USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 24
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 24
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 24
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Our subject was first married to Mary Ann Warner January 20, 1842, daughter of William Warner, an early settler of Ma- rion county, Illinois. She was born in Lancaster county, Ohio. She passed to her rest in 1872. She was the mother of eleven children, namely : Isaac, who lives in Iuka, this state; Christina, deceased ; Annie, E., widow of Shannon Kagy, lives in Ste- venson township; William is a prosperous
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farmer in Stevenson township; Edgar and over forty-two years, after which he was Edward are twins; Logan is a farmer, liv- ing in Stevenson township; Mary Jane is the eighth child; the ninth, tenth and elev- enth child died in infancy.
On February 4, 1875, the subject married a second time, his last wife being Emma Squibb, who was born in Ohio county, In- diana, the daughter of George Y. and Mary Ann (Harpham) Squibb, natives of Indi- ana, who moved to Stevenson township, Marion county, Illinois, where the mother is still living, the father having died soon after coming to this county. Mrs. Bru- baker is living on the old homestead in Stevenson township, which she manages successfully.
Our subject was a member of the Cum- berland Presbyterian church and a liberal supporter of the same. He was a good everyday Christian, always strictly honest in his dealings with his fellow men, a good neighbor, father and husband. In politics he was a Democrat, but never held office. The different members of his family are well settled in life and are highly respected in their respective communities. They reflect great credit upon their parents, who gave them every advantage possible, and no doubt they will ever uphold the honor of the family name which is one of the high- est integrity.
The subject of this sketch was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and was ordained elder in this church in 1847. He was superintendent of the Sunday school at Brubaker chapel for the long period of
elected honorary superintendent for life. He was a leader in church work for many years and was foremost in promoting everything which makes for the betterment of human- ity. It was largely due to his efforts that the new and modern church edifice was erected and dedicated June 20, 1896, which he christened New Bethel, he not only do- nating the land, consisting of four acres for the manse, but also gave freely of his ser- vices and money to the building fund.
Mr. Brubaker gave each of his children a farm.
SAMUEL MARION HOLT.
The subject of this review, who, though past the meridian of life many years, is still in the same physical and mental vigor that have characterized his earlier years of en- deavor and he is almost as capable in bear- ing his part in the concerns of his neighbor- hood as he was in former days.
Samuel Marion Holt is a native of Ma- rion county, having been born in Foster township, June 25, 1845, the son of John F. Holt, who was born in Georgia in 1806, and came to Marion county, Illinois, when a young man, where he took up government land in Foster township, settling on North Fork creek among the pioneers, there being then only four families here, the first settlers of this creek being Isaac Agan, Hardy Fos- ter, John F. Holt and Moses Garrett. The subject's grandfather was Harmon Holt,
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who was born in Georgia and came to Ma- ing in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and who are the rion county, Illinois, where he died at a ripe old age. He was of Irish descent. Har- mon Holt's wife was named Ibby Holt, whom he married in Georgia. The maiden name of the subject's mother was Elizabeth Jones, who was born in the state of Dela- ware, and who came with her parents to St. Clair county, Illinois, when five years old. Eleven children were born to the subject's parents, five of whom are living. They are: Martha, Henry, Mary, Matilda, Harmon, Salina, Samuel M., Sally, John D., Hardy F. (twins) and Isabelle.
The Indians made a treaty with the gov- ernment to hunt in the new country which was still partly a wilderness after his par- ents had come. Our subject spent his early life on his father's farm and attended the common schools, such as they were in those early days. When he reached maturity he married, on July 21, 1864. Susan F. Atkins, who was born in Marion county, July 16, 1847. the daughter of John Atkins, who was born in Franklin county, Tennessee. He moved to Alabama with his parents when a boy. He was about thirty years of age when he came to Illinois and took up gov- ernment land. He was the father of four children, an equal number of boys and girls. He spent the remainder of his life here, with the exception of the last fifteen years, dying at the age of seventy-three years, in Texas, where he had gone fifteen years previous.
Our subject is the father of seven chil- dren, named in order of birth as follows: Mary M., who married Eli M. Arnold, liv-
parents of five children; Margaret E., who married Oscar Chance, of Salem, Illinois, and who is the mother of six children; Emma F., who married James A. Arnold, living in Fort Worth, Texas, and the mother of two children; Rhoda A., who mar- ried Ed. Jones, of Salem, Illinois, and who is the mother of two children; John A. was married to Maud Davis, December 13, 1908, and lives at home; the sixth child was an infant, who died unnamed; Lulu B., the youngest child, is the wife of Will Harkey, who lives in Fayette county, near St. Peter, this state, and she is the mother of one son.
