter of Isaac and Margaret (Beatty) Cornett, the former of whom was an agriculturist by vocation and who is now deceased. Judge and Mrs. Angel have one son and one daughter,-James, born in September, 1907; and Lena, whose birth occurred in September, 1909.

Politically Judge Angel is an uncompromising advocate of the cause of the Democratic party, as already intimated, and in a fraternal way, he is affiliated with the time-honored Masonic order, in which he is a valued and appreciative member of Blue Lodge, No. 535, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. In the Independent Order of Odd Fellows he is connected with McWhorter Lodge, No. 249; and in the Junior Order of the United American Mechanics he is affiliated with London Council, No. 181. The religious views of Mr. and Mrs. Angel are in harmony with the tenets of the Missionary Baptist church and their attractive home in Elvira, the judicial center of Laurel county, is widely renowned for its gracious and refined hospitality.