James Bowser
James Bowser, the only African American from Nansemond County to fight in the American Revolution, enlisted as a private in the Virginia Continental Line and was honorably discharged in 1782. Bowser returned to the county at the close of the Revolution and built his own business as a farmer and horse-breeder on land granted as bounty for his services to the Commonwealth. He married and reared a large family of free-born citizens.
Britt, Lunzy D. 1972. Photographic Print. Morgan Memorial Library,
Hamblin Studio Photograph Collection, Suffolk, VA 
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Dr. L.D. Britt
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Dr. Britt is the past Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. He is also past President of the American College of Surgeons, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and the American Surgical Association.
At the inaugural presidential ceremony held in Washington, D.C., during the 96th annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Britt was awarded the U.S. Surgeon General’s medallion for his outstanding achievements in medicine. The Honorable Regina Benjamin, MD, the 18th U.S. Surgeon General, presented this award at a formal ceremony.
Dr. Britt was also appointed to the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program National Advisory Committee. The National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Medicine (in collaboration with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture) featured Dr. Britt for his contributions to academic surgery.
President George W. Bush recognized Dr. Britt’s leadership role in medicine and nominated him to the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University (confirmed by the United States Senate). At the end of his tenure, Dr. Britt was awarded the coveted Distinguished Service Medal.
The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) also awarded him the Edithe J. Levit Distinguished Service Award.
An active participant in the community, Dr. Britt has received numerous awards for public service. Dr. Britt is the recipient of the 2010 Colgate Darden Citizen of the Year Award and the 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Award. Ebony magazine has listed him as one of the most influential African Americans in the nation.
At the 2012 annual meeting of the American Surgical Association, Dr. Britt became the 132nd President of the organization. Dr. Britt was also elected to the position of Commissioner of the Joint Commission (formerly JACHO).
Dr. Britt was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the President of Tuskegee University. In 2012, he was conferred an Honorary Fellowship in the French Academy of Surgery and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.
Having recently been awarded an Honorary Fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow, Dr. Britt now has the distinction of receiving the highest honor given by each of the four Royal Colleges in the United Kingdom – England, Edinburg, Ireland, and Glasgow.
Dr. Britt, author of the term "Acute Care Surgery" and one of the principal architects of this emerging specialty, was the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Roswell Park Medal. He was honored for his major contributions to American surgery.
At the 2015 annual meeting of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Britt was bestowed the coveted title of "Master of Critical Care Medicine" (MCCM) by the American College of Critical Care Medicine.
In 2015, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed Dr. Britt to the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia. Also, the Southern Surgical Association awarded Dr. Britt the organization’s highest accolade – Honorary Fellowship – at its 2015 annual meeting.
In the spring of 2016, Dr. Britt was awarded the Urban League of Hampton Roads Professor Marian Capps Memorial Award for his accomplishments in community service through education. At the 148th commencement at Howard University, Dr. Britt was conferred an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Science). His co-honorees included President Barack Obama, activist and award-winning actor Cicely Tyson, and Ambassador Horace Dawson.
In 2016, Dr. Britt conducted his 200th visiting professorship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL (where Dr. Britt completed his residency training). He was the inaugural John A. Barrett, MD, lecturer that kicked off the 50th anniversary celebration for Cook County Hospital Trauma Unit.
Effective October 1, 2016, Dr. Britt was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine). He is the first and only faculty member from his institution to receive this distinction – considered one of the highest honors in the field of health and medicine. In addition, Dr. Britt was recently awarded, as the Principal Investigator (PI), a multimillion-dollar NIH-R01 research grant (1 R01 MD011695-01).
At the inaugural presidential ceremony held in Washington, D.C., during the 96th annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Britt was awarded the U.S. Surgeon General’s medallion for his outstanding achievements in medicine. The Honorable Regina Benjamin, MD, the 18th U.S. Surgeon General, presented this award at a formal ceremony.
Dr. Britt was also appointed to the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program National Advisory Committee. The National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Medicine (in collaboration with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture) featured Dr. Britt for his contributions to academic surgery.
President George W. Bush recognized Dr. Britt’s leadership role in medicine and nominated him to the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University (confirmed by the United States Senate). At the end of his tenure, Dr. Britt was awarded the coveted Distinguished Service Medal.
The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) also awarded him the Edithe J. Levit Distinguished Service Award.