Our subject is the owner of a fine landed estate in Kinmundy township, consisting of three hundred and eighty-five acres, of well improved land, which he has successfully managed until it is one of the most valuable farms in the township, being under a high state of improvement and the fields well fenced and well drained. Much good stock of various kinds is to be seen in the sub- ject's barns and fields, and he always keeps good horses, cattle and hogs. He has an ele- gant and comfortable dwelling which is nicely furnished and is surrounded by a beautiful yard and convenient out-buildings, in fact, the entire place has an air of evident thrift and prosperity.
Our subject is a Democrat in his political affiliations and he has long taken an active part in his party's affairs. His wife is a devout Christian and a faithful mother, be- ing a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Holt is not a member of the
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church and does not hold to any Orthodox creed, yet he is a believer in good citizen- ship, honesty and fair dealing and is highly respected for his good citizenship. The different members of the family are well settled in life and highly esteemed in their respective communities. They reflect great credit upon their parents and no doubt will ever uphold the honor of the family name, which thus far has not been dimmed by the commission of a single unworthy act.
Z. C. JENNINGS.
The life history of the subject of this sketch goes back to the pioneer days, since which Mr. Jennings has been a very potent factor in the affairs of Marion county, in which he is regarded as a foremost citizen in every respect, therefore, for many rea- sons, it is deemed entirely consistent to give him conspicuous mention in this volume.
Z. C. Jennings was born February 14, 1838, in Marion county, Illinois. Israel Jen- nings, the subject's grandfather, was a na- tive of Maryland and when he reached young manhood went to the state of Kentucky and while at Marysville married Mary Waters in 1808. In 1818 he came to Marion county, Illinois, and settled six miles southeast of Centralia, being among the very first set- tlers there, having Indians as his neighbors, and the dense woods abounded in an abun- dance of wild game. He was one of the squatters at Walnut Hill until 1827. This yard. John, the fifth child, died when he
section was then a part of Jefferson county. It was here that Mr. Jennings entered land, which he developed and where he died in 1860. His first wife passed away in 1844 and he married a second time, his last wife being Lear Sterling, of Centralia, this county. There were no children by his sec- ond wife. The following are the names of the children by his first wife: Israel, Jr., who married a Miss Davidson, was the father of eleven children; Charles W., the subject's father; William W. left home in 1847 and went to Wisconsin. He was in the mining, mercantile and grain business, in which he made a fortune. In 1853 he went to California and engaged in gold mining, but on account of failing health and trou- ble with his eyes, came back to Marion county where he remained for several years, at one time engaging in railroad contract- ing in northern Missouri. In 1861 he en- listed in the Union army and served during the war, after which he settled in Marion county and in 1875 he went to Austin county, Texas, where he lived until 1890, when he came to Alvin, Illinois, and built a modern home, having become prosperous. He first married Margaret Noleman. The date of his death was 1904. He was highly respected by all. Ann, the third child' of the subject's grandfather, married Rufus McElwain, a farmer in Centralia township, who later lived at Salem, this county. Mary, the fourth child, who was known as "Aunt Polly," married a Mr. White. They lived near Walnut Hill where he conducted a tan-
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MR. AND MRS. Z. JENNINGS.
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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reached maturity. The sixth child died when young. In Marion county, in the early days, no citizen was more prominent than Israel Jennings, who was one of the largest land owners of the county. He was a faithful member of the Methodist church, and a good Democrat. In 1827 he was elected a member of the Legislature when Vandalia was the capital of the state. He was a member of the house contemporane- ous with Peter Cartwright. He was post- master at Walnut Hill, Illinois, for many years, beginning in 1834. He was a slave- holder and owned the only male slave ever held in this county. He came here before there were any steam railroads, but during his life he noted wonderful changes, being instrumental in bringing about much of the progress of the county. He opened a store and gave dry goods and groceries in ex- change for produce which he hauled to St. Louis by wagon, bringing back supplies. At the time of his coming to this county he had two daughters who had reached ma- turity. They were taken sick while he was away in Shawneetown on one of his usual trips and one of them died. There was no lumber in the community, so a white-oak tree was cut and a coffin hewn from it, in which to bury the young lady, whose grave is on the old place he owned. He was known to be a very eccentric man, and ten years before his death he bought a metallic coffin, which he kept in the house until his death, and he was buried in it, dying April 20, 1872. His wife died April 3, 1885.
