Francis Marion Marriott
Hon. Francis Marion Marriott was born in Eden Township, Licking County, Ohio, September 5, 1847. He is the son of Thomas Homewood Marriott and Druzilla
(McClelland) Marriott, who were the parents of nine children. Thomas Homewood Marriott was born in Utica, Licking County. Ohio, in the year 1814, being the son of Homewood and Mary (Ridgeley) Marriott who came from the State of Maryland to Ohio in the year 1811. Joshua Marriott, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came from France ami settled in Maryland in the year 1740. His wife Rachel Ann Homewood, was of English birth.
Thomas Homewood Marriott was a successful farmer of Licking County and was a man of great prominence and local distinction in the community in which he lived. He was an uncompromising Democrat in his political views and he early instilled in the minds of his children his political principles so that his sons, including the subject of this sketch, have never departed from their allegiance to the faith of their father.
F. M. Marriott received his early education in the public schools of Licking County, Daniel Paul being one of his early teachers. In the year 1864 Thomas H. Marriott came to Delaware County with his family and settled in Harlem Township on the farm now owned by his son. The subject of this sketch. Francis M. Marriott, soon thereafter began a higher education by attending school at Central College, Franklin County. Ohio. He afterward attended the Ohio Wesleyan University, teaching at times during the winter terms to enable him to defray the expenses of his education. Mr. Marriott became prominent as a teacher in Delaware and Union Counties, having taught the high school at Sunbury during the year 1870. In the spring of the year 1871 he began the study of law in the office of Hon. Charles H. McElroy, who afterwards became judge of the Common Pleas Court. After three months of study, Mr. Marriott, in order to help defray expenses, taught another term of school at Sunbury. Ohio, and again in the autumn of 1871 resumed the study of his chosen profession with the law firm of Reid & Powell of Delaware, Ohio, who at that time comprised one of the leading law firms of central Ohio. Mr. Marriott was admitted to the Bar on March 19, 1874. The same year he was nominated by the Democratic Party for prosecuting attorney of Delaware County and he was elected by a majority of four hundred and eighty-nine, the nominal Republican majority of the county at that time being about seven hundred. Mr. Marriott's experience in the office had brought to him a clientele, which made it inexpedient for him to serve a second term and he therefore refused a second nomination, and began a successful practice which be continued until the year 1879, when he was nominated by his party for State Senator in the Sixteenth Senatorial District composed of Delaware and Licking Counties. He was duly elected in October of that year and faithfully and efficiently served his party and district during the Sixty-fourth General Assembly. He became a leader of that body and his counsel was always sought, especially on all parliamentary questions. He was chosen by the Democratic members of the Senate as one of the committee to visit the National Democratic Committee at Washington, D. C, for the purpose of inviting that body to hold the national convention in this State and he with his co-laborers, so prevailed upon that committee that the National Democratic Convention was held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the year 1880. To this convention, Mr. Marriott was unanimously chosen as a delegate from the Ninth Congressional District, Delaware County at that time being a part of the Ninth District.
Mr. Marriott was again chosen as a delegate to the National Democratic Convention from the Eighth Congressional District which met in Chicago, in the year 1896 and which nominated as its candidate for president, the Hon. William Jennings Bryan, and for whose nomination Mr. Marriott was very enthusiastic. In the year 1884, Mr. Marriott was appointed by Governor Hoadley as one of the three managers of the intermediate penitentiary, which position he held for many years, having been re-appointed by Governor James E. Campbell, Governor William McKinley, Governor Asa S. Bushnell and Governor George K. Nash.
Mr. Marriott's greatest achievements were in the practice of his profession. He has been for many years one of the acknowledged leaders of the Delaware County Bar, and there have been but few hotly contested cases in which he was not employed, either by the plaintiff or defendant. He is an able advocate and his success to the court and jury is largely due to his ability in that direction. Fraternally Mr. Marriott is prominently identified with the Masonic order, having taken all the degrees of both the York and Scottish rites. He has served as master of Hiram Lodge No. 18, F. & A. M., also as high priest of Chapter No. 54, Royal Arch Masons, at Delaware, Ohio.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908