An active participant in the community, Dr. Britt has received numerous awards for public service. Dr. Britt is the recipient of the 2010 Colgate Darden Citizen of the Year Award and the 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Award. Ebony magazine has listed him as one of the most influential African Americans in the nation.
At the 2012 annual meeting of the American Surgical Association, Dr. Britt became the 132nd President of the organization. Dr. Britt was also elected to the position of Commissioner of the Joint Commission (formerly JACHO).
Dr. Britt was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the President of Tuskegee University. In 2012, he was conferred an Honorary Fellowship in the French Academy of Surgery and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.
Having recently been awarded an Honorary Fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow, Dr. Britt now has the distinction of receiving the highest honor given by each of the four Royal Colleges in the United Kingdom – England, Edinburg, Ireland, and Glasgow.
Dr. Britt, author of the term "Acute Care Surgery" and one of the principal architects of this emerging specialty, was the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Roswell Park Medal. He was honored for his major contributions to American surgery.
At the 2015 annual meeting of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Britt was bestowed the coveted title of "Master of Critical Care Medicine" (MCCM) by the American College of Critical Care Medicine.
In 2015, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed Dr. Britt to the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia. Also, the Southern Surgical Association awarded Dr. Britt the organization’s highest accolade – Honorary Fellowship – at its 2015 annual meeting.
In the spring of 2016, Dr. Britt was awarded the Urban League of Hampton Roads Professor Marian Capps Memorial Award for his accomplishments in community service through education. At the 148th commencement at Howard University, Dr. Britt was conferred an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Science). His co-honorees included President Barack Obama, activist and award-winning actor Cicely Tyson, and Ambassador Horace Dawson.
In 2016, Dr. Britt conducted his 200th visiting professorship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL (where Dr. Britt completed his residency training). He was the inaugural John A. Barrett, MD, lecturer that kicked off the 50th anniversary celebration for Cook County Hospital Trauma Unit.
Effective October 1, 2016, Dr. Britt was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine). He is the first and only faculty member from his institution to receive this distinction – considered one of the highest honors in the field of health and medicine. In addition, Dr. Britt was recently awarded, as the Principal Investigator (PI), a multimillion-dollar NIH-R01 research grant (1 R01 MD011695-01).
Marie Hill February 22, 1921 - July 9, 2023
Queen Mother Marie Hill is the very essence of servant leadership. She is a woman recognized as a solider for education and for her words of inspiration to all ears to hear. Her Leadership has played an important role in ensuring that any person with untapped ambitions reached their optimum potential. Queen Mother Marie Hill’s tenacity and ethics assured her a place at the table where decisions were being made that affected her family and close knit community;
even while social injustice continued to creep throughout the South.
As a product of the segregated Hobson Graded School in Nansemond County she was able
(even during segregation) to complete the 7th grade. Her laser-focused vision was to capture integration and further her education through future generations. In 1963, integration was captured in Nansemond County Public Schools and with God's grace and mercy Queen Mother Marie Hill was the first to send her children to embrace integration at Chuckatuck Elementary School. In 1968, as a thriving lifetime member the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, she played a pivotal role in assuring that The John Yeates High School Junior-Senior Prom was integrated.
Friends and neighbors of 102 year old Marie Hill always assumed the politically active and very knowledgeable Hobson resident was a retired teacher. In 2010, after being encouraged to pursue a lifetime dream of earning a high school diploma, she prepared herself to do just that. In June 2014, in spite of her disabilities -- legally blind in one eye and limited use in her right arm - she persevered. It took Marie Hill three and half years to successfully pass all of her credentials to obtain her General Educational Development Diploma (GED). Because of the length of time it was taking to bring her dream to fruition, the Committee offered her a “Honorary GED.” She gracefully declined and said, “NO, I WANT THE REAL THING.” The Queen Mother DID earn her GED on her own and marched with her class – The Class of 2014. She is a Lifetime Heritage Member of The East Suffolk High School Alumni.
Fast Forward to NOW, Queen Mother Marie Hill prepares to visit the local jails, as a Security Clearance Resource Volunteer. In this new role, she will encourage and drop pearls of wisdom on the inmates to pursue their education while they are incarcerated. God continues to favor 102 year old Marie Hill because of her determination, faith and prayers and continues to be a living example to the young and the old – “that it is never too late to get an education and that everyone is an exception to the rule because of God's grace and mercy.”
While her accolades are many, she is most proud to be a living encyclopedia that can recite the history of her beloved Village of Hobson Virginia. She is passionate about this effort and wants to keep this Village’s integrity ALIVE AND WELL. She is the point of contact for those that want to delve a little deeper into their family history in the Village. Feel free to watch her Tik Tok reviews and what she has to say for any given day.