Charles W. Jennings, the subject's father,
was born in Kentucky, and he came to Ma- rion county, Illinois, with his parents, set- tling one-half mile from his father, where he made a home, and became owner of nine hundred acres of land. He married Mariah Davidson, a native of Kentucky, and the fol- lowing children were born to them: Sarah, deceased, married Capt. R. D. Noleman, who is also deceased ; Josephus W., deceased, was born October 29, 1827, lived on the old place and was educated in the district schools. He was a merchant at Walnut Hill, Illinois, until 1856, when he moved to a farm one-half mile west of that place, where he died November 20, 1890. He married Amanda Couch, who was born January 8, 1834, the daughter of Milton and Mary (Beard) Couch. They were the par- ents of the following children: Edgar, Frank, Mary, Lizzie and Nancy. Harriett, the third child, married B. F. Marshall, who lived at Salem, Illinois. They are both de- ceased. Maria E. married Silas Bryan, who was county Judge, and lived at Salem, Illi- nois; Z. C., the subject of this biographical sketch, was the fifth in order of birth. Nan- cy married James Davenport, who is de- ceased. She is living at Salem, this county. America married William C. Stites. Both are now deceased. Docia married Alram Van Antwerp, who is deceased. She is living in St. Louis, Missouri.
The subject's father was a man of excel- lent business ability and a good manager, he having become wealthy. He was a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics was a Democrat.
14
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Z. C. Jennings, the subject of this sketch, grew to manhood on the old home place and was educated in the home schools and the high schools at Salem and Centralia. When twenty-two years old he married Mary J. Baldridge, daughter of James C. Baldridge, of North Carolina, and Margaret (Rainey) Baldridge, a native of Kentucky. At the age of nine years, James C. Baldridge came to Marion county with his parents. Dorn- ton and Mary (Boggs) Baldridge, who set- tled near Walnut Hill, Illinois. James Bal- dridge and wife died in Jefferson county, Illinois. He married a second time, his last wife being Tabitha, the widow of Isaac Casey.
The subject started on the place where he now lives to make a home. He first owned forty acres of land, but being progressive he added to it from time to time until he now owns a fine farm of four hundred and twelve acres, which is in a high state of cultivation and one of the best stock farms in the county. He has raised some high- grade horses and cattle and has made all the improvements on the place himself, be- ing regarded as one of the foremost agri- culturists of the county, holding high rank among the stockmen of this locality.
Six children have been born to the sub- ject and wife, as follows: Dr. Dwight was born September 1, 1860, and he graduated * at the St. Louis Medical College in 1890, having previously attended the Carbondale Normal School, and he read medicine with Dr. Richardson, of Centralia, Illinois. He took up his practice at 4101 Washington
avenue, St. Louis, where he has since been residing and has built up a large practice. He married Cora Locy, of Carlyle, Illinois, and three children were born to this union, Beatrice, Dorothy and Dwight L. Charles Emmett, the subject's second child, was born January 4, 1862. He is a farmer at Mosco, Washington, also a dealer in stock and grain. He married Angeline S. Creed, of Centralia township, and they have one son, Fred Allen. Maggie D., the subject's third child, was born December 17, 1863. and married Lewis E. Thomas, of Centralia, Illinois. He is a carpenter in the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad. Their only son, Charles, is deceased. Samuel R., who was born December 24, 1865, has always been a farmer and lived at home. Maria, who was born January 22, 1871, died in August the same year; Harriett G., who was born October 7, 1873, married E. M. Jones, of St. Louis. He is traveling freight agent for the Southern Railroad. They have three children, namely : Leona, Dwight and Grace.
The subject of this sketch lived at home until 1859, and was in the lumber business with his father for awhile, then he located on his present place. During the past few years he has devoted a great deal of his at- tention to raising fruit. For two years he successfully manufactured crates and berry boxes at Walnut Hill, Illinois.
Mr. Jennings has always taken a great deal of interest in politics. He ably filled the office of Supervisor for four years and other minor offices in the Democratic party,
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a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a well read man on all leading topics. He has a substantial, beautiful and well furnished home, presided over by a most estimable helpmeet, his wife being a woman of culture and refinement. Our subject is an uncle of Hon. William Jennings Bryan. He is well and favorably known throughout the county, being regarded by all classes as a man of force of character, stability, in- dustry and honesty.
FINCH FAMILY HISTORY.
Sir Heneage Finch was the first Earl of Nottingham, England (1682), and was Lord Chancellor of England. He was de- scended from an old family, many of whose numbers had attained a high eminence in the legal profession ; and he was the oldest son of Sir Heneage Finch, the Recorder of London. He was born in Kent, December 23, 1621, educated at Westminster and be- came a member of the Inner Temple, 1638; he was admitted to the bar in 1645, and be- came one of the leading members thereof, being called the "English Cicero". He was chosen a member of the Convention Parlia- ment in 1660, and shortly afterward ap- pointed Solicitor-General, and in 1675 Lord Chancellor. In 1660 he was also created a baronet, and in 1670 he was made Attorney General. He died in Great Queen Street, Lincoln Inn Fields, December 18, 1682, and was buried in Ravenstone in Bucks. He was spoken of as the father of equity, and was
the originator of the Statutes of Frauds, which are accepted in America and Eng- land as universal law and justice. He also published some of the speeches in the trials of the Judges of King Charles I, in 1660, and later emulated himself with other publi- cations appertaining to the execution of King Charles I, but was not their author.
Sir Daniel Finch was the second Earl of Nottingham, and the son of Sir Heneage Finch, was born in 1647, and died January . I, 1730. He entered Parliament in 1679. and was one of the privy counsellors who in 1685 signed the order for the proclamation of the Duke of York, but kept away from the court during the reign of James the II. After the abdication of James II, he was one of the leaders of the party who were favor- able to the establishment of the Regency. He declined the office of Lord-Chancellor under the reign of William and Mary, but accepted that of Secretary of State, and filled that position until December, 1693, and he also held the same office under Queen Anne in 1702, and retired in 1704. On the accession of George the First he was made President of the Council and withdrew from office in January, 1716: on the 9th day of September, 1729, he succeeded to the Earl- dom of Winchelsea and died on the Ist day of January, 1730.
Sir John Finch was a son of Sir Daniel Finch, the second Earl of Nottingham, was counsel to the Crown under George II, in the early part of his reign, and for his strong liberal views, and the active interest he took in espousing the cause of liberalism he was
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by King George the Second, banished from the realm, and coming to America, landed at the port of Boston, and married some- where in the eastern part of Massachusetts, and after a time emigrated to New York, and founded what is taken to be the North- ern branch of the Finch family. To Sir John Finch, the banished counsellor of the court of King George the Second, were born two sons, whose names were respectively, Isaac F. Finch and John Finch ; Isaac Finch and John Finch left their homes in the State of New York and settled in Wyoming Val- ley in Pennsylvania, sometime previous to the Revolutionary war; they engaged in the milling business in an extensive way; and when the Revolutionary war broke out they were each at the head of a large family.
Isaac Finch enlisted in the Revolutionary war, and John remained at home to look af- ter the families of his brother Isaac and his own, and also their property ; they were then living in Wyoming Valley, at Fort Forty. Isaac Finch was killed in the battle of the Wyoming Massacre, July 3, 1778, and John and his entire family were massacred at the same time. Unto Isaac Finch and Amy Finch, his wife, were born five sons and five daughters, and the names of these children were: Isaac, Moses, John, Enos, Amy, Re- becca, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary and Solomon. On the 4th day of July, 1778, Amy Finch, the widow of Isaac Finch, with the aid of faith- ful servants, loaded hier household effects into a wagon drawn by a pair of oxen, and with all the children, excepting Isaac Finch and Amy Finch, who were then visiting in Mas- sachusetts, prepared to fly from the recent
scene of the bloody carnival. As the wagon was about to pull out with the household goods and children, a number of Indians see- ing one of the servants standing by the wagon, with savage yells and flourishing tontahawks rushed upon him and with their tomahawks dashed out his brains, bespatter- ing with blood and brains the five-months- old baby of the deceased Isaac Finch and his widow, who was lying upon the bed-clothing in the wagon. The name of this five-months- old baby was Solomon Finch, the last born. The widow of Isaac Finch, together with these children, then took their departure from the scene of the massacre and after many days of tedious, tiresome and danger- ous travel, made their way through swamp and wilderness for some three hundred miles to Genesee county, New York, where they were finally given shelter, food and clothing, and abided until they were joined by the son and daughter who had gone on the visit to Massachusetts. They finally built them a house of logs and remained in this settle- ment for some years, and until the children were grown and married.
It seems that all the children of Isaac and Amy Finch were married in this part of New York, except Solomon, who again re- turned to the scene of the battle where his father and other relatives had met their death, and there married a Sarah Gardner, whose father owned the battlefield on which had been fought the bloody battle of Wyoming, and here he was married, and soon afterward returned to Genesee county, New York, and joined his relatives. He was married on the 13th day of March, 1804.