Queen Mother Marie Hill has 9 children, 56 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, 24 great-great-grandchildren and 13 great great great grandchildren.
Accolades
even while social injustice continued to creep throughout the South.
As a product of the segregated Hobson Graded School in Nansemond County she was able
(even during segregation) to complete the 7th grade. Her laser-focused vision was to capture integration and further her education through future generations. In 1963, integration was captured in Nansemond County Public Schools and with God's grace and mercy Queen Mother Marie Hill was the first to send her children to embrace integration at Chuckatuck Elementary School. In 1968, as a thriving lifetime member the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, she played a pivotal role in assuring that The John Yeates High School Junior-Senior Prom was integrated.
Friends and neighbors of 102 year old Marie Hill always assumed the politically active and very knowledgeable Hobson resident was a retired teacher. In 2010, after being encouraged to pursue a lifetime dream of earning a high school diploma, she prepared herself to do just that. In June 2014, in spite of her disabilities -- legally blind in one eye and limited use in her right arm - she persevered. It took Marie Hill three and half years to successfully pass all of her credentials to obtain her General Educational Development Diploma (GED). Because of the length of time it was taking to bring her dream to fruition, the Committee offered her a “Honorary GED.” She gracefully declined and said, “NO, I WANT THE REAL THING.” The Queen Mother DID earn her GED on her own and marched with her class – The Class of 2014. She is a Lifetime Heritage Member of The East Suffolk High School Alumni.
Fast Forward to NOW, Queen Mother Marie Hill prepares to visit the local jails, as a Security Clearance Resource Volunteer. In this new role, she will encourage and drop pearls of wisdom on the inmates to pursue their education while they are incarcerated. God continues to favor 102 year old Marie Hill because of her determination, faith and prayers and continues to be a living example to the young and the old – “that it is never too late to get an education and that everyone is an exception to the rule because of God's grace and mercy.”
While her accolades are many, she is most proud to be a living encyclopedia that can recite the history of her beloved Village of Hobson Virginia. She is passionate about this effort and wants to keep this Village’s integrity ALIVE AND WELL. She is the point of contact for those that want to delve a little deeper into their family history in the Village. Feel free to watch her Tik Tok reviews and what she has to say for any given day.
Queen Mother Marie Hill has 9 children, 56 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, 24 great-great-grandchildren and 13 great great great grandchildren.
Accolades
- Resource Volunteer for the Virginia Department of Correction
- Chaplain Officer of the Hobson Artesian Well Association, Inc.
- 2017 Award given to Marie Hill, Community Activist, by El Cel Sorts Club Temple Beth El
- 2021 Certificate of Appreciation by the City of Suffolk for successful completion of the General Education Development Program (GED) & 100th Birthday
- Awarded Plaque/Gold Coin and Certificate of 100th birthday on behalf of the City of Suffolk Sheriff Harris
- Letter of Recognition of 100th from City of Suffolk Office of the Treasure, Ronald H. Williams
- City of Suffolk Certificate of Recognition of 100th birthday
- 2016 Certificate of African Ancestry certify Marie Hill shares maternal genetic ancestry with Kpelle People living in Liberia
- Southeast Community Day Parade
- Recognition Kelly's Choice
- City of Suffolk Certificate of Recognition of successful completion of the General Education Development Exam
- Certificate Awarded for the accomplishment of obtaining GED from Nansemond & Suffolk NAACP
- Certificate of Achievement for earning GED Credentials
- Motivational Guest Speaker to name a few: Missouri Baptist Church, name of Puddin Church Pastor Anniversary, Maryland
- Trailblazer NAACP February 2009
- Macedonia Baptist Church honored Marie Hill on their 50th Women's Day Anniversary
- Participated in Smithsonian Folklore Festival in Washington DC
- Certificate of Recognition Award for contributions to her community and service to Macedonia Baptist Church and to the Benevolent Protective Order
- Lifetime Member of the Emma V. Kelly Hospitality Club
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“The Purple Lady"Rachel Presha, known as The Purple Lady, would often be seen dressed in shades of purple and a violet cloak walking along US 17/Bridge Road. She painted utility poles purple and lived in a purple home near the entrance to Harbour View. She often quoted Bible verses. The word BelleHarbour on the sign at the Sentara BelleHarbour facility is purple to honor her.
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