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Solomon Finch was born on the 31st day James Gardner Finch married Mary Ann of January, 1778, married to Sarah Gard- Purdom on the 21st day of July, 1839, and to this union were born Walton H. Finch, October 13, 1840, and he died in Pamona, California in 1894, leaving a large family. Cynthia C. Finch was born February 24, 1845; John C. Finch, born January 23, 1847; George W. Finch, born June 21, 1849, and died in Harper county, Kansas, in 1896, leaving a large family; Henry Clay Finch, born October 1, 1852; Charles Sumner Finch, born July 24, 1856; Flor- ence Evaline Finch (Kelly), born March 24, 1858; Almena Finch, born in the State of New York, January 13, 1812, inarried to Stephen Knolton, afterwards to Benjamin Creus, and later to Gabriel Man- ly. the latter to whom she bore one daugh- ter, Emma Manly, July 28, 1832; Emma Manly married A. J. Hurlock in 1862, and after his death she again married John Ryan, in Kansas, 1876. ner on the 13th day of March, 1804, and died on Elm Creek farm, Clay county, Illi- nois, in June, 1851, at the age of seventy- three; and to this union were born Rebecca, Mary, James Gardner, Almena, Solomon, Tomkins and Amos Parm Finch, Rebecca Finch was born January 5, 1805, in the Wyoming Valley, in Pennsylvania, married to George Shirts in Indiana, November 29, 1821, and to this union were born Wil- liam Shirts, February 12, 1823, who died in 1885; Augustus Finch Shirts, Novem- ber 26, 1824; Mary E. Shirts, July 26, 1826; Angeline Shirts, November 26, 1828: Sarah Shirts, November 29, 1830, and Hiram G. Shirts, July 15, 1834; in May, 1842, after the death of George Shirts, Rebecca Finch Shirts was married to Jay Ridgeway, to whom was born Solo- mon Ridgeway. Rebecca Finch Shirts died in 1873.
Mary Finch, born January 24, 1807, in Genesee county, New York, and was mar- ried to Hiram Finch, son of John Finch, who was the son of Isaac Finch, Novem- ber 28, 1829, and to this union was born one son, Henry Clay Finch; Mary Finch died December 29, 1839.
James Gardner Finch was born Octo- ber 16, 1809, in Rochester, New York, and was married to Sarah Woodborn, November 28, 1833, settled in Clay county, in Novem- ber, 1839, and to this union was born one son, Francis M. Finch, April 29, 1837, who died in Andersonville prison, July 27, 1864. After the death of Sarah Woodburn Finch,
Emily Finch was born to Solomon and Sarah Finch, May 12, 1816, and died Oc- tober 13, 1871.
Augustus H. Finch was born to Solomon and Sarah Finch September 1, 1818, and died November 12, 1820.
Solomon Tompkins Finch was born to Solomon and Sarah Gardner Finch in Hamilton county, in the state of Indiana, on the 21st day of November, 1820, and in February, 1847, he moved with his parents to Clay county, Illinois, where his mother, Sarah Gardner Finch, died June, 1847, and on the 22d day of July, 1847, he was joined in marriage with Bethsheba Long, who was born April 15, 1831, and
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who was the second daughter of Rosamond and Hanna Stanford Long, and to this union were born Rebecca Margaret Finch in April, 1852, and who died with premature con- sumption in March, 1868. Mary Elizabeth Finch, who was born in Flora, Clay county, Illinois, on the 25th day of September, 1854 (being the first child born in the city of Flora), and Solomon Tompkins Finch on the 23d day of February, 1857, in the town of Flora, Illinois. On the 14th day of April, 1857, Solomon T. Finch died, leav- ing surviving him Bethsheba Long Finch, his widow, and the three children, viz: Re- becca Margaret, Mary Elizabeth and Solo- mon Tompkins Finch. Solomon Tompkins Finch, son of Solomon Finch and Sarah Gardner Finch, was the first business man in Flora, Clay county, Illinois, having em- barked there into business with one George Harter, under the firm name of Finch & Harter, which continued until his death. In 1870 Bethsheba Long Finch on the 15th day of February was married to John Re- sen Finch, who was a son of Aaron, and grandson of John Finch, who was a brother of Moses and Solomon Finch. To this union was born one child, Martha Luella Finch, on the 7th day of February, 1871, and on the 16th day of July, 1871, Beth- sheba Long Finch departed this life.
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